Daily WHUFC News - 3rd January 2014

Diarra disappointed at Fulham reverse
WHUFC.com
Alou Diarra was disappointed to see another lead go to waste at Fulham on
Wednesday
02.01.2014

Alou Diarra started his first Barclays Premier League game in nearly a year
at Fulham on Wednesday, but the Cottagers' 2-1 victory meant it was not a
happy return to starting action for the Frenchman. Diarra started the game
at centre-half with injuries keeping all three of the Hammers' frontline
defenders injured, and the Hammers saw a lead go to waste after Mo Diame put
them in front early on. Steve Sidwell and Dimitar Berbatov then found the
net to keep the points in west London, while the visitors' task was made all
the more difficult by Kevin Nolan's sending off on the stroke of half time.
"It wasn't the result we wanted," Diarra said. "We lost at Fulham and it was
difficult to play ten against eleven for the second half. "We tried to do
our best, but we were unlucky in the end. We scored the first goal and had a
big chance to score a second, so to concede from a corner was a big
disappointment, "Now we must recover and win the next game."

The Hammers have now not made the most of leads in their last three games,
having gone in front against Arsenal, West Bromwich Albion and Fulham, and
Diarra is well aware that their generosity has to stop. He continued: "It is
frustrating that we've had the lead in the last three games and only taken
one point from them. It's not enough and we must do better. "But if we
continue to play with this solidarity, it will get easier for us."

Diarra felt comfortable in the more unfamiliar position of centre-half on
Wednesday, and he wants to play his part as the Hammers try to turn their
season around. He added: "I've played at centre-back sometimes, so it was ok
to play there again on Wednesday before the red card and injury to Mark. "We
changed tactics then and I went back into the middle. I felt that before
their equaliser we were in control of the game and had the chance to score.
"When we lost Kevin, we conceded too many chances and ended up losing the
game."

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Johnny Heitinga rejects West Ham but expects to leave Everton
BBC.co.uk

Everton defender Johnny Heitinga has turned down a move to West Ham despite
the two clubs agreeing terms for the 30-year-old's transfer. "You have to be
convinced that you are taking the right step and I was not," said Heitinga.
"It is not about money because that was not the problem with a move to West
Ham. I'm confident I will find another club before 31 January." West Ham
need cover for injured centre-backs James Tomkins and James Collins. Hammers
boss Sam Allardyce said on Wednesday that he was hopeful of concluding a
deal for Heitinga, but will now have to look elsewhere. Heitinga, who signed
for Everton from Atletico Madrid for £7m in 2009, has lost his place in the
Netherlands squad after failing to make a single Premier League appearance
this season for the Toffees.

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Carlton Cole: Harry Redknapp wants West Ham striker at QPR
BBC.co.uk

QPR manager Harry Redknapp would be interested in signing Carlton Cole if
West Ham do not renew his contract. The 30-year-old striker's deal at Upton
Park expires this month. "It's difficult as he belongs to West Ham still.
Sam Allardyce has his own problems with injuries and everything there,"
Redknapp told BBC London 94.9. "Carlton is a good player and I like him. He
is one of many players we are looking at but if West Ham decide to keep him
it can't happen."

Cole rejoined the Premier League club on a three-month deal in mid-October
and has scored three goals in 12 appearances for the Hammers. Redknapp is
eager to bolster his forward options in the transfer window, with just three
senior strikers currently on the books at Loftus Road. Charlie Austin has
often been deployed as a lone frontman this season as Andrew Johnson and
Bobby Zamora have struggled for fitness. Since joining from Burnley in
August, Austin has scored 11 league goals but Rangers have struggled to find
the net in the Championship. QPR have scored 26 goals in their 24 games but
only seven clubs in the division have scored fewer - with five of those
seven teams in the bottom six. The west London side's promotion push has
been based on their mean defence, which has been breached only 14 times, and
Redknapp is adamant they will bring in another striker. "I'm looking for a
proven goalscorer and someone who can come in and do the job," he said. "You
need three or four strikers. That is the key. Leicester have got four
strikers and someone told me they might be taking [Crystal Palace forward]
Kevin Phillips. That would give them five. "You need strikers. You can take
two off and bring two on and you have got options. When you're struggling
with one it's difficult. "Tony [Fernandes, QPR chairman] will get on the
phone with Philip [Beard, QPR chief executive] and they will do the deals if
there are any to be done. I'll leave it to them really."

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Heitinga deal off
KUMb.com
Filed: Thursday, 2nd January 2014
By: Staff Writer

West Ham's move to sign Everton defender Johnny Heitinga has collapsed, say
reports this morning. The 30-year-old central defender agreed to move to
West Ham for the remainder of the season on New Years Eve. However
Heitinga's agent claimed this morning that the deal will not now go ahead.
Heitinga himself has since spoken to confirm that the deal has fallen
through. "The deal has been cancelled," he told De Telegraaf. "This has
nothing to do with money, but is only about the feeling I got. "This might
be the most important decision of my career, so everything has to be just
right. We reached the conclusion that this is not the case after we held
talks."

Heitinga is now believed to be on his way to Newcastle, who are understood
to have made an eleventh hour bid to sign the player.

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Redknapp wants Cole
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 2nd January 2014
By: Staff Writer

Harry Redknapp has told the BBC that he'd like to bring West Ham's Carlton
Cole to QPR during the transfer window. Redknapp - who was considered the
favourite to replace Sam Allardyce by at least one bookie this week should
the current Hammers boss depart - told Radio London that Cole was one a
several players currently on his radar. "It's difficult as he belongs to
West Ham still," said Redknapp, once again demonstrating his willingness to
ignore league rules regarding the discussion of contracted players. "Sam
Allardyce has his own problems with injuries and everything there. "But I'm
looking for a proven goalscorer and someone who can come in and do the job.
Carlton is a good player and I like him. He is one of many players we are
looking at, but if West Ham decide to keep him it can't happen. "Tony
[Fernandes] will get on the phone with Philip [Beard, QPR chief executive]
and they will do the deals if there are any to be done. I'll leave it to
them really." Queens Park Rangers are currently third in the Championship,
five points behind leaders Leicester City and one behind Burnley.

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Everton defender John Heitinga turns down West Ham switch
By Gerrit van Leeuwen | Last Updated: 02/01/14 1:25pm
SSN

Everton defender John Heitinga says he turned down a switch to West Ham as
he feels it did not represent a good career move. The 30-year-old admitted
he was looking for a Goodison Park exit after falling out of favour under
Roberto Martinez, prompting the Hammers to make a move while they are short
on defensive cover. Heitinga's only two appearances for the Toffees this
season have come in the Capital One Cup, but he rejected a proposed switch
to Upton Park and will wait for other offers with six months remaining on
his current deal. "At my age it's important to make the right decisions," he
said in a statement released via his agents, Sport Promotion. "Then it's not
all about the money, as that wasn't a problem at West Ham United. You have
to be fully convinced that you will make the right step and I didn't have
that. "Therefore I have cancelled (the move to) West Ham United and we will
now wait for the interest of other clubs. "The interest is there already, so
I am confident I will find another club before January 31st. That's the date
the transfer window will close."

Heitinga also admitted that he still has hopes of representing Holland at
the summer's World Cup and that will play a factor in deciding his next
club. "I want to play every game again, as I am still hungry for the ball,"
he said. "I am fully fit and a player on top of my strengths. I want to go
to the World Cup in Brazil.
"I know that national coach Louis Van Gaal requires his selected players
playing weekly. "At the moment, that's not the situation at Everton and
therefore I am now looking for other options to get a successful
continuation of my career."

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WHAT WILL THE JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW HOLD FOR WEST HAM?
By Sean Whetstone 2 Jan 2014 at 16:30
West Ham Till I Die

At the recent Season Ticket Holders' forum a fan asked David Gold "What is
the short term tactical plan to ensure our premier league status and does
that include substantial investment in the January transfer window to
address the striking issue we have got and the policy around a single
striker which has failed"

David Gold answered "What I can promise you, is that everything that David
Sullivan and myself can do to ensure that we can bring in the personnel to
ensure we stay in the premier league. No stone will be left unturned, that I
can ensure you 100%. We are working on it as we speak. I would like to think
when day one of the window opens a deal will be done but equally it could be
the last day. It would help if someone came in with a bid for one of our
fringe players that we could survive without"

What was obvious from that night is West Ham's preference will be for loan
deals for strikers & defenders so talk of buying Rickie Lambert for £8m in
the papers recently seem wide off the mark.

When you factor in Financial Fair Play we will be trying to get a proven
striker and centre back while trying to balance the £52m wage bill and not
spending up front money we haven't got.

Sam recently told WHUFC.com ""I want as many players as I can get with the
budget I've got which would probably be two That would have to be two
quality players that we'd have to find."

In the first two days of the transfer window Everton's John Hetinga's has
allegedly turned us down in favor a move to Newcastle. The Daily Express
claims we will make one final bid to Chelsea for a loan of Demba Ba. Other
claims this year have us linked with Inter Milan strikers Ishak Belfoldil &
Diego Milito, Roma striker Marco Borriello, Atletico Madrid forward Leo
Baptistao and Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan. It has also been rumoured
that Chelsea are interested in making a bid for Ravel Morrison, Liverpool
may make a bid for Momo Diame and Harry wants Carlton Cole at QPR.

It is understood that before the transfer window we were talking to
Tottenham about Jermain Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor but AVB's sacking put an
end to those talks. Everton's Nikica Jelavic was also widely tipped to be
Sam's shopping list of strikers for Sullivan to attempt to get on loan.

The only one thing we can say for certain is we have signed Jaanai Gordon
from Peterborough. Until it is confirmed on WHUFC.com I take all these
rumours with a large pinch of salt. Let the silly season commence!

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Newcastle make Jonny Heitinga transfer bid as Magpies gazump
relegation-threatened West Ham
Jan 02, 2014 12:13 By Darren Lewis 0 Comments
The Mirror

Alan Pardew has arrived with an offer for the Holland defender, frustrating
the Hammers who thought they had their man

Newcastle have made a shock move to hijack Jonny Heitinga's move to West
Ham. The Hammers had been confident of boosting their bid to survive
relegation by landing Everton's experienced utility player. But the east
Londoners are now resigned to losing 30-year-old Heitinga to Newcastle who
made their interest known on Monday night. The Holland defender is out of
contract at the end of the season but an agreement had been made for West
Ham to take over his contract. He would have given Hammers boss Sam
Allardyce versatility as he can play right-back, centre-half or even in
midfield. Newcastle, though, are looking to reinforce their own defensive
options given the injury to Fabricio Coloccini, and have swooped to deny the
struggling Hammers.

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Kevin Nolan fined £100,000 by West Ham for costly red card against Fulham
Jan 02, 2014 12:34 By Darren Lewis 3 Comments
The Mirror

Skipper Nolan could also lose the captaincy after picking up his second red
in four games during their defeat at Craven Cottage

Kevin Nolan has been fined a whopping £100,000 for his sending off at Fulham
on New Years' Day. The punishment is two weeks' wages for the former
Newcastle skipper. Fuming Sam Allardyce is also considering stripping
32-year-old Nolan of the captaincy after his latest act of lunacy. Big Sam
has acted after the dismissal made it the second time in his last four
appearances that his captain has seen red. Nolan was ordered off in the
Hammers' 4-1 defeat to Liverpool on December 7 for a late, needless lunge at
Jordan Henderson. With the scores level at 1-1 at Fulham on Wednesday, Nolan
was shown a straight red for an off-the-ball kick at Fernando Amorebieta
just before half-time. West Ham went on to lose the match 2-1 , leaving them
second from bottom in the League. Nolan now misses four matches - three for
the red card and an extra one due to the totting up procedure. Big Sam
believes the 32-year-old has no excuses for letting his injury-ravaged squad
down. Speaking straight after the match he said: "Our captain was
irresponsible. Not just today but for the future because he is suspended.
"He's let everyone down and himself. I just don't quite understand where
he's lost his cool and why it's happened. "I know their centre-half fouled
him, and I also know that [referee] Mark Clattenburg didn't give a free kick
and he should have done. "But it's still not an excuse for what Kevin did,
and he ends up getting himself sent off."

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West Ham on alert after Atletico Madrid striker Leo Baptistao given green
light for loan move
Jan 01, 2014 18:25 By Ben Burrows 0 Comments
The Mirror

The Brazilian will be allowed to leave the Vicente Calderon in January with
the Hammers keen on securing his services

West Ham are on alert after Atletico Madrid gave the green light to striker
Leo Baptistao to leave on loan. The highly-rated 21-year-old only moved to
the Vicente Calderon in the summer but has only made one league appearance
all season. With Diego Simeone's side set to sign Bayern Munich midfielder
Jose Sosa on a short term deal the Brazilian will now be made available on
similar terms. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce is reported to be keen but will
face stiff competition to snap up the former Rayo Vallecano man. La Liga
clubs Malaga, Villarreal and Real Betis have all apparently made offers with
West Ham also rumoured to have made their interest known. Allardyce is
expected to a busy man in January as he looks to bolster his ailing side. He
is without a recognised centre-half for the relegation six-pointer with
Fulham, while Andy Carroll's continued absence leaves a hole to fill up
front. The Hammers boss is so busy with transfer dealings in fact that he
missed Monday's press conference to concentrate on wheeling and dealing,
leaving assistant Neil McDonald to field the questions.

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West Ham plot Nikica Jelavic and Asamoah Gyan transfers as owners back
under-fire Sam Allardyce
Jan 02, 2014 22:31 By Darren Lewis 0 Comments
The Mirror

Hammers chiefs Sullivan and Gold are sticking by their manager amid terrace
fears of relegation and will bankroll January moves for two new strikers

Sam Allardyce retains the backing of the West Ham owners for now - despite
the Hammers' fans wanting him out. And under-fire manager Allardyce will be
given the cash to bring in two strikers in the current winter transfer
window to try to shoot the club out of relegation trouble. With club-record
summer signing Andy Carroll's fitness still uncertain, the Londoners remain
hopeful that a loan deal can be struck for powerful ex-Sunderland hitman
Asamoah Gyan. Everton forward Nikica Jelavic is also a target. Allardyce is
also set to get the green light to field the club's reserves in Sunday's FA
Cup tie against Nottingham Forest - just as he did in their Capital One Cup
quarter-final win over Spurs before Christmas. There could even be a shadow
Irons side on display at Manchester City in the first leg of the club's
Capital One Cup semi-final next Wednesday, with West Ham adamant that the
Premier League clash at Cardiff the following Saturday is far more
important. Hammers co-chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan are refusing to
consider relegation from the Premier League and have no compunction about
sacrificing the domestic cup competitions in the fight for survival.
Equally, they have always been insistent that they are owners who back their
managers. Now, despite concerns from fans - and even from within the
second-from-bottom club -they intend to prove they are as good as their
word.
They are understanding of the fact that Allardyce had no control over
captain Kevin Nolan's sending off in the New Year's Day loss to fellow
strugglers Fulham - for which he will be fined two weeks' wages, £100,000.
They are also mindful of the fact that the club have been crippled by
injuries in recent weeks.

West Ham have been vindicated in their belief that Allardyce should have
snapped up another striker last summer, instead of Liverpool winger Stewart
Downing. But the plan for Gold and Sullivan has always been to support Big
Sam with fresh firepower during the January transfer window, then judge him
on the club's form in their subsequent league matches. West Ham's interest
in Southampton striker Rickie Lambert has cooled, because the price quoted
for the 31-year-old England marksman was too high. Jelavic, 28, has made
just nine appearances in the Premier League for Everton this season and is
sweating on his place in the Croatia squad for the World Cup in Brazil. The
Hammers considered a move for him before his switch from Rangers to Goodison
Park in January 2012, but were unconvinced he could reproduce his Scottish
Premier League form in the English equivalent. They now face a race against
time to land him - fellow striker Carlton Cole's short-term deal is set to
expire on January 20 and former Hammers boss Harry Redknapp is keen to sign
the 30-year-old for Championship promotion chasers QPR. Redknapp said of the
former Chelsea forward: "It's difficult, as he belongs to West Ham still.
Sam Allardyce has his own problems with injuries and everything there.
"Carlton is a good player and I like him. He is one of many players we are
looking at but if West Ham decide to keep him, it can't happen."

Cole's departure would mean West Ham are left with Modibo Maiga - three
goals in his last 29 appearances - and Ricardo Vaz Te, who has scored five
goals in his last 31 league games. The club are willing to listen to offers
for both men, as well as fringe players such as Matthew Taylor, as they try
desperately to rake in cash for new strikers. Meanwhile, with Everton
centre-back Johnny Heitinga now looking likely to join Newcastle instead of
the Hammers, Allardyce is looking at the Magpies' Steven Taylor and Joleon
Lescott of Manchester City for defensive cover.

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West Ham and Stoke set for transfer battle over John Guidetti of Manchester
City
Jan 02, 2014 22:30 By David Anderson 0 Comments
The Mirror

Young Swedish striker cannot get a kick for star-studded Blues but rattled
in 20 goals in 23 matches when loaned out to Feyenoord two years ago

Goal-shy West Ham and Stoke are leading the race to sign Manchester City
starlet John Guidetti on loan. Manuel Pellegrini is considering sending
Guidetti out on loan, because of his lack of first-team opportunities at the
Etihad behind Sergio Aguero, Alvaro Negredo, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic.
The Sweden Under-21 striker has yet to play a Premier League game for the
Blues and has made just one senior appearance for them - in the League Cup,
more than three years ago. Guidetti, 21, was sent out on loan to Feyenoord
in Holland for the 2011-12 season and scored 20 goals in 23 matches (see
below). The Hammers and Mark Hughes' Potters have been short of goals from
their strikers this season and are both keen on Guidetti, as are a number of
foreign clubs.
Now it is up to Pellegrini to decide which is the best option.

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West Ham plot move to bring back former Hammer
Date: 2nd January 2014 at 9:28 pm
Written by: Irons Maiden | ForeverWestHam.com

West Ham are set to try again to bring Chelsea's Demba Ba back to Upton
Park, according to the Daily Express. The Hammers have tried on several
occasions to bring back Ba – who spent six months with the Irons in 2011 –
and failed most recently in the summer. It isn't known whether the former
Newcastle United striker will be interested in a rejoining the East London
club, as he still has aims of Champions League football. One thing in the
Hammers favour is the fact that the Senegal international is third choice
striker for Chelsea with Jose Mourinho preferring Fernando Torres and Samuel
Eto'o.

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Are We Toast ??
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 2nd January 2014
By: Gary Portugal

Absolutely not. And no, I haven't been smoking the good stuff or anything
else.

Because despite EVERYTHING going against us, including
injuries,suspensions,arrests,failed transfers,dropped points etc. , we
remain only 3 points from safety. And despite only getting a point from our
last two fixtures,we did show some fight and skill,in difficult
circumstances. Which is in contrast to what was on display vs. Sunderland
and Man U.

Some team members seem to have lost respect for the manager and the
club,which undeniably is a worry. But OVERALL, most of the squad still
exhibits the fight to stay up, based on the last 2 fixtures. BUT, and it is
a VERY big but… my confidence in our ability to beat the drop rests entirely
on the willingness of Allardyce,or whoever replaces him,to COMPLETELY change
Kevin Nolan's role at the club. That means not only stripping him of the
captaincy,but confining him to the subs bench for the rest of the season,
for, at best,cameo appearances.

This team MUST find a new leader – someone who is impassioned,yet
responsible, and who can organize the defence and midfield. Answer: Winston
Reid, once fit,who leads by example. Reid as captain would eliminate the
excuse of "needing" Nolan on the pitch to "organize and motivate."

As for the mega-million question, should Sam stay or go? Like many people ,
ideally I'd love to be shot of him for so many reasons. But realistically,I
also accept that there are very few tailor made replacements around, apart
from perhaps, McKay, who I felt was doing fine at Cardiff. But even with
him,we would not be assured of staying up. Perhaps the real issue is not
whether Sam should stay or go. Maybe the real issue is whether Sam finally
accepts that Nolan should,at best, only be on the subs bench from now on. If
Sam is honest and man enough to accept that, then perhaps it makes sense to
keep him. If not, then I'd prefer McKay, or even Clarke, as soon as
possible.

Let's examine some facts. We have Carroll, Collins, Tomkins and Vaz Te all
to come back in the next few weeks. Possibly Reid before month end. Downing
has returned and looks up for it . And one or two new faces are likely to
appear via the window. Hopefully Noble won't be out for too long. So we
should end the month with a considerably stronger side than that which
competed over the festive period.

So what would a side WITH Carroll and WITHOUT Nolan look like ? It would be
a side that would score in every game . Stick Maiga, or a successful
transfer target, in behind Carroll,in the place normally filled by Nolan ,
and we would be much better off. Am I a huge fan of Maiga? Nope. But he has
shown signs in recent matches of being able to produce the goods. He and
Carroll together would provide the tempo,pace and unpredictability that has
been woefully absent with Nolan in the side this season. And if we can find
in this window a striker better than Maiga to accompany Carroll, all the
better.

Bottom line is that I don't think Nolan's drop in form this season is solely
down to Carroll's absence. Nolan is getting on, he's off the pace, and
probably past it as a Premier League striker now, temper aside. If Nolan was
still good enough to compete at the top level,he would not be missing the
abundance of chances like he has this season. You can argue that Fulham's
keeper made a great save. Maybe. But in my view, not for the first time,
Nolan should have buried that header.

The bottom line, to me, is that whether or not we avoid relegation depends
less on whether or not we sack Sam, and more on whether or not Nolan is
"relegated" to the bench, regardless of who the manager is.

I'm not a fan of Allardyce, especially in the top flight. But between him
and Nolan, he is the lesser of 2 evils. Nolan is past his PL sell by date,
period. He doesn't score or run fast enough, or control his temper well
enough to warrant being a starter in the top flight anymore. If West Ham's
manager, whoever that turns out to be,can accept that, then we have a
realistic chance at survival. If not, then indeed, we ARE toast. With or
without the marmite…

It was absolutely gutting to lose to Fulham in that fashion, especially
having started so brightly. Given the nature of how we conceded the
equalizer, we can't be sure that we would have at least kept a point had we
had 11 men on the pitch. But given that it took Fulham ages to get the
winner, my gut feeling is that we would have drawn the match, thereby
keeping Fulham well in the mix.

But, as gutting as it was, if Nolan's sending off causes the manager and
club owners to have a "catharsis" and come to the conclusion that Nolan is
no longer fit to play a meaningful role at West Ham, it ironically could be
what saves our season.

The root of so many of our problems this season, injuries aside,truly IS
Nolan's lack of discipline, and lack of skill at this level.

Getting out of difficult situations means getting out of one's comfort zone.
It requires challenging long-held assumptions and being willing to make
SIGNIFICANT changes, even if such changes might be "uncomfortable" for some,
including the manager.

Is Allardyce a big cause of our problems ? Undoubtedly. But the solution
might lie in relegating Nolan to the fringes of the squad, as opposed to
ditching Sam. That may be painful for both Sam and the owners to accept. But
we need to relegate Nolan. Before he relegates us .

Finally , take a look at the fixture list . I believe we can get something
from the Cardiff and Newcastle games as we should have a couple players back
from injury or in from the window. Away to Chelsea I'll write off,even
though we're not in a position to write any game off now. But more
importantly,check out February. By which time we "should" have a relatively
fit squad.

Swansea,Villa,Norwich and Southampton. Easy? Nope. Winnable ? Yes. Keep the
faith. No fat lady about yet…

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Joey puts things in perspective
WHUFC.com
Joey O'Brien is refusing to let West Ham United's recent results get him
down
03.01.2014

After spending years battling a career-threatening knee injury, Joey O'Brien
is not going to allow a relegation battle to get him down. West Ham United's
No17 battled back to the top of the game after winning a contract with the
Hammers in the summer of 2011, having not played a single senior game
between October 2008 and March 2011. Since his arrival at the Boleyn Ground,
O'Brien has performed well in a host of positions, most recently filling in
as a centre-back in the absence of Winston Reid, James Collins and James
Tomkins. Having been so close to hanging up his boots, the Irishman is not
about to allow the Hammers' recent results to get him down. "Personally,
with the stuff I have been through in my career, I would never have a
negative attitude about anything in football," said the 27-year-old. "I
truly believe that when we have a full team we can beat any other team in
this league - that is the attitude in the dressing room. "I think the
injuries have obviously played a part, but the form hasn't really been up to
scratch either and hopefully we can pick it up this year and have a good end
to the season. "We got out of the Championship in my first season at the
Club and of course we don't want to go back there. Listen, there is an awful
lot of football to be played. If we win next week against Cardiff and the
other results go our way, we will be out of the bottom three."

While O'Brien is remaining determinedly upbeat, he did admit that the New
Year's Day Barclays Premier League defeat at Fulham had been a blow. The
Hammers took an early lead at Craven Cottage, only to lose Mark Noble
through injury, Kevin Nolan through a red card and their lead through goals
from Steve Sidwell and Dimitar Berbatov. "We are very disappointed,"
admitted the defender. "We all know how big that game was and we went there
to get three points and obviously it didn't work, so we are very
disappointed. "The manager said a few things after the game, but I think the
lads knew it already because we didn't really play well. Kev getting
sent-off didn't really help us either and then conceding from a set play is
not good as we couldn't really see them scoring, but it got them back into
it I suppose. "At 1-0 we have a great chance which was [denied by] a great
save. At 2-0 then it is a very different game and you can control it, but we
were disappointed with the second half. When you have ten men you are going
to be up against it and they are going to have chances. "We had a massive
chance at 1-0 and the goalkeeper made a great save and that is the bit of
luck you need in these games. If that had gone for us, we would have pushed
on and could have controlled the game, but we let them get back into it with
a set-play and in the second half they controlled the game."

When asked about Nolan's red card, O'Brien said he had no reason to question
referee Mark Clattenburg's decision to send the captain off for kicking out
at Fernando Amorebieta. "I didn't really see it to be honest but the ref was
adamant that it was a red card and I don't think he would have made the
wrong decision from where he was," said O'Brien. "He had a great angle, so I
presume it was a red. "Of course, he (Nolan) is disappointed. I haven't
spoken to him, really, but I suppose he would say that it was a moment of
madness. Listen, we could have done better, it was still 1-1, but in the end
we didn't have enough to hold on."

O'Brien now knows the importance of the Barclays Premier League trip to
Cardiff City on Saturday 11 January. "I think all anyone is talking about is
the next game in the league against Cardiff City. It is a massive game and
we have to go up there and win the match, it is as simple as that. "It is
all about the league. It is all about the Premier League and playing in the
best league in the world. The players know how big an opportunity it is in
your career to be playing at this level and that is why we want to stay
here."

One reason why West Ham can definitely stay up is the return of injured
players over the coming weeks. "Stewart Downing is back and he came on at
Fulham and looked lively, Andy Carroll is getting back in training, and
Ginge and Tonks are not going to be too far away either," concluded O'Brien.
"So, hopefully when those players come back and we have a full squad, we can
start picking up some points."

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On this day - 3 January
WHUFC.com
A late flurry of goals produced an exciting game as the Hammers beat Wigan
in the FA Cup ten years ago
03.01.2014

Classic match
Wigan Athletic 1-2 West Ham United
FA Cup third round
3 January 2004
West Ham United survived a late scare to overcome Wigan Athletic at the JJB
Stadium and progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup. The two Championship
sides were level until the 80th minute when Hayden Mullins picked an
excellent time to score his first goal for the Club and hand the Hammers the
lead. Five minutes later and they had a second when David Connolly expertly
beat two defenders before placing a shot past John Filan and into the bottom
corner of the net. Wayne Quinn put through his own net in stoppage time but
it was too little too late and the Hammers held on to reach round four.

Complete record - 3 January
1920 Blackpool 0-0 West Ham United (Division Two)
1925 West Ham United 2-0 Blackburn Rovers (Division One)
1931 West Ham United 5-5 Aston Villa (Division One)
1948 Nottingham Forest 2-1 West Ham United (Division Two)
1953 West Ham United 3-2 Bury (Division Two)
1959 Aston Villa 1-2 West Ham United (Division One)
1970 Middlesbrough 2-1 West Ham United (FA Cup)
1976 West Ham United 0-2 Liverpool (FA Cup)
1977 West Ham United 0-0 West Bromwich Albion (Division One)
1981 West Ham United 1-1 Wrexham (FA Cup)
1987 Liverpool 1-0 West Ham United (Division One)
1994 West Ham United 0-0 Sheffield United (Premier League)
1998 West Ham United 2-1 Wakefield & Emley (FA Cup)
2000 Newcastle United 2-2 West Ham United (Premier League)
2004 Wigan Athletic 1-2 West Ham United (FA Cup)
2005 West Ham United 0-2 Sheffield United (Championship)
Played 16, Won 5, Drawn 6, Lost 5, Scored 19, Conceded 22

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Fans split on Allardyce
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 3rd January 2014
By: Staff Writer

Hammers fans are currently evenly split over the question of replacing the
under-fire Sam Allardyce - according to a KUMB members poll.

Supporters were asked to consider whether Sam Allardyce - who remains the
bookies odds-on favourite to be the next Premier League manager to face the
chop - should be allowed to continue in his post following United's dreadful
first half of the season.

The first 12 hours saw readers voting in their hundreds - resulting in an
almost completely even 50/50 split. At the time of writing, the poll - which
may be found on the KUMB Forum - has the two options (yes/no) separated by
just ten votes.

That clearly indicates that despite pockets of dissent on the terraces,
considerably more online and media reports to the contrary, the fan base -
as a whole - does not support the immediate replacement of Allardyce, who
prior to the beginning of the current 2013/14 campaign had both met and
exceeded all his goals at West Ham.

The manager is understood to have attended a meeting with co-owner David
Sullivan yesterday during which the team's current problems were discussed.

And whilst he continues to count upon the board's support - in public, at
least - Allardyce will be well aware that time is against him should he wish
to fulfil his dream to lead West Ham into the Olympic Stadium three years
from now.

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Hammer horrors: Heitinga's snub is sign of decline at relegation-threatened
West Ham
By LAURIE WHITWELL
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 2 January 2014 | UPDATED: 23:55, 2 January 2014
Daily Mail

When a player desperate for first-team football ahead of this summer's World
Cup turns down the chance to join your club and guaranteed action, you know
the situation is critical. Johnny Heitinga on Thursday opted to stay in
Everton's reserves rather than sign for West Ham after the two clubs agreed
terms. The cruel view is that the rats are not even going near this sinking
ship. 'It is not about money because that was not the problem with a move to
West Ham,' said the Dutch international. 'You have to be convinced that you
are taking the right step and I was not.'

Adding to Sam Allardyce's bad mood was his captain Kevin Nolan, who was
fined £100,000 by the club for receiving a second red card in a month after
kicking Fulham's Fernando Amorebieta in the 2-1 defeat. Nolan, docked two
weeks' wages, is understood to have deep regret over his actions but West
Ham fans will want more than that after his earlier three-game ban for
raking his studs down Jordan Henderson's calf. Nolan needs to come back
after his four-match suspension and drag this team from its knees through
committed displays.

Allardyce said there was 'certainly something wrong with his mentality at
the minute' and the frustration of this season is clear for all to see.
Nolan's wild indiscretion means the squad is alarmingly thin for another
crunch game against Cardiff, newly boosted by Ole Gunnar Solksjaer's
arrival, a week on Saturday.
West Ham finished the Fulham game with five full-backs on the pitch and not
a creative spark in sight. George McCartney got the captain's armband from
Nolan after deputy Mark Noble's calf injury forced him off and it is still
to be seen who will lead the side for the crucial clash in south Wales.
Winston Reid, third in line, is a long-term casualty.

First comes an FA Cup match at Nottingham Forest on Sunday and the Capital
One Cup semi-final first leg at Manchester City on Wednesday. The club are
trying to get supporters to buy tickets for the return at Upton Park before
the Etihad game, perhaps fearful there will be empty seats if handed a heavy
defeat.
Allardyce is the odds-on favourite to be the next Barclays Premier League
manager sacked but Sportsmail understands the board are 100 per cent behind
him and will support him in the January window. Allardyce has been here
before and survived, while the lack of viable alternatives on the managerial
market only reinforces that point. In short, there is confidence he can turn
things around.

On the shopping list are two strikers, one midfielder and one central
defender, which co-owner David Sullivan had expected to be Heitinga. A deal
to get Rickie Lambert for £8million is on the cards and that figure for a
31-year-old, albeit an England international, is a marker of the desperation
to sign a proven top-flight scorer. Sullivan and David Gold will pump £3.5m
into the coffers this month to cover player wages. Allardyce and Sullivan
began working in earnest on January deals seven weeks ago but are
discovering the acute difficulty of attracting players to the proposition of
a relegation scrap. Many supporters point out the calamity of the summer
window as a terminal mistake and club-record signing Andy Carroll has cast a
large shadow over Upton Park. He is still only doing non-contact training
and is three weeks away from playing 15 minutes of competitive football –
the Newcastle game on January 18 is the latest target.
Recently, Ravel Morrison, West Ham's top scorer with five goals, has been a
conspicuous absence with a niggling groin injury. Wally Downes is another
name worth mentioning. The coach was a large presence at the training ground
but was sacked little more than a year ago. Since then West Ham have won
just nine league games out of 42.

On the pitch, pace and goals are lacking but both those assets come at a
price, particularly midway through the season. One call has been to blood
the youngsters and West Ham's development side are second in the Under-21
Premier League. Elliot Lee, 19, has seven goals in eight appearances for the
Under-21s, while Blair Turgott, 19, is a winger who can excite. But rarely
are they brought into first-team training to test themselves against the
seniors.
Allardyce argues it would be unfair to throw young talents into such a
pressurised scenario but Tony Cottee, who was handed his debut and scored as
a 17-year-old in 1983, believes the club would be lifted by the inclusion of
academy boys. 'How do you know unless you give them a chance,' he told
Sportsmail. 'If managers had been scared to give youth a chance we never
would have seen Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen, Ross Barkley or many others.
'You have to take the circumstances into account. But I think the fans have
always enjoyed when you see a youngster come through.' There is a bleak mist
around West Ham right now. The month ahead will determine whether light can
be found.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
An utter disgrace to West Ham
Date: 3rd January 2014 at 4:23 am
Written by: Spencer Pratten | ForeeverWestHam.com

And just when you thought things couldn't get any worse folks, cue brain of
Britain Kevin Nolan for yet another sending off that almost has to be seen,
to be believed.

Picture the scene; an under strength Hammers make the short journey across
London to Craven Cottage for a six-pointer…no make that a ten-pointer
against our relegation rivals. Spanked by six clear goals at Hull City,
surely there was every chance that we could at least nick a point against a
team that must have dreaded appearing in front of their own fans after their
apocalyptic performance from the previous week.

After a shaky start with a strange line up of three central defenders,
slowly but surely we started to play our way into the game. We should have
been 2-0 up, and with 11 men on the field, even the one goal advantage would
have given us something to fight for, even with a weakened team.

Then two things happened in quick succession; the loss to injury of the
Hammers heartbeat and real skipper Mark Noble, and the loss of the eternal
disappointment who has been masquerading as both player and captain for
months and months, Kevin Nolan. The former was just plain cruel, the latter
just plain, well what can I say. I don't think that mere words can really
make any sense of the actions of Nolan, even a day after the event.

Was ever there a more senseless, pathetic, cowardly red card in West Ham's?
Oh yes, there was one…also Kevin Nolan from a few weeks back who raked his
studs down the back of an unsuspecting Liverpool player and achieved yet
another free Christmas and left his mates to hold the fort against a now
rampant opposition, keen to rack up the goal difference. A 4-1 mauling did
nothing for morale, and the captains baffling, no make that psychotic,
out-of-the-blue challenge left us both angry and bemused.

To have seen Noble limp off would have stirred most true, worthy skippers
into action. Socks and sleeves rolled up, chest pushed out, and fire
coursing through the veins in preparation for the fight would have been the
reaction of John Terry, Steven Gerrard and Vincent Kompany. They would have
upped their games and made sure everyone around them did the same. No room
for error, and certainly no place for slackers or shirkers. Every single
player was in a fight, and it was one for all and all for one. Except one.

The captain. Our captain. The Irons skipper, who should have been ever
mindful, thankful and honoured that he had been allowed to follow in the
hallowed footsteps of Bobby Moore, Billy Bonds and Alvin Martin. The one man
who above all was responsible for making sure the team came home, battered,
bruised, physically shattered and if not triumphant, at least able to sleep
soundly that night in the knowledge that everything the players had was left
on the pitch.

So what was the brilliant, heroic and thoughtfully executed action of the
West Ham captain? He threw what can only be described as a 'hissy-fit'
because someone had dared to run across his line. He lashed out from behind
and simply stood their hands on hips, and waited for the inevitable and
deserved red card to be produced. Pure class Kevin. A true master class in
combined thuggery and stupidity.

The remaining ten battled as well as they could but the die was cast, the
result almost inevitable. Short of grafting bodies the ball was moved around
us and the casual, almost coma-like Dimitar Berbatov was left enough space
for a simple tap in. 2-1. Defeat. Defeat in wretched circumstances. How much
more angry could I get about Nolan's treachery? Not much. I was at boiling
point and from there, well, you can only go two ways: start to cool down or
blow off steam until the emotional kettle runs dry. My kettle exploded.

The arm band must never again be wasted on Kevin Nolan, because quite simply
he has sullied its meaning and its magic. The Liverpool red card was bad
enough, but to do it again, weeks later, in a crucial, winnable game and at
a critical point was for me the final straw. There was nobody connected with
West Ham United who wasn't badly let down, and Sam Allardyce, faithful to
Nolan to a laughable degree, must feel devastated by his right hand mans
actions. Actions that could well be instrumental in the impending arrival of
a removal van at the residence of Sam Allardyce. Some mate Kevin, some mate.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce won't face the axe from West Ham
SAM ALLARDYCE looks set to escape the West Ham axe - because the club can't
afford to sack him.
Daily Star
By Duncan Wright & Adrian Kajumba/Published 3rd January 2014

The Hammers boss had seen his future thrown into doubt after the 2-1 defeat
at Fulham left them three points adrift of safety in the bottom three. But
Starsport understands it would cost the Hammers board £6m to dump the
manager - money the club would rather spend on signings, with two strikers a
priority. Co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan now face the dilemma of
keeping faith with Allardyce and signing reinforcements - or swing the axe
and risk missing out on a goalscorer who could help keep the club in the top
flight. The Hammers have taken just six points from 33 since the start of
November, a run which has seen them lose seven games. Scoring goals has been
a major issue and West Ham are desperate to bring in a striker, with Andy
Carroll still no nearer to making an appearance this season. And with
Allardyce still having 18 months left to run on his £50,000-a-week deal, it
would cost in excess of £6m to pay him and his backroom staff off should the
club decide to make a change at the top.

"Starsport understands it would cost the Hammers board £6m to dump the
manager - money the club would rather spend on signings" That is money the
Hammers have earmarked for a new player, and could mean Allardyce is given
more time to prove he can turn things around. Big Sam held talks with Gold
and Sullivan yesterday to discuss his January transfer window plans. As well
as two forwards - Everton's Nikica Jelavic is a target - Allardyce wants to
bolster his backline. He was on the verge of landing Jelavic's Everton
team-mate Johnny Heitinga, but the Dutchman has snubbed a move. Meanwhile,
Kevin Nolan has been hit with a two-week fine of £100,000 after his second
red card in just four games. Allardyce blamed Nolan for the Fulham defeat
after he saw red for kicking out at Fernando Amorebieta and is also
considering stripping him of the captaincy. He will miss West Ham's next
four games after also seeing red against Liverpool last month.

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