Daily WHUFC News - 30th April 2014

Hammers to visit New Zealand
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will visit New Zealand for the first time in July 2014
30.04.2014

West Ham United are delighted to announce that the Hammers will visit New
Zealand for the first time in the Club's history this July. The Football
United Tour will see West Ham play two games in the Pacific Ocean nation
against Hyundai A-League sides Wellington Phoenix and Sydney FC as part of a
four-team tournament that also includes fellow Barclays Premier League side
Newcastle United.

The Hammers will face the Phoenix at Eden Park on Wednesday 23 July, before
they travel to Wellington for a fixture against Sydney FC at the
34,500-capacity Westpac Stadium on Saturday 26 July*.

The pre-season trip will be a special one for West Ham, who will be the
first leading English club to visit New Zealand since Everton in 1986, and
in particular for New Zealand captain Winston Reid. The All Whites skipper,
who was born in Auckland and starred for his country at the 2010 FIFA World
Cup, cannot wait to return to his homeland with the Hammers. "I'm really
excited to be bringing West Ham to New Zealand in July to play a bit of
footy in the Football United Tour and show them how we do things in New
Zealand!" said the centre-back. "New Zealand is a beautiful country full of
great people and I'm sure all the West Ham players, staff and supporters who
make the trip will have a fantastic time. "Football is really on the up in
both New Zealand and Australia and we are all looking forward to both
meeting all the fans and playing in exciting matches against two leading
Hyundai A-League clubs."

Manager Sam Allardyce is also looking forward to taking a team New Zealand
for the first time in his managerial career. "We've been busy putting
together the best pre-season preparation that I've had, and it's great that
we're able to go to New Zealand as a key part of that," said Big Sam. "A lot
of hard work has gone on behind the scenes between Angus Kinnear, Andrew
Pincher and Neil McDonald to pull it all together in terms of what we're
looking for and what we want. "The tournament in New Zealand is particularly
interesting, as it allows us to promote West Ham United and the Premier
League over there. It'll be great for our fans in the region to see us play.
I went over to Australia with Blackburn Rovers and I was quite surprised how
many Blackburn fans there were that lived there. "I'd expect ten times more
fans to be looking forward to us playing in New Zealand this summer!"

The arrival of two leading Premier League sides in New Zealand looks certain
to prove popular with the locals as General Manager of the Wellington
Phoenix, David Dome, explained. "We are delighted that we're making an
international first available to both Kiwi and Australian fans," Dome said.
"All of New Zealand will be able to be part of this unique sporting event,
with Newcastle United journeying to Dunedin and West Ham United to Auckland,
with both sides finishing their tour with the double-header in Wellington."

"This just isn't about action on the pitch. Wellington will be hosting a
'Festival of Football' throughout the day and night in the capital. We want
to create a weekend packed with entertainment, culture and sport that around
the theme of football - a real family festival day out offering so much more
for the fans and their families. "We anticipate tickets to the games will
sell fast as this is a rare and exciting opportunity for football fans and
their families throughout Australasia to be part of."

Ticket details for both matches will be confirmed shortly on whufc.com,
while New Zealand-based supporters should keep an eye on
wellingtonphoenix.com for details of how to make sure of your seat!

*Please note fixtures are still subject to change and fans are advised to
not book any travel arrangements until confirmed.

Wellington Phoenix
Founded: 2007
Best A-League finish: Third (2009/10)
Head coach: Ernie Merrick
Website: wellingtonphoenix.com

Who are they?

Founded in March 2007 following the dissolution of the New Zealand Knights,
Wellington Phoenix entered the A-League later the same year, becoming the
first expansion club in the league's history. The name for the new club was
picked from a shortlist of six, picked from 250 names suggested by the
public, and represents the 'fresh start' for football made in the city with
the club's birth. In 2009/10, under the guidance of future New Zealand
manager Ricki Herbert, Wellington Phoenix became the first ever New Zealand
side to reach the A-League play-offs, defeating Perth Glory and Newcastle
Jets to reach the Preliminary final, where they were beaten by Sydney FC.
The Nix, as they are nicknamed, reached the play-offs again in 2011 and
2012. Wellington Phoenix also provided five members of New Zealand's 2010
FIFA World Cup squad - winger Leo Bertos, goalkeeper Mark Paston, defenders
Ben Sigmund and Tony Lochhead and midfielder Tim Brown.

High profile players

Barbados international midfielder Paul Ifill was born in Brighton and played
more than 350 career games for Millwall, Sheffield United and Crystal
Palace. While he may not yet be known to West Ham supporters, Costa Rica
winger Kenny Cunningham could line up against England at the 2014 FIFA World
Cup finals in Brazil.

Sydney FC
Founded: 2004
Best A-League finish: Grand Finals winners (2005/06, 2009/10)
Manager: Frank Farina
Website: sydneyfc.com.au

Who are they?

The A-League's inaugural champions in 2005/06, Sydney FC were one of the
league's founder members and are considered to be one of its most successful
clubs. Under the management of former Germany international Pierre
Littbarski and with former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke leading
the attack, the Sky Blues defeated the Central Coast Mariners 1-0 in the
Grand Final in 2006. That same season, Sydney FC were also crowned Oceania
champions after beating Auckland City of New Zealand, AS Pirae of French
Polynesia and AS Magenta of New Caledonia. Ex-Middlesbrough and Brazil star
Juninho, former Sheffield Wednesday playmaker Benito Carbone and one-time
Coventry City and Australia striker John Aloisi added star power during the
seasons following Sydney's opening-year success, but the club would have to
wait four years for a second title. That arrived in 2010, when they defeated
Melbourne Victory 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in the Grand Final.
In recent seasons, Sydney FC have failed to challenge for the title, but
have continued to attract big crowds due in large part to the presence of
former Juventus and Italy superstar Alessandro Del Piero in their squad.

Do they have any players known to West Ham United fans?

Perth-born Australia midfielder Richard Garcia joined West Ham United as a
15-year-old, helping the Hammers to win the FA Youth Cup in 1999 and making
22 first-team appearances. Having also played for Leyton Orient, Colchester
United and Hull City, he returned to his homeland with Melbourne Heart in
2012 before joining Sydney FC last summer. Australia midfielder Nick Carle
played nearly 100 games for Bristol City and Crystal Palace between 2008 and
2010, while left-back Marc Warren has represented Sheffield United and
Scottish club Airdrie.

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Reid looks for final flourish
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid is targeting a third victory of the season against Tottenham
Hotspur
29.04.2014

West Ham United defender Winston Reid insists his team are not suffering
from any end-of-season jitters as they look to secure a position of
mathematical safety. Victory over Sunderland at the end of March took West
Ham to 37 points and the brink of securing their Barclays Premier League
berth, but they have been unable to add to that tally in the four games
since. Nevertheless, they are still virtually assured of top flight football
in 2014/15 but Reid wants to make sure they seal it themselves by defeating
Tottenham Hotspur for a third time this season. He said: "I don't think we
are nervous. I just think that the balls are not really falling for us at
the moment. We have been punished in the last two games when maybe earlier
on in the year we would have got two draws. "We just can't seem to score
goals at the moment and we are conceding, so it is not really the best. It
is four defeats on the bounce now and we are not particularly happy with
that, so we have to win our next game and that is at home against Tottenham,
it is as simple as that. "Ben Foster played well on Saturday, but we have to
start putting away our chances. That is two games where we haven't scored
now, also we should really have done better with their goal, so all in all
we are not really hitting our best form at both ends."

Reid would love to complete the Spurs hat-trick on Saturday, especially as
the game provides the Hammers with the last opportunity to win in front of
their own fans this season, He continued: "We have got up for every single
game in the league so far, so it is not about that, but it is a local derby
so we will have to be on top form to get anything out of the game. They are
a good side and going well, so we will have to take it as it comes and get
ready for Saturday. "Basically there are still enough points that teams can
collect to go past us, so we are not safe. We haven't really been talking
about that to be honest, we have just be concentrating on trying to get more
points and try and keep pushing ourselves up the table, but we have lost
four games in a row at not at a good time. "It is the end of the season now
and we want to finish off well. We have two exciting games coming up and we
have to try and do well in those two games to finish the season off as best
as possible really."

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Reid spurred on by derby clash
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 29th April 2014
By: Staff Writer

Central defender Winston Reid says West Ham need to start taking their
chances if they are to have any hope of beating Tottenham this weekend. The
Hammers recorded a second consecutive blank at West Bromwich Albion on
Saturday - the 17th occasion this season in which they have failed to score
- with the New Zealander partially at fault for the Baggies' winning goal.
And Reid, who has once again found himself being linked with a summer move
by the media insists that the Hammers need to start hitting the target if
they are to avoid ending the season with eight successive defeats - a run
that would equal that which saw the end of Alan Pardew's reign as manager in
2006. "We just can't seem to score goals at the moment and we are conceding,
so it is not really the best," Reid told whufc.com. "It is four defeats on
the bounce now and we are not particularly happy with that. "The balls are
not really falling for us at the moment. We have been punished in the last
two games when maybe earlier on in the year we would have got two draws. Ben
Foster played well on Saturday, but we have to start putting away our
chances."

The next opportunity for Reid and his fellow team mates to do that comes
this weekend when Tottenham provide the opposition for the final home game
of the Premier League season. However the 25-year-old believes that the
Hammers will need to be at their best to beat a team still hoping to qualify
for European football next season. "We have to win our next game at home
against Tottenham, it is as simple as that," he said. "But we will have to
be on top form to get anything out of the game as they are a good side and
going well."

* Should West Ham lose this weekend, it will be the tenth time they have
lost at home in the league this season which would represent the most number
of home defeats in any Premier League campaign.

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JUDGE A MANAGER BY HIS SIGNINGS
By Sean Whetstone 29 Apr 2014 at 14:12
West Ham Till I Die
Guest Post by John Bucci

As a regular attendee to the Boleyn for more years than I care to remember,
I have seen many different West Ham teams, and in more recent times, many
different managers. I looked on in amazement/despair with the appointment of
an un-proven chelsea legend in Zola, and then just despair with the
appointment of Avram Grant. So with the club in such a poor state both on
and off the field I was not totally opposed to Allardyce's appointment, and
although I had voiced many a time when he would bring his Bolton side to
town, how much I disliked his teams one dimensional bullying tactics, I did
hope he would adjust his style to suit his audience. I welcomed the arrival
of a strong manager to steady the ship and sort out the mess that had been
left behind, and to give credit where credits due he looked to be doing what
I had hoped.

It wasn't until this last summer transfer window that I really started to
question things,and mainly his ability in the transfer market. I was
somewhat concerned that he had again broken our transfer record on the
permanent signing of Andy Carroll whom had a history of injuries and not too
many goals, and was even injured when he signed. But to not purchase another
striker having released Carlton Cole and then spend the remaining budget on
Stewart Downing was, in my opinion, the season we are enduring set in stone.
Having broken our transfer record previously on Jarvis, the signing of
Downing ,I felt, was just unnecessary. I was expecting Jarvis to justify his
fee being his second season,unfortunately he has on the whole been pretty
ineffective since joining us closely run by Downing this season. So with the
fact that our once famed academy production line seems to have dried up, and
the alleged falling out over agents resulting in Ravel Morrison being loaned
out this left behind a squad of players all 25 or over ( very Bolton'esque )
I wondered how after two transfer records broken in Sam's time, and with a
whole raft of players in and out of the club, our best players are still
Mark Noble, Winston Reid and James Tomkins (still improving all the time).

It was when we played Liverpool the other week when my son stated that if
you added up the value of our so called front three of Jarvis, Downing and
Carroll in the region of 31million, and then looked at Liverpool's front
three of Sterling, Coutinho and Suarez, there was only a couple of million
difference (all be it they bought Sterling in as a youngster from QPR). Not
only then did I question our managers competence in the transfer market, but
also our so called tough businessmen owners judgement as well, really how
did they ever agree to break our transfer record on Jarvis? Who has Sam
actually brought in that has been a success? You could argue Nolan and more
recently Adrian but don't forget Maiga for over 5 Million. Vaz Te was
definitely a success in the Championship but even he has locked horns with
Sam and put in a transfer request last summer, and Diame has supposedly had
his moments with Sam as well. We have spent money on Baldock, Maynard, Alou
Diarra and numerous free transfers, who have all been shown the door for
reasons I can only suspect that they have been judged not good enough, so
what is the problem? The scouting? The agents? Or the Owners and the
Manager?

Allardyce has been at the club long enough now (too long for some) to be
able to call this his team and his squad, and as the injuries started to hit
this season it is in my opinion his poor dealings in the transfer market
that left him reverting to type and playing the worst football I have seen
at the Boleyn since I started to attend in the mid 80's. To try and get
points on the board the best way he knows how, playing the one dimensional
football we see today, which is scuppered as shown by Palace and West Brom,
control Carroll and you win the the game. So putting aside Allardyce's
arrogance and clear disdain for West Ham fans, and even his hoof ball
football, I believe you can judge a manager on his signings and this will
probably prove to be his undoing. But if he does end up seeing out the last
year of his lucrative contract, will someone else please take control of the
transfer dealings?

COYI

About John: Watched West Ham from the South bank terraces in the eighties
and now a season ticket holder in the Sir Trevor Brooking lower.
Also a presenter on West Ham podcast Moore Than Just A Podcast.

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Vast majority of West Ham fans vote to axe Sam Allardyce at the end of the
season
Apr 28, 2014 22:30 By Mike Walters
The Mirror

Sam Allardyce has been driven up the poll by a landslide vote from West Ham
fans calling for him to be sacked. Nearly four out of five Hammers
supporters in a survey have delivered a huge blow to Big Sam's chances of
remaining in charge at Upton Park for a fourth season. Of the 12,392
supporters who took part in a single public opinion poll across 16
independent West Ham fanzines and websites, a damning 77.95 per cent said
Allardyce must go. With owners David Gold and David Sullivan admitting a
decision on Allardyce's reign will be made at the end of the season, the
fans' verdict could be the last straw before the haystack comes crashing
down. Travelling missionaries from the East end turned on Big Sam in
Saturday's 1-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion, the Hammers' fourth straight
loss. But the tide has been turning against Allardyce since a dismal run
over Christmas and New Year, which briefly dumped West Ham in the bottom
three. Diplomatic relations between jellied eels and the dugout collapsed
after last month's desperately laboured 2-1 home win against 10-man Hull,
when Allardyce cupped an ear sarcastically to the storm of boos which
greeted his side's artless win.

Now he has suffered arguably the most damaging result of all. In the poll,
conducted over a 72-hour window over the weekend, fans were asked: Should
Sam Allardyce be retained as our manager next season? The emphatic response,
from a sizeable sample, has left Gold and Sullivan with a dilemma as the Two
Daves bid to deliver West Ham to their new home at the Olympic Stadium in
2016 as a Premier League club. In the short term, Allardyce's main concern
is gaining the point which will make the Hammers mathematically safe from
relegation - at home against Tottenham on Saturday or at Manchester City on
the last day of term. Big Sam, who was not amused by a banner reading 'Fat
Sam Out' at West Brom, admitted: "I think we probably need one more point
and we've got to get it against Tottenham. It's our last home game and we
want to finish the season on a high. "We've already managed to beat
Tottenham twice this season so we will be doing all we can to make it three
wins in a row."

Allardyce is aware that finishing the season with six consecutive defeats is
likely to earn him the axe at the Boleyn with 12 months left on his
contract, with supporters demanding his removal. He added: "My
responsibility is to turn that around and get the players to win football
matches. We're very disappointed and I understand their frustration as they
want to see their team win. "They won't want to see them play well and lose
- they want to see them play well and win. We've got to get better and be
more resilient - the lads have got it in their own hands, they know what
they need to do."

Organisers of the Allardyce poll have sent the results, with some of the
fans' attendant comments, to Gold and Sullivan, who are concerned about a
slump in season ticket sales if Big Sam and his pragmatic style remain in
place for the 2014-15 campaign.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com



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