Howes happy to make Hammers bow
WHUFc.com
Sam Howes was delighted to make his first-team debut during West Ham
United's tour of New Zealand
27.07.2014
Few players make their first-team debuts for top-flight clubs at the age of
16 - even fewer when it comes to goalkeepers. For those reasons, Sam Howes'
achievement in featuring in West Ham United's 3-1 Football United Tour
defeat by Sydney FC was all the greater. The teenager was handed his bow for
the final 15 minutes, showing admirable composure to control a misplaced
backpass and dribble past Sydney striker Corey Gameiro just seconds after
coming on as a late substitute for Adrian. Howes kept his goal intact during
his brief appearance, leaving the England U17 international feeling great
pride after the final whistle. "I'm not 17 until November, so to make my
debut for the first team on this tour was not just an achievement for me,
but for everyone around me - the coaching staff and everyone who has helped
me at West Ham," said the stopper. "It's a really big thing for me and I'm
really buzzing at the moment. As soon as I got on the pitch, my head was
spinning a bit and I was thinking 'Is this actually happening!' as I
couldn't believe it at first. "I took a free-kick and got a backpass off
Reidy and obviously it wasn't the best of backpasses, but at the same time I
dealt with it and I kept a clean sheet, albeit I was only on the pitch for
ten minutes or so. "I am really pleased with what I did out there, to be
fair."
For Howes, making a first-team appearance was the icing on the cake of an
amazing, if unexpected, nine-day stay in New Zealand. "I only found out on
the Tuesday before we left after a pre-season game for the reserves and to
get the call out here was unbelievable, really. "It's a dream come true for
me to play for the first team, training with the lads and also to meet all
the fans as well out here in New Zealand. "It's two weeks away from home and
words can't describe how I'm feeling at the moment. It's been blinding."
Howes' debut was just one of a series of highlights during an unforgettable
week that also saw him walk around the rim of the 200 metre-high Sky Tower
in Auckland. "I think the whole week has been my highlight. Everything I
have done has been unbelievable so I can't pick out one thing.It's been a
phenomenal experience for myself. "As a 16-year-old first-year scholar, I'm
going to relish every experience I can get and move on with my career."
Having made his debut in pre-season, Howes' ambition for the coming campaign
is to cement his place in the Development Squad - no small feat for a
first-year scholar. "A good season would be to play as many Under-21s games
as possible and to keep training with the first team. Hopefully I'll get
into the squad for some of the Capital One Cup or FA Cup games - I just have
to wait and see really. "I'll just take it as it comes and move onwards and
upwards, as you do."
Goalkeeper coach Martyn Margetson has been impressed by the maturity and
confidence shown by Howes during his first trip away with the first-team
squad.
"I'm pleased for him and I'm pleased that the manager had the confidence to
put him on for ten minutes," said Margetson. "Sam has had a good week's
training and has not looked out of place at all. He is an outstanding young
prospect. "He's got a long road ahead of him but he has got the potential."
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SHOULD WEST HAM SIGN SAMUEL ETO OR ARE THERE BETTER OPTIONS?
By S J Chandos 27 Jul 2014 at 15:30
West Ham Till I Die
The football pages of today's Sunday Mirror are reporting that West Ham may
be about to to compete with QPR for the signature of striker Samuel Eto on a
Bosman deal. Eto's name has has been touted as a possible replacement for
Andy Carroll, who is due to be absent for four months with an injured ankle.
Experienced Cameroon international, Eto, was released by Chelsea at the end
of last season. It is also reported that other possible options could
include Arsenal's Joel Campbell and Portugal striker Hugo Almeida. David
Sullivan has stated that we need to sign one or two strikers on permanent
and/or loan deals, with particular reference to adding some extra height to
the attack, which has been lost with Carroll's injury absence. So, which of
the three reported options are the best for the club? Or are there better
targets that should be pursued instead?
SJ. Chandos.
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West Ham in New Zealand? Pointless pre-season tours often do clubs more harm
than good
Jul 27, 2014 12:00
OPINION BY TOMHOPKINSON
You can understand Manchester United and Arsenal's thinking, but what do
West Ham hope to achieve in New Zealand this summer?
The Mirror
There is a very good reason why Manchester United are in the United States
this weekend, writes Tom Hopkinson in the Sunday People. Liverpool, Arsenal,
Manchester City and Tottenham, too. They are global brands representing
another global brand and the figures being generated will be mind-boggling.
These trips don't always sit well with managers and, over the years, no one
has bemoaned them more frequently than Arsene Wenger. The fact his players
were being dragged halfway around the world just to appease the commercial
department has long been a source of irritation, with the Frenchman
convinced they would have been far better served hiding away on an Austrian
Alp and focusing on the real business ahead. He still holds that opinion,
but, as with the rest of us, there is only so much tinkling into the wind he
is willing to do. No doubt the arrival of Mesut Ozil last summer and Alexis
Sanchez this time out will have offset some of his frustrations as well.
United boss Louis van Gaal picked up Wenger's baton last week despite being
only a few days into his new job. Things will change next summer, he
promised, although I will wager that in 12 months' time his players will
again find themselves a long way from home. Spend some time with the Premier
League's leading clubs on these trips and it is easy to see why they embark
upon them. The furore Chelsea have caused in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia
and Hong Kong in recent years has been a sight to behold, while in 2009 I
saw South African football fans going vuvuzela crazy as their sides took on
Manchester City. This summer, Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has opted for a
pre-season of short-hop trips to Europe and it will be interesting to see if
they start the campaign any fresher than their globetrotting rivals. Next
summer, however, the Blues will be back in Asia and, whatever King Louis
might say, United will most likely be with them. The point is that, for the
top flight's biggest clubs, these trips are a necessary evil, promoting
themselves and the league. But what I cannot get my head around is what on
earth West Ham and Newcastle are doing in New Zealand. Sure, they are part
of the promotional bandwagon, as foreign broadcasters clamour to fill
Premier League coffers with astronomical sums. But wouldn't West Ham, in
particular, have been far better served staying closer to home, marching
around East London and Essex ahead of next season when they have the Olympic
Stadium to fill?
They could have been selling themselves to a new generation of fans.
Instead, they played Stevenage and Ipswich away before setting off on a
23,500-mile round-trip to the North Island for games against Australian
A-League sides Wellington Phoenix and Sydney, and will stop off in Germany
for three games on their way home. No doubt defender Winston Reid has
enjoyed the chance to grab a few extra days in his homeland, but the whole
exercise seems a waste of time and energy from a purely footballing point of
view. Not that boss Sam Allardyce seemed to mind. In fact he was delighted
his players' horizons were being broadened at their official greeting
party. "Our welcome was fantastic," he purred. "It's a tradition for New
Zealand and we've all seen the Haka before, but we'd not seen the whole
thing and had it explained to us as it was."
Which is all well and good, but will his star men be better prepared for the
hackers they will meet at one or two of the game's outposts this season? We
can only hope Andy Carroll wasn't showing off his Maori war dance shapes to
Kevin Nolan when he suffered his latest ankle injury. The Hammers'
season-ticket hotline will hardly have been ringing off the hook after
the 2-1 defeat by Wellington in Auckland on Wednesday. And it won't look
great from a marketing point of view when images of a half-empty Olympic
Stadium are being broadcast all over the world in 18 months' time. Of the 20
Premier League clubs, only three have played friendlies in this country over
the last couple of days, with new boys Burnley away at Accrington Stanley
and Hull at Barnsley yesterday.
On Friday, Southampton ventured the 30-odd miles along the south coast to
take on Bournemouth – and will have got as much out of it as West Ham and
Newcastle, without the jetlag. So leave the travelling to the big four or
five, lads, because they are the ones who are really selling the Premier
League in foreign lands anyway. And content yourselves with the knowledge
that you will be richer for it in every way.
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West Ham join QPR in hunt for Samuel Eto'o as Hammers seek replacement for
injured Andy Carroll
Jul 26, 2014 22:30 By Steve Stammers, Dave Kidd
With Carroll facing four months on the sidelines, Big Sam needs striking
reinforcements and has targeted the former Chelsea man
The Mirror
West Ham are set to compete with QPR for striker Samuel Eto'o. The east
London club are searching for a replacement frontman, having lost
record-signing Andy Carroll (ankle) yet again to injury. Eto'o is on their
radar along with Arsenal's Joel Campbell and Portugal striker Hugo Almeida.
Cameroon international Eto'o was released by Chelsea at the end of last
season. West Ham also have a defender in their sights – Arsenal's under-21
star Carl Jenkinson. Boss Sam Allardyce would like a load deal with the
player valued at around £8m.
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Big Sam 7-4 for sack before season starts
Racingpost.com
BY IAN WILKERSON 6:25PM 27 JUL 2014
LADBROKES have moved quickly to go 7-4 that Sam Allardyce leaves West Ham
before the start of the season after reports he could be dismissed from the
Upton Park hotseat before the Premier League kicks off on August 16.
Allardyce is reportedly at odds with the club owners over the future of
midfielder Ravel Morrison, who spent the second half of last season on loan
to then-Championship side QPR. His cause has not been helped by the news
that striker Andy Carroll, who Allardyce signed from Liverpool for £15m,
will miss the first four months of the season with an ankle injury that has
required surgery. Former Hammers defender and ex-Cardiff manager Malky
Mackay is 7-2 to be the next occupant of the hotseat with David Moyes rated
a 4-1 chance to replace Allardyce after his ill-fated spell at Manchester
United. Loic Remy's £8.5m move to Liverpool from QPR has been called off
after reports the France striker failed a medical.
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Veto on Eto'o Irons wage demand
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 27, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Samuel Eto'o's wage demands are likely to rule out a move to West Ham
United. ClaretandHugh has been assured that an inquiry has been made about
the striker but that wages of £80k a week have been quoted as a starting
point. The story that the Irons were considering a move for the player broke
in the national newspapers this morning and despite an Eto'o "pal" being
quoted as the source, the story has turned out to be correct. However, a
highly placed Upton Park insider told ClaretandHugh exclusively: "There's
been an approach but his wages are likely to inhibit a move. "He wants £80k
a week and is 33 years old MINIMUM! His record at Chelsea last season wasn't
that great. "He only scored nine goals last season for a top side and all
his goals were at home in games he started in. We've inquired but it's not
one to get THAT excited over."
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Allardyce's style of play excuse doesn't wash
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 27, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Sam Allardyce was always gonna do it – blame the demands for a new style of
play for the squad's disaster in New Zealand! But before going there, let's
recall the reasons – or should it be excuses – he used for the defeat by
Wellington Phoenix because they were legion. He claimed the players were
fatigued, lacked technique, that the Phoenix were well up for the game and
it was all a bit physical. And that was just for starters! None of it made
much sense to me but we'll let that go. The point is at no time did the
"development of our new style" come into the conversation or weren't we
doing that three days ago? P'raps he just forgot eh? Everybody who knows
anything about Sam Allardyce press conferences following a defeat, knows
there's usually an excuse is available that doesn't include any fault of his
own. Generally it's a ref, official, mistake or player who is at fault yet
when we enjoy a brilliant win it's been masterminded by his altar ego
"Allerdici."
So indirectly the defeat against Sydney FC appears to be the fault of the
owners wanting him to play in a different, more entertaining way. Now let's
be honest – is that much to ask???
Perhaps the two Davids made the mistake of believing they had a manager who
could adapt his game and that he wasn't the one dimensional, get it forward
quickly operator, most believe him to be. On several occasions the bloke
himself has denied this to be the case claiming that it's merely a
reputation he has been given and it isn't anywhere near the truth. If that's
the case why did he play one-up in both games in New Zealand and attack down
the wings. Had Andy Carroll been available would he not have been aiming
crosses at his head. Of course he would. To claim that we are still
developing "our new style" simply demonstrates that much of the stuff he's
claimed in the past about being "Allerdici" is a long way from reality.
Against Sydney FC there was no passion, no skill, no determination, no
creativity and a resounding lack of technique. AGAIN! None of that is down
to a demand for bright entertaining football much as Allardyce would perhaps
like it to be. That demand should not be used as a stick with which to beat
the owners. He's a manager earning a huge amount of money to apply his
abilities to requirements. If he can't manage that then best to be honest
about it and say so, thus allowing people to make a decision on who or what
next!
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Sam Allardyce facing West Ham United sack before the Premier League season -
reports
Under-pressure Allardyce is on a collision course with the Hammers board
SAMUEL STEVENS Sunday 27 July 2014
The Independent
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce's position at Upton Park is reportedly
under increasing jeopardy and the former Bolton Wanderers boss could even be
dismissed before the start of the upcoming Premier League campaign. The
Hammers' hierarchy have publicly criticised their manager for his transfer
policy in recent weeks, labelling the £15m signing of Andy Carroll a
'mistake' while openly disagreeing with him on Ravel Morrison's future at
the club. The Daily Mail report that Allardyce is on borrowed time at Upton
Park, with an agreement already in place which would give the 59-year-old
just ten games to prove himself, but the recent quarrels appear to have
accelerated matters. The United squad are in New Zealand this summer and
slipped to their second defeat of the pre-season tour, a 3-1 reverse to
Australian side Sydney FC, last night. Allardyce's men were also beaten 2-1
by Wellington Phoenix on Wednesday.
David Sullivan, the co-owner, raised eyebrows last week by using an
interview with talkSPORT to openly criticise his manager's decision to sell
Morrison - stating that the board had other ideas. "Sam has said Ravel is
not part of his plans but we do - as a board - see him as part of our
plans," he said. "I think he said in a press conference, if I read it
correctly, he's not part of his plans for this season. I think he said that
in New Zealand but we don't agree with that. We would like to sit down and
give him a longer contract. "We do like him. We do see him as part of the
long-term future of the club but we have to agree it with the manager
because there's no point signing a player he's not going to play."
The Hammers boss has endured a tough time of late, with a section of
supporters calling for his dismissal since last winter, but comfortably
secured the club's Premier League status. The signing of Enner Valencia, one
of the star performers of the World Cup in Brazil, had started a process
which Allardyce hopes will eventually appease his critics. Another
contentious issue is the club's reliance on Carroll's services up front
after the former England international was dealt with yet another injury
blow during the week. The former Newcastle United striker still has five
years to run on his contract in East London after joining the Hammers for a
considerable sum last summer following a successful loan spell. His latest
injury, an ankle problem, means that he won't be adding to his fifteen West
Ham starts until Christmas. While the reports could prove to be hearsay,
they won't help Allardyce's cause.
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Samuel Eto'o offered to West Ham as Sam Allardyce eyes Arsenal's Joel
Campbell and Hugo Almeida as cover for Andy Carroll
Eto'o wants £100,000-a-week as Allardyce desperately seeks a replacement for
Andy Carroll
Daily Mail
By SIMON JONES
PUBLISHED: 23:04, 27 July 2014 | UPDATED: 01:05, 28 July 2014
Former Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o has been offered to West Ham but the
33-year-old is understood to want £100,000 a week. Boss Sam Allardyce, who
needs a replacement for the injured Andy Carroll, has an interest in
Arsenal's Joel Campbell but so do AC Milan. West Ham have opened talks with
Hugo Almeida over a proposed move to Upton Park. The 30-year-old is a free
agent but wants around £2.5million a year in wages. The Portugal
international has been on West Ham's list in the past two transfer windows
but manager Sam Allardyce had concerns about the player's fitness. Almeida,
who was earning £3m a year in Turkey, has offers from the Bundesliga and
Portugal also. Meanwhile, the Hammers remain favourites to sign Arsenal
full-back Carl Jenkinson on loan ahead of interest from Hull.
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