Daily WHUFC News - 13th October 2014

Ex-Hammer relishing A-League season
WHUFC.com
Richard Garcia helped his Perth Glory side defeat Wellington Phoenix in
their season opener
12.10.2014

Former West Ham United striker Richard Garcia helped his Perth Glory side
get their A-League season off to a flyer with a 2-1 victory at Wellington
Phoenix on Sunday. Phoenix hosted the Hammers in their summer tour to New
Zealand, and although they got the better of West Ham in July, they were
unable to see off Perth. Garcia, who moved to his hometown club this year
after a brief spell in America with Minnesota United, played 80 minutes of
the Westpac Stadium clash. The 33-year-old, who came through the Hammers
Academy to play 16 league games in claret and blue, is relishing the season
ahead, while still keeping an eye on his old Club in England. He told
whufc.com: "I've been really looking forward to the start of the season,
it's such a long pre season here and I think everyone is itching to get the
league under way. "I'm hoping to have a great year with my home town team,
I'm very happy to be back in Perth playing in front of friends and family.
"I didn't catch West Ham's games on tour here but saw the highlights. It's
great for the league whenever big teams come play A-League teams. Football
has really grown a lot and is getting stronger every year. "As for West Ham
now I have been watching and they have had a decent start to the season.
Hopefully they can continue improving and have a strong season."

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Newcastle to be offered Andy Carroll in January as West Ham look to offload
injury-prone striker
Oct 12, 2014 11:19 By Simon Bird, Darren Lewis
Alan Pardew made enquiries about bringing the striker back to St. James'
Park in the summer but a January transfer could be favourable for all
parties
The Mirror

Andy Carroll could be set for a sensational cut-price return to the club
where he made his name. Newcastle sold the England striker to Liverpool in
January 2011 for a British player record £35million. But injuries and loss
of form saw his career at Anfield fail to ignite, and a £15.5m move to West
Ham has been plagued by a catalogue of similar problems. Newcastle will now
be offered the chance to sign Carroll in January for as little as £6m, with
West Ham prepared to cut their losses. The Geordie striker is close to
making a come back after a serious ankle injury that ruined his pre season.
But West Ham are considering all options over Carroll's future, with
Newcastle willing to consider a deal. Magpies chief Alan Pardew has had
Carroll on his target list for 18 months, but could succeed at the third
attempt to bring him home. Pardew is demanding experienced new recruits, and
a striker is top of his list of targets in the New Year. Carroll has no
burning desire to quit London, but regularly returns to Tyneside. Newcastle
need reinforcements up front to help Papiss Cisse and new boy Emanuel
Rivière. Newcastle are attracted by the idea of buying players cheaply and
rebuilding their reputation again, and Carroll fits the bill. Carroll is
almost ready to return from his latest injury blow but his future at
high-flying West Ham seems to be limited. He is due back at the end of
October, around a month ahead of schedule. But Newcastle face competition,
with a number of clubs aware that the 25-year-old target man could be
available in the January transfer window.

The 25-year-old frontman is understood to be seen as an impact player now
rather than an automatic starter at Upton Park. It follows the explosive
impact of £4.7million Diafra Sakho who has scored five goals in his last
five games. World Cup star Enner Valencia has also impressed since his
£12million arrival while Mauro Zarate is another option. All three are
believed to offer more variety to the Hammers' play than Carroll. West Ham
have stood by £100,000-a-week Carroll over the past two seasons because of
the faith that manager Sam Allardyce had in the striker. But Carroll scored
just two League goals in 15 games after missing half of last season. He was
then ruled out for four months after tearing ankle ligaments in July.

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Reid and Carroll rumours nonsense – The ExWHUemployee Column
By ExWHUemployee on October 12, 2014 in ExWHUemployee column
Ironviews.com

I really don't enjoy International break weekends and this one hasn't been
any exception. I know this comment annoys some people but when it comes to
football it is definitely club over country for me. I think I find it hard
to support players who I do not like which has been the case with the
national team; I hate the preference for players at big clubs over players
who are in form (Downing!) and West Ham feel like your family whereas I
don't have that feeling for the national team. Don't get me wrong; I am very
patriotic and in any other sport cheer the national team on with pride
(hoping to attend as many of England's Rugby World Cup games as my ticket
ballot decides) but not just not with the football national team.

I did enjoy seeing Valencia's goal for Ecuador against the USA. I really
believe we haven't seen the best out of him yet and there is more to come.
The same thing has been said about Kouyate and Song as well so the potential
those three players have is frightening. Reports said that we had contacted
Barcelona and expressed that we are very keen to sign Alex permanently. I
suspect that there will be other clubs interested in him but they cannot
sign him until his loan finishes with us at the end of the season. We have
to just hope that he enjoys his spell so much here that he wants to stay, it
is thought that his wife and him love London so at least that is a start.

Keeping on the international theme, we are due to lose Sakho, Song and
Kouyate to the African Cup of Nations. These are arguably our three most
important players so we could really do without it, however the squad depth
we have at our disposal this year means it will hopefully not cause our
season to fall apart.

Talk has resurfaced of Andy Carroll being offered to Newcastle again. This
story is quite frankly getting ridiculous how often it is reported. Another
poor excuse of journalism was the piece on Winston Reid joining Liverpool
for 15m. The player's contract expires at the end of the season so with a
little research the reporter would known that a club wouldn't pay £15m for a
player who they could sign for free at the end of the season. Negotiations
are still continuing with his contract and if we continue with our current
style of football and success I hope he will sign. Both articles show the
lack of news making it out of the club.

The club has adopted a very strict policy for information being leaked in
recent months and it appears that this is working as no stories are really
emerging which means that newspapers and websites are struggling for news
and so recycle stories. I have seen some of the most read websites just
repeat the same stories that another newspaper/website has reported, or turn
other people's Twitter conversations into articles. The word "exclusive"
seems to have a very lose meaning in the Twitter world. My understanding of
the word is that it is something that has not been read elsewhere but the
majority of the times this isn't the case.

We really need to be going into the Burnley game with a lot of confidence.
We are likely to have all players fit for that game except Andy Carroll and
while I don't want to tempt fate Burnley do look to be one of the weaker
teams in the league. It was refreshing to hear Sam say that he wants to take
the FA Cup seriously as I believe the tournament deserves the respect of
that and it could be a chance for glory.

On the topic of Sam I think it is fair to say that his popularity seems to
have risen a lot recently due to the good football being played. It would be
nice for this positivity to continue even if we do have the odd bad result
or performance. So let us hope the positivity continues as I am sure we will
all agree it is more fun to support the club in that way than to be
negative.

Come on you Irons.

ExWHUemployee

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New doubts over Carroll role
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 12, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Andy Carroll's first team future is again under the spotlight as the Irons
prepare for a return to action following the international break. Although –
according to the best predictions – the Geordie striker won't be ready
until November 29, many inside the club are questioning how he can dislodge
either of goal-scoring Diafra Sakho or the often magical Enner Valencia. Co
chairman David Gold has made it clear to ClaretandHugh in various interviews
the striker faces huge competition. There has even been talk of a possible
sale to Newcastle United and although that has been denied, were an offer to
be made we might find ourselves in an entirely different ball game.
Now Sam Allardyce's Number Two Neil McDonald has agreed that it's going to
be difficult for the record signing shift either of the present front two
admitting the team will keep the same formation. He said in a recent
interview: "We'll wait and see, but it would be interesting to play two up
top with Andy. "They (Sakho and Valencia) have got the shirt at the moment
and it will be difficult to get it off them when the team is playing the way
it is." It's such a far cry from last season that it's almost unrecognisable
– long may it continue.

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Irons outrage at Newcastle Carroll reports
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 12, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

West Ham are incensed at reports in today's Tyneside press that they are
ready to offer Newcastle "ANOTHER chance to sign Andy Carroll in January."
Speculation has been rife in the city for weeks that the Hammers are making
the running in trying to to offload the striker claiming he is surplus to
requirements at Upton Park. Carroll is nearing a return with the Hammers but
a report in one paper says: "His injury problems seem to have sparked fears
at the East London outfit that they need to plan for life without him. "And
the club believe that Newcastle would consider Carroll in January as they
ponder options for the future." However that immediately brought an outraged
response from a top Hammers insider who snapped: "This club doesn't offer
it's players to anybody. "Only Newcastle know if they will bid. Do they even
know who their manager will be in January!"

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