Daily WHUFC News - 14th Janaury 2014

Adrian hails 'best support in the country'
WHUFC.com
Adrian was brimming with pride after West Ham United's 2-0 Barclays Premier
League win at Cardiff City
13.01.2014

Adrian was brimming with pride after celebrating a double first in
Saturday's 2-0 Barclays Premier League win at Cardiff City. The Spaniard
enhanced his growing reputation with West Ham United supporters by keeping
his first clean sheet and earning his maiden victory in England's
top-flight. Fresh from the shock of two humbling cup defeats during which he
conceded eleven goals through little or no fault of his own, Adrian produced
a near-flawless performance at the Cardiff City Stadium. Showing the
confident handling, strong communication skills, determination and
decision-making that saw West Ham bring him in from Real Betis Balompie last
summer, the No13 helped the Hammers to secure a vital and morale-boosting
victory. "It was a fantastic day, a fantastic game and a fantastic result,"
said the 27-year-old. "All of the team really defended nicely. After the
last two results, we needed this. I was not happy with our results in the FA
Cup at Nottingham Forest and Capital One Cup against Manchester City. "The
team was not very good in the last two games, so we needed this result. We
won and kept a clean sheet and now we need to keep going. The next game is
Newcastle at home so we have an opportunity to take points on all the other
teams. "Our supporters need to be congratulated and they deserve more good
results from the team."

Adrian himself could not be blamed for the two heavy cup defeats, but he is
a team player and admitted conceding eleven goals in those ties had hurt
him.
For that reason, the team's resilient defensive performance - even after
being reduced to ten men by James Tomkins' second-half red card - clean
sheet and victory at Cardiff were all the sweeter. "For me, as a goalkeeper,
I was not happy when the other team scored five or six goals. My performance
was not bad but our results were really, really bad. "Today, I am really
happy because that was my first clean sheet in the Premier League. Now I'll
keep going and keep fighting and try to secure more victories."

Adrian's passionate and impressive displays have quickly established him as
a cult hero among the Claret and Blue Army, who sang his name throughout
Saturday's win. Following the final whistle, the goalkeeper marched 100
yards down the pitch to celebrate with his adoring fans, applauding them and
clenching his first by way of acknowledgement. "For me, the support is the
best support in the country, away and home. I am really feeling close to
them."

Having shown his ability and temperament on the road at an intimidating
Cardiff City Stadium, Adrian is hoping to keep his place for Saturday's home
Barclays Premier League fixture with Newcastle United. There, he is
targeting more records - a first home league clean sheet, a first home
league victory and back-to-back league victories for the first time this
season. "I worked for this and on Saturday I was given another opportunity.
I hope I took my opportunity and showed my best and I hope to play again
next weekend."

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Collison hails Carroll return
WHUFC.com
Jack Collison was delighted to see Andy Carroll make his comeback from
injury on Saturday
13.01.2014

Jack Collison hailed the return from injury of striker Andy Carroll after he
helped the Hammers to record a 2-0 win over Cardiff City on Saturday. The
striker was making his first appearance since signing for the Club
permanently in the summer, and he made an instant impact, laying on Mark
Noble's stoppage time goal to seal the points. Collison, who started at the
Cardif City Stadium in midfield alongside Mark Noble and Matt Taylor, was
thrilled with the result and delighted to see the big Geordie return. He
said: "The big man has been working so hard to get fit, so it's great for
him to be back out on the pitch and well done to him. Now he can build on
what he did at Cardiff. "It was a tough second half for us because they had
a lot of the ball, especially when James Tomkins got sent off, so it was
great to look over at the sidelines and see Andy Carroll coming on. "There
were a couple of dodgy touches from him, but it was a fantastic ball for the
last goal and we'll all happy to get him back."

West Ham were sent on their way to victory by Carlton Cole's 42nd minute
opener and Collison was pleased to see him grab another goal. He continued:
"Carlton Cole did really well for us again on Saturday. He got another goal
and that's four for us now. "It's great to have him in good form as well."

After heavy cup defeats to Nottingham Forest and Manchester City in the week
preceding the trip to south Wales, the Hammers needed to show character at
Cardiff, and Welsh international Collison said the result showed they did
just that. He added: "The manager spoke a lot in the last week about showing
character and working hard for each other. I think that showed in what the
lads did at Cardiff - there were lots of blocks, Adrian was fantastic for us
again and it was a massive three points, which came at the right time. "The
manager was fantastic all week, he hasn't been too down in the dumps.
Obviously we were all disappointed about Forest and Man City, but he's been
there and done it all before, and he really picked us up before Cardiff.
"That rubbed off on the boys and we went and performed on Saturday to get
the three points."

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Under-18s' run ended
WHUFC.com
Tony Carr blamed defensive lapses after the U18s lost in the league for the
first time in ten matches
13.01.2014

Tony Carr believes defensive mistakes cost the Under-18s as their ten-match
unbeaten run in the Barclays Under-18 Premier League came to an end on
Saturday morning, when they lost 2-1 to Southampton at Staplewood. The match
started well for the Hammers who went ahead after 18 minutes when left-back
Lewis Page finished off a flowing move, sending the ball into the far corner
following Nathan Mavila's cut-back. The visitors held a half-time lead but
surrendered it on the hour mark when goalscorer Page fouled Tom Leggett and
Marcus Barnes slotted home the resulting spot-kick. Eleven minutes later and
the Saints scored a winner when Josh Sims netted, leaving Carr ruing the
side's second half display. "Up until half-time we'd absolutely dominated
the game and with the way the match was panning out, it was only a matter of
time until we got the second goal. "The second half didn't pan out that way,
we missed a couple of good chances with a number of players missing
opportunities. "We had a bad five minutes where we conceded a penalty, which
was sloppy defending from Page, and Amos Nasha got tangled up in a tackle
where he should have done a lot better defensively and the boy goes through
and scores.
"Really, defensively, you'd have to say they only had two shots on goal and
scored two goals. It was a game we didn't deserve to lose, should have won
but you end up getting punished for your inability to get that second goal."

Defeat bought an end to their unbeaten streak which stretched back to a 5-0
win over Liverpool on 28 September 2013. Carr was disappointed to lose the
run but believes the players could be rightly proud of their achievement.
"It was a disappointing way to lose that unbeaten run but nothing lasts
forever, we have to move on and hopefully start another run. "It's been an
unbelievable run. We were going into every game believing we would win,
playing with confidence, in the league we were as good as any team and it
was just disappointing we weren't outplayed when we got beat. We just
conceded two sloppy goals and lost."

The U18s' run propelled them up the league table to their current position
of fifth, where they are now just five points off leaders Fulham and Carr
says the team have cause to believe that they can mount a challenge at the
top. "If you're winning games then you're playing with confidence and that
means that the players are playing well. "They're at a stage in their
careers where winning starts to become important . Hopefully we want some of
the boys pushing on to the U21s as well so it's a challenging second half to
the season for us all."

West Ham United U18s: Howes, Amoo, Page, Makasi, Onariase (Pike 71), Nasha
(Tombides 77), Mavila, Cullen, Brown (Martins 71), Bywater,
Parfitt-Williams.
Subs not used: Guzman, Oxford

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West Ham's Jack Collison hails Andy Carroll's return from injury
Last Updated: 13/01/14 2:04pm
SSN

West Ham defender Jack Collison believes the return of Andy Carroll can lift
them clear of the Premier League relegation zone. Carroll made his
long-awaited comeback from a foot injury at the weekend and set up West
Ham's second goal in their vital 2-0 win at Cardiff City. The win eased the
pressure on beleaguered manager Sam Allardyce and saw West Ham scramble out
of the bottom three, something Collison sees as significant pointer for the
rest of the season. "The big man has been working so hard to get fit, so
it's great for him to be back out on the pitch and well done to him,"
Collison told West Ham's official website. "Now he can build on what he did
at Cardiff. "There were a couple of dodgy touches from him, but it was a
fantastic ball for the last goal and we'll all happy to get him back."

Jack Collison
"There were a couple of dodgy touches from him, but it was a fantastic ball
for the last goal and we'll all happy to get him back." Carlton Cole, whose
future is still unclear with a short-term contract having now expired,
opened the scoring in the victory at Cardiff and Collison is hopeful he and
Carroll could form a useful strike partnership. "Carlton Cole did really
well for us again on Saturday, he got another goal and that's four for us
now," Collison added. "It's great to have him in good form as well. "It was
a tough second half for us because they had a lot of the ball, especially
when James Tomkins got sent off, so it was great to look over at the
sidelines and see Andy Carroll coming on."

Heavy defeats at Nottingham Forest and Manchester City - in the Capital One
and FA Cups - saw West Ham concede 11 goals in four days but Collison has
backed Allardyce to take the club forward. "The manager spoke a lot in the
last week about showing character and working hard for each other," he said.
"I think that showed in what the lads did at Cardiff, there were lots of
blocks, Adrian was fantastic for us again and it was a massive three points,
which came at the right time. "The manager was fantastic all week: he hasn't
been too down in the dumps. "Obviously we were all disappointed about Forest
and Man City, but he's been there and done it all before, and he really
picked us up before Cardiff. "That rubbed off on the boys and we went and
performed on Saturday to get the three points."

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MONDAY TRANSFER UPDATE
By Sean Whetstone 13 Jan 2014 at 13:16
West Ham Till I Die

The prospective transfer of Marco Borriello from Roma seems to be in doubt
after the player tweeted "The English just do not enter my head…sorry!" late
last night. The Rickie Lambert deal also seems dead in the water as Saints
boss Pochettino insists he has no intention of selling him. Pochettino said
"I don't know anything about that. I've been here for more than a year and
[he] has been linked with West Ham before,"

West Ham should find out the outcome of the work permit tribunal for Lacina
Traore within in the next 24 hours. The tribunal was held in London at
lunchtime today with Sam Allardyce making a personal appearance to plead
West Ham's case. David Sullivan gives the appeal a 50/50 chance of
succeeding.

Manchester City boss Pellegrini has cooled speculation of Joleon Lescott
joining West Ham on loan insisting such a deal is not being discussed at the
moment.
"We are not talking about any loan at the moment," Pellegrini told reporters
on Sunday. "The transfer window is open until the end of January" We will
see what happens, but for the moment Joleon stays here with the team."
Despite this, rumours continue a deal can be done towards the end of the
transfer window.

The Italian press say West Ham have been linked with Juventus striker Fabio
Quagliarella but Lazio are reportedly lining up a bid for the Italian
international.
In other news, the coach of Levski Sofia, Antony Zdravkov, has claimed that
West Ham have made an approach for winger Garry Rodriguez. He was quoted as
saying "An offer was received yesterday afternoon," Zdravkov told Bulgarian
media.

Other reports today suggest West Ham United are tracking Swedish defender
Markus Holgersson. Finally our old friend Harry & QPR are looking to hijack
a deal for Ishak Belfodil on loan from Inter Milan after West Ham dropped
out of the running due to an ownership hitch relating to Parma's 50%
ownership.
The Daily Mirror also claim Carlton Cole's West Ham contract runs out today
so he is now a free agent and could link up with Harry Redknapp at QPR.

Update

West Ham United have been linked with a move for Juventus defender Marco
Motta. The 27-year-old has fallen out of favour in Turin says Italian press.

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Carlton Cole's West Ham contract runs out TODAY and leaves Hammers in a
striker pickle ahead of Newcastle game
Jan 13, 2014 11:35 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror

Stunned West Ham have discovered in-form Carlton Cole is out of contract
TODAY. The east Londoners had believed the striker's short term deal ran out
after Saturday's home game against Newcastle. Instead it expires today. It
means the Hammers hero, who netted the first goal in the club's crucial 2-0
win at Cardiff on Saturday, is now a free agent with QPR boss Harry Redknapp
keen on his services. It also means West Ham could find themselves in a
pickle ahead of the Newcastle game with Andy Carroll not yet fit enough to
play 90 minutes. They will discover at a hearing later today whether Monaco
striker Lacina Traore, a player that they hope to take on loan, will win a
work permit. But the Hammers are keen not to let Cole slip through their
fingers, diminishing their striking options. Boss Sam Allardyce revealed
last week that the club were in talks to extend 30-year-old Cole's
short-team deal at Upton Park following his goals against Fulham, Manchester
United and Arsenal. Allardyce told the West Ham website: "We've got that in
mind and are talking about that as quickly as we possibly can because
obviously it needs to be addressed. Carlton will be dealt with very
shortly." West Ham have been so far unable to agree terms with the striker
however and could now face a race against time to prevent him being snapped
up elsewhere.

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Cole facing anxious wait over West Ham future
By talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) | Monday, January 13, 2014

The striker re-signed for the east London club on a three-month deal back in
October but his contract ran out on Monday, just 48 hours after he scored a
crucial goal to help Sam Allardyce's side record a 2-0 win over Cardiff. The
former Chelsea forward has made a big impact, scoring four goals during his
short spell back at Upton Park, and would love the chance to stay at West
Ham. With club record signing Andy Carroll finally back in first-team
action, however, and the club hoping to secure a loan move for Monaco
forward Lacina Traore, Cole knows he faces a battle to win a place in the
side. But Allardyce may opt to keep Cole and listen to offers for Modibo
Maiga, who was expected to leave last summer and was strongly linked with a
move to St Etienne. If West Ham do release Cole, QPR are expected to lead
the chase to clinch his signature as Harry Redknapp is a big fan of the
32-year-old striker.

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Roma Striker Not Convinced By West Ham Move
ForzaItalianFootball.com

Roma striker Marco Borriello is reportedly unconvinced by a potential move
to English club West Ham United. Borriello is expected to leave the capital
club in the current transfer window and has been linked with a move to the
Premier League with interest from Tottenham and West Ham. However, Il Tempo
reports that Borriello is not convinced with a proposed loan move until the
end of the season. The Giallorossi are keen to offload the out of favour
31-year-old due to his substantial wages and he has already had loan spells
at Juventus and Genoa during his time in Rome. A permanent solution could be
popular for the club and player with West Ham still seeking a solution for
their lack of prowess in front of goal. Borriello scored 12 goals in 28
appearances while on loan at Genoa last season.

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Man City linked with Morrison
13/01/2014
By West London Sport

Manchester City could be interested in signing Ravel Morrison from West Ham,
Talksport claim. Fulham boss Rene Meulensteen wants to sign Morrison and has
been tipped to table a bid for the player and his Hammers team-mate Mo
Diame. Meanwhile, Sky are reporting that Fulham's Bryan Ruiz has been
undergoing a medical ahead of his expected move to PSV Eindhoven. The Press
Association have subsequently reported that Ruiz has completed the medical
and the deal is about to go through.

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QPR set to hold talks over Belfodil deal
13/01/2014
By David McIntyre

QPR expect to hold talks with Ishak Belfodil's agent in the next 24 hours.
Rangers want to take Belfodil, 21, on loan from Inter Milan. He has also
attracted interest from West Ham. The situation is complicated because
Parma, who co-own the Algerian forward, want him sold for at least £7.5m.
Parma have a say in the player's future as they will land 50% of any
transfer fee for Belfodil, having signed him from French club Lyon in 2012
and agreed a deal for him to join Inter last summer. Rangers have indicated
that they are only willing to agree to a loan move. Harry Redknapp's hopes
of signing Belfodil could be boosted if West Ham secure a work permit for
Monaco striker Lacina Traore. It is believed that Hammers boss Sam Allardyce
may be content with signing Traore and extending Carlton Cole's contract,
paving the way for Belfodil to move to west London – if Parma can be
placated. QPR manager Redknapp has expressed some interest in Cole but
believes the former Chelsea man will stay at Upton Park and that other
potential targets are obtainable.

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Manchester City eye up Morrison as West Ham talks stall
By Warren Haughton (@WarrenHaughton) | Monday, January 13, 2014

Manchester City are monitoring Ravel Morrison's contract situation at West
Ham. The midfielder's future at Upton Park is in doubt, and talkSPORT
understands the Hammers are stalling on a new offer for the former
Manchester United youngster. The 20-year-old has 18 months left on his
current deal and wants his long-term future decided as soon as possible.
Fulham, whose manager Rene Meulensteen worked with the England Under-21 star
at Old Trafford, have already had a £4million bid rejected by their London
rivals. The west London club are expected to return with an improved offer,
however, with the Dutchman keen to link up again with the talented
playmaker. But their interest has alerted City, who are long-term admirers
of the Wythenshawe-born midfielder, and they could take him back to
Manchester in a move that would be sure to embarrass neighbours United, who
sold Morrison to West Ham in January 2012.

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Allardyce will make personal appeal at work-permit hearing for striker
Traore
By LAURIE WHITWELL
PUBLISHED: 13:26, 13 January 2014 | UPDATED: 14:20, 13 January 2014
Daily Mail

Sam Allardyce will make a personal appearance at Lacina Traore's work-permit
hearing to give West Ham the best possible chance of securing a deal for the
Ivorian striker. A special panel, made up of representatives from the FA,
Premier League, and PFA, is listening to evidence from Allardyce at a
meeting in central London on Monday lunchtime. He will insist 6ft 8in should
be given a permit despite not playing 75 per cent of his country's games
because his talent if of the 'highest calibre' and will 'contribute
significantly to the development of the game at the top level in England'.
It is understood that by making a personal appearance, Allardyce should
boost West Ham's chances of getting their man. Hearing from a Premier League
manager of such experience adds weight and credibility to appeals. Traore
has four goals in seven games for the Ivory Coast since making his debut
last year, and appeared off the bench in both legs of the World Cup
qualifying play-off against Senegal. Such evidence will be presented to the
panel, and his relatively young age of 23 will also be taken into account in
positive terms.

WORK PERMIT APPEALS
Successful applications and deals done
1. Luiz Rosa Fernando 'Fernandinho', Manchester City July 7, 2013
2. Antolin Alcaraz, Everton July 5, 2013 (new application as out of
contract)
3. Kenneth Omeruo, Chelsea July 11, 2013 (signed previous window but
went out on loan abroad)
4. Victor Wanyama, Southampton July 11, 2013 (needed new permission as
change of employment from Celtic)
5. Willian Da Silva, Chelsea August 28, 2013

Successful applications but deals fell through
6. Gino Peruzzi, Sunderland July 16, 2013
7. Fernando, Everton September 2, 2013.

Application rejected
8. Jhon Cordoba, Fulham August 8, 2013

Essentially, Traore needs to get sponsorship to be allowed to work in the UK
by the Home Office. West Ham, as the 'buying' club will provide a
certificate of sponsorship, while the FA will decide whether it should be
endorsed based on the criteria stipulated above. In the past two transfer
windows there were eight applications by Premier League clubs and seven were
successful, albeit two broke down afterwards and were not signed. If
successful, Traore would still need to pass a medical on Tuesday before his
six-month loan deal can be completed. It would mark the end of a successful
few days for the club after the 2-0 win at Cardiff lifted them out of the
bottom three and Andy Carroll made his first appearance of the season from
the substitutes' bench.

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West Ham United chase Juventus defender Marco Motta
1:00pm Monday 13th January 2014 in News
East London and West Essex Guardian Series

West Ham United have been linked with a move for Juventus defender Marco
Motta. The 27-year-old has fallen out of favour in Turin and is understood
to have attracted interest from the Irons and Werder Bremen. West Ham boss
Sam Allardyce has prioritised the attack but would be keen to bring in
another defender to help their survival bid.

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Carlton Cole could walk out and sign a lucrative deal
Last updated Mon 13 Jan 2014
Sport West Ham

Carlton Cole's contract has run out today leaving him free to leave West
Ham. It means the striker is a free agent. He could walk out and sign a
lucrative deal with a different club. West Ham are now in talks with the
striker about the possibility of extending his contract today. There were
reports the club mistakenly thought Cole's contract was up at the end of the
week but West Ham say they knew his contract expired today. The Hammers need
strikers to avoid relegation. Cole scored on Saturday giving West Ham a much
needed win. But this is an extra headache Sam Allardyce didn't need.

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A 52-YEAR-OLD GROWN MAN
The Guardian

Back in the 2005-06 season, West Ham United Football Club had a brainwave.
Riding high after promotion back to the Premier League under Alan Pardew, a
hero in east London at the time, they released a special treat on their
official site. It was a download called Pocket Pardew. It was a miniature
Alan Pardew. He used to sit in the corner of the screen and deliver all the
latest West Ham news, a silver-haired Microsoft clip in a Reebok tracksuit –
fun for all the family! For a while, he was a joy. There he was, happily
waving at you, sending motivational messages throughout the day and asking
if you had any plans for the evening. Saucy Pards. But then things took a
turn for the worse. The real Pardew was sacked and when the Fiver turned on
its computer the next day, there was wee Pocket Pardew, weeping and sitting
in the corner of the screen, clearly in need of a shower and a shave. He was
never the same and he never left. He just sat there. And then his mood
darkened. He became abusive, swearing all the time, to the point where the
Fiver had to buy a new computer. Oh Pocket Pards! For shame!


The Fiver consigned the episode to the past. It got on with its life. Until
now. For it seems that Newcastle United Eff Cee have released their own
version: Potty Mouth P4rds, who was last seen cracking a volley of
foul-mouthed abuse towards Manchester City's mild-mannered manager, Manuel
Pellegrini. Tempers had become heated on the touchline after referee Mike
Jones had erroneously ruled out a Cheik Tioté blooter because he thought Joe
Hart had been distracted by a passing feather or some malevolent crowd noise
and Potty Mouth P4rds was unhappy that Newcastle were not level. So much so
that he took out his frustration on an unwitting Pellegrini. "Oi!" he
bellowed, hot smoke billowing out his ears. "[Effing] old [cee]!" Potty
Mouth P4rds is a 52-year-old grown man. An adult. And he'd just delivered an
insult which was akin to the Fiver accusing someone of being an unfunny
tea-timely email with poor punctuality. Maybe he's spending too much time in
the company of Joe Kinnear.

Fifty-two, though. Pellegrini is only eight years older than his adversary,
who has a history of touchline brouhaha, and it's not as if the Chilean
stands by the side of the pitch demanding the crowd keep it down, looking in
wonder at the fourth official's magic abacus and asking one his players how
to "download" the "Googles" on his "mobile telephone doohickey", because he
just can't keep up with the pace of modern technology. At least Potty Mouth
P4rds, his mouth foaming with soap, later apologised for setting a terrible
example to the kids. After being caught in the act, that is. Pellegrini,
though, was more concerned about the day's real scandal, the wild hack from
Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa that has ruled Samir Nasri out for eight weeks, with the
Frenchman so distraught by the knack that today he was pictured wearing a
leather polo neck. None of this would have happened in the innocent days of
Pocket Pards.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com



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