Daily WHUFC News - 18th January 2014

AC ready for Toon test
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll is looking forward to Saturday's visit of hometown club
Newcastle United
17.01.2014

Andy Carroll is fit and raring to go ahead of Saturday's Barclays Premier
League visit of his hometown club Newcastle United. The West Ham United and
England centre forward returned to action as a substitute at Cardiff after
eight months out with plantar fasciitis - an inflammation of the band of
tissue that stretches from the heel to the middle foot bones, supporting the
arch of your foot and also acting as a shock-absorber. Gateshead-born
Carroll scored 33 goals in 91 games for the Toon before moving to Liverpool
in a record £35m deal in January 2011. After a successful loan spell in east
London last season, he made his move to West Ham permanent in June 2013.
Now, the 25-year-old is eager to continue his comeback when the Magpies fly
into the Boleyn Ground. Carroll sat down with West Ham TV to discuss the big
game.

Andy, we face your first and hometown club Newcastle United on Saturday as
you continue your comeback. What are your thoughts ahead of the game?

AC: "I cannot wait for Saturday's game. Obviously it's a big game for us but
for me personally it's even bigger. Coming from Newcastle, I've got my
family down for the game and I'm looking forward to it. My Mum and Dad were
down for the game last year and they will be down again this weekend, as
will the rest of my family. It's going to be a big day for me and I can't
wait."

During your injury lay-off, you popped home when the opportunity arose and
were spotted out having a coffee with your Dad! What's the story and what is
so special about Newcastle?

AC: "When I go back up there I see my family and stuff and often go out and
walk the dog down the Quayside and have a coffee in the morning. That's what
I get up to when I go back home. I just think Newcastle is a massive
football city. That's what I've been brought up in and I think everybody
else up there is the same."

You left Newcastle in January 2011 and their squad has changed markedly
since then, hasn't it?

AC: "It has changed a lot. New players have come in and the squad has
changed, but there are still a few lads there who I know from when I was
there among the players and the staff, so I'll be seeing them."

What have you made of Newcastle's form this season?

AC: "They are doing well. It's obviously going to be a tough game for us, so
we'll just have to go out there like we did against Cardiff and hopefully we
can get the win."

Loic Remy has followed you into the centre forward's shirt at St James' Park
and has scored ten goals this season. What do you make of him?

AC: "Remy is a great player and that's why Newcastle have signed him. He can
bang them in and has done this season. He also scored against us here last
season, so he's a good player but I'm sure our centre-halves can handle
him."

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Chadwell Chatter
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble blogs for whufc.com on Cardiff, Andy Carroll, Carlton Cole and
Newcastle
17.01.2014

Hello everybody,

Last weekend's win at Cardiff City was a massive boost for all of us. After
two poor results in the cups it was just what we needed and now we have a
platform to build from when Newcastle United visit the Boleyn Ground on
Saturday. At Cardiff, you could see from the way the lads worked, and with
Kev and Ginge travelling with us, that we're all together. The whole squad
was happy for each other and that's what you need when you're in the
position that we're in.
It was nice to get back on the scoresheet - I enjoy getting forward but
obviously the position I play in means those opportunities are quite rare.
But I saw big AC get the ball and the space opened up, so I went for it and
obviously it paid off. You could see in the pictures of the celebration that
Andy was buzzing. It was like he was holding a little boy - he just held me
up with one arm and put the other arm in the air. It was a nice picture and
nice for him to come back, set up a goal and be involved in a win. Hopefully
we can have many more of them.

Being captain in Nobby's absence is something that has given me pride. It's
a lot nicer when you win games of course, but I've enjoyed it. Kev's
suspended for one more game and then it's his again. He's captain of the
Club so I've been enjoying it and taking it on board I just dug in for the
lads last weekend. We needed the points obviously and you could have given
the plaudits to any player who was out there that day. They were all
brilliant, and scoring late doors to seal the win helped me, but as I said,
that praise could have gone to any one of us. There was a bit of news this
week that Carlton has signed a new contract and we're all buzzing for him.
As well as the goals he's scored lately, he's great to have around the
place. Just as a character, when times aren't going so well, he's brilliant
to have here.

Me and Coley have been together for so long here now that it would be a bit
strange not walking in and seeing his grin every morning. We've got
Newcastle on Saturday and they are a tough team, I've played under Pards
before and I know how he gets his team motivated. He's a top manager and I
think that's shown in their results this year. Pards was great for me at the
start of my career. He gave me my debut, he believed in me and I've got the
utmost respect for the man. I really enjoyed working under him, and my
career took off because he believed in me. You've got to appreciate when you
get that chance with someone, but hopefully we can get one over him on
Saturday and take the points from them because we need it more than they do.

It would be fantastic to get our first back-to-back wins since being back in
the Premier League on Saturday. It would be a very good day for the players,
the staff and the Club. We need to put that record right, and if there's a
perfect time to get that little hoodoo off us it's this weekend.
Come on you Irons!
Mark Noble
Nobes

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'We've got to build on the Cardiff win'
WHUFC.com
West Ham United legend Tony Cottee gives his views on Saturday's visit of
Newcastle United
17.01.2014

West Ham United legend Tony Cottee has encouraged the Hammers to build on
their vital win over Cardiff City when Newcastle United visit on Saturday.
Cottee dropped in at Chadwell Heath on Friday, where he enjoyed a chat with
old pal and assistant manager Neil McDonald and cast his eye over the
first-team training session. The former West Ham striker also found time to
speak to West Ham TV, discussing the need to record another victory over the
Magpies, the impact Andy Carroll can make and the importance of the Board's
backing of manager Sam Allardyce. "I have kept away from the Training Ground
recently as it's been a difficult month for everyone at the Club," said
Cottee with a smile. "I went up to the Man City game for the first leg of
the semi-final and it was a really disappointing night for everyone. "Then,
of course, we got a fantastic win against Cardiff, so it is a good time for
me to pop down after a victory and I'm hoping to see a few smiles on faces
when I go out to watch training. "Everything is positive but there is no
point in beating Cardiff and then slipping up on Saturday in what is an
important game against Newcastle."

One player who could make the difference against Newcastle is former Magpies
forward Carroll, who made a winning return from eight months out with a foot
injury at Cardiff. "I don't think you can under-estimate the different Andy
makes. From what I can gather, when he comes onto the training field it
gives everyone a real boost, and from the fans' point of view it gives
everyone a real boost. "We're all delighted to have him back. We've all been
frustrated but nobody could have been more frustrated than Andy himself As a
footballer, it's such a short career, so to miss six months of his career
with the injury must have left him pulling his hair out - even though it
seems to have grown quite a bit, as has his beard as well! "I'm really
pleased for Andy and that we've got him back. He's obviously fundamental to
what Sam and Macca want to to in terms of setting their team and creating
chances. it's a huge boost to everyone and I'm sure Kevin Nolan will be
delighted, because he's a different player with Andy in the team as well."

While West Ham will be looking to record back-to-back Barclays Premier
League wins for the first time since February 2011, Newcastle will be eager
to end a run of three straight defeats. While Alan Pardew's side have not
won this year, Cottee says West Ham should not take their opponents lightly.
"Alan Pardew has done a good job. He's got some decent players there and I
watched them against Man City last week and, although Man City are a very
good team, Newcastle gave them a good game. Had Tiote's goal been allowed to
stand they'd have got back to one-all and it could have been a different
match. "I appreciate Newcastle are a different proposition away from home as
they are at St James' Park, but we shouldn't under-estimate them. They are
having a good season and still want to push on and get into the UEFA Europa
League places, so they will come down, play their football and are good
enough to beat us if we stand off them. "I think we've got to build on what
we did against Cardiff last week, really get into them and set a good tempo
and put them under pressure and get our tackles in, then we'll see how well
they can play."

Looking further ahead, Cottee said the Board have got it right in their
public backing of Big Sam and his coaching staff as the right men to take
the Club forward. "I've always been very supportive of Sam and Macca. I
know they've been under pressure these last few weeks, but football is a
results business and that applies to any club. You have to get results and
Sam doesn't need me to tell him that. "If we'd lost at Cardiff , there would
have been huge pressure on him, but in this position the one thing you want
is for people to get around you and tell you that your position is safe.
David Gold and David Sullivan have said and done all the right things and,
just as importantly, they are backing the manager in the transfer window.
"We need to bolster the squad because we've had three centre-backs missing
recently and need to avoid that situation again in the future. The same with
the forward line, we need to juggle around with it and get some other
options as well. "It's important that the owners are backing Big Sam
verbally and financially as well."

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Martins keen to bounce back
WHUFC.com
Under-18s striker Marcio Martins is looking for the team to get back to
winning ways against Norwich City
17.01.2014

Marcio Martins is keen for the Under-18s to get back to winning ways when
they play Norwich City on Saturday morning. Steve Potts' side will be
looking to bounce back from seeing their ten-match unbeaten run ended with a
2-1 defeat at Southampton last weekend when they travel to Norfolk to face
the Canaries.
Martins was disappointed to see the streak end but is now fully focused on
picking up all three points in their Barclays U18 Premier League clash
against sixth-placed Norwich. He told West Ham TV: "The team didn't perform
as we should have. We didn't have our proper back four but the team that
Steve put out should have done the job. "The players train hard every day in
training, get on well with each other and we have great banter between us.
It was a great run but it had to come to an end at some point. "We've got to
keep looking to the next game to make sure we get a result on Saturday
against Norwich. We've got to go there, beat them and get back to winning
ways."

Both sides come into the match on the back of defeats, with the Canaries
losing out 2-1 to Chelsea on their last outing. The Hammers are currently
four points and one place above Saturday's opponents with a chance to move
as high as second with a win. Martins and his team-mates will also be
boosted by the fact they recorded a 2-0 win over the Canaries earlier in the
season, a game in which the Portuguese himself netted. "The last game that
we played against them, I scored and we managed to win. Last time that we
played them, we played very well, the whole team played well and we're
looking to get the same result this time round. "When we played earlier in
the season they kept the ball well, they had a solid back four and they
played quite well but we managed to come out on top which is something we're
looking to do again on Saturday. "Individually my performance was very good
but team-wise everybody played well."

The young striker also added that the team are looking to do the double over
Norwich, a win which he is hoping will help the team compete at the top of
the table. "At the start of the season we didn't think we would be where we
are but it's a great achievement and we're looking now to see if we can win
the league. "That defeat did knock us down, you could tell in training that
it had knocked us down but we're just getting on with it and trying to win
this game."
Highlights and reaction from Saturday's game will appear on whufc.com and
West Ham TV.

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Turgott makes Millers loan switch
WHUFC.com
West Ham United youngster Blair Turgott has joined Rotherham United on loan
17.01.2014

West Ham United youngster Blair Turgott has joined Sky Bet League One side
Rotherham United on a youth loan basis. The 19-year-old winger will remain
with the Millers until 15 February, adding to his previous Football League
experience from loans at Bradford City and Colchester United. Turgott, who
made his senior Hammers debut in this month's FA Cup with Budweiser defeat
at Nottingham Forest, could be involved in seven games for Steve Evans'
promotion chasers. Rotherham travel to Shrewsbury Town on Saturday, while
Turgott's first appearance at the Millers' New York Stadium could come a
week later when they face Crawley Town. The England U19 international
already has eight League appearances to his name for his previous loan
clubs.

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West Ham v Newcastle
KO 15:00
17 January 2014
By Simon Brotherton
Match of the Day commentator

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Upton Park Date: Saturday, 18 January

TEAM NEWS

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce must decide whether to start fit-again striker
Andy Carroll against his former club after his cameo against Cardiff last
weekend.
James Collins and Ricardo Vaz Te are available but Guy Demel and Winston
Reid are injured, while James Tomkins and Kevin Nolan serve suspensions.
Newcastle United are still without captain Fabricio Coloccini due to a knee
injury. Full-back Mathieu Debuchy serves the final game of a three-match
ban.

MATCH PREVIEW

West Ham's win at Cardiff last Saturday was quite a surprise at the end of a
week in which they had conceded 11 goals in two cup matches without reply.
Whether it's a turning point in their season is impossible to say, but the
return of Andy Carroll could be. "If you are West Ham boss Sam Allardyce and
Andy Carroll is ready to start then I think the obvious thing to do is to
unleash him against his old club. "I am not sure how strong the Hammers will
be at the back because they still have a lot of defenders out injured but I
would certainly back Carroll to cause Newcastle a lot of problems." His
presence on the field and the psychological boost to the whole club can only
help, but just as it seemed daft to build their transfer strategy solely
around him last summer, it would be unfair to expect too much immediately on
his return. We're set to see Carroll make his first appearance at Upton Park
since last season and it's a game he'll be desperate to do well in with his
former club in town. Carroll isn't the only one who's got history with the
opposition this weekend. West Ham's captain, Kevin Nolan, also used to play
for Newcastle but he'll miss the game through suspension. Alan Pardew will
also understand what Sam Allardyce is going through at the moment after
previously managing West Ham himself. Pardew took them to the FA Cup final,
where they narrowly lost to Liverpool, but was sacked in 2006. Allardyce
suffered a similar fate at St James's Park after a spell in charge during
which they never fell in love with either him or his methods. West Ham's win
over Cardiff was their first in eight league matches and especially timely
given their predicament and the difficult trip to Chelsea that follows this
game.
Newcastle were left stewing over the 'goal' that wasn't given against
Manchester City last week and they travel south on the back of three
straight defeats without scoring. A win here would be their first since
Boxing Day. It could be tight. Two of the last three matches between the
sides have ended goalless, with West Ham winning the other by a single goal
at St James' last season, scored by the currently suspended Nolan.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
The Hammers were the only side that managed to keep a clean sheet both home
and away against Newcastle United in the Premier League last season - they
also managed one in the 0-0 draw between the sides in August.
Newcastle have lost just one of their last seven matches at Upton Park.

West Ham United
West Ham's win over Cardiff was their first in eight league matches.
Their 2-0 win was only the sixth time in 21 league matches this season that
they had scored more than two goals in a game.
They picked up their ninth clean sheet of the season (the joint highest in
the top flight) against Cardiff, after previously conceding 22 goals in six
matches in all competitions.
Carlton Cole has scored three times in his last five Premier League
appearances.
The Hammers have lost 14 points from winning positions this season, more
than any other team.

Newcastle United
After a run of one defeat in nine, Newcastle have lost their last three
matches.
This the first time they have failed to score in three successive league
games in the same season since they were relegated in 2008-09.
They have yet to draw an away game this season, having won five and lost
five of their 10 fixtures so far. They only managed two away victories in
the whole of last season.

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Blair Turgott joins Rotherham from West Ham
BBC.co.uk

Rotherham have signed West Ham midfielder Blair Turgott on a one-month youth
loan. The 19-year-old recently spent time on loan at League One rivals
Colchester, scoring once in four games. Millers manager Steve Evans said:
"We have been monitoring the situation closely and we are delighted to add
him to our squad." Turgott could make his debut in Saturday's away match
against Shrewsbury Town.

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Traore deal off?
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 17th January 2014
By: Staff Writer

A number of sources are claiming that West Ham's bid to sign Lacina Toure on
loan has fallen through. News filtering through this evening [Friday]
suggests that the Hammers may have been gazumped by Premier League rivals
Everton, who also beat the Hammers to the signing of main target Romalu
Lukaku last summer. Traore was poised to move to Upton Park for the rest of
the season having just signed for the French club Monaco, who were prepared
to allow him to gain first team football elsewhere for the remainder of the
current campaign. Having agreed terms and received a work permit,
confirmation of the deal was believed to be a formality. However four days
have passed since Monday's hearing and it seems as if the delay may have
allowed Everton to steal the player from under West Ham's nose. The news
remains unconfirmed at this point. As always, we'll have more for you as the
story develops...

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Noble calls for unity
KUMb.com
Filed: Friday, 17th January 2014
By: Staff Writer

Mark Noble has sent out a rallying cry ahead of tomorrow's vital Premier
League clash with Newcastle United. The home-grown Hammer, who is currently
captaining West Ham in the absence of Kevin Nolan told the Express that
"togetherness" is the key to survival. "At Cardiff, we had the injured and
suspended players on the bench. They travelled to stick with the team. You
don't get that often," he told John Dillon. "We need to keep that
togetherness and get ourselves out of the rubbish. "We got ourselves into
this and we've got to get out of it. We've got no option now but to try to
win every game. We need to win back-to-back games which we haven't done
since before we came back up last season. Saturday is the time to start.
"What you want is to play in the Premier League. Full stop. I've played in
the Championship. I don't want to play there again for West Ham."

Noble also believes that the crowd will play a major part tomorrow and
called for the fans to get behind the team - which hasn't always been the
case. "I have been at this club a long time and if you can't deal with that
sort of stuff, you'll go under," he said. "It is a big club. But over the
years, it has had a lot of ups and downs. So there is a lot of pressure with
the fans. They are an unbelievable bunch, but they will let you know if they
think you are not pulling your weight. "When they get behind you, it is an
amazing place to play. But there have been players who have come and who
have folded under it all. I've seen them buckle at Upton Park and play
within themselves. "You've got to be able to grind through that. It is
probably just fear and nerves. And if you're in this position, it doesn't
help. But if the players and the team don't work hard, we'll get relegated."

West Ham face Newcastle at the Boleyn Ground at 3pm tomorrow. Preview
Percy's summary will follow shortly.

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The Blair switch project II
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 17th January 2014
By: Staff Writer

West Ham Under 21 Blair Turgott has joined League One Rotherham United on
loan. The 19-year-old joins the Millers on a short-term loan - just a matter
of weeks after returning from a similar loan spell with Colchester United.
Rotherham boss Steve Evans told themillers.co.uk: "We have been monitoring
the situation closely and we are delighted to add him to our squad. "The
player has recently come back from a loan spell at Colchester United. Joe
Dunne the manager at Colchester, who is a man I have tremendous respect for,
was desperate to keep him but West Ham had a few injuries and took him back.

"It is no secret that as soon as he joined Colchester their fortunes quickly
turned around. He started three out of the four games he was available for
and they got two wins during that time."

Turgott made his first team debut for West Ham as a second half substitute
in the horror show at Nottingham Forest earlier this month. Prior to joining
Colchester back in November, he had spent six months with Bradford, with
whom he reached the Final of the Capital One Cup.

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West Ham assistant boss Neil McDonald warns Newcastle of Andy Carroll threat
Last Updated: 17/01/14 2:36pm
SSN

West Ham are counting on the fit-again Andy Carroll to put one over his old
team when the Hammers host Newcastle this weekend. Carroll led the Newcastle
attack until joining Liverpool in a blockbuster deal on transfer deadline
day three years ago. West Ham boss Sam Allardyce endured a difficult
eight-month spell in charge at St James' Park in 2007, and his assistant
manager Neil McDonald also played for the Magpies early in his career. "If
you played for a football club and you are then playing against them you
want to get one over on them, don't you?" said McDonald. "I'm 48 now and I
played for them in the 80s but I always want to get one over on Newcastle.
"It is Andy's hometown club of course but at the end of the day we have got
another 10 players who will be involved in the game, will be wanting to beat
Newcastle and everyone will be doing their best to do that."

Last week's win over Cardiff lifted West Ham out of the Premier League drop
zone, and another victory at Upton Park on Saturday would be the first
back-to-back triumphs since the Hammers returned to the top flight.
Newcastle have hit a slump having lost their last four games in all
competitions, but McDonald warned that Alan Pardew's side should not be
underestimated. "They've had a couple of bad results, but having said all of
that they're still in the top half of the league," he said. "They're still a
very, very good team who've got some exciting, dangerous players. We've done
our homework on them, we've got a game plan for them, we know their
strengths and weaknesses and we have to exploit those weaknesses. "It goes
without saying that it would be six points out of two games and that's
certainly what we're trying to do."

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West Ham host Newcastle at Upton Park
Last Updated: 17/01/14 7:44pm
SSN

West Ham will be hoping to build on last weekend's 2-0 victory over Cardiff
when Sam Allardyce's side play host to Newcastle on Saturday at Upton Park.
The Hammers will be looking to improve their home form when they face
Newcastle as they are without a win in their four previous home games and
have only picked up five points in their last 11 home matches. West Ham are
currently in 17th position and are level on points with Cardiff, who occupy
the third relegation spot. Newcastle are without a victory in three
successive games and have not won since Boxing Day, scoring one goal in the
process. Alan Pardew's side are eight points off the Europa League spots so
if they are to have European ambitions it is crucial that they return to the
north east with maximum points.
Newcastle's last victory at Upton Park came in 2010 when two current West
Ham players scored for them in the shape of Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll.

Paul Merson's prediction: West Ham had a massive win last week, as big as it
gets. How many times do you see Big Sam jumping up and down on the
touchline? Not often. That shows how big it was. Newcastle were hard done by
with a referee who had a nightmare last Sunday and he should probably be
reffing my Sunday League game this weekend until he learns the rules of
football again. I think Newcastle are a decent team when they get their best
players on the pitch and I think they will go there and win.

PAUL PREDICTS: 1-2

West Ham
Last 6
Cardiff (a)0-2
Man City (a)6-0
N Forest (a)5-0
Fulham (a)2-1
West Brom (h)3-3
1-3

Sam Allardyce has no fresh injury concerns ahead of Saturday's Premier
League game against Newcastle. The Hammers boss will give late fitness tests
to Guy Demel (concussion), Joey O'Brien (knock), James Collins (calf) and
Ravel Morrison (groin) . Captain Kevin Nolan completes his four-match
suspension, while West Ham will also be without Ricardo Vaz Te (knee) and
Winston Reid (foot), who are their only long term casualties.

Newcastle
Last 6
Man City (h)0-2
Cardiff (h)1-2
West Brom (a)1-0
Arsenal (h)0-1
Stoke City (h)5-1
C Palace (a)0-3
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew could name an unchanged team for the trip to
Upton Park as he has no fresh injury worries. Pardew will certainly be
without Fabricio Coloccini and Ryan Taylor, who are his only injury
absentees. Hatem Ben Arfa will be vying for a recall to the starting line-up
following his cameo appearance in the 2-0 defeat against Manchester City.

Opta stats:

West Ham have kept nine clean sheets this season, no Premier League team has
more.
Newcastle have gone 280 minutes without a Premier League goal, their longest
run of the season.
West Ham have thrown away 14 points from winning positions this season, more
than any other team.

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Mark Noble remains confident that West Ham will stay up
Last Updated: 17/01/14 11:41am
SSN

Mark Noble has insisted that he will give his all to ensure that West Ham
are not relegated this season. West Ham currently sit just one place and one
point above the relegation zone, and will be hoping to build on last
weekend's 2-0 victory over fellow strugglers Cardiff City. Noble has been
ever present in the West Ham side this season and the 26-year-old is
determined to avoid playing in the Championship for a second time in his
career. He told the Daily Express: "I've played in the Championship. I don't
want to play there again for West Ham. "It is a big club. But over the
years, it has had a lot ups and downs. So there is a lot of pressure with
the fans. They are an unbelievable bunch, they will let you know if they
think you're not pulling your weight. "I have been at this club a long time
and, if you can't deal with that sort, you'll go under here. "When the fans
get behind you, it's an amazing place to play but there have been players
come and who have folded under it all. I've seen them buckle at Upton Park
and play within themselves."

The influential midfielder also praised the return of Andy Carroll and
believes that the striker will have a key role to play for West Ham in the
coming months.
Speaking on the return of Carroll, he said: "Some of Andy's touches when he
came on last weekend were a bit rusty - he'd say that himself. But he made
an impact and set up my goal with a lovely pass. He showed what we have
missed. "If Andy comes back and scores goals now, there will be no pressure
on him at all. I'm sure he can do that."

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HARRY REDKNAPP DENIES INTEREST IN MODIBO MAIGA
By Sean Whetstone 17 Jan 2014 at 13:16
West Ham Till I Die

Modibo Maiga has been linked with a move to QPR from West Ham on loan in
recent days, but there have also been media reports that Redknapp had pulled
the plug on an agreement or that Maiga rejected a loan move to QPR. Not so,
says the former West Ham manager despite dubbing the striker as an
"interesting player". "Nothing happened really", Harry Redknapp told a press
conference this morning when questioned about Maiga. "We've not asked to
take him on loan and the lad hasn't refused to come on loan. There was
something in the newspaper saying we didn't want him, that's not true.He's
an interesting player for sure, but at the moment we haven't spoken to
anyone about him."

Modibo Maiga joined West ham in July 2012 from Sochaux in a deal believed to
worth £4.7 million and is believed to earn £38,000 per week. It is
understood that West Ham are keen to move him off their wage bill during the
January transfer window and are prepared to let him go out on loan or sell
him at a huge discount as long as the money is received up front. His four
year contract takes him to July 2016. Redknapp confirmed that QPR are
interested in West ham target Ishak Belfodil from Inter Milan. He stated
that Phil Beard and Tony Fernandes were attempting to secure the deal for
QPR. West ham are thought to have agreed a loan fee for Belfodil last week
before the deal hit a snag over the 50% ownership rights of Parma.

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West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce poised to be pipped by Everton in
chase for Monaco's Lacina Traoré
Telegrpah.co.uk
John Percy By John Percy9:04PM GMT 17 Jan 2014

West Ham's protracted attempt to sign Lacina Traore looks doomed to failure
after Everton manager Roberto Martinez made a move to sign the Monaco
striker
Sam Allardyce is facing the prospect of Everton hijacking his protracted bid
to sign Lacina Traoré in a move which will infuriate West Ham United.
Allardyce fears he has missed out on the Ivory Coast international, despite
weeks of negotiations, with Everton poised to sign the Monaco forward on
loan for the rest of the season. West Ham were convinced they had secured
Traoré's signature after a work permit was finally approved by the Home
Office earlier this week.
The 23-year-old's seven international caps had proved a stumbling block to
the deal but West Ham officials lodged an appeal and Allardyce attended a
hearing on Monday to finalise the move. But the Premier League strugglers
could miss out after Roberto Martínez, the Everton manager, made a move to
sign him.
Everton already have three loan signings in Romelu Lukaku, Gareth Barry and
Gerard Deulofeu, so Traoré would become the final one permitted under league
rules. Martínez said: "My focus is on bringing in another attacking option.
We will take our time to make sure the right player joins this club."
However, in a further twist it has emerged that Traoré may not play for at
least a month after suffering a hamstring injury in training. But his
proposed move to Merseyside will still be another huge blow for Allardyce,
who is desperate for more firepower in his attempt to avoid relegation. Andy
Carroll has only recently returned after a foot injury and West Ham have
scored only 21 goals in the league this season. Allardyce faces former club
Newcastle United on Saturday with his team only out of the relegation zone
on goal difference.

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West Ham's Andy Carroll: I can make England World Cup squad now injury
lay-off's finally over
Jan 17, 2014 22:30 By Mike Walters
The Mirror

Brazil 2014 "is massive and everybody wants to be involved. It's in my head
that there's still a chance for me to go, and I'd be devastated if I missed
out"

Andy Carroll believes he can still make England's World Cup squad – by
saving West Ham from relegation. The Hammers' record £15million signing
could make his first start for eight months this weekend against his former
- and hometown - club Newcastle, and admits he would be "devastated" to miss
the cut in Brazil this summer. Carroll's nine England caps have been
scattered across more than three years, the last of them coming against San
Marino in October 2012.
He said: "Of course the World Cup is massive and everybody wants to be
involved. It's in my head that there's still a chance for me to go (to
Brazil), and I'd be devastated if I missed out, to be honest. "It was great
to be away at the Euros, playing with the best players in Europe. Now I've
got to work hard and I'll have a chance of playing with the best in the
world. "That's a great incentive for me to do as well as I possibly can for
West Ham."

Carroll made his long-awaited return from a foot injury – his comeback was
accelerated by specialists in Antwerp, Belgium – with a 20-minute cameo as a
sub in the relegation six-pointer at Cardiff last weekend, setting up Mark
Noble's late goal to cap a 2-0 away win. In his absence, West Ham have won
only four of their 21 Premier League games this season and Carroll said:
"For me, it's been tough being out for so long, and it's been ­disappointing
for the team not doing so well. "I just want to stay fit, as every player
does. I've been plagued with injuries, but I'm just going to forget about
that now. I'm not going to worry about injuries at all, play in the games
and try to do well, create chances, score goals and get us well clear of the
bottom."

On the long road back to fitness, Carroll often went home to follow another
exercise regime – walking the family dog along the Tyne's ­Quayside – but
now he is raring to go at a family reunion in the East End. He added: "I
can't wait – obviously it's a big game for us, but for me personally it's
even bigger. My family are coming down from Newcastle for the game, it's
going to be a big day."

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