Daily WHUFC News - 21st January 2014

Manchester City match preview
WHUFC.com
A look ahead to Tueday night's Capital One Cup semi-final clash against Manchester City
20.01.2014

WEST HAM UNITED v MANCHESTER CITY
CAPITAL ONE CUP SEMI-FINAL SECOND LEG
TUESDAY 21 JANUARY 2014
BOLEYN GROUND
KICK-OFF: 7:45PM
REFEREE: MICHAEL OLIVER
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV

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Introduction
• West Ham United welcome Manchester City to the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday night for the Capital One Cup semi-final second leg, trailing 6-0 from the first leg.
• The Hammers play their second home match in the space of four days having lost 3-1 to Newcastle United in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
• To reach this stage of the competition West Ham have beaten Cheltenham Town and Cardiff City at the Boleyn Ground, whilst defeating Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur away from home.
• Tuesday's meeting between the two teams will be the third of the season with the previous two having ended in Manchester City wins, including a 3-1 triumph in east London in the Barclays Premier League back on 19 October 2013.
• Manuel Pellegrini's side are currently unbeaten in their last 17 matches and have earned 15 victories during the run.
• The Citizens have seen off Leicester City, Wigan Athletic and Newcastle United en route to the semi-final stage.
• The hosts will be looking to inflict a first defeat on their opponents in eight away matches, a defeat which would be the first since a 1-0 loss to Sunderland back on 10 November 2013.

Team news

West Ham United
• Winston Reid is back in full training following an ankle injury but Tuesday's match will come too soon for him to feature. Fellow defender Guy Demel may not be risked after picking up a concussion against Cardiff City.
• Kevin Nolan and James Tomkins are both available following suspension.

Manchester City
• Samir Nasri is a confirmed absentee after picking up a knee injury in a 2-0 win over Newcastle United on 12 January.
• Manuel Pellegrini may choose to rest some of his big names for this game, choosing instead to start some of the club's younger players such as Marcos Lopes, who featured in the first leg.

Last time out
West Ham United 1-3 Newcastle United
Barclays Premier League
18 January 2014
West Ham United: Adrian, Taylor, Collins, Johnson, Rat, Jarvis (J.Cole 73), Noble, Diame (Carroll 62), Collison (Morrison 46), Downing, C Cole
Subs not used: Jaaskelainen, Maiga, Diarra, Chambers
Goal: Williamson og 45
Manchester City 4-2 Cardiff City

Barclays Premier League
18 January 2014
Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Kolarov, Toure, Navas (Clichy 82), Garcia, Dzeko, Negredo (Aguero 62), Silva (Milner 80)
Subs not used: Pantilimon, Nastasic, Fernandinho, Lescott
Goals: Dzeko 14, Navas 33, Toure 76, Aguero 79
Previous meeting

An entirely forgettable evening for the Hammers ended in a six-goal thrashing in the first leg of the Capital One Cup semi-final at the Etihad. A hat-trick from Alvaro Negredo set the home side en route to victory with a brace from Edin Dzeko and one from Yaya Toure finishing off the visitors.

Manchester City 6-0 West Ham United
Capital One Cup semi-final first leg
8 January 2014
Manchester City: Pantilimon, Clichy, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Nasri, Garcia, Silva (Lopes 73), Toure (Demichelis 66), Negredo (Kolarov 79), Dzeko
Subs not used: Hart, Milner, Fernandinho, Nastasic
Goals: Negredo 12, 26, 49, Toure 40, Dzeko 60, 89
West Ham United: Adrian, Demel, O'Brien (Rat 75), Johnson, McCartney, Diame, Noble (Diarra 57), Taylor, Maiga (C Cole 45), J Cole, Downing
Subs not used: Jaaskelainen, Morrison, Collison, Jarvis

Head to head
Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)
8 January 2014 - Manchester City 6-0 West Ham United (Capital One Cup)
19 October 2013 - West Ham United 1-3 Manchester City
27 April 2013 - Manchester City 2-1 West Ham United
3 November 2012 - West Ham United 0-0 Manchester City
1 May 2011 - Manchester City 2-1 West Ham United
11 December 2010 - West Ham United 1-3 Manchester City

Overall record v Manchester City (all competitions) W 35 D 16 L 45

Ten-year records
West Ham United
2012/13 Premier League 10th (46 points)
2011/12 Championship 3rd (86 points - promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points - relegated to Championship)
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
2003/04 Division One 4th (74 points)

Manchester City
2012/13 Premier League 2nd (78 points)
2011/12 Premier League 1st (89 points - champions)
2010/11 Premier League 3rd (71 points)
2009/10 Premier League 5th (67 points)

2008/09 Premier League 10th (50 points)

2007/08 Premier League 9th (55 points)

2006/07 Premier League 14th (42 points)

2005/06 Premier League 15th (43 points)

2004/05 Premier League 8th (52 points)

2003/04 Premier League 16th (41 points)


Old boys
• Richard Wright signed for West Ham United in July 2007 following his release by Everton. The goalkeeper did not make a first-team appearance for the Hammers and, after being loaned to Southampton in March 2008, joined Ipswich Town in July of the same year. He is currently with Manchester City
• Other players to have turned out for both clubs include Tal Ben Haim, Craig Bellamy, Wayne Bridge, Ian Bishop, James Cumming, Justin Fashanu, Marc-Vivien Foe, Kevin Horlock, David James, Patrick Leonard, Steve Lomas, Trevor Morley, John Payne, Stuart Pearce, Trevor Sinclair, Carlos Tevez, Paulo Wanchope and Mark Ward.
• Former West Ham United centre-back Malcolm Allison joined Manchester City as assistant manager in 1965. Under the guidance of Allison and manager Joe Mercer, the club enjoyed a sustained period of success, winning the Division One title in 1968, the FA Cup in 1969 and both the League Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup in 1970. After taking over from Mercer in 1971, Allison resigned in March 1973, later returning to Maine Road for a second spell in charge between 1979 and 1980.
• Allison's former West Ham United team-mate John Bond took charge of Manchester City following Allison's departure in October 1983, remaining in charge until February 1983.
• One-time West Ham United left-back Stuart Pearce took charge of Manchester City between March 2005 and May 2007.
Background
• West Ham United have played Manchester City on 96 occasions with the Hammers winning 35, losing 45 and 16 meetings ending as draws.
• The first meeting between the two sides came back on 26 April 1924 when a William Moore goal wasn't enough to prevent the Hammers losing 2-1 at the Boleyn Ground.
• West Ham United's biggest home and away victories over Manchester City both came in the same season - 1962/63. A 6-1 away Division One success on 8 September 1962 was followed by victory by the same scoreline here on 18 May 1963 - a result that relegated the Citizens.
• West Ham United have not scored more than one goal in any of their last 15 matches against Manchester City and have only done so once in the previous 20 meetings - a 2-1 FA Cup sixth-round win at the City of Manchester Stadium on 20 March 2006, when Dean Ashton netted both. Yossi Benayoun also started the game.
• The biggest crowd ever to witness a West Ham United versus Manchester City fixture at the Boleyn Ground was the 35,050 who turned out for a goalless Premier League draw on 21 September 2002.
• Tony Cottee is the only West Ham United player ever to score a hat-trick against Manchester City. His treble fired the Hammers to a 3-0 Premier League win at the Boleyn Ground on 17 December 1994.
• Peter Dobing scored hat-tricks for Manchester City in both Division One meetings with West Ham United in 1961/62.
• Manchester City have twice recorded 4-0 victories at the Boleyn Ground - both in the old Division One on 24 March 1962 and 6 December 1969.
Referee
• Tuesday's match referee will be 51-year-old Chris Foy.
• Foy has been a Barclays Premier League referee since 2001, having originally made the Select Group list of assistant referees in 1995.
• In 2007, Foy took charge of the FA Trophy final at Wembley, before returning to the Home of Football a year later to act as fourth official for Portsmouth's FA Cup final victory over Cardiff.
• In 2009, he was back at Wembley to take charge of the League Cup final and Community Shield, while Portsmouth were in action again as Foy refereed the 2010 FA Cup final, which Pompey lost to today's visitors Chelsea.
• In all, Foy has taken charge of 28 West Ham fixtures - the first coming as long ago as 23 February 2002, when Frederic Kanoute scored the only goal in a 1-0 home Premier League win over Middlesbrough.
• He will be assisted by Peter Kirkup and Andrew Garratt, whilst his fourth official will be Michael Jones.
General information
• Tickets for Saturday's game remain on General Sale. You can secure your seat now at www.whufcboxoffice.com
• The weather forecast for Tuesday night is light cloud with temperatures around 5C (41F).
• Click here for the latest travel info on TfL routes, here for Greater Anglia train services, and here for c2c services

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Big Sam on: Manchester City
WHUFC.com
Manager Sam Allardyce spoke to the media ahead of the Capital One Cup semi-final second leg
20.01.2014

Sam Allardyce insists there is still much to be gained from Tuesday's Capital One Cup semi-final second leg against Manchester City. Faced with a 6-0 deficit from the first meeting, Big Sam called on his West Ham United players to restore some pride at the Boleyn Ground, hopeful of a positive result this time around. Elsewhere, the gaffer is pleased to welcome back Kevin Nolan and James Tomkins from suspension, while keen to give Andy Carroll a third run-out in the last ten days.

Good morning Sam, how do you approach Tuesday's game? It must be quite an odd situation going into a game 6-0 down.

SA: "Well, I think that obviously based on the first leg it's not something that we wanted to happen but of course it's something we have to face. It's about playing a game of football in a competitive manner at home and trying to win it. It's as simple as that. "We know it's highly, highly unlikely that we we're going to get through but you're playing at home, you're playing for pride, you're playing to try and get a result and your team's trying to play well. I have a couple of players back from suspension, which is important to me. They'll have a top competitive game after being suspended, Kevin Nolan and James Tomkins, which eases the problems that we've had recently. "Andy Carroll will get another game, at some stage he'll get more minutes than he's had in the last game, which is obviously another important factor for us. Hopefully we can give Manchester City a really tough game Tuesday night and try to get something out of it."

Do you use it as a chance to change the team a bit, apart from the return of the suspended players?

SA: "We haven't got too many options to change the team, but what I have got the option for is fresher players that haven't played on a consistent basis, with our problems recently. So the players who are fatigued based on their being called upon every single game and other players who are not quite as fatigued will play, who've had slight injuries and haven't had enough game time this season. "We will not have anybody of any inexperience out on the field, apart from probably Ravel Morrison, who's still early in his career at this level of football on a consistent basis. The rest of the team will be very, very experienced in terms of their games at this level."

You mentioned Andy Carroll, how close is he to full fitness now?

SA: "Just every game as we go along [he's getting fitter]. I think that there's a period of time where we're talking about increasing the game time and we have to be patient enough to increase that in competitive matches, where we're desperate for results. Our desperation for a result on Tuesday is about pride, not about anything else, rather than points in the Premier League. "Andy's going to compete in a game for the first time just a few days after competing on Saturday, which is something we're looking forward to, in the hope that there is no problem, knowing that he's getting even closer to a full 90 minutes. "Our other scenario of course is to continue to get Joey O'Brien, Winston Reid, George McCartney from the defensive point of view, back and playing as quickly as we can. "Ricardo Vaz Te joins in training, after however many weeks he has been out, I think it's around 12 or 14. We get another option by having him back. People tend to forget about the players who are on the long-term injury list, like him, that are very important to your team and your squad. When he went of the team he was scoring goals for us and was in good form and then we lost him. "We'll have a strong team out, but other players are looking closer to coming back from injury, which is very important for the next 16 Premier League games."

Does Andy have a bespoke warm-up, is that why he went down the tunnel on Saturday?

SA: "The lads sort that out, where's best to do the warm-up. As I suggested before, you can do a warm-up on the side of the pitch but be distracted by the game that's going on and not continue that warm-up correctly. In Andy's case, he's just come back from an eight-month lay-off, so the warm-up needs to be under more scrutiny and more intense than a normal substitute's would be."

Is the transfer window an unsettling time?

SA: "It has always been the case and it has never changed for us that this period has been particularly difficult, with the problems that we have at the moment. The transfer window adds to that, but it's something that we have to deal with."

Have you been frustrated that you've not been able to do much business so far?

SA: "Frustrated is an understatement on the basis of the number of deals we've tried to secure in the last six to eight weeks. I think that if you go across the board, as frustrated as we are, finding the right players is very, very difficult. There are very few deals happening across the board in this particular window and it's very difficult to get top players at this level."

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Allardyce frustrated by 'Mad January'
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 20th January 2014
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce wore the expression of a troubled man as he faced a grilling over West Ham's transfer policy and inability to land any significant transfer targets this January.

The current Hammers boss, who was thwarted in his attempts to land Lacina Traore on loan last week has thus far managed to sign only Roger Johnson from League One Wolves and persuade Carlton Cole to accept an extended 18-month contract.

That's despite a joint-statement from the Club's owners, released on January 6 in which it was stated that "we are pleased to confirm we are close to securing one of our key striking targets" and "a defender is high on the list of priorities as well and progress is being made on that front".

The Hammers are unlikely to be boosted by any fresh faces ahead of tomorrow's visit of Manchester City for the second leg of the Capital One Cup semi final - a situation that Allardyce finds particularly irksome.

"Frustrated is an understatement based on the number of deals we've tried to secure in the last six to eight weeks," he said. "But as frustrated as we are - and our need is probably greater than everybody else's because of our problems at the minute - finding the right players is very difficult, in our experience, across the Premier League. There are very few deals happening.

"Mad January. Lunatic transfer window that creates havoc throughout the game for four weeks and probably two weeks before it starts through rumours. That creates a stir inside your football club which is not healthy. For us this period has been particularly difficult, with the problems that we have at the moment.

"The transfer window adds to that, but it's something that we have to deal with."

Allardyce also re-confirmed the situation regarding Monaco striker Traore, and his belief that the deal had been well and truly scuppered. "It looks very doubtful from our point of view," he stated. "That was a particular disappointment because of the quality of the player we'd secured, bar a signature.

"When it came down to a signature it didn't happen, unfortunately.

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London pride
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 20th January 2014
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce says his team will be "playing for pride" when they face Manchester City in the second leg of the Capital One Cup semi final.

The League Cup, in its various guises, is a competition West Ham have never won despite having reached the Final twice - against West Brom back in 1966 and Liverpool in 1981 - and the semi finals on no less than nine occasions (or ten, if you include 1999's quarter final win over Aston Villa for which a replay was ordered).

Having been thumped 6-0 in the first leg at the Etihad Stadium, United's chances of adding a third Final appearance would appear to be slim, at the very best - or more accurately, almost completely impossible. However Allardyce, speaking to the press at Chadwell Heath this morning promised to field a team of sufficient quality to "get something out of it."

"Hopefully we can give Manchester City a really tough game Tuesday night and try to get something out of it," he said.

"It's about playing a game of football in a competitive manner at home and trying to win it. It's as simple as that. We know it's highly, highly unlikely that we we're going to get through but you're playing at home, you're playing for pride, you're playing to try and get a result and your team's trying to play well.

"I have a couple of players back from suspension, which is important. Kevin Nolan and James Tomkins will have a competitive game after being suspended which eases the problems that we've had recently. Andy Carroll will get another game which is obviously another important factor for us.

"We'll have a strong team out. Apart from probably Ravel Morrison, who's still early in his career at this level of football, we will not have anybody of any inexperience out on the field. The rest of the team will be very, very experienced at this level."

Allardyce also revealed that he was pleased with Carroll's progress and hopes that it won't be too long before he's fit enough to be considered for a starting spot.

"We're talking about increasing his game time and we have to be patient enough to increase that in competitive matches, where we're desperate for results," he said. "Our desperation for a result on Tuesday is about pride rather than points in the Premier League.

"Andy's going to compete in a game just a few days after competing on Saturday which is something we're looking forward to, knowing that he's getting even closer to a full 90 minutes. Our other scenario is to get Joey O'Brien, Winston Reid and George McCartney back and playing as quickly as we can."

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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce admits January frustration
Last Updated: 20/01/14 4:23pm
SSN

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce believes every club will have a player unsettled because of the 'lunatic' January transfer window. Fulham have seen a bid for Hammers midfielder Ravel Morrison rejected, with Allardyce's side trying to strengthen in both defence and attack. Allardyce has hit out at the 'havoc' the window creates as he seeks to guide the Hammers up from 18th in the Premier League table, with a Capital One Cup semi-final second leg against Manchester City first up. He told the London Evening Standard: "I would think that across the country there is a player at every football club unsettled because of mad January and this lunatic transfer window which creates havoc throughout the game. There are rumours that somebody is after your player or you are after somebody else's player and that creates a stir within your club, which is unhealthy based on how many important games you have in this period. "For us, it's been particularly difficult with the problems we're facing and the transfer window adds to that but it's a problem we have to deal with."

Dead

Allardyce conceded a deal for Lacina Traore is "dead" after the Monaco striker seemed to chose Everton over the Hammers. Mooted moves for John Heitinga, Ishak Belfodil and Joleon Lescott have not materialised. "I would think that across the country there is a player at every football club unsettled because of mad January and this lunatic transfer window which creates havoc throughout the game." The only players to put pen to paper at Upton Park are on-loan Wolves defender Roger Johnson, Peterborough teenager Jaanai Gordon and Carlton Cole, who has signed a new contract until the end of the season. Allardyce added: "Frustrated is an understatement in the amount of deals we've tried to do in the last six to eight weeks. "There are very few deals happening across the board at the moment because it's difficult to get top players at this level at this particular time. "Later in this window things generally get a bit easier in financial terms, in that clubs want to move the players on. That's why you get a flood of deals in the last few days of the window. "Our need is to produce a really good signing that can hit the ground running and have an impact right away."

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A CLUB WITHOUT VALUES: THAT'S NOT MY WEST HAM
By Iain Dale 20 Jan 2014 at 22:36
West Ham Till I Die

Guest Post by Robert Kelsey

I took my youngest son to Upton Park on Saturday (to see West Ham versus Newcastle) and came away more angry than I've ever left that ground before, which – believe me – is saying something.

No, it's not because we lost. It's not even because this defeat meant my six year old's introduction to the Boleyn Ground involved lots of angry people booing and shouting (and even swearing). That said, observing coarse and terse football fandom through the eyes of a six-year old does make the whole environment seem more shocking: starker, harder, more brutal.

It's because I realised that West Ham had lost something I truly loved about that club: it had lost its values.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a starry-eyed fan assuming we all own the club, when it's really the play-thing of a few millionaires. I realise full well that we are no more than the punters – there to be relieved of our hard-earned cash in a myriad different ways (as attested by the £80 on tickets and £50 in the club shop).

Yet part of the deal is that – as fans – we're allowed to claim something of the club that's far deeper than mere ownership. It's something money can't buy, though it can seemingly lose. And that's its values. We are surely all part of a club's values. And these – under the current ownership and management – have completely disappeared.

My son's rite of passage on Saturday echoed my own – some long forgotten Saturday in the 1970s in which I too broke my football match virginity. Of course, we lost: this time 2-1 at home to Coventry City, although all I saw was the back of grown men straining forward to see over others (my father had been too mean to buy seats so we'd stood in the West Stand).

I cried – as did Eddie on Saturday.

However, on the way back my father told me about the pride many East Londoners (and those further afield) had in the team. He told me it was nicknamed the Academy of Football: so called because of the purity of its football and the way everyone in the club was dedicated to the nurturing of young talent. West Ham didn't always win he said. But they always played well – eschewing the rough-n-tumble of many football clubs in the era of Billy Bremner's Leeds United.

This was the club of Bobby Moore, he said. Moore was the finest footballer England has ever produced. He was a gentlemen footballer – a man every boy looked up to and every wife admired. And he's the only man (before or since) to have lifted the World Cup in an England shirt (thanks to four goals all scored by West Ham players).

West Ham's emphasis on youth had won England the World Cup, he said. The tough East London streets around the ground (contrary to popular belief West Ham is in East London not the East End, which stops at the River Lea) produced many great footballers – as, in more recent years, it has boxers and athletes.

West Ham's roots were some of the deepest of any English club's, he said: those hammers on the badge had nothing to do with the name West Ham (another popular misconception) but owed their place to the team's heritage as the Thames Ironworks FC: a shipmakers at the junction of the rivers Lea and Thames (hence the "Irons" nickname more-often used by the fans). This was also important because it set West Ham apart from other London clubs: as the team of an industrial area more akin to a northern city than the rest of London.

In fact, East London (now Newham) – with its docks and heavy industry and irrepressible working class humour – was the south's Liverpool, he said: another city more-than-proud of its footballing excellence and heritage.

Finally, I was told that West Ham was a well-run club: stable, not flash (unlike some of its neighbours). At that time – in the mid-70s – West Ham was on its fourth manager since 1902: an unheard of claim in English football, even then. Yet that was part of its values, which mattered.

So while West Ham may lose too often, he said. The club means something to its fans. It has strong, deep and unbreakable values that it upholds, which means the pride in West Ham comes less from the scant silverware and the wayward results – and more from the things it does and the way it behaves.

Of course, as I trudged home with my six-year old, I would have loved to have passed on this oral tradition: introducing him to what it means to follow West Ham. Yet I couldn't. Because those values seem to have entirely disappeared.

Where have they gone Mr Gold, Mr Sullivan and Ms Brady? I'd like to know what you've done with them because I want to tell my youngest son the truth about West Ham. He, unlike his older brother (who opted for Arsenal to be in with his schoolchums) wanted to follow his father's team. It meant as much to him as it meant to me. But there's nothing there for his pride to invest in.

Sure, it says The Academy of Football on the gravel around the pitch – the manager Sam Allardyce (our fourth in five years) even walks over it to and from his dugout. But the lovely passing, neat triangles and midfield creativity was all coming from the men in black and white on Saturday. West Ham – despite having some seriously skilful players on the pitch (Joe Cole etc) played like a hungover Sunday-team on Wanstead Flats. Balls lobbed into the box – one after the other (all failing to find their target). That's until Andy Carroll came on. Our missing target man – back after injury. Hurrah! Yet he immediately signalled to our goalkeeper to not even bother with the other outfielders – just hoof it up field towards him. That'll do!

Of course, Sam & Co may explain that this is due to the ever-lengthening injury list. Yet why, in that case, did they blow almost their entire pre-season transfer budget on this single route-one target man? Why has the entire team been constructed around this one-trick pony that promptly became injured (some trick!)?

Yes, I understand the financial pressures. We must stay in the premiership blah! I also understand that Sullivan and Gold (East Londoners both) inherited a financial mess after West Ham became an extraordinary victim of Iceland's financial meltdown. Yet that's to miss the point: perhaps one missed also by the vice-chairman Karren Brady due to her celebrity distractions.

Most West Ham fans – myself and my father before me – were used to seeing West Ham lose: even used to relegation. What they took most pride in, however, were the club's values, which are nowhere to be seen. And, as I say in What's Stopping You? and repeat in Get Things Done (out February) – without values you're as good as lost.

www.robert-kelsey.co.uk

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West Ham suspect Ravel Morrison transfer talk has turned Fulham target midfielder's head
Jan 20, 2014 22:30 By Darren Lewis 0 Comments
The Mirror

Allardyce says 20-year-old is "not an experienced man in life, never mind in football. And inexperienced young players can react in many different ways"

Sam Allardyce believes Ravel Morrison has had his head turned by a big payday at Fulham. West Ham have already complained to the Premier League after Fulham boss Rene Meulensteen claimed to be aware that the England Under-21 wanted to quit Upton Park for west London. Now, the Hammers' boss believes £15,000-a-week Morrison has been seduced by the prospect of a bigger wage packet at Craven Cottage. The west Londoners have already had a £4million bid turned down, but are understood to be ready to return with an improved offer. Pressed on why he felt the 20-year-old would want to leave for a club just one point and one place above his 18th-placed current employers, Allardyce said: "It's like everything. "This window creates a hysteria about the fact that people will tell you that somebody is going to come and get you. That could then turn your head - probably based on the money that people say you're going to make."

Big Sam was speaking ahead of Tuesday night's Capital One Cup semi-final second leg at Upton Park. West Ham will rewrite football history if they make it to Wembley, as they trail Manchester City 6-0 from a demoralising first leg at the Etihad two weeks ago. He added: "Ravel is a young man, and a young man with not much experience. You have to give a bit of leeway for that scenario. He's not an experienced man in life, never mind in football. And inexperienced young players can react in many different ways."

Morrison's complex contract dictates he is entitled to have his wages increased to £60,000-a-week if a club makes an offer of £10m or more for him.
West Ham are understood to be ready to accept £8m plus add-ons for the attacking midfielder - a substantial profit on a player they signed from Manchester United for just £650,000 in January 2012. Morrison has 18 months left on his contract at West Ham but talks over a new deal have collapsed. It is the latest in a string of transfer setbacks for the club. Everton defender John Heitinga turned them down at the last minute earlier this month, and the Toffees are poised to pinch Monaco's Lacina Traora on loan after the striker had looked set for a similar move to Upton Park. Asked whether he had given Morrison any advice, Allardyce added: "It's difficult for a manager to give advice to a young player when it comes to that. "They see you probably working for the club as the manager rather than working for them. You can offer the advice but whether they take it or not [is a different matter]. They are more going to listen to the advice of the agents, than they are to the manager, in most cases. "I think that's certainly the case when it comes to Lacina Traore. It wasn't Monaco and it wasn't us, it was all down to the player's agent. That is who he listened to. That is what happens in today's modern-day game."

City are undefeated in their last 17 matches, with their latest victory a 4-1 Premier League success over Cardiff on Saturday. West Ham are bidding to ensure the fragile morale of their players and fans is not shattered further by another heavy defeat. Allardyce also claimed he is under as much pressure as under-fire David Moyes at vhampions Manchester United. He said: "From my point of view, I think it's an equal pressure, not only because of now but because of the future of this club. The burden of this club is that it wants to move into the Olympic Stadium in two years' time or so and has to have a team in the Premier League to move into that stadium. "You have to build for that. That's a bit of extra pressure."

West Ham vs Manchester City: Probable teams

West Ham Adrian; Rat, Tomkins, Johnson, Taylor; Diame, Morrison, Downing, Nolan, Jarvis; Maiga.

Manchester City Pantilimon; Richards, Lescott, Boyata, Clichy; Lopes, Milner, Garcia, Navas; Aguero, Dzeko.

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Report: West Ham United eye Alan Pardew return
Newcastle manager looks on before kick-off against Manchester City in their Premier League match on January 12, 2014© Getty Images
By Shane Callaghan, Reporter
Filed: Sunday, January 19, 2014 at 07:23 UK
Last Updated: Monday, January 20, 2014 at 23:55 UK

West Ham United are reportedly toying with the idea of luring their former manager Alan Pardew back to Upton Park in the event that they part company with Sam Allardyce. Speculation is rife over Allardyce's long-term future in East London as the former Bolton Wanderers boss has failed to guide the capital outfit away from the Premier League relegation zone this season. Newcastle United manager Pardew enjoyed a three-year spell with the Hammers from 2003 until 2006 and, according to The Mirror, the 52-year-old is a close friend of co-owner David Gold and is an ideal candidate to replace the under-fire Allardyce. West Ham, who sit 18th in the Premier League table, went down 3-1 at home to Pardew's Magpies on Saturday.

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Sam Allardyce admits Ravel Morrison could leave West Ham in January
• Manager believes midfielder may have been unsettled
• But Fulham made a 'derisory' offer for the player
James Riach
The Guardian, Monday 20 January 2014 22.30 GMT

Sam Allardyce has accepted that Ravel Morrison could leave West Ham United this winter, saying that the midfielder may have been unsettled despite a "derisory" transfer offer from Fulham.

Morrison, who joined the Hammers in 2012 from Manchester United, is valued at £10m by the east London club but Fulham's initial bid, confirmed last week by their manager, René Meulensteen, was rejected.

Meulensteen said the 20-year-old, who is expected to play in Tuesday night's Capital One Cup semi-final second leg against Manchester City, was keen on a move to Craven Cottage but following his comments West Ham have lodged an official complaint to the Premier League accusing Fulham of tapping up the player.

Under the terms of Morrison's contract his wage would increase to £60,000 a week if West Ham received an offer of £10m but then decided to keep him at the club while his current salary is approximately one quarter of that amount.

Allardyce said the January window was a time when speculation could turn the heads of players but he refused to rule out the possibility of Morrison leaving. When asked if he was tempted to sell him, Allardyce said: "Well, who knows? You take each day as it comes in this window.

"This window creates a hysteria about the fact that people will tell you that somebody is going to come and get you. That could then turn your head, probably based on the money that people say you're going to make. Everybody as a human being is not all the same, some players will act and react a different way, to whatever they feel is best for them.

"I would probably think that across the country at every club there is a player unsettled because of mad January, the lunatic transfer window that creates havoc throughout the game.

"He's a young man, and a young man with not much experience, you have to give a bit of leeway for that scenario. He's not an experienced man in life, never mind in football. And inexperienced young players can react in many different ways.

"It's difficult for a manager to give advice to a young player when it comes to that because they see you probably working for the club as the manager rather than working for them."

When pressed on Fulham's bid for Morrison, Allardyce added: "That was a simple turn-down of a derisory offer, in our opinion. It's an offer that wasn't acceptable."

West Ham were thwarted in their efforts to sign the defender Johnny Heitinga from Everton earlier in the window, while the Merseyside club are expected to gazump them by signing the striker Lacina Traoré on loan from Monaco, despite the forward having been expected to join the Hammers.

Against City at Upton Park West Ham will seek to salvage some pride after their 6-0 thumping in the first leg at the Etihad Stadium. Allardyce is expected to name a strong side, hoping also to end a five-match losing streak, the latest reverse being the 3-1 home defeat by Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday.

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West Ham's Modibo Maiga a transfer target for Sivasspor of Turkey
Jan 20, 2014 22:29 By Alan Nixon 0 Comments
The Mirror

West Ham striker Modibo Maiga is in talks with Turkish club Sivasspor - after they flew in for a meeting with the Mali international. Maiga is available as the Hammers' boss Sam Allardyce tries to make a space for a new goal-scorer this month and the club have cleared him for a move to the ambitious outfit. Sivasspor are so keen to land Maiga, they rocked up at the West Ham training ground on Monday in a bid to state their case! Maiga is still hoping Harry Redknapp's Championship promotion chasers QPR sign him after spending a day with them last week. The Hammers want a sale and are keen to deal with Sivasspor, but the player needs persuading to uproot after settling in London following a summer 2012 move from French side Sochaux.

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Failure to land Lacina Traore sums up West Ham's transfer woes
Monday 20 Jan 2014 10:30 pm
Metro.co.uk

Sam Allardyce cannot believe his luck as Everton swoop in to lure Lacina Traore from his grasp (Picture: Reuters)
We are now three weeks into the January transfer window, and all West Ham have to show for it is the loan signing of Wolves defender Rodger Johnson. When considering the predicament the team where in league-wise, this has to be considered an underwhelming haul to say the least.

Having made the trip to Upton Park on Boxing Day to the 3-1 drubbing at the hands of Arsenal, I vividly recall the co-owner David Sullivan assuring the fans with a pre-recorded message that he and David Gold would delve into the market and make 'a number' of signings this month to help this team escape the drop – and so far, they haven't lived up to this promise.

If you believe what you read in the papers, the club have been linked with a number of players, especially strikers. Andre Pierre-Gignac, Marco Borriello, Ishak Belfodil and Rickie Lambert to name but a few, but the most tedious player of them all from a fans perspective to be linked to the club was Lacina Traore.

The Ivorian was reportedly set to join West Ham on loan from AS Monaco this month, and it was claimed that last week he had taken part in a preliminary medical in France ahead of a move. He would require a work permit, which Allardyce made a personal appearance at with the aim of boosting his chances of securing the player on loan, and to his joy it was granted, only for the player to back out of a move later in the week, in favour of joining high-flying Everton.

The former Anzhi Makhachkala striker looks set to join Everton, not West Ham, on loan from AS Monaco (Picture: Getty Images) This has been a recurring theme to West Ham's transfer business under Allardyce in the past year or so, especially regarding signing strikers – the main area of need on the team.

It's fair to say the signing of Andy Carroll has hampered us. Not only with the price we paid for him, which is a hefty amount and will surely impact future business, but he has been signed to be the first choice striker, regardless of whoever is at the club, and this will deter players from joining us. Players want to play regularly, and knowing they will be second-fiddle to Carroll is an easy out if they aren't keen.

So, with ten days left in the transfer window, it's time for Allardyce and the gang to take their finger out and get a move on bringing in reinforcements. There is a serious issue with defensive cover, playing a makeshift back four numerous times this month, and possibly a creative midfielder, in addition to a striker (or two).

The January window is notoriously hard to sign the players you have targeted, but the club doesn't appear to be making a strong enough effort to push through deals which could change our season. They need to be strong-willed, and really go hard for game-changing players, or we will have to rebuild from the Championship next season.

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