Daily WHUFC News - 2nd February 2014

Double delight for Nolan
WHUFC.com
Kevin Nolan was thrilled to notch a brace and help the Hammers to victory
over Swansea
01.02.2014

Kevin Nolan has waited all season to feed off Andy Carroll and the pair
returned with a bang to down Swansea City on Saturday. The Hammers skipper
scored both goals in his side's first home win of 2014, latching onto two
knockdowns from the big No9 to record his third and fourth strikes of the
season. Carroll was later shown red following an aerial tussle with
Swansea's Chico Flores, and although he was disappointed to see his team
mate receive the dismissal, he still hailed a wonderful effort from the
Hammers. He said: "We're absolutely delighted, it was a great victory after
a well deserved point on Wednesday night. "It's just marred by an incident,
but hopefully that'll get overturned and we can just get on with it and look
forward to what's going to be another tough game away to Aston Villa. "Andy
was gutted because he wanted to get minutes too, which is important for him,
and he's honest enough to say it's definitely not a red. You sort of know
when someone's done something wrong and I sort of knew he hadn't. "He was
very surprised, it was difficult, but we showed tremendous character to
grind the result out."

Nolan and Carroll are well known for their understanding in forward areas
and the skipper was delighted that their hard work on the training pitch is
paying off again. He continued: "Everyone's forgotten what it's like because
we haven't been able to do it on a regular basis for a long time - we knew
that the more and more he got his fitness up, we had that in us. "We've been
working hard on the training pitch together just to make sure that we get it
right, and today we reaped the rewards. "After a left-footed goal and the
header, I was hoping for a right-footer to get the perfect hat-trick! I'm
just delighted with another clean sheet - that's the most out of all the
Premier League clubs "It shows how hard we've been working, and now we've
got all the lads in there doing their bits and bobs."

Saturday also saw the return from injury of Winston Reid, and Nolan is sure
that as the Hammers injury list continues to clear, they will climb the
Barclays Premier League table. He added: "We have just got to make sure we
keep a clean bill of health now.and if we do you'll see performances like
today's throughout the rest of the season. "Saturday proved that with a
mostly-fit squad, we will get results. Hopefully now touch wood you'll see
us moving onwards and upwards."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'Full marks to everybody'
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce said his West Ham United players produced a 'magnificent
effort' to overcome Swansea City
01.02.2014

Sam Allardyce hailed West Ham United's outstanding resilience for the second
time in four days after the Hammers secured a 2-0 home Barclays Premier
League win over Swansea City. The Hammers overcame the loss of Andy Carroll
to a second half red card to chalk up their first win at the Boleyn Ground
since 30 November. Two first-half goals from Kevin Nolan - both assisted by
Carroll headers - put West Ham in control before a magnificent rearguard
action ensured a victory to follow the midweek goalless draw at Chelsea.
"That was another example of that sort of resilience, which we also showed
at Chelsea and at Cardiff, when we also went down to ten men but managed to
turn a 1-0 advantage into a 2-0 win," said the manager. "As disappointed as
I was about Andy being sent-off, it was a magnificent effort by the players
to continue on to the end of the game and not allow Swansea City to produce
a single shot on target.
"It was pretty miraculous, having to defend with ten men in the Barclays
Premier League for so long, so full marks to everybody. The fans will have
gone home very happy and feeling slightly less tension after a 2-0 win."

Both goals came courtesy of the old Nolan/Carroll double-act. The first, on
26 minutes saw Carroll nod down George McCartney's diagonal cross for the
captain, who controlled before shooting accurately into the bottom corner.
The second came after Carroll had battled to win a corner on the stroke of
half-time. The striker then craned his neck to nod back across goal for
Nolan to stretch and head down into the corner - West Ham's first headed
goal of the season.
The half-time delight turned to exasperation just after the hour-mark, when
Carroll was involved in a challenge with Chico Flores which ended with the
Spaniard on the floor. Referee Howard Webb produced the red card, but BIg
Sam said the Club would definitely be appealing the decision and looking to
have Carroll's three-match ban rescinded. "Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll
combined for two goals, with Kevin's quality finish coming to the fore. It
was great to have them back together and the big thing now is, can we keep
them together after that unfortunate incident with Andy getting a red card?
"I don't think it's a red card, it's as simple as that. We don't want Andy
to be suspended for three games now, having not had him for so long. He's
getting fitter and fitter and it would knock us all back if we lost him on
such a trivial incident, as far as I'm concerned. "We will be appealing the
red card."

While the red card left a sour taste in the mouth for Big Sam, the manager
certainly enjoyed the taste of Nolan's two pinpoint finishes. "The header
was behind Kevin and he had to get behind the ball and guide it down into
the corner, when most players wouldn't have been able to get it on target.
He also popped up with a left-foot volley into the bottom corner. "I have
been talking to Andy and Mo Diame a lot about their recent misses, because
they want to blast them. They want to get so much force behind them that
they lose their accuracy. Kevin places them into the net and he is accurate.
He takes a bit of pace out of it and it makes it a much more accurate finish
then the ones Andy and Mo sometimes try to do."

Having picked up two wins and a draw in their last four league matches, the
manager said West Ham will now travel to Aston Villa full of confidence next
weekend. There, a victory could really give his side the impetus to end the
season strongly. "If we go across the last four games, that's seven points,
which is as good as we've achieved all season. Hopefully, that will extend
into an undefeated run. We now have a full week to recover from a horrendous
programme of playing, travelling and recovering and injuries and suspensions
and the transfer window. "We've now got the league to concentrate on and
we've got the games to focus on one by one and make sure we've got points on
the board when we finish those games."

In closing, the manager summed up a breathless transfer window that saw the
Club sign seven players, release one and allow a number to leave on loan.
"January was horrendous, and that's an understatement. It always is for
everybody. We had injury problems and had to find new players which was very
difficult. If you look across the board, every club suffered the same
problems we did with continuous knockbacks from players. "In the end, we've
achieved as much as we possibly could have achieved through damn hard work
behind the scenes - particularly David Sullivan, Karren Brady and my head of
recruitment Martyn Glover. They all did what they could with every deal
trying to get a positive result. In the end, we did and hopefully those
players will make a big difference as well."

West Ham's final signing of the transfer window was clinched on Friday, when
Colombia left-back Pablo Armero joined on loan from Italian side Napoli. Big
Sam believes the Hammers could have a gem on their hands. "If you watched
Arsenal lose 2-0 away at Napoli in the Champions League, you'll have seen an
all-action player who is at a very good age and obviously wants to come and
try his hand in the Premier League. Hopefully he'll be an exciting addition
to us, especially after Joey's injury, which could extend into an operation.
"He's going to be needed in the near future and hopefully he can hit the
ground running."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Nolan double fires Hammers to victory
WHUFC.com
Kevin Nolan scored twice as West Ham United scored a vital 2-0 victory over
Swansea City on Saturday
01.02.2014

West Ham United 2-0 Swansea City
Barclays Premier League

Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll rekindled their partnership to devastating
effect as West Ham United gained three precious points against Swansea City
on Saturday. Nolan scored both Hammers goals in their 2-0 victory - with
both laid on by the big Geordie - as Sam Allardyce's men ended a two-month
wait for a home win. The pair's chemistry reminded the home fans of their
telepathic understanding, with Swansea unable to cope. However, it was not
all good news for the hosts, as Carroll was later dismissed after catching
Chico Flores with an arm as he landed following an aerial challenge. Whether
there was intent from the Hammers man was debatable, but Howard Webb reached
straight for the red card. Even with that handicap, West Ham were largely
untroubled for the remaining half-hour as the Welsh side struggled to test
Adrian in goal The Hammers drafted George McCartney and Matt Jarvis into the
team to replace Joey O'Brien and Mohamed Diame, who suffered injuries in the
midweek draw at Chelsea. After a quiet opening to the game, the Hammers
burst into life with the opening goal on 26 minutes. It was a case of the
famous Carroll-Nolan one-two combo as George McCartney lifted a ball into
the box for the big No9 to knock down for his skipper to control and fire an
arrow-straight left-footed shot into the net. The lead was nearly a
short-lived one though, as nine minutes later Jonjo Shelvey clipped a pass
over the top of the Hammers defence to chase. Wilfried Bony looked to have
timed his run just right, but as he was about to pull the trigger, James
Tomkins dived in to nick the ball off hie toes. Two minutes later Shelvey
was involved again when he found space in the left channel to advance to the
edge of the box before dragging a shot wide of the mark.

Swansea may have had more of the ball, but West Ham were more forceful when
attacking and they grabbed a priceless second with the half-time whistle
about to blow. Carroll did superbly to put Ashley Williams under pressure
and win a corner down the right, which Stewart Downing delivered, Carroll
rose magnificently to head back and Nolan glanced into the back of the net.
West Ham started the second period as they ended the first, with Matt Jarvis
nipping in front of Swansea stopper Tremmel and digging out a cut back, but
Ben Davies cleared with Nolan lurking. The positive mood inside the Boleyn
Ground was checked on the hour when Carroll was dismissed after clashing
with Chico following an aerial tussle. With the Hammers now a man light,
Swansea predictably enjoyed more and more possesion, yet remained utterly
toothless in attack. That Adrian did not have a serious save to make all
game spoke again of the Hammers' impressive resilience in defence as they
secured their 11th clean sheet of the season, and more importantly, their
fifth victory.

West Ham United: Adrian; Demel, Collins, Tomkins, McCartney; Nolan (Nocerino
87), Noble, Taylor (Reid 79); Downing, Carroll, Jarvis (C.Cole 66)
Subs: Jaaskelainen, Morrison, Johnson, Borriello
Goals: Nolan 26, Nolan 45+1
Booked: Noble
Sent off: Carroll

Swansea City: Tremmel; Tiendalli, Chico, Williams, Davies; Amat (Pozuelo
62), De Guzman; Dyer (Ngog 77), Shelvey (Hernandez 70), Routledge; Bony
Subs: Cornell, Britton, Lamah, Rangel

Referee: Howard Webb
Attendance: 31,848

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 2 Swansea 0
1 February 2014
Last updated at 15:21
By Mandeep Sanghera
BBC Sport

West Ham striker Andy Carroll set up two goals for captain Kevin Nolan
before being sent off as the Hammers beat relegation rivals Swansea. First
Carroll headed a cross down for midfielder Nolan, who controlled the ball
before driving home the opener. He then nodded a corner across goal for
Nolan to guide home with his head. The England forward was harshly sent off
after appearing to catch Chico Flores accidentally with his arm on 59
minutes, but West Ham held on to win. Flores went to ground clutching his
face and the hosts thought he had over-reacted, with replays showing contact
looked unintentional as Carroll tried to untangle himself after an aerial
challenge with the centre-back. Despite their numerical disadvantage, the
Hammers defended resiliently to comfortably keep the visitors at bay and
secure just a second win from their past 11 home league games. The Hammers
remain in the Premier League's bottom three, although they moved to within
two points of Swansea, who produced a lacklustre display and have taken just
two points from their past six away matches. Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho
accused West Ham of playing "19th Century football" after a goalless draw at
Stamford Bridge in midweek, but Sam Allardyce's men showed more attacking
intent here.

It is three very big and well-deserved points for West Ham. Andy Carroll and
Kevin Nolan were unstoppable in the first half and Swansea couldn't deal
with them at all. West Ham might appeal against Carroll's red card as Chico
exaggerated any contact. And they were rewarded when they took the lead with
the game's first shot on target. From a diagonal left-wing cross, Carroll
cushioned a header down for Nolan, who controlled the ball on his thigh
before driving in a left-foot shot. And the former Newcastle team-mates
linked up to double the home side's lead just before the break. Carroll did
well to reach a Stewart Downing corner to the far post and nod the ball
across goal, where Nolan was lurking to guide in a header. The goal means
six of Carroll's past 11 assists in the Premier League have been for Nolan
goals. Swansea, for their part, are certainly in need of a greater goal
threat, and the imminent return to training of the injured Michu, their top
scorer last season, cannot come soon enough. Their main chance in the first
half came when forward Wilfried Bony raced through on goal, only to be
denied by a last-ditch James Tomkins tackle. They continued to struggle
after the break and, even when Carroll was sent off, the visitors could not
find a breakthrough as they failed to trouble Hammers keeper Adrian.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll: West Ham boss Sam Allardyce angry at sending off
BBC.co.uk

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce hopes the "injustice" of Andy Carroll's red
card against Swansea is overturned. Carroll was harshly sent off after a
clash with centre-back Chico Flores during a 2-0 win for the Hammers. "The
cruellest and biggest blow that will be paid to me and West Ham is if there
is the injustice when we appeal against the red card," said Allardyce.
"There has to be somebody to look at that in the cold light of day and say
that is certainly not a red card."

West Ham were already two goals up when the incident occurred. Carroll and
Flores went up for an aerial challenge and the latter went to ground after
being caught by the former's trailing arm as the pair untangled themselves.
Flores fell clutching his face, although replays showed any contact from the
Hammers forward looked accidental. Carroll, who has only recently returned
from a lengthy injury absence, had earlier set up Kevin Nolan to score both
of West Ham's goals. "The last thing we want is to lose Andy Carroll for
three games for a nothing incident," said Allardyce. "We hope when the
appeal goes in they see it the same way. "It's a shame we cannot get through
a game without somebody getting injured or sent off.

Asked about the actions of Flores, Allardyce said: "It is for [Swansea
manager] Michael [Laudrup] to deal with. It is his player. "He's got the
responsibility to handle his players and do what he feels is necessary."

Laudrup echoed Allardyce's belief that Carroll was harshly dismissed by
referee Howard Webb. "I think the decision was a bit harsh," said the Swans
boss. "There was contact, but contact like you have a lot of times."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce on... Swansea City
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 1st February 2014
By: Staff Writer

Naturally delighted with the victory and three points, Big Sam was rather
less effusive with his praise of a certain Spanish defender...

Sam: Did you think it was a ridiculous red card?

I don't think you can say it's ridiculous because it's the reaction of the
player that makes life extremely difficult for the referee. So while I think
it was harsh you can understand why it was given based on the fact that he
must have thought the arm has smashed him in the face - and we all know it
hasn't.

It hit him on the forehead, didn't it?

It hit him on the top of the head. I'm glad to say it hasn't cost us
anything thanks to the actions and the brilliant 21st-century defending by
the players this afternoon... [laughs]

You know, Swansea hadn't had a shot on target at that particular time - in
fact they didn't have a shot on target all game. And we got quality
finishing today, which is something that we've been striving for on a
consistent basis. Now we've crawled our way out of the bottom three. We keep
doing it the difficult way, the hard way. We finished the game without any
injuries for the first time for I don't know how many weeks - but then we
had one sent off again.

We had another one sent off at Cardiff not so long ago, so we just want to
win a game of football without getting anyone sent off or injured! That'd be
nice for a change. But it was a great result for us and one that's taken a
little bit of pressure off. We can have a better week now all the rumours
and toing-and-froing with that stupid transfer window that we have to put up
with in January is over.

We've hopefully got four very good players to contribute to our squad who
can make a difference, as well as the players we've already got now they're
back from injury.

Will you appeal against that red card?

We will appeal, yes.

Do you think Chico Flores made too much of it?

[long silence followed by laughs] Did you see our game at Swansea?

They've just played a replay [on TV]...

Did you see that? When he did it right there in front of me? He squealed as
well as held his face, you know. It's not the right reaction but he's not my
player, he's Michael's player so that's for him to sort out, not me.

I didn't think it was the right way to act but unfortunately for us, Andy's
been sent off. We hope that the appeal will work and we don't lose him. We
haven't lost anything today because of it and hopefully we don't lose Andy
for three games, because it was a straight red which is obviously a big
disappointment for us.

You were able to laugh off the incident at Swansea; what did you say to him
today?

I didn't say anything to him today. He's better off me not saying anything
or even approaching it. We don't have a player like that, you can see we
don't have a player like that. None of our players, in today's game,
attempted anything of the sort.

If anyone could have done anything remotely like Chico Flores did today it
would have been Matt Jarvis when he went round the 'keeper. He could have
left his leg hanging, like most do, let it catch the goalkeeper and dive
over. We could have got a penalty and had the 'keeper sent off but he
didn't; he stayed on his feet, went round the 'keeper and tried to score a
goal. We don't have players like that.

Even though you're appealing the reality at the moment is that you're
without him for three matches if you lose that. You've only just got him
back.

All I can hope is that in the cold light of day, the panel see it for what
it is.

But how fantastic and how effective was he for the first 60 minutes?

He's not at his best yet, either. We'll see the players start feeding Andy
Carroll with the right service as the games go on. His ability to hold the
ball up and cause problems aerially is obviously his major strength, he just
needs to start scoring a goal or two which is his next challenge - assuming
the appeal is dismissed and we don't lose him.

He's made two today for Kevin. Make another couple in the next game and
score one yourself and let's get the goals racked up. We've had 11 clean
sheets this year and nobody else is greater than us in terms of not
conceding goals. Two of those clean sheets have come with ten men so we've
got the basis of being solid and making sure that we give the opposition no
chances - or few chances - which gives us a platform to go on and win more
football matches on a regular basis now.

Have you had the chance to speak to Andy and how angry is he?

He's gutted. He's absolutely beside himself, but that aside we just have to
go through the process and see what happens in midweek. After that process
whatever decision is made we have to get on with it. Let's hope it's the
right one.

With Andy Carroll, Kevin Nolan looks a completely different player?

Well I'm surprised he didn't get Man of the Match today but I thought his
contribution, all over the pitch, was a proper captain's contribution. You
could see what it means to him to score goals and how much confidence it
gives players when they put the ball in the back of the net. We knew that
combination [with Carroll] was a very good one before they teamed up here.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Laudrup on....West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 1st February 2014
By: Staff Writer No.2

Michael Laudrup has the good grace to look and sound embarrassed at the
antics of one of his players in today's post-match press conference...

Firstly Michael, what did you make of the sending-off?

Well from my position – and I've only seen it once – I think there was
contact but it was a bit harsh. There's contact like we see a lot of times
in every game. The referee is an international and had no doubt it was a red
card. My personal opinion is there was contact, but not much more.

Do you think Chico Flores made too much of it?

I can't say. There's contact, yeah, so maybe he did. The referee is an
international so he must have seen an elbow that Carroll gave and judged
that he did it on purpose. It's not really a matter of how bad it was.
Sometimes the rules they say that if there is intention that is enough. It's
like when you come in for a tackle and you don't catch the player but you
could have - it could be a red card anyway. For me there was contact, but
not much more.

Have you seen a replay of the incident?

No.

It appears that Carroll's trailing arm catches Flores on the forehead but he
then goes down clutching his face?

I'll have to see that.

Is it not something that embarrasses you as a manager? It's clear that he is
trying to get Andy Carroll sent off. Do you not have a view on that as his
manager?

I don't know that he wanted to get him sent off. I'll have to talk to him as
to what his intention was. I haven't spoken to him yet.

Would you have been disappointed had it been one of your players getting
sent off like that?

I'm not judging players. I played myself once! First of all I didn't make so
many fouls as they did on me! We're all different and I must repeat I
haven't spoken to Chico yet.

Why did Swansea find Andy Carroll so difficult to contain in the first half?

We really struggled – we knew with the return of Andy Carroll it would be a
direct game. It was the same when we played here – I think it was exactly a
year ago.

We struggled in the first half. It was disappointing that the first goal
came from exactly the situation we analysed before the game. There would be
a lot of crosses if it's close to goal then there's a goal chance but if
it's not -it's the second ball. Far post, Andy Carroll heads it backwards
and we should have been there quicker.

Amat left Nolan?

We were more watching what was happening with Carroll but he can't score
from there – it's impossible. The second goal is disappointing as well.
Already this season we've had goals in injury time – in the league and at
the end in the Europa League. It's really disappointing, the first goal, how
it happened and the second. 2-0 down.

I watched the whole game at Stamford Bridge the other day and knew it would
be really difficult. West Ham would close down with nine or ten men just
outside the box. Even with Carroll sent off, though we had a lot of
possession we didn't create the big, big chances. We have to admit that.

How concerned are you about your position? You're only two points clear of
West Ham?

It was the same before the game as it was after the game. I don't let myself
get carried away when we won the other day or down now because we lost
today. I said before the Fulham game -and I've had the same opinion for
quite some time now - there are a lot of teams in there. Let's talk in a
month's time after three or four more games. See if someone has got out of
that group of eleven teams.

There will be changes from match day to match day. We will face our direct
opponents. We had Fulham, then West Ham, Cardiff, then Stoke. Then Crystal
Palace in a few weeks as well, I think. West Ham's is more or less the same.


How does it feel to be involved in a relegation fight when there are ten or
11 teams involved?

It's very level between those teams. Even last year there were a lot of
teams involved. Maybe not eleven, but seven or eight until the last five or
six games. I don't think it's special.

The difference this year is that there aren't one or two teams stuck down
there 8-10 points behind, like we saw at a certain stage last year with
Reading and QPR. It might get even more - well I don't like the word
"interesting" because we're part of it, but for the neutral it's
interesting.

Thank you.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham will appeal Andy Carroll's red card
Last Updated: 02/02/14 7:21am
SSN

Sam Allardyce says West Ham will appeal against the dismissal of Andy
Carroll in Saturday's 2-0 victory over Swansea. The England striker was
making only his third start of the season in the Premier League clash at
Upton Park. He twice provided cushioned headers for Kevin Nolan to score in
the first half, before being sent off for an altercation with Swansea
defender Chico Flores in the second. Carroll caused chaos in the visiting
defence, but on 59 minutes he received a straight red card from referee
Howard Webb after appearing to brush the defender with his elbow. "We will
appeal it, yes," said Allardyce. "We will hope that the appeal will work.
Hopefully we don't lose Andy for three games. "He's gutted. He's absolutely
beside himself. We'll just have to go through the process and see what
happens in midweek."

A three-match suspension would rule Carroll out for the rest of February and
matches with Aston Villa, Norwich and Southampton. Allardyce added: "All I
can hope is that the panel, in the cold light of day, see it for what it
is."

Sam Allardyce accused Chico Flores of getting Andy Carroll sent off and says
they will appeal against his red card. The Hammers boss blamed Flores for
the sending off, which came after Carroll and the defender had been involved
in an aerial duel. When Swansea drew 0-0 with West Ham at the Liberty
Stadium in October, Allardyce laughed in the face of Chico after the latter
had gone to ground clutching his face and moaning following a challenge from
Carlton Cole.
Allardyce said: "That was him squealing and centre-halves aren't supposed to
squeal, are they?"

Referring back to Saturday's game, he said: "If we're going to red card
people for that, then we might as well stop playing and I might as well
retire. "He (Webb) can't be absolutely certain of what's happened, except
that Chico Flores is over-exaggerating, which is generally the norm for him
unfortunately."

The win was West Ham's first at home in the Premier League since the
November 30 defeat of Fulham and came after a morale-boosting 0-0 draw at
Chelsea, after which Jose Mourinho accused Allardyce of deploying
19th-century tactics. "It (the sending off) hasn't cost us anything by the
actions and the brilliant 21st-century defending by the players," Allardyce
added. "And we got quality finishing today which is something we've been
striving for on a consistent basis.
"It's a great result for us and one that's taken a little bit of pressure
off."

Carroll's performance provided a major boost to Allardyce. "His ability to
hold the ball up and cause problems aerially is obviously his major
strength," Allardyce said. "He just needs to start scoring a goal or two,
which is now his next challenge, in the hope we don't lose him. "He's made
two today for Kevin. Make another couple the next game and score one
yourself." Allardyce reserved special praise for Nolan. "His contribution
today all over the pitch was a proper captain's contribution," Allardyce
said. Saturday's win briefly took West Ham out of the drop zone, but they
ended the day in 18th - behind West Brom on goal difference - after Stoke
beat Manchester United.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kevin Nolan scores twice as West Ham beat Swansea 2-0
Last Updated: 01/02/14 6:31pm
SSN

West Ham claimed three crucial Premier League points as Kevin Nolan scored
twice in a 2-0 home win over Swansea. However, the Hammers' victory at Upton
Park on Saturday was marred by the sending-off of Andy Carroll - who had set
up both of Nolan's goals - shortly before the hour mark.

Best of the match

Man of the match: Andy Carroll's red card means Kevin Nolan scoops this
accolade pretty much unchallenged after scoring the two goals which gave
West Ham this crucial victory.

Goal of the match: For the opener, Nolan skilfully controlled Carroll's
knock down before blasting an unstoppable volley into the corner of the net.

Moment of the match: The second goal highlighted the Carroll-Nolan
combination - Swansea failed to cope with Carroll's aerial domination
throughout and for the second time, it was his header that laid the killer
goal on a plate for Nolan.

Talking point: Carroll was somewhat controversially shown a straight red
card for catching Chico Flores, who went down rather theatrically to say the
least, with an arm following an aerial tussle. Right or wrong, Carroll's
absence in the next three games will be noticed greatly by the Hammers
unless of course they are successful with any potential appeal.

The hosts took the lead after 25 minutes. A long ball forward into the box
was headed down by Carroll for Nolan, who controlled on his chest before
crashing a superb volley into the net. Their second came from a Stewart
Downing corner in first-half stoppage time. The delivery towards the back
post was headed by Carroll across the face of goal for Nolan to nod home
from close range. However, West Ham were reduced to 10 men in the second
half when Carroll was sent off for what referee Howard Webb deemed to be an
aggressive elbow to the face of Chico after an aerial tussle. Replays
suggested it might be a harsh decision but unless West Ham win an appeal,
Carroll - who was making only his third start of the season - will miss
their next three games. The Hammers' victory was their first at home in the
league since November 30 and briefly took them out of the drop zone,
although they ended the day in 18th, behind West Brom on goal difference.
Swansea are 12th, just two points better off. Sam Allardyce made two
enforced changes following the 0-0 draw at Chelsea. Defender George
McCartney replaced Joey O'Brien (shoulder) and winger Matt Jarvis came in
for Mohamed Diame (knee), while defender Winston Reid was on the bench and
in line for a first appearance since November 2 following ankle surgery.
Swansea made three changes from the side which beat Fulham 2-0 in midweek,
with Dwight Tiendalli, Jordi Amat and Nathan Dyer coming in, while new
signing David Ngog was named on the bench. The first time a meaningful
string of passes was put together, there was a goal. West Ham broke from
deep and left-back McCartney drilled a cross into the area which Carroll
stretched to reach. His header found the late-arriving Nolan, who chested
the ball down before volleying into the bottom corner. It was a goal made in
Newcastle in a link-up Allardyce has been desperate to see all season.
Swansea had an opportunity to respond when Jonjo Shelvey found Wilfred Bony
with a bouncing ball.
James Tomkins, who was the last defender, had to time has challenge well and
did so as Bony was waiting for the ball to drop for a shot. Shelvey shot
wide and Ashley Williams blasted over as Swansea again failed to test Adrian
as they struggled to contain Carroll at the other end. Carroll forced the
corner which resulted in the second. Downing's inswinging cross was met at
the far post by Carroll, who craned his neck enough to direct the ball back
into the six-yard box and Nolan headed it inside the post to double his
tally for the season. Shelvey had been marking the post, but the ball beat
him. Swansea clearly had not worked out how to deal with Carroll, whose
participation came to an abrupt end. Flores was climbing all over Carroll as
they tangled in trying to meet an aerial ball near the halfway line. As the
striker threw the defender off his back, the Swansea man felt contact and
went down theatrically. Carroll was shown red by Webb, marched down the
tunnel in disgust and Allardyce exchanged words with Flores on the touchline
after the Spaniard had received treatment. Flores and Webb were roundly
booed thereafter. Reid came off the bench, with Allardyce expecting a late
onslaught from the visitors. But Bony clipped substitute Alejandro Pozuelo's
cross over and there was no late rally for Michael Laudrup's visitors as
Upton Park celebrated a rare win and ensured Flores was aware of the
scoreline.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll red card 'harsh', says Swansea boss Michael Laudrup
Last Updated: 02/02/14 7:22am
SSN

Swansea manager Michael Laudrup has admitted the decision to dismiss West
Ham's Andy Carroll on Saturday was "harsh". The Swans were beaten 2-0 by the
Hammers in the Premier League clash at Upton Park. For both goals, Carroll
set up Kevin Nolan to score - but referee Howard Webb sent off the England
striker in the second half after an altercation with Chico Flores. Carroll's
arm hit the Spaniard after an aerial duel, with Webb adjudging that the
action had been deliberate - something Laudrup admitted was open to dispute.
He said: "I think there was contact, but I think it was a bit harsh, contact
like we see a lot of times in every game. "The rules say if there's an
intention, it's enough. It's like if you come in for a tackle and you don't
catch the player, but you could've and it could be a red card anyway." Sam
Allardyce said afterwards that West Ham would appeal the decision and
criticised Chico. Laudrup said he was yet to speak to the centre-back about
the incident immediately after the match. The Swansea boss, whose side are
now 12th and just two points above the drop zone, lamented his side's
failure to cope with Carroll. "We really struggled with them physically,"
Laudrup added. "It's a little disappointing that the first goal came from
exactly the situation we analysed and talked about before the game. "The
second goal is disappointing as well."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
OPEN LETTER: I CANNOT BE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT WEST HAM'S FUTURE
By Iain Dale 2 Feb 2014 at 08:21
West Ham Till I Die

Dear Iain,

I have become increasingly concerned at the plight our of club, and have
written a letter detailing my concerns about our Transfer Policy. Would it
be possible for you to forward this Letter to David Sullivan?

I have been reading West Ham Till I Die for many years, although I rarely
post. I write now, as a West Ham fan of many years as I feel completely
disappointed and somewhat puzzled again at our Transfer Activity, not only
in this window, but in previous windows under the current board.

The signing of Marco Borriello, a 31 year old who has scored 1 goal this
season, to solve our goal scoring problems I find quite frankly
unbelievable. Considering our struggle to score goals stretches way back
into last season, our failure to rectify this problem again leaves me very
unoptimistic for the future. I would be surprised if this player scored even
a goal for our beloved club. What further irritates me is our failure to
land any striker we seem to go for. From quality players such as Lacina
Traore and Kostas Mitroglau this January, to Romelu Lukaku and Demba Ba in
the summer to name just a few, our club continuously loses out to others
clubs on strikers. Our board seem so desperate to pursue loan signings to
save money that we are always destined to sign players not of adequate
standard.

Whilst I totally understand that signing players is an incredibly difficult
business, it appears other clubs do not find it as difficult as we do. I
shall use Fulham as an example. Despite being below us in the Barclays
Premier League, they have managed to secure Johnny Heitinga from Everton,
who rejected us based on league position. Likewise, they have signed Kostas
Mitroglau from Olympiakos, a proven goalscorer, which proves that quality
players will join clubs in a relegation battle. Also, if our interest in the
player was genuine, why did we wait until 31st January to declare an
interest given our longstanding failure to score goals? Equally, if we were
prepared to spend £12m on this player, why could these funds not be spent
elsewhere on other players of similar quality?

I list below all the striker signed by David Sullivan and David Gold during
their time at West Ham:

1. Benni McCarthy
2. Araujo Ilan
3. Mido
4. Freddie Piquionne
5. Victor Obinna
6. Demba Ba
7. Robbie Keane
8. John Carew
9. Sam Baldock
10. Nicky Maynard
11. Modibo Maiga
12. Andy Carroll
13. Marouane Chamakh
14. Wellington Paulista
15. Mladen Petric
16. Marco Borriello

Can anyone realistically look at this list of strikers and claim any of them
have been a long-term success in terms of scoring goals? Whilst I was
delighted that we signed Andy Carroll, that signing now appears a
misjudgement, based on the large fee paid and his injury record. Based on
the above list, I would like our board to review their policy of signing
large numbers of cheap strikers, and focus on paying good money, like Fulham
have with Mitroglu, for quality players.

Whilst Pablo Armero is a player I look forward to seeing play at Upton Park,
the signing of Roger Johnson, from League One Wolves, and a player with 3
relegations on his CV leaves much to be desired. Whilst Antonio Nocerrino is
a good player, I would question his aptitude for a 15 game battle for our
Premier League lives. Indeed, I eagerly anticipate how many games he will
actually start for West Ham United. Given Sam Allardyce's continuous
selection of Kevin Nolan, I would be surprised if became a regular in our
side. This signing is yet again evidence of the short-termism that seems to
have developed at Upton Park under our current board. With the exception of
Andy Carroll, there have been little, long-term investments in our team.
Also, our reluctance to sign younger players means our long term future does
not appear bright.

Whilst I question Sam Alladyce's suitability to continue as West Ham manager
based on results this season, and the signings he has made, I also believe
the board's failure to back him with anything more than a loan signing in
this window is not only extremely disappointing for supporters, but shows a
reluctance to back the manager. Whilst of course the manager is responsible
for our failure in the transfer market, demonstrated again by Razvan Rat's
release just 6 months after signing, the limited finance he has had
available, means he has been forced to sign players perhaps he ideally would
not want to. Given the increased revenue in the Premier League with the new
TV deal, our lack of spending is all the more disappointing.

Whilst I will support the team passionately throughout the challenging games
that await us, I personally feel the current board's short-term approach,
with a reluctance to spend money on quality additions to the squad, leaves
us in an extremely perilous position. As a keen reader of West Ham Til I
Die, a site I believe in general provides fair and honest debate about West
Ham, I believe my views are shared by many supporters. I would like the
board to reconsider their transfer policy whatever the outcome at the end of
the season to concentrate on quality signings for the long term to really
give our club a sustained and bright future in the Premier League. Otherwise
I foresee continued troubles for the club we all love for years to come.

Yours sincerely

Tim Lovegrove

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce FURIOUS over Andy Carroll's red card and Chico
Flores' 'squealing'
Feb 01, 2014 22:30 By Ralph Ellis 1 Comments
The Mirror

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce accused Swansea's Chico Flores of "squealing"
to get Andy Carroll a red card. The England striker was sent off by World
Cup Final referee Howard Webb after an hour of Hammers' 2-0 win at Upton
Park. Allardyce insisted that the Hammers will appeal the dismissal. TV
pictures showed that Carroll's flailing forearm caught the top of Chico's
head as the two fell over each other – but the Spaniard then rolled on the
ground clutching his face. Allardyce said: "He squealed as well as held his
face. Centre-halves are not meant to squeal. He is not my player, he is
Michael Laudrup's player, so that is for him to sort out. "But I don't think
it was the right way to react, but unfortunately he did and Andy has been
sent off. "We will appeal We have not lost anything today because of it, and
hopefully we don't lose him for three games. "Andy is gutted. He is beside
himself. We just have to go through the process and see what happens and
after that we will just get on with it."

Allardyce was involved in a touchline spat with Chico when Hammers played at
The Liberty Stadium earlier in the season. He added: "I didn't say anything
to him today. It is better off me not discussing it with him. "We don't have
a player like that at our club." Even Swans boss Michael Laudrup plans to
talk to Chico about the incident and his reaction. He said: "I have not seen
a replay so I will have to look at that. I don't know if Chico wanted to get
him sent off. I have to talk to him about his intentions and I have not done
so yet. "I am not judging anybody. I played myself once. First of all I
didn't make so many fouls, they were on me, but we are all different. I
don't want to judge anybody. "I have not spoken to Chico but of course I
will do that. "From my position I thought there was contact but I thought it
was like you see a lot of times in every game. The referee is an
international and he had no doubt it was a red card, but I thought it was
harsh." Asked if he felt Chico attempted to make a meal of the clash, he
said: "I cannot say, maybe he did. The referee saw an elbow and must have
judged that Carroll did it on purpose." Chico, who was not travelling back
on Swansea's team coach, had to be ushered into a taxi outside the ground
afterwards by security guards to keep him away from angry West Ham fans.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Joe Cole could join the MLS in summer and emulate Jermain Defoe's big money
move
Feb 01, 2014 22:30 By Dave Kidd
The Mirror

Joe Cole is in line for a money-spinning move to Major League Soccer. The
West Ham midfielder is out of contract in May and it is believed he will not
be offered a new deal if Sam Allardyce remains in charge at Upton Park.
Cole, 32, is one of several Premier League players who is of interest to MLS
Commissioner Don Garber – and he is already free to negotiate with foreign
clubs. The MLS is run on a different model to European leagues with the
League itself signing players and agreeing contracts, rather than individual
clubs. Former Chelsea and England star Cole, the father of two young
children, would be keen to stay in the Premier League if he can match his
current £50,000-a-week wages. But he knows he would earn more by moving to
the States as one of the three 'designated players' allowed at each club,
exceeding the League's salary cap. Cole rejoined his boyhood club West Ham
from Liverpool last January but has struggled to nail down a regular
first-team place under Allardyce, with whom he has a frosty relationship.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

http://vyperz.blogspot.com



---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com