Daily WHUFC News - 6th October 2014

Sakho helps Hammers past Hoops
WHUFC.com
A Nedum Onuoha own goal and Diafra Sakho's fifth for the Hammers fire West
Ham to a 2-0 win
05.10.2014

Barclays Premier League
West Ham United 2-0 Queens Park Rangers

West Ham United eased to a second successive Barclays Premier League victory
at the Boleyn Ground, as a goal in either half proved plenty to see off
newly-promoted Queens Park Rangers on Sunday afternoon. Just as they did
against Liverpool a fortnight ago, West Ham struck early here, when Nedum
Onuoha shinned Stewart Downing's fifth-minute corner into his own net.
Though Charlie Austin twice went close for the visitors, the in-form Diafra
Sakho effectively settled the contest shortly before the hour mark, applying
the final touch to James Tomkins' looping effort. Victory and a first clean
sheet of the campaign propels the Hammers up to seventh, ahead of a trip to
Turf Moor in a fortnight's time. West Ham showed two changes to the side
that so nearly snatched a point at Old Trafford, with Diego Poyet making way
for Mauro Zarate and Carl Jenkinson in for the sidelined Guy Demel. As for
the R's, former Hammers Robert Green and Rio Ferdinand, making his 500th
Premier League appearance, both started, while Bobby Zamora had to make do
with a spot on the bench.

This wasn't quite a fast start of Liverpool proportions, but Sam Allardyce's
men are getting into the very helpful habit of scoring early at the Boleyn
Ground. On this occasion, it took less than five minutes to break Rangers'
resistance. Downing's right-wing corner was allowed to travel all the way to
the far post, where a flat-footed Onuoha was helpless in preventing the ball
crash off his shins and past an unmoved Green. Though several in Claret and
Blue were quick to congratulate the lurking Sakho, he won't be claiming this
one.

By now, West Ham looked to be in the mood and Morgan Amalfitano volleyed an
eye-catching ball into the middle, forcing Green to come racing off his line
and smother. Sakho meanwhile, as West Ham have come to expect, was a
livewire once more and squared up Ferdinand on the left-hand side of the
box. His centre clipped the inside of the defender's legs, taking it just
behind the run of Enner Valencia, who could only divert wide of the near
post.

At the other end, the Hoops' best chance of the half fell to Austin and was
much of his own making. The visitors' No9 shrugged off Tomkins' challenge
and, in a bid to find the far post, was foiled by Adrian as he plunged low
to his left and did well to cling on.

Play-Off specialist Zamora replaced the anonymous Junior Hoilett at
half-time and almost provided the ammunition for a Rangers equaliser within
two minutes of his arrival. The once Brighton & Hove Albion man squared for
Austin, who, under considerable pressure from a scrambling Tomkins, stabbed
wide of Adrian's right-hand upright.

It was the first sign of a mini Rangers revival, with Harry Redknapp's men
enjoying rather more possession than they had done before the interval. But
thankfully it was short lived, Sakho made sure of that.

As the hour approached, Zarate's snap shot ballooned up off the boot of
Leroy Fer and into the path of Tomkins. The Basildon-born defender hooked it
goalward, over Green's head, and though it was likely sneaking in anyway,
Sakho buried the header from under the crossbar to double the Hammers'
advantage.

Seconds later and West Ham had the ball in the net for a third time, though
not to referee Anthony Taylor's liking. Green casually rolled a free-kick in
the direction of Ferdinand, one that Valencia all too easily intercepted.
The Ecuadorian gratefully slotted home, but had not been ten yards away,
said the officials, and 2-0 it remained.

Niko Kranjcar sought to respond for the Hoops and his free-kick bounced
awkwardly in front of Adrian, making the Spaniard's save a better one that
it perhaps appeared. Adel Taarabt was introduced late on and the enigmatic
Moroccan had Adrian worried as he blasted narrowly wide from 25 yards.

But the Hammers went close again themselves, with Downing teeing up Nolan,
whose side-footed strike from 12 yards was well fielded by Green. It was,
however, merely incidental, as West Ham saw out the final few moments to
record a third success of the campaign.

West Ham United: Adrian, Jenkinson, Tomkins, Reid, Cresswell, Song (c),
Amalfitano, Downing, Zarate (Nolan 76), Sakho, Valencia (84)
Subs: Jaaskelainen, Burke, Poyet, Lee, Cole
Goals: Onuoha (og) 5, Sakho 59
Booked: Tomkins, Song, Cresswell

Queens Park Rangers: Green, Onuoha, Ferdinand (c), Caulker, Traore, Sandro
(Taarabt 67), Henry, Fer, Hoilett (Zamora 46), Kranjcar (Mutch 78), Austin
Subs: McCarthy, Isla, Dunne, Vargas
Booked: Sandro, Henry

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Clean sheet cheers Sam
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce was a content man after West Ham United defeated QPR 2-0 at
the Boleyn Ground
05.10.2014

While a 2-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers was welcome, a first clean
sheet of West Ham United's season was arguably even more satisfying for
manager Sam Allardyce. Nedum Onuoha's own-goal sent the Hammers on their way
after just five minutes as the hosts made another fast start, but West Ham
could not turn their dominance into a second goal before half-time. QPR
enjoyed their best spell immediately after the break, but West Ham held firm
and doubled their lead when Diafra Sakho netted his fifth goal in five
starts from James Tomkins' assist. "We were successful, both out of
possession and in possession," Big Sam began. "I was looking at the injury
list on Saturday and our fear was that we had seven players out injured, so
I had to change the team around a little bit, but I wanted to keep that same
system. "I wanted to keep that diamond because I think it suits the players,
as we saw again with our performance. I was worried because if it didn't
work, we didn't have many players to bring in, so we might have to change
it. We didn't until the end when they threw caution to the wind. "We didn't
want to let them sneak back in it with a goal out of the blue, but finally
we got the second goal and that was exactly what we deserved. Across the
board, it was a very good performance from the players with very few
mistakes made by the defenders - unlike Manchester United. "Of course
goalscoring is very important and the first one, even though it was a little
bit of luck, got us on our way. The second one killed the opposition when
they were having a good spell, which was about ten minutes long and that was
the end of it."

The manager was forced to shuffle his pack slightly due to the absences of
Cheikhou Kouyate and Mark Noble through injury, with Alex Song dropping
deeper, Mauro Zarate coming in at the tip, Stewart Downing moving wide left
and Morgan Amalfitano to the right. Despite all the slight changes of
position, West Ham produced some fine passing football, at times, in what
was a largely comfortable victory capped by yet another goal for summer
signing Sakho - a revelation since his arrival from Ligue 2 champions FC
Metz. "It is a great little system, the diamond, because it allows the
players to rotate into any of the four positions," said the manager. "If one
goes out of position, another moves around and fills in and you get
opposition players then not marking the same player. "The front two were the
focus of our attack and they have been for us since they have started
playing for us. They make life extremely difficult for defenders. They never
give them a minute and that's what I like about them most, aside from their
quality. "Sakho did score 20 goals in the French Second Division so it is a
gamble that is paying off at the moment! I'm glad to say he feels like he is
going to score every time he goes out on the pitch at the minute. What we
want is Enner to chip in with a couple as well, which would make things even
better. "Two-nil with a very comfortable performance was very pleasing going
into this international break and even more pleasing because it gives us two
weeks to get back some of the injuries we have at the moment."

For Big Sam personally, the confidence and belief flowing through the Club
at present is a welcome change to the anxiety that surrounded the place just
a few months ago. "Yes, the tension comes when you don't achieve what is
expected of you. We all know expectation is very high in the Barclays
Premier League and we live in a world that's in a bubble and you have to
perform under the pressure when you're in that bubble. "When you deliver,
life becomes so much easier and as a manager you've got to keep an eye on
the fact that the confidence doesn't turn into complacency. "For me, this
win was more important than beating Liverpool because these are our bread
and butter performances and if we want to get into the top ten level, we
have got to win at home against a QPR who have struggled since the start of
the season."

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Family pride for Adrian
WHUFC.com
Adrian was delighted to keep his first clean sheet of the season in front of
his 89-year-old grandfather
05.10.2014

Adrian made his 89-year-old grandfather Juan the proudest man in the Boleyn
Ground as his clean sheet helped West Ham United to a 2-0 Barclays Premier
League win over Queens Park Rangers. Making his first-ever trip outside of
his native Spain, Juan joined Adrian's father Manolo and other members of
the San Miguel family in cheering the Hammers to a deserved victory. After
keeping West Ham's first clean sheet of 2014/15, Adrian took Juan and Manolo
to pitch-side to take photographs that will no doubt take pride of place in
the family album back in his home city of Seville. "It's an important
victory for so many reasons," the No13 began. "First, we put in another very
good performance and,second, we got our first clean sheet. My family also
came over from Spain, including my grandfather who is 89-years-old, so it
was unbelievable. He enjoyed it very much. "My grandfather watched me play
every time I played in Real Betis, but this is the first time he has come to
watch me play in England. He is a very old man and this is the first time he
has been out of Spain, but he has enjoyed it very much. "My grandfather gave
me congratulations for the victory and also for the clean sheet!"

Adrian enjoyed one of his quieter weekends between the sticks, but was ready
when called upon to make a smart save from Niko Kranjcar's second-half
free-kick. The stop came when QPR were enjoying their best period in the
game and with the score poised delicately at 1-0.
Earlier, he had also made a smart stop to deny Charlie Austin, ensuring West
Ham did not waste the lead given to them by Nedum Onuoha's fifth-minute
own-goal."I didn't have too much work to do, but I prefer this because this
is a good situation for the team," he continued. "In these games, you need
to concentrate for 90 minutes because they can score a goal with one chance.
For a goalkeeper, it is really important to concentrate on every ball."

West Ham have reached the October international break seventh in the table,
with ten points from seven matches. So, is Adrian pleased with how the
season has started? "Yes, it is really important for us. Now we have the
international break and we have a chance to rest and relax with our family
and friends - maybe I'll even get back to Spain for a few days! It's really
important because we can come back again after break at Burnley again and
this is a good game for us to get something." In the meantime, Adrian will
spend the evening toasting his clean sheet and success with Juan, but how
will he and his 89-year-old grandfather celebrate? "We will go for dinner
and after that, the night is young, isn't it!" he smiled.

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West Ham 2 QPR 0
5 October 2014
Last updated at 21:37
By Neil Johnston
BBC Sport

West Ham climb nine places to seventh in the table
First clean sheet of the season for the Hammers
QPR two points from safety at the bottom
Hoops suffer fourth straight league away defeat
West Ham climbed to seventh in the table as an own goal by Nedum Onuoha and
Diafra Sakho's header left QPR two points from safety at the bottom. The
Hammers went ahead when Stewart Downing's corner struck the knee of Onuoha,
standing on the edge of the six-yard area, and rolled in. Charlie Austin
fired wide from QPR substitute Bobby Zamora's cross before Sakho headed the
second from a mis-hit cross by James Tomkins.Hoops boss Harry Redknapp has
plenty to ponder during the international break after defeat at the hands of
the club he managed between 1994-2001. Not only has his side lost all four
away Premier League games since winning promotion via the play-offs last
season, they have scored only once in seven-and-a-half hours of league and
cup action on their travels. That does not bode well with three of the next
four games against Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City. Hammers keeper
Adrian was forced into a full-stretch save to keep out Niko Kranjcar's
long-range 70th minute free-kick.

Former West Ham striker John Hartson on BBC Radio 5 live: "West Ham looked
very comfortable and Sam Allardyce will be delighted. They go above Arsenal
on goal difference. The strikers were fantastic, the defence looked assured,
and Alex Song covered every blade of grass. QPR manager Harry Redknapp tried
everything in terms of his substitutions, but West Ham were good value for
their 2-0 win."
But by then West Ham had the points in the bag with a performance that
offered evidence their season is starting to gather momentum under Sam
Allardyce. Their second successive home win lifted them nine places up the
Premier League table above Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa. It might not
have been a repeat of the sparkling display that saw off Liverpool two weeks
earlier, but the Hammers kept their first clean sheet of the campaign while
injured striker Andy Carroll is nearing a return to action.

QPR have not won a Premier League game away from home since 2 March, 2013
and they were behind after five minutes at Upton Park when former Manchester
City defender Onuoha put through his own net. Downing's corner appeared to
strike Enner Valencia on the hand as the Hammers striker appealed for a
penalty after being pushed by Austin, the ball landing on Onuoha's knee
before falling into the net.
Valencia wasted a good chance to double the lead five minutes later when he
fired wide after Rio Ferdinand, making his 500th Premier League appearance,
deflected the ball into the Ecuador forward's path. Austin, the scorer of
QPR's only away goal, wasted two chances before the unmarked Sakho doubled
the lead in the 59th minute with a close-range header when Tomkins's looped
the ball over Rob Green.
Redknapp's team were fortunate not to suffer a heavier defeat, Hammers
substitute Kevin Nolan firing straight at Green from 12-yards when unmarked.

QPR manager Harry Redknapp: "We're short - we're short of goals, we're short
up front. It's been difficult, we lost Loic Remy on the deadline and
couldn't get a replacement. We've had a tough start but there's an awful
long way to go. "There's a lot of teams down there - one win changes
everything. You have to keep going. It's early days. "We have to find a way
of playing that suits everybody and get the best out of what we've got."

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Stewart Downing: West Ham boss Sam Allardyce praises midfielder
BBC.co.uk

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce says Stewart Downing is the best midfielder
in the Premier League on current form. Downing, 30, had a key role in West
Ham's 2-0 win over QPR, and been an influential performer in the club's rise
to seventh after seven matches. "I don't think there is anybody playing in
midfield that is better than Stewart Downing," Allardyce said. "He was my
man of the match against QPR. The confidence is growing again in Stewart and
he's showing his quality." Allardyce signed Downing from Liverpool for £5m
in August 2011, and the Hammers boss thinks he could force his way back into
contention for England. "I think so but that is another choice for Roy
Hodgson," Allardyce added. "The quality of Stewart Downing was a major
factor why we beat QPR. "The amount of ball we can get to him in that
position in midfield, in a diamond, has been fantastic for him and for us."
Downing won the last of his 34 caps in England's 1-0 friendly win over
Norway in May 2012.

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Redknapp on.....West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 5th October 2014
By: Staff Writer No.2

QPR boss Harry Redknapp reflects on his team's 2-0 defeat at the Boleyn in
the post-match press conference brought to you, as ever, in full....

Harry it seemed a bit too comfortable for West Ham out there today

Yeah we got off to a bad start. When you haven't got a lot of belief you've
not been scoring and you've been shifting goals the last thing you want to
do is concede a sloppy goal from a corner like that. It certainly didn't
help any. We got to half time then second half we started ok. We had a great
opportunity with Charlie Austin from Bobby Zamora's cross and we were
probably having our best spell whe they scored a goal. It's difficult. It's
not easy. We're off the pace. The players aren't off to speed and aren't up
to fitness. A lot of them have been having treatment – people like Jordon
Mutch, Sandro whi I've brought in really haven't been able to put two games
together. It's been a problem for us

There was a suggestion that there might have been a handball for the first
goal....

I haven't seen it – I haven't seen a replay.

There wasn't much of a protest was there

I couldn't see from where I was but at the end of the day if the referee
doesnt blow for handball and the linesman doesn't flag for handball you can
protest all you want but he's not going to give a handball is he if he's
made his decision.

The Sky pundits were pretty harsh on your performance today – Gary Neville
described it as "diabolical". Did you think it was that bad? What's your
reaction to that?

Well it wasn't great that's for sure but, well it's his opinion isn't it.
I've seen some diabolical performances of late as well but we won't go into
that one.

They also suggested that the layers are letting YOU down. Is that the case?

I don't think so. We're short. We're short of goals. We're short up front of
goalscorers. It's been difficult. We lost Remy right on the deadline and
couldn't get a replacement. We've had a tough start but there's a long way
to go.

You've got a tough run of games coming up

Yeah – well there's no easy games we've just got to keep going.

Harry how do you go about rebuilding their confidence – is that something
you can do or does it have to come from within them?

We need to get them fitter. Sandro I've put a lot of faith into him but he's
picked up an injury. We need to get him fit because when he's fit he's a
fantastic player. I had him at Tottenham he was an excellent player but he's
short of fitness. The doc came to me at half time and it's "he can only do
another 15 minutes". I need to get them fit enough to play 90 minutes.
There's a little group of them struggling on the fitness front because
they've been injured and missed training

You took a phonecall and handed the handset to Kevin Bond. What was that all
about?

It was only Glenn Hoddle – he watches from upstairs.
With a tough three games coming up are you worried that you'll go into
November in even more trouble unless they find their feet?

No there's a lot of teams about. One win changes everything doesn't it? What
are you supposed to do? You've got to keep going. We're not going to give
up. It's early days. Weve gotto find a way of laying that'll suit everybody
and get the best out of what we've got.

Cheers

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West Ham Utd 2-0 Queens Park Rangers
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 5th October 2014
By: Staff Writer

In their last home game against Liverpool, it took West Ham less than 90
seconds to open the scoring. This time it took slightly longer - a whole
five minutes - but when Stewart Downing's corner was bundled into his own
net by the unfortunate Nedum Onuoha from the Irons' first set piece of the
day, the tone for the rest of the afternoon was set.

And when the prolific Diafra Sakho doubled West Ham's lead just ahead of the
hour mark to clinch all three points it was a case of damage limitation for
the Premier League's bottom club who, on today's evidence, face a long
struggle in their fight to retain their Premier League berth.

Although last week's trip to Old Trafford ultimately ended in defeat West
Ham's performance was lauded by the critics, many of whom have spoken
positively about the new-look West Ham.

This week the performance may not have been one that will live long in the
memory, but Sam Allardyce - for one - will be far happier having secured the
win and accompanying three points that keep West Ham in the upper half of
the table.

With Mark Noble, Andy Carroll and Chiekhou Kouyate all still sidelined -
plus Kevin Nolan and Matt Jarvis still feeling their way back from recent
injury - Allardyce's options were again limited ahead of today's game.

However the team selected were more than good enough to see off the
challenge of a disappointing Rangers side that featured three former Hammers
in Rio Ferdinand, Bobby Zamora and goalkeeper Rob Green (who handed his
gloves to a young West Ham fan as he left the field at the end of the game).

That much was evident inside five minutes when Sakho's shot was deflected
behind by Ferdinand for a corner. Downing's drifted centre evaded several
players inside the six-yard box - and Enner Valencia's raised hands, despite
protests from 'keeper Green - before cannoning off Onuoha's shins to give
West Ham the lead.

Charlie Austin wasted the visitors' best chance of the game when he shot
straight at Adrian having found his way behind a static West Ham defence
after 25 minutes. Winston Reid then headed an effort narrowly wide and Aaron
Cresswell saw a goal-bound effort blocked - and that summed up the notable
moments of a fairly quiet first half.

It was to prove a similar story after the break with West Ham largely
carving out the best openings. However the introduction of Zamora at the
break briefly lifted QPR and Austin was again guilty of spurning a great
chance to equalise just two minutes after the restart.

That was to prove a hugely costly miss for Rangers as just ten minutes
later, they found themselves two behind. Zarate's deflected effort fell
kindly for James Tomkins, stationed at the far post; his lofted cross cum
shot appeared to be looping over Green's head into the far corner but Sakho
was on hand to ensure the ball went over the line.

It was the former Metz striker's fourth league goal in as many starts and
the fifth consecutive game in which he had scored - a tremendous return from
a striker thought unlikely to be good enough to hold down a first team spot
just a few weeks ago.

The win leaves West Ham seventh in tonight's Premier League table with 10
points from their opening seven games - just one point behind fourth place
Manchester United, who beat Everton 2-1 this afternoon.


West Ham Utd 2-0 QPR: Match Facts
West Ham Utd: Adrian, Jenkinson, Tomkins, Reid, Cresswell, Song (c),
Amalfitano, Downing, Zarate, Sakho, Valencia.
Subs: Jaaskelainen, Burke, Poyet, Nolan, Jarvis, Lee, Cole.
Queens Park Rangers: Green, Onuoha, Ferdinand (c), Caulker, Traore, Sandro,
Henry, Fer, Hoilett, Kranjcar, Austin.
Subs: McCarthy, Isla, Mutch, Dunne, Vargas, Zamora, Taarabt.
Referee: Anthony Taylor.
Assistants: G Beswick, D Bryan.
Fourth Official: A Marriner.

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Rangers players let Harry Redknapp down, says Graeme Souness
'QPR threw in the towel'
By Graeme Souness | Last Updated: 05/10/14 8:47pm
SSN

The QPR players let down their manager, their club and their supporters in
their 2-0 defeat at West Ham, says Graeme Souness. A Nedum Onuoha own goal
after just five minutes set West Ham on their way before Diafra Sakho
doubled the hosts' advantage just before the hour.
Rangers never looked like getting back on level terms with Sam Allardyce's
side and the result leaves QPR rooted to the foot of the Premier League
table with just four points from their first seven games. After the match
Sky Sports pundit Souness slammed the work rate and desire of the QPR
players and said boss Harry Redknapp will be fuming at the lack of
commitment from his side. "If you haven't got players willing to work hard,
you've got nothing," he said. "If you've got really good players and they're
willing to work hard you're going to win more games than you lose – but if
you've got decent players not working hard you're not going to win any
games.
"With the best will in the world, these are goodish players and they have to
put a real stint in for their manager. "But Harry will go home tonight and
not sleep. He'll be tearing his hair out. As a manager you think 'I'm
guaranteed everyone will have a real go', especially if you're down near the
bottom. He's not getting that off these players. "Put a stint in for your
manager. That manager is going home to suffer, have a sleepless night, be
miserable around his family and he's going to wake up tomorrow feeling even
worse than he does tonight, thinking 'how am I going to put this right'.
"These players have a duty to their manager, a duty to the club and a duty
to the supporters to give them a bit more than they've given them today.
"After losing the first goal none of them showed any sparkle to get
themselves back into the game. They just threw the towel in as though
they're feeling sorry for themselves. "That's why management drives you mad.
That's so disappointing for Harry."

Diabolical

Rob Green says his QPR side didn't do enough to challenge West Ham in a
comfortable win for the Hammers. Gary Neville was equally appalled by the
performance from QPR. He had predicted Rangers, out of the three promoted
sides, would fare better this season, however, he has re-evaluated that
opinion after a number of lacklustre displays from the west London side.
"Two years ago I thought they were a shambles in the Premier League, all the
way through the season," he said. "But I thought after that, and getting
promotion the way they did last year, the very least we'd see would be a
very hard working team that would do well this season, relatively. "But what
we're watching is diabolical. "The basic premise of a football team is to
work hard. You think of Harry Redknapp teams down the years – at Portsmouth,
West Ham and Tottenham – and they were swashbuckling, attacking teams,
sometimes even reckless in attack. There's nothing there.
"I've watched them a few times this season and it's repeated. When you see
it three, four times that's a worry, a real worry. You saw Harry Redknapp at
the end on the bench and it's not even worth getting up, standing in your
technical zone trying to get your team back in it. "They were only 2-0 down,
if they got a goal with five minutes to go they're in the game. But he knows
it's not coming."

Stronger

Sam Allardyce said it was a 'perfect result' for his side as they scored
twice and kept a clean sheet in their win over QPR. As for West Ham, who now
sit seventh, Neville says they can go into the international break
encouraged by their start to the campaign – and the potential of their
forward pair Enner Valencia and Sakho. "Last year, when you looked at West
Ham, particularly with Andy Carroll out injured, they lacked firepower in
front of goal," he said. "But this season they look completely different.
"Stewart Downing has got a new lease of life and the two up front look a
real handful. Plus, they've still got Carroll to come back who will make
them even stronger. "So it's looking good for West Ham. The fans wanted more
expansive football and they're getting it. But I have to say, were West Ham
anywhere near their best today? I don't think they were because they were
playing against such a poor side."

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West Ham too strong for QPR after 2-0 win at Upton Park
Last Updated: 05/10/14 7:43pm
SSN

West Ham piled the misery on bottom of the table Queens Park Rangers with a
2-0 win in their London derby at Upton Park. Nedum Onuoha's unfortunate own
goal set West Ham on their way in the first half and the in-form Diafra
Sakho added a second goal just before the hour mark to secure the win for
West Ham. The defeat ensured Harry Redknapp did not enjoy his return to his
former club to leave them rooted to the bottom of the table, while the three
points lifts West Ham into seventh spot ahead of next week's international
break.

Best of the match

Man of the match: Diafra Sakho was a real handful for the QPR defence and
scored his fourth goal in four games.
Goal of the match: Sakho's goal was a simple finish from close-range, but
James Tomkins' clever hooked cross made it easy for the striker
Moment of the match: Enner Valencia thought he had scored a third goal when
Rob Green passed a free-kick straight to him and he scored, but the striker
was still inside the area when he collected the ball and the goal was
rightly disallowed.
Controversy of the match: QPR felt the first goal should not have stood
after Enner Valencia appeared to handle the ball in the build-up to the goal
Save of the match: Adrian did not have a lot to do for West Ham, but
produced a fine save to keep out Kranjcar's free-kick in the second half.
Talking point: Has Sam Allardyce made one of the signings of the season in
Sakho? Have QPR got enough in their squad to stay up?

West Ham got off to a flying start when they were gifted the opening goal
after just five minutes, but there was some controversy about it being
allowed to stand. Stewart Downing whipped in a corner, and under pressure
from Sakho, Onuoha poked the ball into his own net. But in the build-up it
appeared Enner Valencia had handled the ball before it was diverted in by
Onuoha.

QPR went close to an equaliser on 24 minutes when Charlie Austin fashioned a
chance for himself with a superb nutmeg on James Tomkins before curling in a
shot which Adrian pushed out - with the unmarked Niko Kranjcar unhappy that
the striker had not passed to him instead of shooting.

Sam Allardyce said it was a 'perfect result' for his side as they scored
twice and kept a clean sheet in their win over QPR.
Harry Redknapp threw on former West Ham favourite Bobby Zamora at the start
of the second half and he almost had an immediate impact two minutes after
the break.

Zamora picked up a pass from Leroy Fer wide on the left and picked out
Austin's run inside the box with a fine cross only to see his strike partner
fire wide from 12 yards.

West Ham, who struggled in the early stages of the second half, doubled
their lead through Sakho just before the hour mark to take the wind out of
QPR's sails.

The ball fell to James Tomkins inside the box and the defender hooked his
shot goalwards and Sakho was on hand to head home the ball from inside the
six-yard box for fourth goal in the last four Premier League games.

Harry Redknapp said his side made things difficult by conceding early on and
lacked the energy required to compete. QPR were lucky not to concede a third
goal seconds later when goalkeeper Rob Green passed a free-kick straight to
Valencia who slotted the ball into the net, but referee Anthony Taylor
disallowed the goal as the West Ham forward was not the required ten yards
away from the ball before Green kicked it.

QPR tried to find a way back into the game and Kranjcar forced Adrian into a
good save with a curling free-kick from 25 yards which the West Ham
goalkeeper did well to turn round the post.

West Ham substitute Kevin Nolan should have made it 3-0 four minutes from
time when Downing got down the left and pulled the back for Nolan inside the
box, but his shot was too close to Green who made the save.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
In-form Sakho surprises West Ham boss Sam Allardyce
Last Updated: 05/10/14 8:28pm
SSN

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce praised Diafra Sakho after the Senegalese
striker helped secure a 2-0 victory over QPR. Sakho, a summer signing from
French side Metz, now has five goals in as many games and Allardyce admits
he has been surprised how quickly the striker has found his feet in England.
"I would have seen Sakho as being a player, coming from the French second
division, playing maybe 10 to 15 games for us and finding out about the
Premier League," said Allardyce. "But he is so desperate to do well and his
runs are so good at the opposition's defences and he seems to have the knack
- and that's the hardest knack of all - of turning up in the right place at
the right time. "So that's fantastic for him and absolutely outstanding
business for us at West Ham." Sakho and Enner Valencia have added some
much-needed speed in the final third but the Hammers have also been spurred
on by the form of Stewart Downing. Playing in a more central role in the
midfield diamond, Downing continued his impressive start to the season with
another accomplished performance at Upton Park. "Stewart Downing was
outstanding for me - he was my man of the match," added Allardyce. "The
amount of ball we can get to him in that position in midfield, in a diamond,
has been fantastic for him and for us. "He is spraying balls all over the
place and that confidence is growing again - that quality is fantastic to
see."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham almost missed out on signing Diafra Sakho
Last Updated: 05/10/14 8:20pm
SSN

Diafra Sakho's agent has revealed West Ham almost missed out on signing the
striker only for the personal intervention of co-owner David Sullivan. Sakho
has scored in all four starts he has made for West Ham in the Premier
League, with his latest goal coming in Sunday's 2-0 win over Queens Park
Rangers. The Senegal forward joined West Ham in the summer on a four-year
deal from Metz, but the move almost fell through after the French club
claimed West Ham had tried to change the terms of the deal and bring him to
Upton Park on a season-long loan. However, Sullivan took it upon himself to
push through the deal and the Hammers surpremo has been rewarded with Sakho
proving to be one of the bargains of the transfer window. The player's
agent, Mark McKay claims QPR passed up the chance to sign Sakho and that
only for Sullivan's persistence the move to Upton Park may not have
happened. "Diafra Sakho has been a revelation for West Ham and a lot of the
credit must go to David Sullivan for signing him," McKay told Sky Sports.
"West Ham almost missed out on signing him as initially they wanted him on
loan and Metz were never going to agree to that. "A lot of people were also
putting off Sam Allardyce from signing him saying his attitude was not right
and that he was not good enough for West Ham and that was very unfair on the
boy. "He was actually recommened to QPR's chief scout and offered to them,
but that fell on deaf ears. "However, David Sullivan was determined to sign
him and he went to great lengths to get the deal done. "I am glad he is
playing well for Sam Allardyce and scoring goals and the West Ham fans must
be happy David Sullivan worked so hard to bring Sakho to the club."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM 2, QPR 0. EXACTLY WHAT WE NEEDED
By David Hautzig 5 Oct 2014 at 20:26
West Ham Till I Die

In 1996, Robert Banks wrote An Irrational Hatred Of Luton. If memory serves
me correctly, our fearless leader promoted the book here on this site. I
haven't read it. In fact, since our daughter was born in 2001 I don't think
I've read any book. I've become so IPad and E-Media centric I'd probably
stop reading any book after 140 characters and look for the reply button.

The book chronicles Banks' life as a West Ham supporter and how his
relationship with the club weaved itself into his life. Including,
presumably, his hatred of Luton. Well, I have an irrational hatred of QPR. I
didn't use to. I didn't pay any attention to them, to be fair. But in the
past few years that has all changed. Other than the teams around us in the
table, the result I look for is QPR. Did it the year they were in the
Championship, too. When Zamora scored the second most important goal of his
career you'd have thought I was a Derby supporter the way I was rolling
around on the floor cursing.

I guess it's a combination of many small things. Like their owner being a
longtime West Ham supporter. And his apparently insulting attempts to invest
in or buy out Gold and Sullivan before turning to his Plan B. The writer of
another blog site used to write as many QPR articles as he did West Ham
articles in what looked like an attempt to wind up the R's. It worked, based
on the number of QPR supporters who insulted him in the comments section.
Many of my Twitter mates seem to feel the same way, voicing unfettered joy
at every bad move QPR make.

Point is, today was a very big game in my book. I wanted to beat these guys.
And if our feelings of optimism over our performances, if not our current
point tally, were rooted in reality we needed three points today. News that
Kevin Nolan might step right back into the starting lineup made the
announcement of those eleven an event yet again. And while Nolan starting
would have been a unique combination of the absurd and the predictable, the
actual starting eleven as well as the subs was equally surprising. Mauro
Zarate was given the nod for a start, and Elliot Lee was named to the bench.
Did Sam see something from Zarate in training? Or was he making sure not to
alienate him by nailing him to the bench like the dead parrot in Monty
Python. "This…is an ex…Midfielder!"

It all raised questions, but not the kind of questions we are used to. It
was more in the realm of some kind of alternative universe. My Twitter mate
@BKhammer1 noted that we were starting off relatively imbalanced with
possibly too much emphasis on the attack, while QPR were doing the same by
starting three central midfielders. Another account simply wondered if it we
were starting out in too much of an attacking setup. Next thing you know
Republicans over here will be inviting Obama over to their homes to watch
the NFL over a few brewskies.

At least it's not boring from the start.

From the standpoint of writing, the game started off in the 4th minute.
Sakho got West Ham a corner from a Jenkinson throw in. Downing's corner flew
over pretty much everyone in the box. But it landed on the shin of Nedum
Onuoha and rolled into the back of the net. Sakho looked way too calm for
someone who had just scored, and Rob Green looked so flabbergasted I
hesitated in celebrating.

Wait for it….

1-0 West Ham.

Replays showed the ball may have glanced Valencia's hand. He may have been
pushed. And as my other non paying boss Graeme Howlett of KUMB pointed out
on his Twitter feed, the ball didn't change direction at all so the referee
made the right call by letting the goal stand. At least I think so. I
suspect Mr. Airplane Race Car guy saw it differently. Sorry, Tony. You're in
for a rough day.

Morgan Amalfitano showed the kind of ball control in the 8th minute on a
pass from Song that supporters of teams with skillful players have taken for
granted for ages. For us, it's still kind of the new toy. He put a cross in
that Green intercepted, and held onto, before it could land on Valencia. A
few minutes later Downing found Sakho, who then passed to Valencia but it
was just a bit behind our new favorite Ecuadorian and he couldn't turn on it
enough to get his shot on target.

Alex Song is usually so composed and so controlled with the ball at his feet
that when he made the first of quite a few mistakes today I wondered what
was going on. He gave up a corner with nobody in the same postal zone as
him. Later he gave up the ball along the sideline and was only saved when
Amalfitano sacrificed a possible boot in the face by going low to head the
ball out of danger. I thought he never does that? Maybe he thought you have
to make dramatic mistakes at West Ham to fit in?

In the 22nd minute Zarate did, at least in my opinion, what a number ten is
supposed to do. He dribbled the ball close to the top of the area, passed it
to Valencia cutting down the left, and then immediately ran into space to
offer himself as a target. Uhhh, Kevin. Maybe you didn't get the memo.
That's what you should do. It didn't lead to anything, but it caught my
attention because I actually have a semi decent understanding of this game
and if I'm aware of this I'm glad a guy in our shirt is aware of it as well.

Yet two minutes later I might have screamed at the TV for Zarate to go drink
some Malbec and get off the pitch when he lost the ball and allowed QPR to
break into a counter. Charlie Austin, possibly the only QPR player other
than our former players that I wish well of, nutmegged Tomkins and took a
shot right at Adrian. That should have cost us. That should have been the
equalizer. And in the past, it most certainly would have. But not today.
Could the football gods be changing their overall attitude towards us? Maybe
they think we've suffered enough?

Around the 30th minute I felt like I used to in school when the subject
matter just wasn't grabbing hold of me. I had to be there, pretty much, but
my mind was elsewhere. How's the pot of chili doing? Does it need more
cayenne? The game had no feel to it. Like a pre-season friendly. Cresswell
made runs, but didn't get the ball. Long passes were being attempted in a
way that looked more "why the hell not" than a real plan. Zarate seemed like
he sensed that and tried to wake everybody up with a good run that beat a
few flat footed QPR lackeys, but his cross was deflected out for a corner.
The corner was taken short, again to the feet of Zarate, and again nothing
was there at the finish. At least he tried.

When Niko Kranjcar scored on that free kick a few weeks ago to salvage a
point against Stoke, I was mightily impressed. Which is why every time he
got the ball I silently hoped for a pulled hamstring or something. He has
the ability to do stuff on his own, which he came close to doing in the 37th
minute when he floated a ball to Charlie Austin streaking in that caused me
to stand up in anxiety. Thankfully when I sat back down it was still 1-0.

Stuart Downing's brilliant renaissance as a midfield general was in perfect
view for all to see in the 39th minute when he picked Cresswell in full
stride down the right hand side. Caulker got in front of our left backs
cross, but if those kind of passes continue to come off Downing's feet all
of the worry over spending the last few coins in our piggy bank last year on
him will be put to rest.

West Ham had one last surge forward near the end of the first half when
Valencia went after a Zarate cross. Traore cleared, and Valencia landed
awkwardly and seemed to twist his knee. He looked to be limping when the
whistle blew. Turned out he was fine. Thank goodness for small favors.

Halftime. Nah, no more cayenne. Just lower the flame and let the beefy
goodness get to know the black and pinto beans and dinner will be well and
truly ready.

The second I saw Bobby Zamora start the second half for QPR in place of
Junior Hoilett I got worried. And don't lie, so did all of you. If you had a
choice of betting on "he will score" or "he won't score" I know which way
you'd go. Two minutes in that imaginary bet almost paid off when Mr. Playoff
passed to Austin cutting inside the box but Cresswell did just enough to
deflect Austin's shot wide. Then Tomkins got booked for yanking Zamora from
behind when the ball got past him. You could smell a goal coming. QPR owned
the first ten plus minutes of the second half, and this is precisely the
point we have always let a game slip through our grasp.

A goal did come. In the 59th minute. For us. A free kick by Cresswell from
left of the center circle led to a shot on goal by Zarate that was deflected
to Tomkins. His looping shot…or pass….or whatever the hell it was went over
Green and onto Sakho who guided it in. Harry paid one million quid for
Paolo, right? Sakho might turn out to be the second biggest bargain in my
West Ham life. He smells the goal the way a shark smells blood.

Then came one of the oddest things I have seen in a long time. The camera
wasn't on Green when he made a mess of his goal kick and handed it right to
Valencia, who promptly put it in the net. Green didn't move, and the referee
immediately pointed back at the spot for another goal kick. The linesman had
his flag up, but none of the announcers knew why. I sure as hell didn't.
@whufc_official said it was because Valencia wasn't ten yards away from the
ball when it was kicked. @WeLoveYouWHU posted later that "the ball is in
play when it is kicked directly out of the penalty area". While I'm still
not 100% sure why the goal was disallowed, what I am sure is that as much I
loved Green when he was between our posts, I'm glad he isn't anymore. To
even be in that position shows why Sam didn't act too upset to let him go,
and why Hughes got Cesar about ten minutes into that season.

The 66th minute saw Adel Taarabt come on for Sandro. The Moroccan
international is like QPR's own version of Ravel Morrison, without the
police activity. Can be brilliant one moment, and a petulant little jerk the
next. But he can play. And he can score. So more than a few West Ham
supporters took a few deep breaths and glanced at the clock. He made a few
runs, tried a few things, but QPR isn't Milan and he was pretty much on his
own.

I'm still confident that Enner Valencia will be an important player for us
for a long, long time. Today, however, he wasn't at his best. The one moment
that summed that up for me was in the 67th when Reid got the ball to Downing
after a nice tackle. Downing passed to Valencia who cut across the top of
the box, turned toward the defender….and shot about half a mile wide when
Sakho and Zarate were waiting for a pass. Selfish. But despite that, he
never stopped running, and working, and trying. Such a simple word,
"trying", and one we take for granted. But when it's evident, it's nice to
see.

Song gave QPR a bit of hope in the 69th minute when his attempt to get the
ball off Niko Kranjcar was ruled a foul. A bit harsh, and it would have been
significantly harsher had the Croatian bent it like an underwear model. His
free kick was deflected out for a corner, and QPR enjoyed a little spell of
pressure.

In the 76th minute, Kevin Nolan came on for Zarate. I tried to look on the
bright side. It wasn't the first minute. Still, I wasn't happy and I didn't
understand it. Zarate had a very fine game, completed 85% of his passes as
it turned out, and even tracked back on defense on more than a few
occasions. Any doubts he wouldn't be able to adapt to the physical play in
the Premier League should probably be flushed. As Nolan ran onto the pitch,
he said something to Cresswell, I think. My best mate Jon assumes he said
"remember the way it used to be, with balls flying in the box and me hoping
to get a garbage goal? We're going back to that". And he got his chance in
the 86th minute to show he could be an impact sub. Matt Jarvis, who came on
for Valencia in the 84th minute (nice to see him back, actually) passed to
Downing who threaded a perfect pass to Nolan in the box, but the not really
captain anymore shot it right at Green. Kev, if you can't score there,
against a team that has pretty much given up on the day, then I hope Mark
Curtis knows some people at Sky or BT.

I spent the final few minutes on the phone, blissfully watching the game get
killed off by our Happy Hammers. Final score, 2-0. Was it an amazing
performance? No. Not by a country mile. A few players stood out in my
opinion. Zarate, as I said earlier. Tomkins had his best game of the year so
far, no small feat considering the week he had. Cresswell was outstanding,
again. And Demel should only start when Jenkinson can't. The clean sheet
just added the whipped cream to this Sunday.

I'll try not to use such stupid puns again, but the hole was as gaping as
QPR's back line and I couldn't resist.

Today was something those of us that depend on West Ham for any feeling of
joy the rest of a weekend aren't used to. We played a game we should win,
against a team that should pose very few problems for us. And that's exactly
what happened. In many ways, it's as satisfying as the win against
Liverpool. That game was like a glass of my favorite Champagne, Billecart
Salmon. But today was like a glass of crystal clear water.

You can live without Champagne. You can't live without water.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 2-0 Queens Park Rangers: Hammers cruise to victory over Premier
League new boys
Home
Sport Football Premier League
Oct 05, 2014 18:22 By Arash Hekmat
The Mirrpr

Sam Allardyce's side ran out comfortable victors at Upton Park against a
visiting QPR that looked devoid of confidence and struggled to find their
momentum West Ham just had too much for visitors QPR in the second London
derby of the day, emerging comfortable 2-0 victors.
Harry Redknapp's side got their afternoon off to the worst possible start,
with Nedum Onuoha heading into his own net after just five minutes from a
corner that was whipped in with pace by Stewart Downing. A quiet first half
unfolded with few chances at either end, but Charlie Austin will feel he
should have levelled the score after 25 minutes with a chance spurned when
he could have played in Nico Kranjcar for the easy finish. Morgan Amalfitano
controlled the tempo for this new-look Hammers side, with Alex Song
providing defensive stability in front of the back line. The team pressed
well and Downing was able to find pockets of space, always looking to
unleash his strikers with the forward ball. Rangers, who have managed to
outdo Manchester United in the poor defending stakes this season, made a
tactical change at half-time, introducing Bobby Zamora to add some thrust to
an attack that was too often penned in its own half during the first 45.
Once again, though, they struggled for solidity at the back and were at
sixes and sevens for West Ham's second, even if Sam Allardyce's side was
somewhat fortuitous in the nature of the goal. It came just as the visitors
were beginning to build up some momentum of their own and, once more, it was
borne from a set piece - with Tomkin's sliced shot falling into the path of
Diafra Sakho, who bundled it over the line.

However, QPR will feel it should have been disallowed for a handball by
Enner Valencia in the build-up. Things could have been even worse for the
visitors just a moment later, when Rob Green gifted the ball to Valencia
straight from the goal kick and the Ecuadorian finished with aplomb - but he
was adjudged to be too close to the keeper and it was chalked off by the
referee. As the clock counted down, Redknapp introduced Adel Taraabt into
the fray, but the Moroccan wild card was unable to influence the course of
the game. The result leaves QPR rooted to the bottom of the table, with West
Ham in 7th as we head into the October international break.

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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce lauds 'composed' Hammers after 'perfect result'
against sorry QPR
Oct 05, 2014 19:30 By Greg Johnson
The R's were brushed aside with minimal fuss at Upton Park leading the
former Bolton chief to look forward to building on their recent successes
The Mirror

Sam Allardyce has challenged his squad to push on after the international
break after responding to last weekend's defeat to Tottenham Hotspur with a
2-0 home win over Harry Redknapp's QPR. The Hammers looked in complete
control for most of the game with the score settled by an early own goal
from Nedum Onuoha, who put the ball past R's keeper Rob Green, under
pressure from Diafra Sakho, and a second half strike from the Senegalese
striker to put the result beyond doubt. A summer signing from Metz, Sakho
has wasted no time in making an impact on this side of the channel, and now
has five goals from six games for West Ham. Yet it was the overall
performance of his team that most impressed Allardyce, although he admitted
he would have liked a greater margin of victory. "If I had a criticism it
would be not pushing them enough in the final third. "But ultimately that
would be greedy on the basis that we won 2-0 and got our first clean sheet.
"That is what I have been striving for from the boys, so it's the perfect
result for us."

Injuries have been a problem for West Ham this season, but Kevin Nolan
continued his return to full fitness with a late cameo off the bench, and
the club captain almost scored following a promising bit of play from
Stewart Downing after Alex Song won the ball from QPR's midfielders.

West Ham players celebrate after Nedum Onuoha of QPR scored an own goal
during the Barclays Premier League match between West Ham United and Queens
Park Rangers at Boleyn Ground on October 5, 2014 in LondonHammered: Nedum
Onuoha's own goal set the home side on their way against QPR Allardyce
praised the response from his team after last week's loss and looked forward
to the opportunity to progress once his full complement of players were back
fit and available for selection. "The result against Tottenham was a bitter
pill to swallow, and the strength in depth in my squad has shown through
today. "We had seven injured before we started the game. That tested the
capacity of our squad and we have come up trumps. "Everything is rosy and
looking nice. It's always good going into the international break in the top
half of the table, and we are in double figures after seven games.

"Can we now push on when we reconvene?" QPR hardly caused West Ham any
problems outside of a short window of opportunity following second half
restart, but Sakho's decisive finisher was key in making sure the hosts saw
out the game on top. "We were very composed apart from a period of 10
minutes in the second half where they changed their system," he added. "We
didn't come to terms with it because they were almost playing the same way
as we were, but the second goal settled us down."

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Diafra Sakho reveals debt to David Sullivan after scoring for West Ham
against QPR... the club that turned down signing him
QPR's scouts said West Ham striker Diafra Sakho was not good enough
The Hammers also initially decided against signing the forward
But co-chairman David Sullivan insisted the deal went through
The 24-year-old frontman has thanked Sullivan for backing him
The Senegal striker scored in West Ham's 2-0 win against QPR on Sunday
Sakho has five goals in five starts since joining from Metz for £4.5million
By SIMON JONES FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 22:16, 5 October 2014 | UPDATED: 22:16, 5 October 2014
Daily Mail

Diafra Sakho has revealed his debt to West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan.
The 24-year-old has proved an instant hit in the Premier League after
joining from Metz for £4.5million in the summer and improved his reputation
further on Sunday when he scored in the 2-0 win against Queens Park Rangers
to make it five goals in five starts. However, his dream move to England
nearly didn't happen after initial rejection by QPR and then West Ham
pulling out of a loan deal as Sam Allardyce wrestled to find the right
striker. Yet co-chairman Sullivan took decisive action after being convinced
Sakho was worth the gamble and it is beginning to pay off. 'I have always
wanted to play in England and when West Ham came in for me in the summer, I
thought that was it,' said Sakho. 'But then the deal began to fall through
as I think the coach was having doubts and I was resigned to returning to
France. 'Fortunately for me, Mr Sullivan stepped in and said he would be
signing me and on a permanent deal. It was the chance I needed.' QPR's
scouts in France had said Sakho wasn't good enough but that only made him
more determined. 'I had heard QPR didn't want me so I wanted to prove I
could do it. West Ham gave me the chance and now the coach Mr Allardyce
believes in me too. I'm enjoying it and scoring goals against Liverpool and
Manchester United shows I can play at this level. I'm just glad Mr Sullivan
put his trust in me.'

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DG: "We didn't expect things to change so quickly"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 5, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

West Ham co chairman David Gold tonight admitted the board couldn't have
expected so quick a response to their summer "request" for more attacking
football! Much was made of the board's "demands" for attacking football back
in the summer but Gold – in an exclusive ClaretandHugh interview – wanted to
clear things up. Delighted with the performance against QPR this afternoon
he said: "Let's put the record straight – you can't demand anything in this
world and to say we demanded attacking football would be wrong." "We made it
clear that's the way we wanted to go and then set about sanctioning the
arrival of players whom we knew would play in that way. "You hope that it
will happen quickly but watching us play in such an exciting style is
brilliant – no I didn't think it would happen this quickly. "It's amazing
after just a handful of games. It's hard to express in words but it's a
fantastic feeling. "The team are happy, the manager is happy, the board is
happy but chiefly, the fans are happy. "We are at last enjoying some good
times – we all deserve it especially the fans who pay their hard-earned
money to support the team. "We have bought the players who can deliver for
us and Sam Allardyce has put things together very quickly. But it is only
half a doz en games and there's a long season ahead. "To look at the league
table and see us a point behind Spurs and above Arsenal is fablous. Let's
all enjoy this moment."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam pleased with Zarate
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 5, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Sam Allardyce couldn't stop singing the praises of Stewart Downing in his
post match presser declaring that the converted winger is making everything
happen in the new diamond formation. He said: "His role in the diamond is
absolutely vital. He's doing so well."
He claimed however that Queens Park Rangers will struggle this season if
they can't find a real goal scoring striker. He said: " I think we may have
found two. Sakho is scoring and I hope Enner Valencia will do so as well."
The manager was also pleased with Mauro Zarate saying that he's a more
mature player now than in the past. He said: "He played very well and made
an impact."

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Big Sam Poll result: Many remain uncertain
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 5, 2014 in Whispers
Calret & GHugh

West Ham fans remain uncertain whether Sam Allardyce should stay as the
club's manager. But the good news for the 59 year old boss is that things
are much brighter for him now than they were at the end of last season. A
poll put together by every independent Irons website showed at that time
over two thirds of voters wanting him gone. Now an exclusive ClaretandHugh
poll, which closed an hour ago, shows that although the tide may be turning
in his favour, he has a long way to go to win them over completely. A total
of 1,119 voted thus making it an acceptable yardstick to poll company Mori.
Those voting for him to stay permanently totaled 516 (46.02 per cent). A
total of 208 (18.59 per cent) voted for him to go now with 396 (35.39 per
cent) saying his position should be reviewed in January. ClaretandHugh
founding editor Hugh Southon said: "We wanted to run a poll at the best
moment of his recent time in charge rather than at the worst -as was the
case last year. "It's better news for Sam but the result certainly isn't
conclusive in his favour despite the team sitting in seventh place and
having won two of the last three games and playing really well in defeat at
Old Trafford."

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