Preview - Crystal Palace
WHUFC.com
In brief
The Hammers host Crystal Palace in what is their second London derby out of
a series of four. Having drawn against Tottenham last weekend, Sam
Allardyce's men will next face Chelsea and Arsenal. Despite enjoying a good
run of performances in the league, Allardyce's men have been short changed
in terms of a points return. The Hammers are currently eighth with 39 points
from 26 games. Crystal Palace have enjoyed an upswing since former Eagles
player Alan Pardew took over after leaving Newcastle United. Currently 13th
with 27 points, there is still a bit of work to do before relegation fears
can be put to bed, however they have taken big strides to ensure Premier
League survival with wins over Tottenham, Burnley and Leicester City.
Who are they?
The Eagles were founded as The Crystal Palace in 1905 to introduce a team to
the local area, whose people regularly supported the FA Cup final in numbers
when it was played in the Crystal Palace Park. They initially joined the
Southern League before becoming members of the Football League Third
Division in 1920. Palace reached the top flight for the first time in 1969
and were FA Cup runners-up in 1990.
Although they have spent more time in the second tier in recent years, they
won promotion to the Barclays Premier League via the play-offs in 2013 and
enjoyed a successful return to the highest level, finishing eleventh last
term.
Team news
West Ham United
The Hammers are blessed with a relatively clean bill of health as apart from
strikers Carlton Cole and Andy Carroll, Sam Allardyce has a full squad to
pick from. New signing Nene is likely to feature as a substitute as
Allardyce hinted at the Brazilian's inclusion in his pre-match press
conference on Thursday.
Crystal Palace
Alan Pardew has a few injury concerns to think about with Frazier Campbell,
Marouane Chamakh and Yaya Sanago all struggling with hamstring injuries. As
well as that, the Eagles could be without James McArthur (hip), Jerome
Thomas and Jonathan Williams (pelvis)
Referee
Saturday's referee is Mike Dean. The experienced referee made his Premier
League debut almost 15 years ago, and has refereed 354 games in total. This
season, Dean has taken charge of three West Ham league games – the 3-1 home
defeat to Southampton, the 1-0 win over Newcastle United and the 1-1 away
draw with Swansea City. In total this season, Dean has officiated 18 league
games, giving 78 yellow cards and four reds. Saturday's assistant referees
are Darren England and Simon Long, Kevin Friend is the fourth official.
One to watch
West Ham United
Diafra Sakho made his West Ham debut against Crystal Palace in the 3-1 win
at Selhurst Park at the start of the season, going close to scoring. Since
then Sakho's impact in a Claret and Blue shirt has been well documented.
Having scored against Tottenham last season, his 11th in all competitions,
Sakho will want to add to his impressive debut season tally.
Crystal Palace
25-year-old winger Yannick Bolasie has had a fantastic season for the
Eagles, in fact his development since they were promoted from the
Championship has been hugely impressive. The DR Congo international is now
one of the most exciting players in the Premier League. His turn of pace and
trickery is something the Hammers will have to contain if they are to get
all three points on Saturday.
Tickets
Tickets for this match have all SOLD OUT. The last remaining tickets for
West Ham's next home game against Chelsea on Wednesday 4 March are available
here.
Travel
With planned part closures on the Circle and western portion of the District
lines and London Overground, please visit the TFL website here to plan your
journey.
Weather
The weather for Saturday lunchtime is forecast to be a cloudy day with
chances of rain before kick off. Temperature will be 9C (48c).
Last home meeting
West Ham fell victim to a brace of 1-0 defeats at Crystal Palace's hands
last season, with the most recent home meeting being settled by a Mile
Jedinak penalty following Pablo Armero's foul on Cameron Jerome.
West Ham United 0-1 Crystal Palace
Barclays Premier League
19 April 2014
West Ham United: Adrian, McCartney, Tomkins, Reid, Armero, Noble, Diame,
Jarvis (C.Cole 70), Nolan (Nocerino 85), Downing (J.Cole 78), Carroll
Subs: Taylor, O'Brien, Jaaskelainen, Johnson
Crystal Palace: Speroni, Mariappa, Ward, Dikgacoi, Dann, Delaney, Puncheon
(Gabbidon 87), Jedinak, Jerome (Murray 82), Ledley, Bolasie (Parr 90)
Subs: Ince, Gayle, Murray, Hennessey, Guedioura
Goal: Jedinak pen 59
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Howes targets strong response
WHUFC.com
West Ham United U18 goalkeeper Sam Howes is looking forward to the Hammers'
match with Reading on Saturday morning. Howes and his teammates are looking
for to bounce back and win after losing to Norwich City 2-1 last weekend,
their last game of the league season before the Play-Offs begin. Speaking
ahead of the match with the Royals, the shot stopper said: "It'll be a
difficult game, every team is at this level. They're all good solid teams.
"It'll be tough but I'm sure all the lads will be up to the task. There's
three valuable points on offer, three that we definitely need." Last time
the Hammers played Reading, the U18s triumphed 4-0. In an impressive
display, the Hammers won convincingly courtesy of goals from Josh Pask,
Grady Diangana, Jordan Brown and Oscar Borg. Howes, who wasn't involved that
day, has played a total of 17 games for the U18s this season, as well as a
handful of matches for the U21s. "I didn't play in that game, but
obviously everyone put in a good performance that day and were rewarded for
it. Saturday is going to be a different game. "We can take confidence from
that game but we need to put it to the back of our minds, we can't go in
there thinking we are going to turn them over."
Looking back at the season as a whole, Howes continued to give his
assessment of an overall successful year which has seen several youth
prospects make the first team bench as well as several schoolboys play for
the U18s and U21s. "We had a very good first half of the season, the
second half was slightly harder. Last weekend was a disappointing result and
it didn't reflect what we're capable of which is frustrating. Winning on
Saturday would be a very good way to end the season and go into the play
offs with. "Everyone has done well this season. The forwards have scored a
lot of goals and played well together. But also at the back, the likes of
Tunji Akinola has done very well at such a young age, to be fair everyone
has pulled their weight at different times in the season."
West Ham United U18s play Reading on Saturday 28 February, at Rush Green,
kick off is 11am. Parking and admission is FREE.
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Chadwell Chatter
WHUFC.com
Hello,
I would like to start off by saying a massive thank you to all the fans who
have made my time at West Ham United so exciting so far, I hope, as I'm sure
you do to, that this is just the start of something special. Growing up in
south Senegal, I wanted to be a carpenter, I never thought I could play
football for a living, never mind in the Premier League! Last Sunday was
obviously disappointing for everyone, despite the fact that we played very
well and we deserved to win. Of course, it was nice to score, its felt like
a long time since my last goal against Bristol City.
I am really looking forward to our game on Saturday against Crystal Palace,
I look forward to every game but particularly at home, playing in front of
our fans. The game against Crystal Palace away at the start of the season
was my first game for the club so it was special for me, we won as well
which makes it better. Every derby is special for the fans, and for the
players also. I'm quickly learning how important London derbies are, and
after Palace we've got two more against Chelsea and Arsenal. They are all
big matches, but honestly, I never get fazed by any match. I am relaxed
before a match, I have a bath before every game, and it's just a habit I
started a while ago. Some of the lads were a bit surprised at first but
they've got used to it now.
The Chelsea game next week is huge for everyone. A Wednesday evening game
under the lights at the Boleyn Ground is something to look forward to. But,
we will only focus on the Chelsea after Crystal Palace. Away from the pitch,
everything has changed since moving to West Ham, my life is completely
different. It's a new country and new culture, driving on the other side of
the road, everything is different, but I am really enjoying it. Finally,
I'd like to finish by mentioning the Metz Academy in Dakar, which is very
special to me. It's where I was spotted by European scouts when I played
there for about six to eight months before joining Metz in France. The
current players there were asked which player they wanted to rename a
dormitory after and they chose me, so it was a big honour for me.
See you on Saturday!
Diafra
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Kouyate's up for derby duel
WHUFC.com
West Ham United midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate is relishing a second London
derby in successive weekends when the Hammers take on Crystal Palace. The
25-year-old central midfielder has been in superb form of late, scoring
crucial goals against Manchester United and more recently against Tottenham
Hotspur last Sunday. Speaking ahead of the Hammers' game with the Eagles,
Kouyate said: "It's a very important match, it's a derby so it's very
special. We have to win, for the club and for the fans. We are going to do
our best to win the match. "I like playing in derbies, they are very special
games, especially for fans. After Crystal Palace, we have Chelsea and
Arsenal all coming up and we cannot lose those games. We will do our best
and we will fight to win for ourselves and the fans." In an impressive
debut season in a claret and blue shirt, the Senegalese international has
made 20 appearances in total. Kouyate's second game for the club came in the
3-1 win over the Eagles at Selhurst Park through goals from Stewart Downing,
Mauro Zarate and Carlton Cole and the midfielder hopes the Hammers can
complete the double over their London rivals. "Before a match we think
about the fans, once we're on the pitch we think about the game. While we're
playing of course we feel the fans' support. I believe the fans are more
enthusiastic when it's a derby so there is a great atmosphere. "Everyone is
telling me that I will score again this weekend because I have scored
against some of the big teams. But I am focused on every game equally and
helping the team to do well. "If I can score than that's great but it's not
the priority. The people who know me, know I can play better. Whenever I
play I always think I can play better."
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On this day - 27 February
Classic match
WHUFC.com
West Ham United 3-1 Liverpool
Premier League
27 February 2011
The Hammers made a storming start, overwhelming their visitors before the
break and taking a crucial 2-0 lead inside the opening 45 minutes. Scott
Parker opened the scoring with 22 minutes on the clock, playing intricate
one-twos with both Thomas Hitzlsperger and Lars Jacobsen before poking an
inch-perfect shot into the bottom left hand corner of the net.
It got better the for Hammers before half-time when Demba Ba flicked Robert
Green's long kick out wide to Gary O'Neill before bursting into the box and
heading his cross beyond Pepe Reina.
Former Hammer Glen Johnson pulled one back for the away side six minutes
from time, knocking home after Luis Suarez's low cross deflected off James
Tomkins and into his path. But West Ham did not crumble and secured the
points in stoppage time through Carlton Cole, who outmuscled Martin Skrtel
and beat Jamie Carragher before finishing emphatically.
Complete record - 27 February
1926 Sheffield United 1-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1937 West Ham United 4-0 Coventry City (Division Two)
1954 Brentford 3-1 West Ham United (Division Two)
1960 Nottingham Forest 3-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1965 West Ham United 2-1 Liverpool (Division One)
1971 Blackpool 1-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1982 Everton 0-0 West Ham United (Division One)
1988 Derby County 1-0 West Ham United (Division One)
1993 Sunderland 0-0 West Ham United (Division One)
1999 West Ham United 2-0 Blackburn Rovers (Premier League)
2011 West Ham United 3-1 Liverpool (Premier League)
Played 11, Won 4, Drawn 4, Lost 3, Scored 15, Conceded 11
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To offend or not to offend, that Is the question
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 26th February 2015
By: Raedwulf
"Man offended on behalf of someone else reports incident he didn't see or
hear", wrote Staff. It sets up the expectation that the article is going to
be wholly dismissive of the current kerfuffle about some idiotic chanting at
White Hart Lane last Sunday.
Since the article, actually well-written, did nothing of the sort, it
invites people to mis-read it. KUMB, 99 times out of a hundred (at least),
is better than that. If it was in the habit of sneering and mocking, I
wouldn't hang around here (which, I daresay, might please some of you!).
For what little my opinion is worth: As far as this sort of thing goes, I
have lived my life by the dictum "If you are not trying to cause offence,
there is nothing for me to be offended at; if you are trying to cause
offence, I'm not going to give you the satisfaction." In fact, in the latter
case, I'll probably just laugh in your face because that'll annoy you, so I
win twice over. I'm nasty like that.
I was bullied, mostly verbally, a fair bit in my teens because I was a bit
different from most people. I still am a bit different, I suppose. I grew
up, as a consequence, with a loathing of bullying, a sharp tongue, and a
thick skin!
There is a big difference between those who accidentally offend, and those
who try deliberately to do so. They SHOULD, in my opinion, be challenged.
Unless that happens, nothing ever improves.
On an individual level, back then anybody that tried verbals with me came
off worst. Usually with other kids laughing at them, not me, so it tended
not to go on for very long, and most kids learned not to try it at all.
It perhaps wasn't the best defence in all situations, but it worked reliably
enough to become a habit I've sometimes regretted since. Nevertheless, the
point is that they were trying to offend and they were challenged. I wasn't
offended, but neither did I give in to them, thereby allowing them to think
it was OK or, worse, encouraging them to do it more.
The interesting thing about the discussion that's ensued on the article is
that, up to the time I write this (around 6PM the same day), no-one has said
it's alright to use that particular word and, most especially, no-one has
suggested that it would be alright to use it to someone who has Down's
Syndrome.
Let me back up slightly. The offensive word in question was "mong", directed
at Harry Kane because he has a speech impediment (apparently; I've never
listened to an interview). You're probably well aware of that.
According to my Oxford English dikker, mong is an Australian informal
abbreviation of mongrel - which is complete nonsense to anyone who grew up
in the East End up until the 1980s at least. "Mong" meant not just "thick"
but "thick and you can't help it". It's an abbreviation of mongoloid, which
is the term used to describe Down's Syndrome up until at least the 1970s.
It was the term that the eponymous Dr Down himself used back in the 19th
century. In my day, I never knew anyone who had it; they were, for better or
worse, separated from us in special needs schools. As an insult, it was
fairly mild, not much worse than calling someone "thick".
Nowadays, we speak of Down's Syndrome. No-one uses, or thinks it is
acceptable to use, "mongoloid" to describe those affected by Down's
Syndrome, any more than anyone thinks "spastic" is appropriate for that
group (and, yes, Joey Deacon cropped up in the discussion on the article).
Or "flid", if it comes to that. I'm slightly surprised to find mong is still
sufficiently current to have been used.
You'll notice I don't say "sufferers", by the way. I still don't know any,
but most everything I've ever seen or read suggests that Down's don't suffer
very much - it seems they tend to be much happier, friendlier, and more
positive than so-called "normal" folk.
Which brings me back to the discussion on the article. There's a bit of "Man
up! Grow a pair!" been going on. But the discussion has mostly been about
the nature of offence, whose fault it is if someone gets offended, and so
on.
As you may gather from my earlier remarks, I'd not argue that everyone needs
to learn to deal with the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. Also, the
brickbats and unfriendly "compliments" that will come from your fellows.
However, I'd also point out that part of manning up and growing a pair isn't
just developing rhinoceros hide and aggression to match. Part of it is also
recognising that alongside your "right" of free speech (which has also been
cited) is your duty to think about what you are saying and how you are
saying it.
Part of it is recognising that how you act impacts the world around you.
That it is your responsibility, and it matters. If you really think you can
swan along how you please, screw everyone else, don't complain when the
world, or someone in it, comes along and screws you. It probably will
happen.
So, on the one hand, yes there are those who react at very slight
provocations; those deservedly, I think, labelled the "PC brigade". If a
bloke calls a lass "love" or "dear", he almost certainly isn't being sexist
(and some would no doubt try to tell me that "lass" is sexist). It's just
the way he talks.
On the other hand, there are an awful lot of words that I could list. You
can think of many yourselves. Someone using those words is setting out to
offend, especially when it's dozens of someones in a football crowd yelling
it. This isn't just a matter of some people being over-sensitive. There are
two sides to every coin; the flip side of this one is "insensitive". And if
it's done deliberately? That's beyond insensitive...
The irony of all this, of course, is that "mong" in the informal, insulting
sense was a perfectly good word for Sunday. Not for Harry Kane, however he
sounds. Certainly not for anyone with Down's, if they were unfortunate
enough to hear the chant and connect it with themselves.
"Harry Kane talks like a mong and plays like one too." For crying out loud!
The average school playground could do better than that. I'm not, in any
case, a fan of trying to wind up the opposition. I can't recall seeing a
sportsman play worse because of anything shouted at him by the crowd.
But that? No, "mong" applies perfectly to all the "thick and you can't help
it" fans who thought it was a good word to use. As a chant, that was so
pathetic, it'd need a stepladder to reach "feeble". You can laugh with your
equally thick mates down the pub about all the attention you've garnered,
and massage each other's egos all you want.
But all you've done is attract a bucketload of negative publicity to West
Ham. The sort of publicity that no club needs, let alone wants. It wasn't
clever, it wasn't even funny. On Sunday, the "mongs" at White Hart Lane were
those chanting the word. I wonder, any of you bright, brave lads want to
publicly explain why you were doing it?
So was Kilbane right to complain about it? Despite KUMB's headline, yes I
think so. Unless behaviour like this is challenged, it will not change.
In this particular instance, there's little practical that can be done.
Whatever Kilbane thinks, it's a relatively minor offence. Half the idiots
chanting on Sunday probably don't even know why the word "mong" means
"thick", or that some would find it particularly offensive.
Frankly, a lot probably wouldn't care, they'd just sneer, and cry "Man up!
Grow a pair! It was only a bit of fun!" Well, it was neither funny nor fun
for a lot of people. Maybe whoever it is that makes up these chants should
have a little think about that?
Nevertheless, there's not a lot the FA can realistically do. You can't
realistically expect a club to control its fans to this extent, nor can you
fairly punish the vast majority for the actions of a minority that few fans
welcome, or recognise as their own.
But, hopefully, by continuing to challenge such behaviour, as it should be,
it can continue to be reduced. Football stadia were far more intimidating
places in past decades. If "mong" is now the cause of column inches in the
national media, how far we have advanced.
May we continue to.
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Do you know the way to shame Jose?
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 26th February 2015
By: Paul Walker
That master manipulator Jose Mourinho is at our place next week, hope
everyone gives him a rousing welcome!
That, surely is the only way to approach a situation that sees us and Spurs
first up for matches with Chelsea after Mourinho's remarkable assault on the
entire refereeing community, despite being fined heavily by the FA for
recent similar comments, on Sky's Goals on Sunday tirade.
Frankly I am amazed that the FA have not thrown the book at him already.
Jose sat there, with Chris (yes Jose, no Jose, three bags full Jose) Kamara
nodding like a demented toy dog in a car window, and got away with murder.
He is trying to get into the heads of referees, mind games on an industrial
level to influence their decisions; let's hope it doesn't work when Chelsea
arrive in East London.
Spurs face Chelsea at Wembley on Sunday in the League Cup Final and then the
Blues are at the Boleyn on Wednesday, where they are always made very
welcome.
What surely must worry everyone is that Mourinho was given a near two-hour
private TV slot to cast his cynical, manipulative web over every referee,
lino and fourth official in the land.
Constantly doubting their competence, listing incident after incident that
have gone, supposedly, against Chelsea this season, and again alluding to
his theme that there is a conspiracy against his club, Mourinho was doing
his level best to influence referees' decisions in the final games of the
season.
It was an outrage. Would Sky give every other manager in the Premier League
the chance to try to influence referees in this way? They must have been
wetting themselves when Jose contacted them and asked to come on the
programme.
And just to make sure any referee around missed it first time, they put the
whole sorry, cynical programme out again on Monday. And of course you can
catch it on demand, too.
It is outrageous to suggest referees are involved in a conspiracy against
his team. They may make mistakes, but to suggest it is deliberate is
shocking. The FA have done him once for that approach, they should go
through every word of the Sky stuff and count the amount of times he tried
to undermine Premier League officials.
It has even been suggested that Mike Riley, the refs' boss, has been to
Chelsea's training ground this week to discuss the situation. Why? The FA
have made their position clear once, they should do so again, if they have
the balls to take Jose on again.
My fear is that Jose will achieve his aim. The referees will start softening
their approach, even subconsciously thinking twice about making decisions
against Chelsea. Now I don't care much whether Spurs suffer after Harry
Kane's dodgy penalty last weekend, but I fear for us next Wednesday when
Andre Marriner is in charge.
Mourinho went through the whole 'always the victim' hand-wringing speech. It
was cynical and hypocritical, you would think he doesn't send out players to
kick opponents, that he never employed the likes of John Obi Mikel or
Michael Essien. Or he never used the world's worst cheat, Arjen Robben in
his side.
Chelsea have never been slow in the dark arts. The Mirror have highlighted a
Mikel late tackle on Mikel Arteta, a carbon copy of Ashley Barnes' assault
on Nemanja Matic, a while back that had Mourinho defending him with a
"football is for men," quote. The word hypocrite comes to mind, and Mourinho
has been getting away with this stuff for years.
He started it on Saturday with his "minute 30, minute 33, minute 43, minute
69" stuff. Just to highlight it all and lay the foundations for the Sky
show. Funny that the referees' match delegate seems to have agreed with all
of Martin Atkinson's decisions.
We can all list grievances. So in true Mourinho fashion, these are mine off
the top of my head; I am sure Big Sam has a much longer list:
Match one: Kevin Nolan's debatable disallowed goal at Manchester United.
Match two: Romelu Lukaku's blatant offside goal for Everton.
Match three: Alex Song's disallowed goal against Arsenal when Diafra Sakho,
in an offside position, stepped over the ball(Notice that Manchester United
were allowed an identical goal at Preston in the Cup when Wayne Rooney got
out of the way of Ander Herrera's shot).
Match four: (A lot here.) James Tomkins has his nose broken by Marouane
Fellaini and then was deliberately smacked in the face by Robin Van Persie.
No action. Man U's equaliser came after Fellaini had pushed Carl Jenkinson
in the back as he tried to head a cross away, the ball dropped for Daley
Blind to equalise.
Match five: WBA's first goal in our Cup horror show was offside.
Match six: Adrian was wrongly sent-off at Southampton, shocking piece of
refereeing that was over-ruled.
(And just for fun) Match seven: Harry Kane should not have been allowed to
follow up his penalty miss with the added time of five minutes somehow
stretched to seven.
Get the point Jose? We all have our complaints, but we don't attack the
integrity of the entire referees' list.
We have twice been done by the FA this season for not controlling our
players. The first time when we were upset that Everton were kicking lumps
out of Mark Noble and Morgan Amalfitano and the second when were rightly
upset about Adrian's red card.
Have you noticed, though, the amount of times Chelsea surround a referee or
spent the game questioning every decision?
I could go on. But Mourinho is getting away with it because he is a big name
at a big club, and every referee now will be under closer scrutiny in every
Chelsea game because of it. And we are right in the firing line.
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Sam Allardyce praises Sakho after his goal against Tottenham
By Oliver Young-Myles | Last Updated: 27/02/15 5:27pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce has singled out Diafra Sakho for praise after the Senegalese
international returned to goal-scoring form at White Hart Lane last Sunday.
The summer signing from Metz is the club's top scorer with nine Premier
League goals, but prior to his strike last weekend had not scored in the
league since New Year's Day against West Brom. Though Allardyce was
frustrated with the manner in which Tottenham secured a late point, he was
heartened by Sakho's goal, particularly given Andy Carroll and Carlton
Cole's recent injuries. "I was happy with everyone's performance (at
Tottenham)," he said. "But of course it was nice to see Sakho score, I think
he's been working hard it just hasn't fallen for him. He deserved his goal
because of his work rate and to get in that position from where he scored in
the first place."
After missing out on Emannuel Adebayor on deadline day, Allardyce moved
quickly to bolster his forward line by securing the services of 33 year-old
Nene until the end of the season. When asked if the former PSG forward would
feature against Crystal Palace, Allardyce said: Yes, most likely on the
bench. "Especially with the injury to Carlton Cole, he can play a big part
for us and he needs to stake a claim to play for us."
Sakho's debut for the Hammers came against Crystal Palace back in August and
a goal on Saturday would see him reach double figures in his first season in
England. "I am really looking forward to our game on Saturday against
Crystal Palace, I look forward to every game but particularly at home,
playing in front of our fans," he said. "Every derby is special for the
fans, and for the players also. I'm quickly learning how important London
derbies are, and after Palace we've got two more against Chelsea and
Arsenal. "They are all big matches, but honestly, I never get fazed by any
match. The Chelsea game next week is huge for everyone. A Wednesday evening
game under the lights at the Boleyn Ground is something to look forward to.
But, we will only focus on the Chelsea after Crystal Palace."
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West Ham host Crystal Palace on Saturday lunchtime at Upton Park
Last Updated: 27/02/15 6:48pm
SSN
West Ham and Crystal Palace kick-off an action-packed weekend of football at
Upton Park in Saturday's early game as both sides look to return to winning
ways in the Premier League. The Hammers have hit the rocks in recent weeks
and have only managed to win once in their last nine top-flight games. They
were humbled by West Brom in the FA Cup and the pressure is beginning to
mount on manager Sam Allardyce as the club's season appears to be fizzling
out prematurely.
A much-needed victory would see the East Londoners move to within a point of
seventh-placed rivals Tottenham, who are playing in the Capital One Cup
final on Sunday. Alan Pardew got his tenure as Crystal Palace manager off to
the perfect start with four consecutive victories following his departure
from Newcastle. However, similarly to Saturday's opponents, the Eagles have
struggled for consistency and head across London with just one win in their
last five and on the back of consecutive defeats in league and cup
competitions.
Aaron Cresswell's solitary effort handed the Hammers a 1-0 win when Pardew
took Newcastle to his former employers and he will be looking for a positive
result as Palace look to guarantee their Premier League status.
Team news
Nene is in line to make his West Ham debut. The 33-year-old forward has yet
to feature since joining the Hammers but, with Andy Carroll (knee) and
Carlton Cole (hamstring) reducing options in attack, the former PSG forward
will be involved. With the exception of the suspended Morgan Amalfitano,
West Ham have a fully-fit squad to choose from.
Crystal Palace will be without three strikers for the trip to the Boleyn
Ground. Fraizer Campbell, Yaya Sanogo and Marouane Chamakh will all miss the
clash with hamstring injuries while Jonny Williams (groin) and Jerome Thomas
(knock) are also out. Eagles captain Mile Jedinak could make his first start
under Pardew, having returned from a sore ankle, while James McArthur has
recovered from a thigh problem.
Jamie Redknapp previews West Ham's Premier League game against Crystal
Palace
Opta facts
Crystal Palace have won four of their last seven matches in all competitions
against West Ham.
West Ham have picked up 199 points in Premier League London derbies.
Allardyce and Pardew have both managed Newcastle United and West Ham United
in the Premier League. Head to head, Allardyce has won five and lost one of
their nine meetings as opposition coaches.
Merson's prediction
I am just about going for a home win here. I know West Ham have hit a bit of
a rocky patch recently, but I still think that they will just have a little
bit too much for Palace at home.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1
Betting
West Ham are Sky Bet's even-money (1/1) favourites, with Alan Pardew rated
14/5 to get one over his old club with Crystal Palace. A draw is on offer at
23/10 and a 1-1 final score is thought to be the most likely outcome at 9/2.
West Ham's hopes of a top-six finish are fading fast, with the Hammers'
price drifting out to 10/1 in recent weeks. As for Palace, they're now
firmly expected to avoid relegation at 8/1 to go down.
Watch West Ham v Crystal Palce live on Saturday. Coverage starts at 12pm,
Sky Sports 1 HD.
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DON'T TALK YOURSELF OUT OF A JOB, SAM
By Iain Dale 27 Feb 2015 at 10:00
West Ham till I Die
Guest post by Neil Clack
Twenty-five years to the day since the St.Valentines Day Massacre (Oldham 6
West Ham 0, League Cup semi-final). Was it an omen? It certainly was!
To be honest, I thought things had looked a bit ominous the day before, when
I read Sam's column in the Standard on the Friday – he was moaning already
about the kick off time, that it was too many games in too few days etc,
seemingly oblivious to the fact that West Brom had also played the same
number of games in the same number of days. That negativity no doubt filters
through to the players. We were already defeated before the match began, in
my opinion.
Sam's post-match excuses on Match of the Day on the Saturday night were
virtually word for word what he had written in the Standard the day before,
and, going by those words, and the way that you could clearly see the West
Ham players were not giving their all against West Brom, it really did look
like that, as at Forest last year, the FA Cup is just seen as a big
inconvenience for Big Sam.
Sam's a whinger, and that's one of the main reasons he made himself
unpopular at other clubs he managed, and within football, in general.
And if he's not careful he could whinge himself out of his job at West Ham.
Don't get me wrong here, I am not one of the so-called 'Allardyce-haters',
nor indeed do I subscribe to the view that he should go at the end of the
season – I think Sam's done well at West Ham overall, and for the sake of
stability and continuity, something the club has sadly lacked over the last
decade or so, I think Sam should stay. If it was down to me, I'd give him a
new 2-year contract right now.
But he loses me at times, harping on about fatigue, and constantly,
nauseatingly, moaning about referees after every single match, often when
the referee's got the decisions right (Nolan was offside against Man U
earlier in the season – the whole world and his wife could see that on the
replays. Song's goal v Arsenal was correctly disallowed because Carroll was
standing in an offside position in front of the goalkeeper's sightline, as
MOTD corectly explained at the time.
Against Tottenham on Sunday, it was a clear penalty as Song pushed Kane over
in the area, and Noble was rightly booked for shirt-tugging (since when has
shirt-tugging been deemed a minor incident that doesn't merit a booking,
Sam? – shirt-pulling is a dirty, cowardly, sneaky act that needs to be
eradicated from the game). Sam's post-match whingeing about the referee made
no sense at all. As one of the Tottenham players said the day after, Sam
really should just shut up sometimes. He's beginning to sound like a broken
record after every game, and it has no effect now – apart from making him
look like an even bigger whinger than his reputation already says he is.
Considering WBA had also played 3 games in 6 days, and had also had injuries
leading upto the match against us, and that Tottenham have played more games
than any other club this season, including a tough game against Fiorentina
on the Thursday before they met us, Sam's words are beginning to fall upon
deaf ears for many of the West Ham faithful now.
Besides, I thought it was pretty much accepted in football now, that Diego
Simeone at Atletico Madrid had proved the 'rest' theories wrong? Last
season, his high-pressing, high-tempo team played two games nearly every
week throughout their triumphant campaign, winning the Spanish league, and
coming within a minute of winning the Champions League final, as well as
reaching the semi-final of Spanish Cup, but Simeone never rested any of his
players once, claiming that much of the science about player tiredness is
mumbo-jumbo nonsence.
Simeone, like Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, is a protege of current
Marseille manager Marcelo Bielsa, whom they both played under when Bielsa
was manager of Argentina. It was Bielsa who introduced Pep Guardiola to the
concept of all-out attack and high-pressing when Guardiola spent 6 weeks
with Bielsa, studying his methods, before taking over as manager of
Barcelona.
Central to Bielsa's high-tempo, high-pressing strategy is that every
training session is intense; players have to go flat-out and give 100% in
every training session, to reach a higher level of fitness. For Bielsa, the
concept of tiredness and players needing resting simply does not exist –
that's something that sports scientists have invented and hoodwinked a lot
of managers into believing, blinding them with stats and over-analysis.
There's a great clip of Bielsa putting his Olympic Marseille players though
their paces last summer here – just look at their faces at the end. Click
HERE
Bielsa's Marseille are currently top of the French league, but from a West
Ham point of view, it's interesting that one of the players who didn't make
it through the rigourous pre-season when he first tookover last summer was
Morgan Amalfitano. Bielsa felt that Amalfitano lacked the fitness and
attitude to play in one of his teams, and the rather unedifying episode that
lasted most of last summer, ended with Bielsa banning the player from the
training ground. We perhaps saw a flash of that indiscipline during the West
Brom match, perhaps proving Bielsa may have had a point about Amalfitano?
All the current speculation over Sam Allardyce's future at West Ham is
completely of the board's making. They have brought it on the club
themselves by not giving Sam a new contract. It's an extremely unusual
situation in football (and naturally the the media are loving it!).
If Sam had had his contract extended by now, we wouldn't be having a
discussion over whether he should go or not, or whom his replacement should
be if he does go. Instead, everybody would be looking to the future – the
future under Sam – but under the current circumstances, it's only natural
that fans, and the media, are having arguments, and speculating over who the
new manager will be.
But poor old Sam really does himself no favours sometimes, even taking on
his owners in tit for tat arguments through the pages of the tabloids. He
calls his paymaster David Sullivan 'a gambler', and how can he seriously
defend the signing of Andy Carroll over the owner's choice of Wilfred Bony?
Sam's digging a grave for himself on that one, surely? He claimed he looked
at Carroll's record before signing him and saw he had a proven record in the
Premier League – proven injury record more like!
But the irony of all this is that I once saw Sam Allardyce in the flesh. At
a Supporter's Advisory Board Meeting in 2012, and do you know something, he
was completely different from the way he comes across on the TV and
newspaper columns. He was funny, charming, up-beat – dare, I say it,
likeable even. How is it that we never get that side of him in the media,
where he just moans and grumbles about offsides, tiredness, and imagined
prejudices against him and his team.
The problem for Sam is that Eastenders and Essex Man and Woman don't like
whingers. They didn't get through the blitz by moaning about it! They like
humour, having a bit of a laugh, and can be a bit flash at times.
It reminds me a little of Harry Redknapp's last season at West Ham. He too
hadn't signed a new contract (although everyone, including Harry and the
Board thought it would be a formality he'd sign at the end of the season),
but after the gutting FA Cup quarter final defeat to Tottenham (2-3), the
season just petered out into nothing, and Redknapp's demeanour seemed to
change. Gone was the chirpy funny man, replaced by a hangdog expression who
moaned a lot about bare bones, not having enough money etc.
I recently read Trevor Brooking's latest autobiography that mentioned once
again that Redknapp's talk with the Over Land and Sea fanzine contributed to
him losing his job (and Brooking should know, considering how close to Terry
Brown he was, becoming technical director after Redknapp left). In a
nutshell, Redknapp literally talked himself out of the job!
Please Sam, please don't do the same
And one more thing, my mum says please stop chewing gum with your mouth
open. It's disgusting.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Mark Noble urged to become Hammers legend by Allardyce after
penning new deal until 2020
22:30, 26 February 2015 By Adrian Kajumba
Local boy who is the club's leader in Premier League appearances now
qualifies for a testimonial that has been pencilled in as the Irons'
farewell to Upton Park
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce has challenged Mark Noble to make himself a West Ham legend at
the Olympic Stadium. Noble, 27, signed a new five-and-a-half-year,
£50,000-a-week deal that will take him up to the age of 33. One-club-man
Noble is also set to be rewarded with a testimonial at the end of next
season, which has been pencilled in to be the last game at Upton Park. The
Hammers will then move to their new Olympic Stadium and, assessing Noble's
chances of joining the club's list of legends, Allardyce said: "It depends
what the club achieves in the Olympic Stadium. "It is a great platform to
make the club greater than it has ever been as long as the players grace
that venue. "There is an opportunity to develop the club further than is has
been until now, as long as we bring in more younger, better players in than
we have already got - with Mark Noble in the middle of that. "There will be
a greater challenge for Mark to stay with the development of the club if
they move that way forward, which is hopefully the case. "Mark is West Ham
born and bred. He loves West Ham, he loves the area and his contract is good
news for everybody."
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Sakho: Why Palace game is special for me!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 27, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Diafra Sakho has quickly learned the excitement of London derbies but
tomorrow's game against Palace is especially important to him.
He said: ""I am really looking forward to our game on Saturday against
Crystal Palace, I look forward to every game but particularly at home,
playing in front of our fans. "The game against Crystal Palace away at the
start of the season was my first game for the club so it was special for me,
we won as well which makes it better. "Every derby is special for the fans,
and for the players also. I'm quickly learning how important London derbies
are, and after Palace we've got two more against Chelsea and Arsenal. "They
are all big matches, but honestly, I never get fazed by any match. The
Chelsea game next week is huge for everyone. A Wednesday evening game under
the lights at the Boleyn Ground is something to look forward to. But, we
will only focus on the Chelsea after Crystal Palace."
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24 years on Hackett says: "I'm so sorry West Ham"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 27, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Keith Hackett has given every West Ham an apology for the worst refereeing
decision in our club's history – the sending off of Tony Gale in the 1991 FA
Cup semi final at Villa Park against Nottingham Forest! Put the mere words
"Tony Gale sent off" into Google 24 YEARS ON and that awful decision by ref
Keith Hackett appears in all it's ghastly 'glory' after what we know today
as a professional foul on Gary Crosby But last night Hackett – speaking
exclusively to ClaretandHugh associate editor Sean Whetstone and blogger
Nigel Kahn (pictured right with the former ref) spoke of "my worst decision
in 34 years as a referee"saying: "There are many ( who were there on the
day) who still support West Ham and I ruined their day. I apologise for
that."
However, Hackett insisted that he had no alternative as he and other refs
had been instructed to introduce a new ruling which we know today as a
'professional foul' only days earlier and had no alternative after it had
been accepted by the officials present. But he added: "We were all sat in
the room. We should have said: "Get lost." We will do it next season – not
in this one. "Had this match been played on the previous Wednesday night
this would not have happened – Tony Gale would have received a yellow card."
Hackett declared: "I was made a sacrificial cow. All the West Ham fans came
up to Birmingham for that day, paid good ,money and I cocked it up."
"Players may only get one opportunity of going to Wembley in their careers
and my decision affected that for Tony and if you look at it now Crosby was
going away from goal." Hugh Southon writes: The game was played out in an
astonishing atmosphere following the incident as every successive goal in
the 4-0 defeat was followed by louder and louder chants of "Billy Bonds
Claret and Blue Army." It was hairs standing up on the back of your neck
stuff. It was a momentous day for the utterly amazing Hammers fans who truly
showed what supporting your team is all about. It was entirely unforgettable
and will live forever in the memories of all those who were there. It was
one of the most amazing reminders then – and now – of why we support West
Ham United Football Club. It's about the fans.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gold hails double signing
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 27, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
David Gold has paid his own personal tribute to Mark Noble following the
midfielder signing a new five and half year deal. And his decision was
immediately hailed by the co chairman as valuing quality of life and love of
your home area is clearly more important than money. Speaking exclusively to
ClaretandHugh he said: "There was never any doubt that Mark would sign – he
is Mr West Ham – and it's an absolute joy that he is now here for what looks
like life. "He is our stalwart, loves the area and although money is
important it's clearly not the all consuminng issue in Mark's life – his
passion for the club is the No 1 thing. He's been around since he was about
13. The place wouldn't be the same without him. It's great. Having signed
both him and James Tomkins shows there are players left who truly love their
clubs. "It's brilliant that we have tied them down. We're all delighted."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
CandH Exclusive: Sam does a double-quick runner
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 27, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Sam Allardyce – a member of panel at the 'You Are the Ref' event last night
– did a runner at the end of a discussion on modern day refereeing. He was
joined by former ref Keith Hackett, Guillem Balague, Mark Halsey plus a
burly 'minder' at Riley's Sports Bar in London and made a rapid departure at
the end. Sam had called for a 10 minute sin bin experiment for 'soft' yellow
cards and a possible tennis type challenge system where manager could
contest up to two referee decisions per match during the discussion itself.
The event's audience were largely Hammers fans kitted out in claret and blue
shirts although Sam was protected at the half time interval by a security
guard to prevent any fans questions or annoyance. And he was away on his
heels the very second the recording ended giving no chance for the audience
or fans to speak to him prompting one to Hammer fan to comment "Is there a
fire drill?"
In one humorous moment of the Allardyce attempted to lead the audience in a
chorus of Bubbles when drinking a cup of tea while the event was suffering
from a series sound system failure. Let's hope that rendition makes the
final cut on the You Are the Ref video when published at
https://you-are-the-ref.com/
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Leroy reckons Irons can prove Pardew wrong
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 27, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Alan Pardew has told Sam Allardyce he has a real problem breaking through
the glass ceiling between West Ham and the top five or six clubs.But
ClaretandHugh pundit Leroy Rosenior reckons its Sam's job to breed the self
belief necessary into the team to do just that.
Pards and Allardyce have both Newcastle and the Irons pressure in common as
they head into tomorrow's lunchtime clash at the Boleyn.
Pardew said: "Sometimes it's difficult when you've got a glass ceiling above
you to try to break through to the top four or five clubs.
That period underneath becomes a bit frustrating for fans, particularly if
you are out of the cups. "Fans want to win something as well and I think
this is probably an important game for West Ham to try to stay with that
little pack." LeroyLeroy believes, however, that the Hammers are already a
top six club but that they simply aren't believing it which is why they are
drawing matches they should win. He said: "It's up to Sam to convince them
of that and more than capable of competing among the top six. They have
enough to upset any of them. "Tomorrow'game won't be easy, none are but the
Hammers need to start winning and gaining that self belief. What they musn't
do is to back off when they are leading…we have seen that can be fatal."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tony Gale responds to Hackett apology
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 27, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Tony Gale has responded to Keith Hackett's apology to the West Ham fans for
his horrendous FA Cup gaffe 24 years ago by declaring: "That stuff kills
your dreams." ClaretandHugh revealed today Hackett had issued his apology in
an exclusive interview with ClaretandHugh's Sean Whetstone and Nigel Kahn
last night.
And responding, Gale explained his love affair with the Irons fans
declaring: "I sat in with them at the West Brom FA Cup three weeks back and
it came back to me how those occasions can kill your dreams."
In an interview to be heard on "MooreThanJustAPodcast " next Monday evening
he said: "I am a fan and the West Ham supporters are different class. "Last
season when we won in the Capital One Cup against Spurs, the fans were kept
in for an hour after the game and as I walked across the pitch they were
chanting my name. Brilliant, you just want to jump in there with them." But
he remains unforgiving over Hackett who claimed his decision to send him off
in the 91 FA Cup Final was the worst of his career, following it with an
apology for the first time in 24 years. Gale said' "Even today, when as a TV
analyst I have to make decisions in a split second on incidents I still
can't see it as a sending off – I wouldn't if it was anywhere else."
Gale believes Hackett was keen to make a name for himself as being the first
ref to send a player off under the rule – now known as the professional foul
– declaring: "I appreciate his apology but he made an egotistical decision –
he wanted to be the first." But his heart remains with the fans and said:
"What came out of the day was that incredible crowd reactrion which brought
the management, players and fans together like never before. "It was an
incredible response from the supporters and I sat in the dug out despite an
official trying to usher me away and got goose bumps with everybody else. It
was astounding."
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