Kanu at the double
WHUFC.com
Two late goals from Idris Kanu gave West Ham United an impressive 3-2
Barclays U18 Premier League Tier Two victory over Liverpool at Little Heath
on Saturday. The match-winning display completed an eventful day for Kanu,
15, who had just scored in a 1-1 draw for the U15s against the same
opposition. After a goalless first half, Liverpool striker Toni Gomes
opened the scoring with a low shot into the corner, before Matt Carter's
bending corner was bundled over the line at the back post by one of the
visiting defenders a few minutes later. Just before the hour-mark, the
Merseyside club found themselves back in front when Herbie Kane's long-range
strike found the corner of Clarke Bogard's goal. With just ten minutes left
to play, Hammers coach Mark Phillips introduced 15-year-old Kanu to the game
and it took him just three minutes to level the scores from inside the
six-yard box, before the schoolboy clinched victory in dramatic fashion four
minutes later to win the game for the Hammers. The Hammers went into
Saturday's match looking to continue where they left off by winning away to
Wolves the previous weekend and Phillips made just three changes to the
starting XI that featured in the Black Country.
Goalkeeper Sam Howes and defender Emmanual Onariase both featured for Steve
Potts' Development Squad on Friday evening so were unavailable for selection
in this game, allowing Bogard and Kyle Knoyle to come into the team. Jahmal
Hector-Ingram started up front in place of Kanu. The first half had little
to offer in terms of chances created by the Hammers, but Kane, Gomes and
Liverpool captain Trent Arnold all missed the target for the Reds. It took
until just after the half-time break for either team to break the deadlock.
Gomes stole back possession in the middle of the midfield after sloppy play
by the hosts and headed towards goal, before burying the ball past Bogard.
Within minutes of going behind, the Hammers hit back when Carter's whipped
corner hit the far post and was diverted over the line by one of the
Liverpool defenders. The visitors were unhappy that a foul was not awarded
against the Hammers on goalkeeper Owen Wheeler, but the officials awarded
the goal. After working hard to get back into the game, the hosts were
disappointed when they let things slip again on 59 minutes when they again
gave away possession to Liverpool, allowing Kane to volley home from 25
yards.
With time running out, Phillips decided to make his only substitution of the
game by replacing Grady Diangana with Kanu. The striker had just finished
playing 90 minutes in the U16s' 1-0 victory over Liverpool on a second pitch
at Little Heath, where he had also scored the only game of the game! Within
three minutes of coming on, Kanu equalised for the Hammers when he was
perfectly placed to head home from six yards after Hector-Ingram had nodded
Joe Powell's deep cross back across the face of the goal. Then, with just
three minutes left, Kanu popped up with a carbon copy of his earlier goal
when he timed his run into the six-yard box perfectly to head into the
bottom corner of the net. The result gives the Hammers seven points from
their four Tier Two fixtures, with their next fixture being a long trip to
the North West to face Sunderland on 2 May.
U18s: Bogard, Knoyle, Pike, Pask, Neufville, Carter, Sylvestre, Powell,
Diangana (Kanu), Borg, Hector-Ingram
Subs not used: Ware, Wells, Elsom, Henry
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Hammers lend oldest Marathon runner a hand
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's first team squad helped this year's oldest London Marathon
runner tune up for the 26.2 mile challenge by inviting him to the Club's
training ground on Friday. 90-year-old Hammers fan Paul Freedman only took
up running at the age of 61, but has since completed over 30 marathons and
is looking forward to adding to the tally on 26 April. West Ham boss Sam
Allardyce allowed the veteran runner to complete a warm-up lap with the team
before they began their training session and Paul, who is raising money for
Romford's St Francis Hospice, was thrilled to take part. He said: "I've done
23 London Marathons, ten Beachy Heads and ten Walk the Walks, which is
walking through the night for breast cancer. "I just enjoy doing it. I don't
worry too much about time - as long as I finish that's the main thing and
I'm looking forward to next Sunday. "I enjoyed warming up with the team and
I was hoping they'd let me join the Club, but I don't think they will - they
probably think I'm too old! "I've been going to West Ham about 55 years and
it was an honour to meet Sam and the players."
Allardyce was impressed with Freedman's fitness ahead of the big day. He
said: "It's beyond most people's comprehension to run a marathon when you're
60 like me, never mind when you're 90 like Paul. "He obviously enjoys it so
much and has raised so much money that it's a fantastic thing. With him
being a West Ham fan it's a pleasure to have him here amongst the lads.
"It's nice to give him a spur for his big day next Sunday."
Hammers skipper Kevin Nolan was only too pleased to welcome Freedman into
the warm-up. "I'm hope I'm in that good shape if I make it to 90!" the
captain said. "It's great that he's going to be the oldest runner in the
London Marathon, so it's an honour for us to do our warm-up jog with him.
"We've got a few good runners in our team, but if I had to back one of us to
do the marathon it would be one of the midfielders."
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Sam Allardyce focused on West Ham performance at Etihad
Last Updated: 18/04/15 1:33pm
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is not paying much attention to Manchester
City's poor run as he prepares to take his side to the Etihad Stadium on
Sunday. City have slipped to fourth place in the Premier League after a
terrible run of form, but Allardyce is naturally worried about his own
side's performance as they seek only their third league win of 2015. "I am
more concerned about getting the best out of my team," said Allardyce, whose
side are now in 10th place in the table. "Maybe City are a wounded animal
and they might come out all guns blazing or they might be tentative. We
won't know until the match starts. "We are expecting them to put in a
determined performance in front of their own fans."
Allardyce added: "The motivation for our players should be that they have
let themselves down by not achieving the results that they should have done
from the positions we have been in. "We want to get the feel-good factor
back by winning a few games and getting the confidence back up. "At the
moment we want to reach the 50-point mark or higher, that will make sure we
finish higher than we have done in the three years we have been back in the
Premier League."
West Ham will be without Diafra Sakho because of a thigh strain, but Enner
Valencia has recovered from a foot problem and so will lead the attack
alongside Carlton Cole. Allardyce said: "Those two guys have to perform to
the very best and find the goals we need to try to win the game. "Playing at
our top level is our aim on Sunday. Whether that gets us the result or not
we will have to wait and see based on the quality of the opposition we are
against, because when you play Manchester City all of your players have to
be on top form in all areas.
"If our lads have their shooting boots on, which we need, then you never
know."
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West Ham's Aaron Cresswell admits being a left-back will never be glamorous
despite fine campaign
22:46, 18 April 2015 By Dean Jones
The Hammers man has impressed since his move from Ipswoch last summer but
says the role will never see him grab the headlines
The Mirror
Aaron Cresswell has become a West Ham poster boy - but reckons life as a
left-back will never be fashionable in the playground. Since joining from
Ipswich Town last summer, Cresswell has been the most consistent player at
Upton Park. And as fellow Englishmen Leighton Baines, Kieran Gibbs, Luke
Shaw, Danny Rose and Ryan Bertrand also make headlines, it appears life as a
left-back is suddenly becoming glamorous. But Cresswell said: "No one grows
up wanting to be a left-back! That's not how you think as a kid. You want to
be scoring goals and getting all the glory. "When I was growing up in
Liverpool I played centre midfield, but then the coach moved me to
left-back. I was devastated because you don't score as many goals from
there, but it proved to be the right decision. I was 14 and soon -realised
it could be a good position for me as I progressed. "The game is changing.
The modern day full-back gets forward more and creates more chances, so now
they do get a bit more attention. "I really enjoy it - but I think most kids
would still prefer to be a forward."
Cresswell points to former Chelsea and England star Ashley Cole - now at
Roma - as his favourite -full-back of the last decade because "he's been so
consistent".Stats from this season suggest Cresswell has the potential to
follow suit. The 25-year-old has played every league game and he is a
frontrunner to be named Hammer of the Year at the club's upcoming awards
night. Manchester City and Chelsea have even been monitoring him, but
Cresswell refuses to get carried away. You realise just how grounded he
remains as the Scouser reveals he still cleans his own boots. He explains to
Sunday Mirror Sport: "When I was at Tranmere I would clean corridors,
changing rooms and boots every day. "The game has changed since then, but I
think that it helped me to stay grounded. "Cleaning boots was something I
looked forward to because at Christmas you could earn a few quid as a bonus
from whichever -player's boots you cleaned. You could get anything from
fifty to a hundred quid. "I actually cleaned the boots of Ronnie Moore, who
was the manager at the time. He only gave me thirty quid though. "And I
also cleaned the boots of Chris Shuker, who is now assistant boss there. But
-unfortunately he was tight as well! "I was top boot boy at Tranmere... and
I still clean mine every Friday before a game. It is just something I like
to do."
Cresswell and his -girlfriend are now settled in their Essex home, and - as
he continues to earn rave reviews - the West Ham man added: "I don't let
anything go to my head. I will just get on with my job here. "We move to the
Olympic Stadium soon and the next year is a big one at Upton Park. When we
move, we will be playing at one of the best grounds in Europe. "So everyone,
who is under contract, here is buzzing to be part of it."
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LEROY: "I don't see a Sam team attacking City"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 18, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
I'm sorry everybody but those who follow me regularly on this site know I
try to call it as I see it and I fear for the Irons at Man City tomorrow. I
can see absolutely nothing for us at the Etihad because I don't think they
will go up there to have a go as most of us would hope. Sam's natural
caution will come to the fore and if he starts - as expected with Carlton
Cole and Enner Valencia - they will almost certainly be told to push wide
and stop the wing backs attacking. With nothing to lose and a much needed
win required it would be good to think we will go up there and attack them
because if you press them high they are not that great defensively. But I
really don't see that happening and I think it will be a long afternoon for
everybody as we sit deep and surrender possession to them. City are hurting
- they are a team in poor form and I see them really coming at us. I so
hope I've read this wrong and that Sam goes up there and gives it a real go.
Unfortunately we know that's not really his psyche and I see us coming away
on the wrong end of a 2-0 or worse defeat. Sorry and all that but I've never
been one to gild the lily.
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Brady confirms CandH Cresswell news
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 18, 2015 in Whispers
Claret 7 Hugh
Karren Brady has said that we have no intention of selling Aaron Cresswell.
This is no particular surprise to ClaretandHugh readers who were told last
Sunday that the left back was going nowhere when we reported a source as
saying: "We've heard all the speculation like everybody else but have had no
contact with anyone over there. "It's mischief making. We are entirely
comfortable because he simply won't be leaving be leaving in the summer. He
has been an absolute revelation and we are delighted with him." Brady said
in her regular column in The Sun She said: "I dare say we could quadruple
the figure we paid if we sold him to one of the Big Beasts this summer. That
doesn't appeal to us though and while it might to a number of others, mainly
agents, we are firmly building our club and definitely not selling such a
prized asset."
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"We're not giving up on Rafa"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 18, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham still have their eyes fastened tightly on Rafa Benitez as the
club's next boss. The former Liverpool and Chelsea caretaker boss remains
what one source told us was a "longshot" but he added: "We aren't giving up
on him." The Spanish boss has been on the club's wish list for several
months with his Napoli contract coming to an end but Hammers chiefs have
been under the belief that he wants a "top" club. However, with the club
having smashed Wolfsburg in the Europa Cup quarter final first round match
in Germany this week and currently in fourth Serie A place, he is still a
serious contender to hold onto his job in Italy. Club president Aurelio De
Laurentiis is set to hold talks with him at the end of the season having
admitted that he's attracted to Jurgen Klopp whom he approached last summer.
Klopp's decision to leave Borussia Dortmund has thrown various managerial
options wide open and in a www.westhamworld.co.uk poll he came out on top of
the Hammers fans wish list. He was not included in the ClaretandHugh poll
which is currently running as we had no information to suggest that he was a
runner. Benitez, however, most definitely is and currently leads our poll
with over 23 per cent of the vote. Slaven Bilic is a couple of percentage
points behind with Marseilles chief Marcelo Bielsa a close third. However,
hopes of a possible Klopp swoop have risen since the evangelical Christian
believing German suggested that he doesn't necessarily want one of the
world's mega clubs.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cresswell gets Allardyce City warning
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 18, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Sam Allardyce has responded for the first time to talk linking Aaron
Cresswell to Manchester City. The left back and Claretandhugh's Iron of the
year - has been regularly linked with City but Allardyce reckons he's only
in the frame because he's British. The manager said in his Evening Standard
column: "What makes players him attractive to the big clubs is that's he's
home grown and clubs must have eight of those in their squads. "Jack Rodwell
and Scott Sinclair, for example, both spent time at City but did not play a
great deal. They are featuring more regularly now at Sunderland and on loan
at Aston Villa."
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"I need a new contract"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on April 18, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Carlton Cole is looking for the big finish! After just five appearances this
season he admits that he needs as much playing time as possible given that
he's facing an uncertain future. Now with Diafra Sakho's injury and Andy
Carroll still on the sidelines, it looks as though his chance has come to
make a huge impact. Manager Sam Allardyce believes he will and the 31 year
old - who looks certain for a role against Manchester City this weekend -
told kicca.com: "For some players who aren't playing maybe the end of the
season can't come soon enough. "But for me, I want to get as much game time
as possible. I have to try to find a new contract, new club or stay at this
club next year. I need to really get that new deal so I need to be playing."
Carlton ios set to play alongside Enner Valencia at City as the team look to
take advantage of a massive slump in form by a team that has lost six of
their last eight games. Manager Sam Allardyce said: "Like ourselves, they
cannot find a way to win at the moment. Hopefully we can test their nerve a
bit."
Irons possible line-up: Adrian, Jenkinsoin, Reid, Collins, Cresswell, Noble,
Song, Kouyate, Downing, Cole, Valencia.
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