16/10/2007 13:52
West Ham United left-back George McCartney is relishing the prospect of an
"interesting battle" in Euro 2008 qualifying with club colleague Freddie
Ljungberg.
McCartney's Northern Ireland go to Stockholm on Wednesday night to meet
Group F leaders Sweden knowing that defeat would virtually end their hopes
of qualifying. With three matches to play, the visitors are six points
adrift of both their opponents and Spain. Ljungberg, meanwhile, will be
aware victory would confirm at least a top-two finish in the section and a
place at next summer's finals in Switzerland and Austria.
While the 26-year-old McCartney - along with his club and country coach
Glynn Snodin - had a free weekend, Ljungberg featured for Sweden in their
3-0 victory in Liechtenstein. The midfielder opened the scoring with a fine
finish before being substituted as half-time approached as a precautionary
measure, having picked up a knock. With four days to recover, his club-mate
is hopeful the pair will both be in action, even if that is the extent of
his goodwill.
McCartney said: "I think Freddie normally plays on the left for Sweden but
if he is on the right and I am playing it will be a very interesting battle.
He is a top player for club and country so I will just be keeping an eye on
him and making sure he has as quiet a game as possible."
Two wins and a draw could be enough for Northern Ireland to make it to
Austria and Switzerland, provided Spain fail to beat Sweden when they meet
next month. However, McCartney is not underestimating the difficulty of
repeating the 2-1 victory achieved at home against the Scandinavian nation
last March.
"It's going to be very tough," he said. "We obviously beat them in Belfast
which was a fantastic result for us but they will be a much tougher
proposition on their own turf. We know how important it is to get three
points in this game to have any chance of qualifying so we will be playing
our hearts out and doing everything we can to get the three points."
Elsewhere on Wednesday, Christian Dailly, on loan at Southampton, will hope
to figure in Georgia as Scotland look to take another step towards the
finals, having got 30 minutes as a substitute in Saturday's 2-1 defeat of
Ukraine. Wales duo Danny Gabbidon and captain Craig Bellamy should play in
the trip to San Marino, having played the whole of the 3-1 weekend reverse
in Cyprus. James Collins scored the principality's goal in that contest but
then had to go off with a calf problem.
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Noble at the double for England - WHUFC
16/10/2007 21:47
Mark Noble capped a fine individual display with two goals for England
Under-21s on Tuesday night as they won 3-0 in the Republic of Ireland.
Having been suspended for Friday night's 1-0 victory against Montenegro in
Leicester, the West Ham United midfielder returned to Stuart Pearce's
starting lineup in Cork. His double strike, along with a James Milner goal,
ensured the fourth straight success for England in 2009 European Under-21
Championship qualifying Group 3 and leaves them three points ahead of
Portugal.
Speaking to Sky Sports after being named man of the match, Noble said: "I
think we knew it would be tough here to come and play with the fans on their
side. We got some early goals, we scored three in the first half which
helped us out and we defended like a team. We thoroughly deserved it in the
end.
"I should have had a hat-trick," he added after seeing a late chance denied
by a brilliant block. "I am disappointed with myself with two...I should
have scored a third. It was a great tackle from the lad but two is good
enough for me."
Noble served notice of his intent as early as the fourth minute against an
attack-minded Ireland side boasting several players who ply their trade in
English football. Joining the attack late, he found himself unmarked in the
centre of goal - only to shoot tamely at the home goalkeeper when it seemed
certain he would break the deadlock.
It was not to be long before Noble had made amends, first applying a neat
lofted finish to score in the tenth minute before surging on to a right-wing
cross seven minutes later to find the net with a sweet right-foot effort.
Despite his best efforts, not least with that surging run and shot that was
cleared in the 75th minute, the ever-willing Noble could not find the
hat-trick goal his play warranted in the second half.
In U21 qualifying, the ten group winners and four best runners-up will
advance to the October 2008 play-offs, where seven ties will decide which
teams join hosts Sweden at the eight-team finals in summer 2009. England
reached the semi-finals of the 2007 edition last June, thanks in part to the
20-year-old Noble, who now has three goals in this qualifying campaign, and
Anton Ferdinand, who is no longer eligible.
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Ljungberg plays on - KUMB
Filed: Wednesday, 17th October 2007
By: Matthew O'Greel
Freddie Ljungberg is set to risk injury in order to captain his country
against Northern Ireland tonight. A win for the Swedes would confirm their
place in the 2008 Euro finals at the expense of the Irish, who must win in
the Nya Ullevi Stadion to prolong their hopes of qualification. The
30-year-old former Arsenal midfielder has put aside worries over a rib
injury to declare himself available for the game. However that decision
will not sit comfortably with many United fans who were angered by Yossi
Benayoun's insistance on playing every game for his country last season, to
the detriment of his club for whom he was often unavailable through injury
either sustained or exacerbated when on international duty. Meanwhile George
McCartney - who is set to start for the Irish tonight - says that he is
looking forward to the prospect of facing his United team-mate. "I think
Freddie normally plays on the left for Sweden but if he is on the right and
I am playing it will be a very interesting battle," he told whufc.com. "He
is a top player for club and country so I will just be keeping an eye on him
and making sure he has as quiet a game as possible."
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Noble leads rout - KUMB
Filed: Tuesday, 16th October 2007
By: Matthew O'Greel
A Mark Noble brace helped England under-21s to a comfortable European
Under-21 Championship win in Ireland last night.
Stuart Pearce's young charges breezed to a fourth successive victory thanks
to the 3-0 win in Cork, in which James Milner scored England's other goal.
However Noble someone modestly played down his contribution, claiming that
he was disappointed at not having completed a hat-trick. "I am disappointed
with myself with two," he said. "I should have scored a third. It was a
great tackle from the lad." And on the game - which puts England three
points clear at the top of qualifying Group 3 - he added: "I think we knew
it would be tough here to come and play with the fans on their side. We got
some early goals, we scored three in the first half which helped us out and
we defended like a team. "We thoroughly deserved it in the end."
England under 21s: Hart, Cranie, A.Taylor, Noble, S.Taylor (c), Onuoha
(Wheater 77), Milner, Huddlestone, Derbyshire (Moore 66), Agbonlahor
(Johnson 75), Walcott.
Subs not used: Alnwick, Jones, Muamba, Jerome.
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Gabbs cops the flak - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 15th October 2007
By: Matthew O'Greel
Danny Gabbidon has been targeted by furious Welsh fans after his team were
humbled by minnows Cyprus at the weekend.
The Welsh were soundly beaten 3-1 by the islanders - and the team have, not
surprisingly, been slammed by local press.But what has angered Gabbidon is
the accusation from some quarters that 'he doesn't care about playing for
his country' - something he vehemently denied earlier today. "Nobody can say
that," said the United defender. "Obviously I was disappointed with the game
and my performance. "You hear things said about your place being under
threat but I have to accept that. If the boss thinks there is someone else
who can come in and do better than that, it is his decision. "But for people
to say that I don't care is nonsense. I have shown every time that I try to
give 100 per cent. "I always want to play for Wales, and win. I don't
believe anyone could say I was not trying. I was just disappointed with the
goals we conceded, and I hold my hands up because I was at fault along with
everyone else. "We could have done a lot better, maybe I should not show it
and react the way I did. But I showed my emotions, that is how I felt at the
time." James Collins - who scored Wales' only goal of the game - has been
forced to withdraw from the squad to face San Marino tomorrow as a result of
a calf injury, further adding to Alan Curbishley's woes. On a brighter note,
Craig Bellamy - who played a full 90 minutes in Cyprus - is expected to
start.
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Cole unfazed - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 15th October 2007
By: Matthew O'Greel
Carlton Cole has expressed his desire to be a success at West Ham, despite
enduring a difficult start to his career. Cole - who was signed by Alan
Pardew for £2m from Chelsea 18 months ago - has been forced to endure heavy
criticism from some sections of the Boleyn crowd, after becoming the team's
latest 'scapegoat' for the current on-field difficulties. But despite the
criticism, the former England under 21 told SkySports that he wants to
become a vital cog in the Hammers machine. ""I'm settled here and I want to
stay," he told Sky Sports News. "This is the first time I've actually
stayed at a club and done two pre-seasons with them, because normally I'm
off in the second pre-season. "I'm happy and hopefully I can stay and do
better things for the club."
Cole has played a major part in three goald since enjoying his recent run in
the the first team, yet has failed to score himself.
However, once again it is not something that undul worries him. "Every
striker goes through times when they can't score," he added. "But hopefully
I'll get that one goal - and then the floodgates will open."
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Barca hint at striker exits - SSN
Ezquerro and Gudjohnsen could be on way out of Camp Nou
By Lucas Brown Last updated: 16th October 2007
Txiki Beguiristain has admitted that signing Santiago Ezquerro and Eidur
Gudjohnsen may have been mistakes as Barcelona did not expect their
youngsters to flourish so quickly. The duo have become fringe players at
Camp Nou following the sudden rise of such talents as Giovani Dos Santos and
Bojan Krkic and could be sold if a suitable offer comes in. "There will
always be mistakes because you have to have the players who are numbers 21,
22 and 23 in the squad," Beguiristain told RAC 1.
Barca's technical secretary revealed that while Gudjohnsen is confident of
winning back a place in the side, Frank Rijkaard and his staff prefer to use
the new kids on the block. "Gudjohnsen believes that he still has a chance
here, but at the moment the coaches are giving more time to Giovani and
Bojan," he explained.
Neither Ezquerro nor Gudjohnsen have played a single minute for Barcelona
this term and the Spanish giants may look to use the January transfer window
to move them on. "If Ezquerro and Gudjohnsen are not given playing time then
we will have to look for a situation that suits everyone," Beguiristain
added. "What is clear is that if there is an offer then first of all we will
have to talk to the player. I know that Ezquerro is thinking about playing
abroad."
Gudjohnsen was linked with Manchester United over the summer and was also
said to be a target of both Newcastle and West Ham. Ezquerro has reportedly
been interesting Premier League sides such as Everton and Bolton, but he was
keen on a return to Athletic Bilbao in the summer.
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Pearce delighted West Ham's Noble chose England over Ireland
tribalfooball.com - October 16, 2007
England U21 boss Stuart Pearce is delighted West Ham midfielder Mark Noble
turned down the chance to play for the Republic of Ireland after last
night's U21 European Championship qualifying win. Noble was sounded out by
the Football Association of Ireland earlier in his career because his
grandparents are Irish but he turned them down as he wants to play for
England.
He was suspended for Friday's Euro 2009 qualifier against Montenegro but was
back in Pearce's starting XI and scored the first two goals in the 3-0 win
at Turner's Cross. "From my point of view, he made the right choice," said
Pearce. "He's a big part of this group and was disappointed to be watching
the game on Friday through suspension." Noble lobbed home the first in the
10th minute after Darren Randolph fumbled. The he beat the goalkeeper with a
crisper finish seven minutes later. James Milner sealed the win in the 26th
minute when his effort was deflected in off Darren O'Dea, maintaining
England's 100% record in Group 3. "I was delighted with the performance,"
Pearce said. "They were sensational. "Whenever you take the field against an
Irish team and you are wearing the Three Lions, you know what you are going
to get from the opposition. "We matched them for endeavour and had the
cutting edge."
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Barcelona ready to sell Newcastle, West Ham target Gudjohnsen
tribalfooball.com - October 16, 2007
Barcelona sports chief Txiki Begiristain has hinted they're ready to sell
striker Eidur Gudjohnsen in January. The Iceland international has been
linked with West Ham and Newcastle and Begiristain said: "Gudjohnsen
believes that he still has a chance here, but at the moment the coaches are
giving more time to Giovani and Bojan. "What is clear is that if there is an
offer then first of all we will have to talk to the player."
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Mr Terry Brown - Newham Recorder
17 October 2007
Mr Terry Brown
On May 2 2007, we published an article (the "Article") on the Recorder
Hammers Section of our website and in that day's print edition of the Newham
Recorder ("Aldridge and Brown set to carry the can").
The Article referred to and quoted extracts from the findings of the
Independent Commission appointed to determine the charges brought against
West Ham United Football Club (the "Club") regarding the circumstances in
which the Club signed Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez (the "Commission").
The Article failed to make it clear that Mr Terry Brown approached the Club,
offered to give evidence and that offer was not taken up. Mr Brown did not
offer and was not asked to give evidence to the Premier League. The parties
did not put any evidence from Mr Brown to the Commission and the Commission
was not in a position to obtain evidence from Mr Brown.
The Commission's decision does not identify the evidence upon which it based
its conclusions about Mr Brown's involvement in relevant events.
Mr Brown has asked that we make it clear that he was not directly involved
in the negotiations for the transfer of Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez
and he was at all times guided by the advice of those within the Club
charged with dealing with the transfers and in particular was guided by the
advice they gave regarding the application of the Premier League rules and
any necessary disclosure of documents to the Premier League in accordance
with those rules.
Mr Brown has maintained throughout that he did not apply any undue pressure
on others to conclude the transactions in the form they were concluded and
did not seek to secure the transfers to safeguard his own personal gain.
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New keeper on Saturday? - OldhamMad.co.uk
By The Chairman Wednesday 17th October 2007
Athletic are very close to bringing in a new goalkeeper for Saturday's visit
to Huddersfield but have denied any interest in signing West Ham goalkeeper
Jimmy Walker (pictured). Rumours have been suggesting that a loan deal for
the 34 year old was on the cards but Alan Hardy stated, "Jimmy Walker's name
has not been mentioned at all. The manager has come up with a few different
people and obviously we do need a signing, but I don't expect anything until
later in the week."
The problem is that Athletic want any prospective deal to ensure that any
incoming player will be eligible to play in the FA Cup first round on
November 10th. as first team regular Mark Crossley will still be out of
action on that date.
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Noble double puts England in driving seat
Rep of Ireland U21 0-3 England U21 (Noble 10 17, Milner 26)
Mike McGrath at Turners Cross
Wednesday October 17, 2007
Guardian Unlimited
Mark Noble scored twice to put England Under-21s in control in their Euro
2009 qualifier against the Republic of Ireland in Cork. The West Ham
midfielder was back in the team from suspension and opened the scoring in
the 10th minute, before doubling the lead seven minutes later. James Milner
extended the margin before the break to kill the match.
It was Ireland's Anthony Stokes who was the first to threaten, bursting into
the penalty area and getting a shot away that England keeper Joe Hart was
down to save. The tightly packed crowd at Turners Cross made for a lively
atmosphere but they were silenced in the 10th minute when Noble opened the
scoring.
He had scored in Bulgaria when he picked up his suspension and he netted
again on his return, this time lobbing Darren Randolph after the goalkeeper
had fumbled Andrew Taylor's cross from the left. The West Ham midfielder
doubled the lead in the 17th minute, providing a crisper finish after
Gabriel Agbonlahor cut in from the left and pulled the ball back.
The hosts felt they should have had a penalty when Milner tripped Billy
Clarke but the referee awarded a free-kick on the edge of the area. Stokes
had the set-piece deflected wide. Milner extended the lead in the 26th
minute. The Newcastle midfielder met full-back Taylor's cross with a
first-time sharp turn, and his shot took a wicked deflection off Darren
O'Dea to wrong-foot Randolph.
Despite being in total control, Taylor was booked for time-wasting when he
held on to the ball after conceding a throw-in. Hart was forced to save
three times from Adam Rooney, while Clarke drove across the face of
England's goal.
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Hammers star ready to play through the pain - Daily Mail
Last updated at 13:05pm on 16th October 2007
Freddie Ljungberg is prepared to play through the pain barrier for Sweden
against Northern Ireland tomorrow. The West Ham midfielder will have a
painkilling injection in a rib injury to enable him to feature in the Euro
2008 Group F qualifier in Stockholm. Ljungberg opened the scoring as the
Swedes eased past Liechtenstein 3-0 in Vaduz on Saturday. It was his first
strike of the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. Christian Wilhelmsson and
Anders Svensson hit the other goals.
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Freddie worry for Hammers - Clubcall
20071016 13:08
Alan Curbishley will be keeping an anxious eye on Freddie Ljungberg as he is
set to play for Sweden with a pain killing injection. Sweden play Northern
Ireland on Wednesday and a home win would see them through to next summers
finals, so Ljungberg has pledged to play through the pain barrier with the
help of an injection. The attacking midfielder opened the scoring as the
Swedes eased past Liechtenstein 3-0 in Vaduz on Saturday, his first goal in
the qualifying games, but at the same time he picked up a rib injury.
Hammers boss Curbishley has been hampered by injuries all season and he will
be anxious that the former Arsenal man does not risk further damage, with
Sunday's home clash with Sunderland looming on the horizon.
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Ratcliffe blasts Wales' Hammers pair - This Is London
16.10.07
Former Wales skipper Kevin Ratcliffe has blamed senior professionals for
letting their country down. The ex-Everton defender spoke as pressure grew
on Wales boss John Toshack ahead of tomorrow's potential banana-skin in San
Marino and attacked experienced members of the Welsh squad for failing to
pull their weight following a shambolic 3-1 capitulation in Cyprus.
Toshack wondered out loud whether he should stay in charge after the defeat
in Nicosia that left Welsh football reeling.
Ratcliffe said: "This squad of players is the weakest ever. And there are
one or two who are letting us down. Someone needs to be there for the
youngsters. The experienced ones should be setting an example. "Look at
Gareth Bale, Lewin Nyatanga, Joe Ledley and Chris Morgan. The seniors gave
them nothing on Saturday. And, in a way, they are letting us down, too.
"I'm not talking about Craig Bellamy — you don't doubt his passion. But
Danny Gabbidon and James Collins, for example. They are both playing Premier
League football. It was one of the worst defensive displays I've ever seen.
"That pair have played 20 games apiece — at least — and Gabbidon has
captained his country. They have to show more responsibility."
Gabbidon said: "For people to say that I don't care is nonsense. It's not
that I don't care; it's the opposite. I was disappointed with the goals we
conceded and I thought we could do a lot better. That's why I was
frustrated."
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Sunderland legend: West Ham favourite can expect warm welcome -
sunderlandecho.com
By Gary Rowell
Sunday's visit to West Ham will be the first time George McCartney has faced
his former club – providing he's fit and selected.
George spent eight years at Sunderland and I suppose the one regret is that
he didn't play more games for the club – less than 150 in all competitions –
but injuries didn't help.
He played a massive part in getting the club promoted under Mick McCarthy
and it was a disaster for the club when he was ruled out for most of the
15-point season through injury.
Fans will always remember him for his great partnership with Julio Arca and
had he been fit enough to play in the Premiership that season, Sunderland's
campaign might have been less anguished.
I'm sure he will get a good reception from Sunderland fans.
West Ham represent another formidable obstacle and the fixture just
underlines the fact that there are no easy games at this level.
Alan Curbishley's men have had a bit of an up and down season so far and
haven't been helped by injuries.
But I would not be surprised if they managed a top 10 finish and Sunderland
will have to be at their best.
The encouraging sign is that the Hammers have struggled for consistency this
season and having lost their last two games, they might be a little cautious
this weekend.
Hopefully Sunderland will face them on a day when the Londoners are blowing
cold rather than hot.
Last Updated: 16 October 2007 9:48 AM
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