Portsmouth may have Wembley on their minds but the manager is not expecting
the visitors to be distracted
07.04.2008
Portsmouth arrive at the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday night with Alan Curbishley
hoping to cut short the visitors' FA Cup celebrations.
The south-coast club secured their place in the 17 May showpiece after
semi-final success at the weekend and the manager is well aware that some
will expect Harry Redknapp's visitors to be distracted on their return to
Barclays Premier League action. "I don't know if it is a good time to play
Portsmouth," Curbishley said. "Sometimes people talk like that at times but
they must be on a fantastic high. It is great for them. They come down to
earth on Tuesday night and hopefully it is with a bump and we get the
result."
The manager is expecting to have 18-year-old striker Freddie Sears
available, having "had to hold him back a little bit last week" after a
groin problem. He added: "He felt he was all right but I wanted to make sure
that he was available ... when I spoke about hoping one or two players would
be back to give us a lift, enthusiasm and fresh legs, he comes into that
category. He should get some football in the next six games."
While Sears and fellow recent Academy graduates James Tomkins and Jack
Collison are in the frame, Portsmouth will be without the last striker to
blaze a trail through United's youth side - Jermain Defoe. The England
forward has been given compassionate leave to travel to his grandmother's
funeral in St Lucia. Although, Portsmouth will be without a man who has
scored eight goals in the last seven games, Curbishley knows the
sixth-placed club will expect a repeat of their 2-1 win at the Boleyn Ground
in December 2006.
"They came here last year and scored two set-plays and that was just at the
time we were looking to pull away from the trouble we were in. This year,
Portsmouth have again done what most of us would have liked to. They have
brought players into their side and by and large they have all played, they
have all stayed fit. They have all been in a team that has been consistent,
the only bad spell they had was when the Africa Cup of Nations came along
and they missed three or four of them ... it has been a very settled side
and all the players have stayed fit and been available."
For all of the deserved praise heading Portsmouth's way this season, a home
win would move United to within six points with five games left to play.
Curbishley was revealed he was "delighted" for his opposite number Redknapp
for what has been achieved with a Wembley showpiece. "Harry has been around
a long while and he was perhaps thinking the chance may have passed him by
and he has gone and got there this year. Everybody in the game is delighted
that someone who has been around so long has now got to Wembley and not many
people get an opportunity to do that."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Curbs looking to take advantage - WHUFC
With a number of players back in contention, Alan Curbishley is optimistic
for the visit of Portsmouth
07.04.2008
Alan Curbishley had positive news on several players ahead of the visit of
Portsmouth as he looked forward to the chance to put pressure on the teams
just above in the Barclays Premier League standings.
With Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers both dropping points, United can
close to within two and four points respectively with a home win at the
Boleyn Ground on Tuesday. Reviewing the players coming back since the 2-1
defeat at Sunderland on 29 March, Curbishley said: "We had a few come out of
the Sunderland game. George McCartney has trained since so we are hopeful he
is OK, Matty Upson has trained the last couple of days, Freddie Sears has
trained the last three or four days. Johnny Pantsil has recovered from
concussion ... Bobby Zamora has been training all week."
The manager added that Freddie Ljungberg's hamstring injury suffered at the
Stadium of Light would keep him out this midweek while fellow midfielders
Lee Bowyer, Kieron Dyer and Julien Faubert are all looking to next season.
There is though a possibility that Matthew Etherington and Craig Bellamy
[both abdominal] could return before the end of the campaign. With the likes
of Sears, and fellow youngsters James Tomkins and Jack Collison, likely to
get more action under their belts in the next month, Curbishley is focused
on the positives.
Sensing the chance for his tenth-placed team to make up ground on the pack
just ahead, he said: "We just have to get on with it as we have done all
season and we are looking forward to it. We have had a bit of a break. It is
amazing again that we haven't played and we find ourselves where we are
again but we have got to take advantage of it. We have got to get a result
and we will put some pressure on Man City if we can do that.
"We have got six games left with four at home," the manager added. "We are
hoping to do as well as we can. We need to pick some results up. We have had
a bad run of late but obviously we want to finish the season strongly. I
have got one eye definitely on who is going to be available before we start
thinking about anything else [this summer].
"We know that James Collins [knee ligament] is going to be out for six
months. You can put a timescale on his injury. Calum Davenport has fractured
his neck, you can put a time limit on that, but the others are very
difficult." On Dyer's progress from a double leg-break, Curbishley added:
"He is actually running and he is doing OK. His problem is where they
inserted the pin for the fracture. That is causing him some irritation - it
is not the fracture itself."
To underline the planning ahead that is already happening, Curbishley spent
the weekend in Italy with technical director Gianluca Nani and took in three
games before heading back for training on Sunday. He said: "Obviously we are
having dialogue all the time but it is much better face to face. We
discussed a lot of things and I got an opportunity to see players that could
be on our shopping list or not. I looked at a couple of games but really the
main purpose was to have some dialogue ... it is an ongoing situation."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Portsmouth match preview - WHUFC
All the early team news and background for Tuesday night's home fixture
against Harry Redknapp's side
07.04.2008
Barclays Premier League
Boleyn Ground
Tuesday 8 April
7.45pm
Referee: Lee Probert
WHUTV - Pre-match press conference, plus live commentary to come
WESTHAM.WAP.COM - All the news, on the move
Introduction
* West Ham United, tenth in the Barclays Premier League, welcome Portsmouth
with the chance to move within six points of their sixth-placed visitors. A
home victory would also take the club within two points of Manchester City
in ninth.
* A win would also lift United seven points clear of Tottenham Hotspur in
eleventh with just five fixtures remaining. Of those final games, three are
at home and two are away.
* This fixture was originally scheduled for the weekend but was moved even
before Portsmouth earned their FA Cup semi-final date against West Bromwich
Albion at Wembley, which they won 1-0 thanks to Nwankwo Kanu's solitary
strike.
* United have not played since their trip to Sunderland on 29 March. Alan
Curbishley's men took the lead on 18 minutes through Freddie Ljungberg but
Kenwyne Jones equalised before Andy Reid hit the winner in the sixth minute
of added time.
* The clubs have met on two previous occasions in the Barclays Premier
League at the Boleyn Ground and Portmouth have won both encounters. In fact,
United have not won any of the last five meetings with the last win being a
2-0 home triumph in the old second division on 16 January 1993.
Last match
Sunderland 2-1 West Ham United (29 March): Green, Neill, Ferdinand, Spector,
McCartney (Pantsil 46, Tomkins 74), Ljungberg, Parker, Mullins, Noble, Cole
(Solano 65), Ashton
Subs not used: Walker, Boa Morte.
Goals: Ljungberg 18, Jones 29, Reid 90
West Bromwich Albion 0-1 Portsmouth (FA Cup semi-final, 5 April): James,
Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Diarra, Diop, Muntari, Kranjcar,
Kanu, Baros.
Subs not used: Ashdown, Lauren, Nugent, Davis, Pedro Mendes.
Goal: Kanu 54
Team news
* Freddie Sears (groin), Bobby Zamora (foot) have both been back in training
since missing out on the trip to the Stadium of Light. Similarly, George
McCartney and John Pantsil went off against Sunderland with hamstring
trouble and concussion respectively but have also been in training.
* Matthew Upson has not played since suffering a calf strain at Liverpool on
5 March, having been an ever-present until then. Although he trained over
the weekend, it is not certain that he will be involved. James Tomkins and
Jonathan Spector have both had opportunities in his absence and are also in
contention.
* Freddie Ljungberg sat out last week with the hamstring injury he picked up
in the north-east but has had treatment and a positive scan. He could be in
contention to face Bolton Wanderers - depending on his progress this week.
* Danny Gabbidon is working tirelessly to recover from his groin/abdominal
problems but is not expected to play again this season.
* Fellow Welsh international Craig Bellamy is also on the way back from his
surgery and there is a possibility he could return before the campaign ends
but it is now unlikely his former Newcastle United team-mate Kieron Dyer
will figure in the final six games after his double leg-break. He has
recovered well but has some discomfort from where a pin was inserted and is
working to overcome this.
* Lee Bowyer and Matthew Etherington have also had groin/abdominal injuries
with the former recovering from surgery and targeting a return for
pre-season training while the latter is running and building up to his own
comeback. The manager confirmed on 29 March that Julien Faubert (calf) was
also focusing on next season.
* Fellow midfielder Nigel Quashie is also looking to pre-season having
started running again following foot surgery. He is on a straight-line
running programme until the end of May when he can start multi-directional
running and then move on to full training.
* Central defenders Calum Davenport and James Collins are also progressing
well after their respective neck and knee injuries. Davenport has begun his
rehabilitation training and the specialists are pleased with the progress of
his fracture and confirmed no long-term effects. His target is to return for
pre-season training. Collins also received a positive report after visiting
his knee specialist last week. If all goes to plan, he could be running in
six weeks and back playing by the end of August.
* For Portsmouth, Jermain Defoe will not face his former club having been
given compassionate leave by the club to attend his grandmother's funeral.
Milan Baros (ankle) and Lassana Diarra (dead leg) are both injury concerns
while Hermann Hreidarsson (achilles) had worried Harry Redknapp before the
FA Cup semi-final but he played the 90 minutes. Portsmouth's only other
absentees are Noe Pamarot (knee) and John Utaka (hamstring).
Background
* After 32 games last season, West Ham United were five points from safety
and had just 29 points compared to the 44 they have achieved from the same
number of matches this campaign.
* West Ham United and Portsmouth last met on 27 October 2007 at Fratton
Park. After a closely-fought contest, Benjani spurned the chance to take all
three points when Robert Green saved his added-time penalty.
The lineups were:
Portsmouth: James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Utaka (Kanu 77),
Diop, Pedro Mendes, Muntari, Kranjcar, Benjani
Subs not used: Ashdown, Lauren, Taylor, Pamarot,
West Ham United: Green, Neill, Gabbidon, Upson, McCartney, Solano (Spector
78), Noble, Mullins, Boa Morte, Bellamy (Etherington 46 ), Cole (Ferdinand
89)
Subs not used: Wright, Camara
* United's last home game against Portsmouth came on 26 December 2006 when
Linvoy Primus scored in the 16th and 38th minutes for a 2-1 away victory.
Teddy Sheringham hit an 81st-minute consolation.
* Last week's 2-1 defeat at Sunderland was the first time in 15 league
matches this season when Curbishley's team had lost after taking the lead.
* Before Sunderland and since the 1-0 win at Fulham on 23 February, West Ham
United had conceded first in each of the following five fixtures. In all of
the games, the opening goal came inside the first 20 minutes. Ljungberg
ended that run with his strike at the Stadium of Light - on 18 minutes.
* Green has kept eight clean sheets in 32 league games.
* McCartney is bidding to make his 39th appearance this season in all
competitions. He has not missed a match since sitting out the 4-3 home
defeat by Tottenham Hotspur on 4 March 2007 - an unbroken run of 47 games.
* McCartney is the only West Ham United player who has featured in every
league and cup game to date, starting in each one.
* In terms of the Premier League, only Green has played every minute of the
32 matches.
* Carlton Cole, like Sean Davis, is one caution away from a two-match ban
after picking up his ninth yellow card of the season at Sunderland. The
'one-match ban for five cautions' rule was for all yellow cards up to the
end of February. However, a player receiving ten cautions before the end of
the second Sunday in April will be suspended for two matches, starting seven
days after the tenth offence.
* Only David James has started every top-flight game for Portsmouth this
season, although he has not played every minute.
* Ashton, with eight goals, seven in the league, is the club's leading
scorer. Since the departure of Benjani in the January transfer window, Defoe
with eight goals in seven games since arriving from Tottenham Hotspur is
Portsmouth's top marksman.
* The south-coast club boast three former Hammers in the shape of goalkeeper
James, right-back Glen Johnson and striker Defoe. James made 102 league and
cup appearances between 2001 and 2004 while both Johnson and Defoe came
through United's Academy. Johnson played just 16 times in league and cup
before being sold in summer 2003 while Defoe left the following February
after 105 games and 41 goals in all competitions.
* Manager Harry Redknapp is also well known to Hammers fans, having served
the club as a player between 1965 and 1972 and managed the team between 1994
and 2001.
* West Ham United will next be in action on Saturday at the Reebok Stadium
home of Bolton Wanderers while Portsmouth will welcome Newcastle United to
Fratton Park
Head to head (Last six league meetings)
27 October 2007 - Portsmouth 0-0 West Ham United
26 December 2006 - West Ham United 1-2 Portsmouth
14 October 2006 - Portsmouth 2-0 West Ham United
18 March 2006 - West Ham United 2-4 Portsmouth
26 December 2005 - Portsmouth 1-1 West Ham United
16 January 1993 - West Ham United 2-0 Portsmouth
All-time record versus Portsmouth: W 11 D 4 L 12
General information
Tickets: For latest information, click here. For details of getting to the
Boleyn Ground, click here
Weather: The forecast is for rain and a chilly evening in east London. The
temperature could fall to 1C.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Reid gets more experience - WHUFC
On-loan Kyel Reid helped promotion-chasing Crystal Palace to an important
victory on Monday night
07.04.2008
Kyel Reid was a winner with Crystal Palace on his second appearance for the
Championship club as they won 2-1 at high-flying Stoke City.
The 20-year-old winger was making his second appearance for the Eagles since
joining on loan from West Ham United. His debut came as a half-time
substitute in last weekend's 0-0 draw at home to Blackpool and he had
another 34 minutes off the bench to impress on Monday night. He turned in a
lively display, including a shot that just missed the target on 70 minutes.
The victory was enough to move Palace up to sixth in the standings, just
inside the promotion play-off positions. On Saturday, Neil Warnock's side
will welcome Scunthorpe United - the same day as Richard Wright's temporary
club Southampton go to Charlton Athletic and Coventry City, boasting Zavon
Hines, look to complete a disappointing week for Stoke. Before that, on
Tuesday, 19-year-old forward Jack Jeffery will hope to figure for non-league
Cambridge United, looking for promotion to the Football League, when they go
to Rushden and Diamonds.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Spence ready for England duty - WHUFC
England U18 captain Jordan Spence will be back on Young Lions duty in a
friendly later this month
07.04.2008
Jordan Spence is gearing up for England Under-18s friendly against Austria
to be played in Hartlepool on Wednesday 16 April.
The highly-rated 17-year-old, who captained the Young Lions in the FIFA
World U17 Championship last year, will be a key man in Brian Eastick's
squad. As well as being the first Englishman to score a competitive winning
goal against Brazil, he has already earned U19 recognition. Having
established himself as a reserve-team regular under Kevin Keen, the
international match will be a vital chance for him to stake a claim
alongside club-mates James Tomkins, Junior Stanislas and Freddie Sears for a
forthcoming UEFA tournament.
England are through to the Elite round of the European U19 Championship in
May and centre-back Spence and the rest of the West Ham United quartet all
have high hopes of being involved. The Young Lions are due to come up
against hosts Belarus, Serbia and Poland in a four-country mini-tournament
to decide who will compete in the eight-nation 14-26 July finals in the
Czech Republic. Only the winners will progress. For more information about
the U18 international friendly at Hartlepool United's Victoria Park home,
ring 01429 272584.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham v Portsmouth - BBC
Venue: Upton Park Date: Tuesday, 8 April Kick-off: 1945 BST
Coverage: BBC Sport website & BBC Radio 5 Live
West Ham's Freddie Sears and Bobby Zamora are training again after missing
the trip to Sunderland last time out. George McCartney and John Pantsil, who
were injured in that game, are also training. Freddie Ljungberg is out but
his hamstring is not as bad as feared.
Portsmouth's Jermain Defoe misses out against his former side for family
reasons, and Milan Baros is a doubt. Papa Bouba Diop continues to deputise
for John Utaka (hamstring) and Hermann Hreidarsson could make way for
Lauren.
West Ham (from): tbc
Portsmouth (from): James, Ashdown, Johnson, Distin, Campbell, Hreidarsson,
Lauren, Aubey, Diop, Diarra, Muntari, Kranjcar, Davis, Mendes, Hughes,
Defoe, Baros, Kanu, Nugent.
• West Ham boss Alan Curbishley: "We have got six games left with four at
home. "We have had a bit of a break. It's amazing that we haven't played but
find ourselves in the position we are in and we have got to take advantage
of it. "We have got to get a result and we will put some pressure on
Manchester City if we can do that."
• Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp on catching fifth placed Everton to claim a
Uefa Cup spot: "I would love to finish above Everton, but they're seven
points ahead of us with a better goal difference, so it's going to be hard.
"But we don't want to fade away in the league. We want to finish as high as
we can. "We've had a couple of good wins at West Ham in the last couple of
seasons and want to do it again."
BIG-MATCH FACTS
Harry Redknapp, who's preparing to lead out a side for an FA Cup final for
the first time in his managerial career, now takes his Portsmouth charges
back to West Ham for the third time since they sacked him in May 2001.
Pompey are yet to lose there under Redknapp, having won 2-4 in March 2006
and 1-2 on Boxing Day 2006.
The 1-2 loss in this corresponding fixture last season was West Ham's first
defeat under Alan Curbishley.
The Hammers are in a solid mid table position, but have only won one of the
last six.
Portsmouth have won three more league games this season than West Ham (15 to
12), and the Hammers lost three more (12 to nine).
West Ham are making a sixth attempt to claim a first Premier League win over
Portsmouth. They have not beaten Pompey in a home top-flight match since 20
December 1958, when they prevailed 6-0.
CLUB FORM
WEST HAM UNITED
Club stats
Fixtures
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 10th
Lowest could fall: 10th
All statistics and sequences refer to the Premier League only, unless
otherwise stated.
1. The 2-1 home victory over Blackburn on 15 March is their only maximum in
six outings.
2. Conceded 16 goals in the six matches in March.
3. Chasing a 25th victory in all competitions under Curbishley.
4. The current tally of 44 points is 15 more than were accumulated after 32
games last season; and already bagged three more points than in total for
the whole of last season.
5. The 2-1 loss to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light last time out, was the
first time this season they have lost after scoring the opening goal.
6. Only two of their 35 goals have come direct from outside the penalty
area.
7. Their 32 games have produced just 74 goals (35 for, 39 against). At 2.31,
it is the lowest goals per game return.
8. Won four of the last six at Upton Park, lost and failed to score in one
of seven.
9. Kept just two clean sheets at home so far; against Middlesbrough and
Liverpool.
10. The run-in is:-
Bolton (a)
Derby (h)
Newcastle (h)
Manchester United (a)
Aston Villa (h)
PORTSMOUTH
Club stats
Fixtures
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 6th
Lowest could fall: 6th
All statistics and sequences refer to the Premier League only, unless
otherwise stated.
1. Won seven of nine (all competitions).
2. Picked up 15 points out of 21.
3. Completed five goalless draws; only Liverpool match that.
6. The only club holding a 100% record when scoring first; won 13 of 13.
7. Failed to win only one game in which they held the lead. That match, away
to Derby on the opening day, ended 2-2. Therefore an unequalled low of just
two points have been dropped from winning positions.
8. Lost five of the last seven away.
9. Already returned from Blackburn, Fulham, Wigan, Newcastle, Birmingham,
Aston Villa, Reading and Bolton with maximum points.
10. The league run-in is:-
Newcastle (h)
Manchester City (a)
Blackburn (h)
Middlesbrough (a)
Fulham (h)
KEY PLAYER NOTES
WEST HAM UNITED
Dean ASHTON is West Ham's top scorer with eight goals.
ASHTON is also the Hammers' top Premier League marksmen with seven.
The club's Premier League goalscorers list is predominately comprised of
English players (nine of 13).
Robert GREEN is the only remaining player to have been on the field for
every minute of every one of West Ham's Premier League matches this season.
Lee BOWYER is a double shy of 50 career Premier League goals (Leeds,
Newcastle and West Ham).
Nol SOLANO needs a double to total 50 Premier League goals (Newcastle, Aston
Villa and West Ham).
Fredrik LJUNGBERG is two shy of 50 Premier League goals (Arsenal and West
Ham).
If selected:-
James COLLINS will be making his 100th career league appearance (Cardiff and
West Ham).
Jonathan SPECTOR will be making his 50th league appearance for West Ham.
PORTSMOUTH
BENJANI MWARUWARI, now a Manchester City player, is Portsmouth's top scorer
with 12 Premier League goals.
The top scorer amongst current players is Jermain DEFOE with eight.
DEFOE is the top Premier League scorer currently on the Portsmouth books,
with eight.
DEFOE needs to double to total 100 career league goals (West Ham,
Bournemouth, Tottenham and Portsmouth).
DEFOE is looking to net in a sixth consecutive appearance for Portsmouth,
having scored seven in five.
David JAMES has kept goal for every minute of every one of Pompey's league
matches this term.
If selected:-
JAMES will be making his 164th consecutive Premier League appearance. This
run started in goal with Manchester City on 17 January 2004.
HEAD TO HEAD
Last season's 1-2 win in East London completed Portsmouth's first Premier
League double over West Ham.
The Hammers were the only club Pompey beat home and away last term; and one
of six to do the double over the Upton Park club last season.
Home and away
League (inc PL): West Ham 10 wins, Portsmouth 11, Draws 4
Prem: West Ham 0 wins, Portsmouth 3, Draws 2
at West Ham only
League (inc PL): West Ham 6 wins, Portsmouth 4, Draws 2
Prem: West Ham 0 wins, Portsmouth 2, Draws 0
LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
West Ham United 1-2 Portsmouth
26 December 2006 - Ref: Martin Atkinson
West Ham scorer: Sheringham 81
Portsmouth scorers: Primus 16, 38
THIS SEASON'S REVERSE FIXTURE
Portsmouth 0-0 West Ham United
27 October 2007 - Ref: Mike Dean
REFEREE
Lee Probert (Gloucestershire)
Premier League referees' table
Lee Probert (Gloucestershire) 2007-08 Premier League card count
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Alan Curbs Pompey enthusiasm - SSN
West Ham chief hoping to catch finalists at right time
Last updated: 7th April 2008
West Ham boss Alan Curbishley is hoping to catch Portsmouth on the crest of
an FA Cup hangover when the two sides meet on Tuesday night. FA Cup
finalists Pompey travel to Upton Park in optimum spirits following
Saturday's semi-final success against West Brom at Wembley. While
Portsmouth's season could culminate in being the most successful campaign in
the club's history, West Ham's has been one interrupted by a succession of
injuries to key men. West Ham's record against their South Coast
counterparts is less than impressive, they have not won in the last five
meetings, but Curbishley is hoping to burst the bubble of euphoria that
surrounds Harry Redknapp's side at present. "Portsmouth reaching the final
is a fantastic achievement, they must be on a fantastic high. "But they come
back down to earth tomorrow night and hopefully it will be with a bump and
we will get the result. "We have seen Manchester City drop points and we
need to get a result and take advantage of that. "Harry has been around a
long while and he perhaps thought that his chance had passed him by. "I
think everybody in the game is delighted that someone who has been around so
long has got to Wembley."
Curbishley still has no return date for the likes of Julien Faubert and
Kieron Dyer and the current injury situation in East London is affecting his
summer transfer plans. "There are five or six players out who don't yet have
a return date and are in limbo. We are trying to assess what we have got and
where we need to go if we need to do some strengthening," explained
Curbishley. "It affects everything we are going to do. The injuries we have
had are unprecedented. I am not too sure at this moment where we are at."
Curbishley spent the weekend in Italy, meeting with new technical director
Gianluca Nani and watching three games for potential summer recruits.
"I went Friday night and came back yesterday in time for training. I went to
see some players, who may be on our shopping list," said Curbishley.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Curbs - FA Cup not devalued - SSN
Hammers boss jealous of Redknapp and Jones
By Lewis Rutledge Last updated: 7th April 2008
Alan Curbishley does not believe the absence of the top four clubs from this
season's FA Cup semi-finals has devalued the competition. Cardiff booked
their place in the final by beating fellow Championship side Barnsley on
Sunday, with Portsmouth lying in wait following their victory over West
Brom. Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool all fell in earlier
rounds but Curbishley insists it is no bad thing to have different teams
making the final stages. Curbishley, whose West Ham side lost to Manchester
City in a third round replay, admits he had identified the competition as
one of his priorities this season. "I'm really jealous that Dave Jones and
Harry Redknapp are going to lead their teams out at Wembley," Curbishley
told Sky Sports News. "You look at the situation and unless you are in the
top four, in recent seasons, not many teams get there. "They've managed to
get there and one of them is going to get into Europe.
"West Ham and myself would love to have been there. We attacked the
competition as much as we could but it wasn't to be." Curbishley does not
believe the top four can be criticised for their poor performances in the FA
Cup as they are chasing silverware on so many other fronts. "I don't think
the cup has been devalued by their absence. It's up to them how they attack
the season. "If you look at the top four, this week alone they have massive
games coming up, every other day really. "The FA Cup and the League Cup, if
you're a Premier League side, you feel you've got a chance. "It is a chance
to get into Europe so everyone attacks them as much as they can."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Redknapp Revisited - West Ham Online
Alex V - Mon Apr 7 2008
This weekend Portsmouth made it to the FA Cup final, and we welcome them to
Upton Park this Tuesday. Their manager, Harry Redknapp, left an indelible
imprint on our club over seven years in full charge of West Ham from
1994-2001. Yet he's a controversial figure, despite bringing players such as
Sinclair, Berkovic and Di Canio to the club, and leading us to our second
highest ever finish in the top flight in 1998/99. How do we react to
Redknapp Tuesday? One thing we cannot ever do is ignore him.
Redknapp always sold himself as a horse-trader, and judged his own record on
his transfer strategy - most of his self-promotion majors on this aspect of
management. He is renowned for bringing in bargains, moving on players at
the right time, gambling on out-of-favour performers or difficult
characters. Sinclair was bought in 1998 unfit and a pale shadow of a
promising younger player, and shone at West Ham under Redknapp, probably his
best signing, culminating in a successful stint as a surprise package for
England in the 2002 World Cup. Di Canio arrived with his career in ruins
after a long ban for laying hands on a ref, and having fallen out with the
management at Sheffield Wednesday - he became a bone fide legend for West
Ham, largely on the basis of an astonishing season 99/00. The likes of
Berkovic and Bilic arrived at West Ham on the cheap under Redknapp, shone in
the side, and were sold on for massive profits soon after.
What Redknapp really is is a gambler - as a poker player he'd bet any flop,
and would never stroll past a roulette table without a spin. He bragged
about buying many players on video footage alone, or simply on reputation.
The key signing of Paul Kitson, which helped save us from relegation in '97,
was a player Harry didn't fancy but was bought as a gamble in total
desperation. And some of his spectacular successes in the transfer market at
West Ham were punctuated by a huge swathe of mistakes. What Redknapp did,
cleverly enough, was hedge his bets by making enough transfers to cover for
his mistakes - players like Florin Radiciuou or Ilie Dumitrescu came in and
were spectacularly poor, but were moved on quickly enough for Redknapp to
survive with reputation intact. So-called free signings and loan players
came in and out of the club with very limited success, but with a zero on
the public balance sheet they didn't affect Redknapp's credibility - loan
signings can be incredibly expensive, and we all know that free transfers
now involve hugely inflated agent and player fees.
But Redknapp did lead us into what on paper was a golden age of English
football, with opportunities that had never before existed. Through the
Bosman ruling the transfer market was transformed into essentially a
free-for-all, and with EU changes new territories suddenly became open to
exploitation. English clubs suddenly found money pouring in from television
thanks to a football explosion, television deregulation, and the middle
classes warming to the game after Gazza's inspirational turn in 1990.
English football clubs turned from financial black holes into investable
businesses, the recently-formed Premier League fast becoming the
most-watched most-prestigious league in the World. Redknapp was able to sell
West Ham to players, based in the most fashionable city in the World, in the
most fashionable league, paying the most lucrative wages.
And of course Redknapp had the biggest advantage land on his doorstep - an
influx of world-class youth players virtually unmatched in recent football
history. It is hard to pinpoint just where the praise should be directed in
terms of that group of players - at Redknapp, or Tony Carr, or the youth
scouts, or just the academy tradition of the club itself. Redknapp does
deserve at least some praise - he clearly recognised that Lampard, Ferdinand
and especially Cole were key prospects and had a controlling hand on their
progress very early in their careers. Of course, you could argue that some
of his influence was negative - he surely had some influence on steering
Ferdinand towards the unscrupulous Pinars Zahavi as his agent, which
eventually cost us the talents of the young Rio just as he was delevoping
into the best defender of his generation.
With all these added advantages, I would argue that with nothing of any real
note to show for his period in charge, Redknapp's spell as our manager was
much more indifferent than he, or his supporters would claim. Our only cup
was an Inter-toto success, barely registering more than a belly-laugh in
terms of genuine credibility. Our fifth place was a credible achievement,
but it must be remembered just what a mess some of our competitors were in
at the time - Everton, Spurs and particularly Liverpool were all suffering
lulls during that period. In three of his seven seasons in charge West Ham
got perilously close to relegation.
Of course Redknapp always cited that his hands were tied financially at West
Ham - in retrospect you would have to argue that he crippled the club
financially all on his own. His tactic of having a constant churn of players
not only led to instability, but left West Ham with a monster wage bill and
a bloated squad. While Harry would complain about having no money to spend,
he was spending way above the average to maintain squads that could barely
keep up with the likes of Charlton and Wimbledon at the time. He would also
force himself into corners and have to sell players he would have wanted to
keep - both Foe and Wanchope were sold to balance the books and were missed
on the pitch later, and while some of the criticism could be aimed at the
board for this problem, Redknapp presumably knew his financial limits and
continually overstretched them.
On the field, Redknapp's West Ham were a cavalier side, incredibly direct
but defensively frail. This led to a lot of thrills and spills at home, and
pretty consistent meltdown away from home - it was a formula that found
favour with home fans, and there's no denying that West Ham were one of the
most entertaining sides around at the time. We were pretty consistently
compared to a circus act. Redknapp encouraged almost exclusively a form of
long-ball football - punting up the field at the target man, hoping that the
ball would drop to some of his creative players as a result. For one season
it really worked, and Hartson and Berkovic formed a brilliant partnership
consistently using that style to bring results. But for a lot of the time it
was consistently frustrating, and I personally never felt that Redknapp
found a playing style that could bring consistent performances out of his
side. Some of the time, particularly towards the end, it was actually hard
to understand what instructions the players took out on the field with them
- the last season, with Cole and Di Canio floating about all over the place,
was an utter mess and we were nearly deservedly relegated.
Redknapp also presided over too many players going through the motions - I
think his West Ham squad was a pretty comfortable place to reside.
Inconsistency was the watchword - we would look suspect one week against
weak opposition, then on our game against a top side the next. Players came
to West Ham motivated and wanting to play for Redknapp, and after a season
or two start to get complacent. Hartson was a world-beater for a season, and
then was clearly unfit - he let himself go under Redknapp, and that probably
cost us a player who could have become a club legend. Neil Ruddock went
through the motions in the side for a couple of seasons and never looked in
any real condition to play - his complacency, weight problems and lumbering
lack of mobility used to sum up Redknapp's west ham for me. Moncur played an
electrifying leading role in the campaign to keep us up in 1997, then was
allowed to coast through the last five years of his career barely getting in
the side, such a tragedy for a player with real talent. All of the West Ham
squads in those years had players outside of the first team squad just
picking up a wage and never looking like being of any use at all. Some are
more infamous than others - Gary Charles battled with drink, while Marco
Boogers was supposed to have lost his mind and gone to live in a caravan in
the wilderness.
Redknapp was sacked in Summer 2001, and the reasons for the sacking are
still shrouded in mystery. We were in a pretty poor state at the time
form-wise, but most supporters felt it was business as usual and were
waiting to see how Redknapp would reinvigorate the squad in the Summer
transfer market. But maybe the board felt Redknapp's time was up. One rumour
was that Redknapp had lied in a fanzine interview about how much money he
had spent over the season, and that rather than apologise to the chairman or
offer a public apology he walked or forced a sacking instead. Another rumour
is that the club had been warned that Redknapp was in trouble over an FA
enquiry over improper payments during the sale of Paulo Wanchope to Man City
the previous Summer, and wanted to move Redknapp on before the scandal blew
up. It might have been a mixture of factors, and I definitely think the club
felt they could persuade Curbishley to replace Redknapp - Curbs' low-wage
Charlton were really the mid-table success story of the Premiership and the
model to all other teams on how to run a moderate football club within
financial constraints.
The mud that sticks is the allegations of corruption - there is little doubt
that the most repeated football rumour for over a decade has been that
Redknapp took bungs. Nobody transferred more players than he did, and he was
known to have a very close relationship with a number of influential,
morally questionable football agents like Zahavi, McKay and the infamour
bungmaster Rune Hauge. I feel slightly uncomfortable about those allegations
these days, despite the WHO being the only place to 'publish' such rumours
in Redknapp's time at West Ham - I used to live in pretty constant fear of
serious legal threats during that period. Either my articles existed outside
the radar of those who could threaten me, or the individuals involved didn't
think it was wise to cause a fuss about it.
I remember a brief correspondence with a well-known journalist who was
apparently close to 'nailing' Redknapp, but was having trouble getting his
newspaper to print the stories. I suspect there were other journalists in a
fairly similar position. Presumably the story, like many others, never saw
the light of day on legal advice. And I saw this same journalist praising
Redknapp to the hilt on Sky television a couple of years later - never
forget that when we're talking about hypocrisy and lack of morals or ethics,
the journalists cannot even begin to lecture others. I was also contacted by
a researcher trying to substantiate strong rumours about Redknapp and three
other high-profile managers (all Scottish, all still prestigious) who they
were sure were corrupt - when I saw the resulting book all of these
allegations were watered down to the extent of being almost anodyne, again I
presume that the lawyers had their way before publication.
The Panorama investigation of alleged corruption suffered similarly from
lack of real clout, and Redknapp's rule-breaches in that programme are of a
fairly innocent kind (he simply expressed an interest in Andy Todd to an
agent), but I cannot share the utterly sympathetic view of the media towards
the raid on Redknapp's home earlier this year. Redknapp can claim all he
likes about the raid and the investigation being nothing to do with him, but
I beg to differ - the police were clearly looking for clear evidence in his
private records of 'something', and the idea that they undertook the raid as
some sort of tabloid-inspired PR stunt is utter bullshit in my opinion.
But I do have reservations about continuing rumours, mainly based on my
experience of 'in-the-know' contacts - many people in influential positions
are just as susceptible to wild rumours as the rest of us are. There's
probably not much doubt that everyone in the employ of West Ham, from the
chairman down to the tea lady, were spinning the same rumours as the rest of
us about Redknapp's transfers. I can suspect Redknapp, I can even presume
guilt, but only he knows what he was up to. And he may be 'innocent' -
Redknapp certainly cultivated the barrow-boy image that was always more
likely to attract such allegations. And I don't, for a moment, think that
Redknapp wanted anything but the best for West Ham United. But there's no
doubt that in certain respects Redknapp cannot escape some responsibility.
Titi Camara is the signing that probably sealed Redknapp's fate - Harry's
son played for Liverpool at the time and presumably was able to inform his
dad how unfit Camara was, and there were plenty of rumours that Redknapp's
agent son Mark was involved in the deal to bring him to West Ham for £2.2
million and receive a contract that would cost us £5 million more over the
years. To be fair I don't think the signing was much different to the
Sinclair one - no doubt Harry intended to rehabilitate the player back to
full fitness and get him firing again. But when we saw Camara on the field,
and knew that the sale of Rio Ferdinand financed the transfer, and along
with the rumours that Harry may have profited from the deal personally, well
that stank. Nobody can deny that - it felt like an obscene fucking betrayal
of our goodwill and I still take it very personally.
Redknapp left West Ham lumbered with a massive squad and a massive wage bill
- more than double many other teams at our level in the Premiership. He sold
his performance as a budget dealer, bringing in gems at no cost to the club,
but in reality he left us with a financial burden that eventually came
within a hair's breadth of destroying the club. He was blessed with many
advantages during his era in charge, but in terms of genuine success brought
nothing other than some circus thrills to the fans. He was, by and large, a
rent-a-quote idiot in the media and an embarassment. He conspired, along
with an unambitious board, to waste the best talent ever produced at the
club, and some of its finest ever signings.
Yet for all that I cannot help respecting him to some extent - simply for
his chutzpah? His abilities at papering over the cracks to the media and
fans? Of course under a different manager we might have been relegated in
the 90s and languish in a lower division now. It's also always tempting to
use hindsight to find fault with previous managers - I remember at the time
feeling fairly satisfied with the Redknapp era, and I certainly miss the
exhilerating feeling of expectation before home matches, wondering what sort
of West Ham would come out on the field, and which of the performers might
be on song that day. It's weird to feel so utterly critical towards a
manager's record and standing, yet feel a sense of respect, nostalgia and
loyalty at the same time - like the abused wife who cannot bear to leave her
husband.
But you might have noticed that generally I'm not his biggest fan, and I
hope we annihilate Portsmouth tomorrow night.
NOTE: I've edited the article since initial publication, as it was perhaps a
bit too aggressive and definitely libellous. Probably still is. Please
accept it in the spirit it was intended, as a fans' opinion of a former
manager.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Curbishley has "no return date" for Bellamy - echonews
By Rob Pritchard
ALAN Curbishley has admitted he has no idea when up to eight West Ham
players - including star striker Craig Bellamy - will be fit to return from
injury.
The Wales captain has been sidelined since February 2 with an abdominal
problem - an injury that has restricted the 28-year-old summer signing from
Liverpool to just nine appearances this season. Midfielders Lee Bowyer and
Matty Etherington and defender Danny Gabbidon have also been laid low with
similar problems. And Curbishley admits he has no idea when the quartet -
along with Freddie Ljungberg (hamstring), Julien Faubert (calf), Nigel
Quashie (foot) and Kieron Dyer (broken leg) - will be fit enough to return
to full training. "People like Bellamy, Etherington and Bowyer have been
missing for two months," Curbishley observed. "Bow has had an operation and
Etherington is in the throes of starting to run again and we hope that, if
he gets through that, he could end up being one of the players who declares
himself fit at the end of the season.
"Bellamy is in the same situation. He's doing all the rehab but until they
actually start going out there and training fully, we cannot start thinking
about when they can return. "Danny Gabbidon is another one. He played
against Everton in the League Cup and we haven't seen him since. "He's got a
similar injury to Bellamy and Etherington where you do the strengthening
work, but the only time you're going to find out if he's fully recovered is
when you go out on the training pitch. The problem we've got is that we
won't be able to have a decision on them when the season ends. Curbishley
admitted the uncertainty over the club's never-ending injury crisis was
affecting his preparations to enter the summer transfer market. "It affects
everything we're going to do," he added. "The list is incredible and as a
club, we need is some of these to start clearing up so we know where we
are."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Curbishley Begins Italian Player Search - Goal.com
West Ham boss Alan Curbishley has just returned from a trip to Italy to meet
new Hammers' technical director Gianluca Nani. Nani will officially begin
his new role in June and the London club is set to scout Italian football
extensively with a view to summer transfers. The Irons boss attended three
games during the jaunt, including a goalless draw between Nani's current
employers Brescia and Serie B rivals Bari. Nani has already given Curbishley
a glowing report on Brescia right-back Marco Zambelli, with the Boleyn
Ground outfit currently making enquires about his situation. "I went out
there because obviously we need to have dialogue," explained Curbishley, who
is rumoured to be dissatisfied with Nani's appointment. "The opportunity
arose so I saw three games in all in the time I was out there. "I went out
there Friday and came back Sunday morning and was here for training. "It's
an easy situation to get on with and we're obviously having dialogue all the
time - but it's much easier face to face."
Curbs – whose current West Ham crop is injury-ravaged - confirmed that he
has begun to discuss transfer targets with Nani. We discussed a lot of
things. I got to see players who could be on our shopping list," he added.
"I was looking at a couple of games, but the main purpose was to have some
dialogue.
"Nani came over last week as well to watch the reserve team game and came to
the training ground and met everybody so it's obviously an ongoing
situation."
Duncan Robertson, Goal.com
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sears back in contention for West Ham - Guardian Series
WEST Ham's Freddie Sears (groin) and Bobby Zamora (foot) have resumed
training and are fighting for a place in the squad to face Portsmouth at
Upton Park tomorrow night, writes Alex Sexton.
Alan Curbishley could also have George McCartney (hamstring) and John
Pantsil (concussion) are back in training following their respective
injuries at Sunderland last time out.
One definite casualty is Freddie Ljunberg, the Swedish midfielder is still
recovering from a hamstring injury, but it is not as serious as first
feared. Matthew Upson is also still a doubt as he continues to recover from
a calf strain Long term absentees for the Hammers include; Kieron Dyer
(double leg break), Craig Bellamy (abdominal), Julian Faubert (calf) and Lee
Bowyer (groin). Bellamy is believed to be the only one with a potential
return date before the end of the season.
West Ham (from): Green, Neill, Ferdinand, Spector, McCartney, Pantsil,
Upson, Sears, Parker, Mullins, Noble, Cole Solano, Ashton, Zamora, Pantsil,
Tomkins, Walker, Boa Morte.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers boss Curbs goes on the Italian Job
By Guardian-series
WEST Ham boss Alan Curbishley spent the weekend in Italy, eyeing up new
players and touching base with new technical director Gianluca Nani. With
his side not in action, Curbishley opted to watch three matches during his
visit, including the 0-0 draw between Nani's current club Brescia and Bari.
He also discussed future plans with the Italian, who takes up his new post
with the east Londoners in June. Curbishley said: "I went out there because
obviously we need to have dialogue. "The opportunity arose so I saw three
games in all in the time I was out there. "Nani came over last week as well
to watch the reserve team game and came to the training ground and met
everybody so it's ongoing. "It's an easy situation to get on with and we're
obviously having dialogue all the time - but it's much easier face to face."
The pair also talked about potential summer signings and Curbishley
(pictured) added: "I got to see players who could be on our shopping list.
"I was looking at a couple of games, but the main purpose was to have some
dialogue."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton go head to head for £5m rated talented
midfielder - caughtoffside.com
April 7, 2008
It nice to see some honesty in football and recent comments attributed to
Barnsley's midfield hero Brian Howard although not really want Oakwell
supporters want to hear are at least the words of a pro not afraid to say it
as it is.
Barnsley midfielder Brian Howard seems destined for a move away from
Oakwell. Everton, West Ham and Aston Villa are after the Barnsley captain,
who said: "I am not going to lie, that is what I want to do - play at the
very top and it would be nice to go there with Barnsley but if not then I
have to look after my own career. I have scored a few goals, had some good
write-ups and scouts have been down to watch." (various)
I have seen Howard a few times this season, and not just on the cup run, and
he has looked a class apart and should really be given the opportunity to
have a shot at playing with the big boys. At 25 the time is right for the
former Southampton man to make the step up and if he can save the Yorkshire
side from the drop first then all the better. Also the funds they would
recoup for the Winchester lad, currently valued in the £5m bracket, will
come in handy to build a better squad with which Simon Davey can build on.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Curbishley out to spoil the Portsmouth party
By IAN GIBB - More by this author »
Last updated at 23:27pm on 7th April 2008
West Ham manager Alan Curbishley admits he is jealous of Harry Redknapp and
is determined to bring the Portsmouth boss down to earth. Redknapp, who led
his side to the FA Cup Final at the weekend, would love to celebrate another
victory against West Ham, the club who sacked him in 1999. But Curbishley,
who is likely to give new fans' favourite Freddie Sears his full debut,
said: 'Portsmouth must still be on a fantastic high but they come back down
to earth on Tuesday night and hopefully it's with a bump. 'But I'm delighted
for Harry getting to the final as well as Cardiff manager Dave Jones whom I
played with in the England Youth side many years ago. 'Harry might have
thought the chance had passed him by as it doesn't come around too often
with the cups dominated by the big clubs. I'm extremely jealous, too, like
most other managers because they'll be leading their teams out at Wembley in
a final.' It is not just Portsmouth's success in reaching the FA Cup Final
that has made Curbishley jealous. While West Ham's new signings Kieron Dyer,
Julien Faubert and Craig Bellamy have spent most of the season out with
injury, Redknapp's recruits have fired Pompey towards silverware and
European football.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Defoe's absence offers Nugent the chance to prove his worth
Rob Bagchi
Tuesday April 8, 2008
The Guardian
Portsmouth's former West Ham United striker Jermain Defoe will miss the
chance to play against his old club at Upton Park tonight after being
informed of his grandmother's death. Defoe, who has scored eight goals in
seven games since his £7.5m transfer from Tottenham Hotspur in January, was
cup-tied and missed Pompey's FA Cup semi-final victory. He received the news
yesterday and is preparing to fly out to the Caribbean to attend the
funeral. Portsmouth's manager, Harry Redknapp, said: "Jermain was close to
his grandmother and he is going as soon as he can."
Portsmouth will also be without John Utaka, who has a hamstring injury, and
Nwankwo Kanu will be rested after scoring the semi-final winner against West
Bromwich Albion. Their absence gives David Nugent an opportunity to stake a
claim for a place in Redknapp's team for next month's final.
The striker, who is still looking for his first Premier League goal after a
£6m transfer from Preston North End last summer, will partner Milan Baros in
attack.
The 22-year-old England international has not started a Premier League match
since August but came off the bench for the last 19 minutes of the
semi-final and has scored three times in the FA Cup campaign. Even so, he
admits he has under-performed since arriving at Fratton Park.
"Pompey have paid a lot of money for me and it is time I started to show my
worth," he said. "My match fitness is coming back and you will see the real
David Nugent now. I want to prove I am good enough for the Premier League
and show how good I am.
"I do not feel I have given enough to this football club yet so this is my
chance to show what I can do. I have got the buzz again and it was nice to
be involved on Saturday. We are in the final and have a great chance of
winning the trophy and I badly want to be a part of it."
Nugent turned down loan moves to Ipswich Town and Leicester City in January
and has told Redknapp his long-term ambition is to form a partnership with
Defoe, a player he has featured alongside on international duty.
"I have played with Jermain a couple of times for England and would love to
play regularly with him for Portsmouth, he said. "He is on fire at the
moment and it would be great to play alongside someone with his talent and
ability.
"We have the makings of a good partnership because he is small and pacy and
I am a bit more of a target man who can hold the ball up."
With Redknapp expected to rest players before next month's Wembley return
against Cardiff City, Nugent knows he has to seize the chance to stake his
claim for a starting spot in the final five league games.
"Some clubs came in for me on loan but I did not want to go. I did not think
it would benefit me," he said. "When the manager called me to tell me which
clubs had come in I said I would speak to my agent, but deep down I did not
want to leave.
"I had just come from the Championship and did not want to fall back down
there. I want to stay at Portsmouth and prove my worth. I want to give my
all for the team and Harry because he paid so much money for me."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Alan Curbishley envious of Harry Redknapp getting to FA Cup final - The
Mirror
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE West Ham v Portsmouth, tonight,7.45pm Curbs admits
he's green with envy over pal Harry's FA Cup heroics
By Darren Lewis 8/04/2008
Alan Curbishley admits he is envious of former West Ham boss Harry Redknapp
getting to lead Portsmouth out in the FA Cup Final. But Hammers manager
Curbs has promised to bring Pompey crashing back to earth at Upton Park
tonight following their weekend celebrations. "I'm delighted for Harry
because these opportunities don't came around that often," said Curbishley.
"But while I'm happy for him, I'm also extremely jealous because he'll be
leading his team out at Wembley, which doesn't happen every day. "They're
now one game away from playing in Europe and we at West Ham would just love
to be in that position. "We know Harry and his team will be on a fantastic
high and it's great for them but we're ready to bring them back down to
earth with a bump tonight. "This year they have brought players in and by
and large they've played, stayed fit and been consistent. "It's been a
settled side and they've been a strong side. The only time they struggled
was during the Africa Cup of Nations where they missed three or four
players, but other than that they've had a strong and settled side."
West Ham have not played since a 2-1 defeat by Sunderland 10 days ago and
Curbishley hoped the break will give some of his injured players time to
regain fitness. Striker Freddie Sears and defender Matthew Upson are poised
to come back but Freddie Ljungberg, one of 15 injured players, is set to
miss out - much to the frustration of Curbishley. "It's a catastrophic
situation that we find ourselves in, it really is an unprecedented level of
injuries," he added.
"I was hoping we would have a few players back for the final five or six
weeks of the season, but that now looks unlikely. "I've never known anything
like this during my time in management. If you look at the list of injured
players, most clubs have two or three, but no one has anything like this.
"Some are impact injuries which we can't do much about, but then we've four
players out with an abdominal problem that we're struggling to solve."
Kieron Dyer, Julien Faubert and Craig Bellamy - all recruited by Curbishley
in the summer - have spent most of the season out with injury. And with no
news as yet when Faubert and Dyer are likely to be fit again, the
uncertainty is hampering Curbishley's transfer plans once the current
campaign is over.
"There are five or six players out who don't yet have a return date and are
in limbo," he said. "We're trying to assess what we've got and where we need
to go if we need to do some strengthening. It affects everything we are
going to do. I'm not too sure at this moment where we're at."
Curbishley spent the weekend in Italy, meeting with new technical director
Gianluca Nani and watching three games for potential recruits. But he is
determined his squad will not allow the season to fizzle out. "We've six
games left, we're hoping to do as well as we can," added Curbs. "We need to
finish the season strongly but I've one eye on who is going to be available.
"We've had a break and it's amazing we've not moved position. Now we have to
get a result and make sure we end the season well."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Robert Green: A Mountain to Climb, "I hope i Make It!" West Ham - Portsmouth
- Cmon Yu Irons
Posted by Rooster on Tuesday, April 8th 2008
Robert Green Will have a mountain to climb during the end of season summer
break, whilst all other West Ham players will laying somewhere on a beach
basking in the sun. Green will be admirably giving up his summer break, to
help improve the lives of people in some of the harshest and poorest
climates in the world, with the charity AMREF.
Green said: "One of the highlights will be the chance to climb up
Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, i hope i make it" There will a
bucket collection at tonight's league game against Portsmouth. Green added:
"It would be great to receive any amount and hopefully you will see me alive
next season!" To sponsor Green, you can go to:
www.justgiving.com/robertgreenkiliclimb And Guys lets give Harry a hero's
Welcome tonight.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Dyer suffers fresh setback
tribalfootball.com - April 07, 2008
West Ham United midfielder Kieron Dyer has suffered a fresh injury setback.
"Dyer is suffering. He's actually running and doing okay but the problem is
that where they've inserted the pin for the fracture, that's causing some
irritation," explained manager Alan Curbishley in The Echo. "It's not the
actual fracture. He's overcome that bit."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Hines determined to grab Coventry chance
tribalfootball.com - April 07, 2008
West Ham United striker Zavon Hines is using teammate Freddie Sears as
inspiration as he seeks to make an impact on-loan at Coventry City.
"Freddie is a very good player, he is a goal-scorer and he gets in all the
right positions," Hines told the Sunday Mercury. "In some ways I am a
similar player to Freddie but sometimes I like to drop off more than he
does.
"I'd like to think that I can make a similar impact at Coventry as what
Freddie has done at West Ham. I will just wait for my chances and when I get
those chances then hopefully I will take them. I'm just trying to do my best
at Coventry so I can hopefully get my chances at West Ham.
"Me and Freddie used to play in the under-18s last season but I got injured
and that held me back. I've started back fully this season and I'm just
looking to regain the sharpness.
"There's a lot of quality players that have come out of the West Ham Academy
like Frank Lampard and Jermain Defoe. It's very good and they teach you
things you need to know after and during training. It's just about
concentrating and making sure that you do what you do.
"Carlton Cole, Bobby Zamora and Anton Ferdinand have been a big help for me,
they are good with youngsters. They talk to you and tell you what to do.
They've been there so for players like that to show you the ropes then it's
a big boost."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Curbishley reveals Nani meeting
tribalfooball.com - April 07, 2008
West Ham boss Alan Curbishley has just returned from a trip to Italy to meet
new Hammers' technical director Gianluca Nani. Nani will officially begin
his new role in June and the London club is set to scout Italian football
extensively with a view to summer transfers. The Irons boss attended three
games during the jaunt, including a goalless draw between Nani's current
employers Brescia and Serie B rivals Bari. "I went out there because
obviously we need to have dialogue," explained Curbishley, who is rumoured
to be dissatisfied with Nani's appointment. "The opportunity arose so I saw
three games in all in the time I was out there. "I went out there Friday and
came back Sunday morning and was here for training. "It's an easy situation
to get on with and we're obviously having dialogue all the time - but it's
much easier face to face."
The Hammers boss confirmed that he has begun to discuss transfer targets
with Nani. "We discussed a lot of things. I got to see players who could be
on our shopping list," he added. "I was looking at a couple of games, but
the main purpose was to have some dialogue. Nani came over last week as well
to watch the reserve team game and came to the training ground and met
everybody so it's obviously an ongoing situation."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ljungberg confident of quick West Ham return
tribalfooball.com - April 07, 2008
West Ham midfielder Freddie Ljungberg is confident of making a swift return
to action from a thigh injury. The Swede picked up the knock during the 2-1
defeat to Sunderland on March 29, with initial examinations prompting fears
he had done some serious damage to his hamstring. But the 30-year-old does
not envisage a lengthy spell on the sidelines and expects to be back in
contention for a place in Alan Curbishley's side for the trip to Bolton at
the weekend.
"I am obviously happy that it's not a muscle injury, which would have been
surprising considering I have followed a strict training program to prevent
those kinds of injuries over the winter," Ljungberg told
FotbollsExpressen.se. "I hope that the next Premier League game is the only
one I will miss."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Posts
