Bolton Wanderers are desperate to secure their top-flight status but the
manager knows what to expect
11.04.2008
With 33 games played 12 months ago, Alan Curbishley's West Ham United found
themselves five points from safety.
Fast forward a year and it is Bolton Wanderers who are desperate to get out
of the drop zone and away from the two teams below - while United sit
comfortably in mid-table. Gary Megson's struggling team are four points
adrift and Curbishley knows what to expect from Saturday's hosts from
personal experience. "I'm expecting a very high tempo, very passionate
game," he said. "With their recent results that they'll see our game as a
stepping stone to try and get out of it.
"As I said last year when we were in it, we just looked to the next game and
didn't worry too much about what had gone on and what was going to happen
afterwards. That would be my advice to the teams that are down there. You've
just got to get on with the next game." As for his own approach at the
Reebok Stadium, the manager said sympathy cannot come into his thinking.
"The one thing we'll be stressing is that we were in a similar position and
nobody set about helping us out and you never know when the circumstances
will change," he said. "We will be going there for ourselves and no one
else." Curbishley did have praise for the way Megson has rallied his troops,
especially with the departure of Nicolas Anelka. "They're still there with a
chance of getting out of it with five games left and all to play for."
As for the game itself, the manager is expecting as tricky an encounter as
that given by Portsmouth in midweek, when his charges came up against a
packed midfield and lone striker. "A lot of teams play it. It is not a
problem. You have to be aware they take every opportunity to get the ball in
the box and challenge for it and make it very difficult for you and we have
to be strong enough to deal with that."
For Curbishley, the incentive is there for his team to make their personal
cases for his plans next season and, in some cases, their international
aspirations as well. Allied to that is the benefits to the club's standing
of as high a finish as possible. "We have still got five games left, and I'm
a firm believer that the next game is the chance to pick three points up,"
he said. "That is how we see Saturday. We know how Bolton are feeling. We
have been there before - but we need to go and do our job. We need the
result as much as anybody for ourselves and our fans."
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Bolton v West Ham - BBC
Venue: Reebok Stadium Date: Saturday, 12 April Kick-off: 1500 BST
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on Match of
the Day
Bolton captain Kevin Nolan returns after missing the last two games through
injury and suspension. Ivan Campo is also pushing for a recall but Joey
O'Brien is likely to be ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Matthew Upson is set to return for West Ham after recovering from a calf
injury but Lucas Neill is a doubt after turning his ankle against
Portsmouth.
Mark Noble is a doubt with a hamstring strain but Jack Collison could make
his first senior start.
Bolton (from): Al Habsi, Steinsson, Cahill, A O'Brien, Taylor, Guthrie,
McCann, Nolan, Davies, Helguson, Diouf, Campo, Cohen, Samuel,
Giannakopoulos, Rasiak, Alonso, Fojut, Walker.
West Ham (from): Green, Walker, Neill, Pantsil, Spector, Upson, Ferdinand,
Tomkins, McCartney, Solano, Collison, Boa Morte, Mullins, Parker, Noble,
Collison, Ashton, Cole, Zamora, Sears.
•Bolton boss Gary Megson: "No one is under any illusion that this is a must
win game for us. A good result will put us right back in the mix and we cam
get some momentum going. "The players have been putting the work in and no
one is hiding and everyone is up for it. It has been a testing season an no
one is happy with the current situation. We are all in this together and the
fans, players, management and everyone at the club want to get out of this
position."
•West Ham boss Alan Curbishley: "In the last couple of weeks we have not
done well enough. Whatever the problems we have had we should be doing
better. "Although the last three or four weeks have been disappointing we
need to pick up and need to end the season on a high. "If we can finish off
the season strongly it can give us a big boost going into the pre-season."
BIG-MATCH FACTS
Bolton are in grave danger of being relegated from the Premier League for
the third time, and of ending their longest stay in this league of seven
seasons.
Even a sixth victory in Gary Megson's 24th Premier League match in charge
will not be sufficient to lift the Trotters out of the drop zone, as they
are four points adrift of fourth bottom Birmingham.
West Ham have registered six top-half finishes from their 12 previous
seasons in the Premier League, and are in line for another here. They have
been stuck in 10th since the beginning of March, and will not move from that
position whatever the result of their 250th away Premier League fixture.
The Hammers have won twice as many league games as Bolton this season (12 to
six) and are eight places better off, but they have only scored five more
goals (35 to 30).
Bolton are looking for a fifth consecutive home Premier League victory over
West Ham, from their 50th league meeting.
CLUB FORM
BOLTON WANDERERS
Club stats
Fixtures
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 18th
Lowest could fall: 19th
All statistics and sequences refer to the Premier League only, unless
otherwise stated.
1. No win in 10 (all competitions).
2. Lost seven of eight, gaining one point from a last available 24.
3. Won one of 12; the victory being 0-2 away to Reading on 2 February. Also,
just one win gained and seven goals scored in the 12 since the departure of
Nicolas Anelka.
4. Failed to score in four of the last five.
5. On the longest current run in the highest league without a score draw of
21; the 1-1 draw at West Ham on 4 November being the most recent.
6. The current tally of 26 points after 33 matches is on a par with their
first season in this league in 1995-96 when 29 points were accrued from the
38 games and it resulted in immediate relegation.
7. Had eight more points at this identical stage in the 1997-98 season, the
last time they were relegated from the top-flight.
8. Not beaten a London team this season, nor in 11 attempts, since the 2-1
home success over Fulham on 11 February last year.
9. Won just one of their seven games in 2008, and that was 1-0 against the
now doomed Derby on 2 January.
10. The run-in is:-
Middlesbrough (a)
Tottenham (a)
Sunderland (h)
Chelsea (a)
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. Lost the last two.
2. The 2-1 home victory over Blackburn on 15 March is their only maximum in
seven outings.
3. Chasing a 25th victory in all competitions under Alan Curbishley.
4. The current tally of 44 points is 15 more than were accumulated after 33
games last season; 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 33 games have produced just 75 goals (35 for, 40 against). At 2.27,
it is the lowest goals per game return in the division.
8. One win from eight away in 2008 (0-1, against Fulham on 23 February); and
just one point from the last 12 available on the road. Also, two goals short
of 400 conceded away from home all-time in this league.
9. Only managed one win from their five trips to the North-West this season;
0-1, against Blackburn on 9 December.
10. The run-in is:-
Derby (h)
Newcastle (h)
Manchester United (a)
Aston Villa (h)
KEY PLAYER NOTES
BOLTON WANDERERS
Nicolas ANELKA, now a Chelsea player, is Bolton's leading scorer with 11
goals.
The Frenchman is also the clubs' leading marksman in the Premier League with
10.
The top scorers amongst current players are El-Hadji DIOUF and Kevin NOLAN
with five each.
NOLAN is the leading Premier League goalscorer amongst current players with
five.
NOLAN is a one shy of 50 club career goals.
Kevin DAVIES needs one to reach 100 club career goals (Chesterfield,
Southampton, Blackburn, Millwall and Bolton).
Matthew TAYLOR is a double shy of 50 club career goals (Luton, Portsmouth,
Bolton).
If selected:-
Blerim DZEMAILI will be playing on his 22nd birthday.
If on the field from the outset:-
DIOUF will be making his 100th Premier League start in Bolton colours.
Joey O'BRIEN will be making his 50th career league start (Bolton and
Sheffield Wednesday).
Suspended:-
Kevin NOLAN (one match)
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).
If on the field from the outset:-
George McCARTNEY will be making his 50th Premier League start for the
Hammers.
Lucas NEILL will be making his 350th career league start (Millwall,
Blackburn and West Ham).
HEAD TO HEAD
The Hammers have only recorded one away league win over Bolton since 1958.
That was 0-3 in the top-flight on 18 November 1995. Ian Bishop, Tony Cottee
and Danny Williamson were the scorers in the Londoners' first ever Premier
League visit to Bolton.
There's never been a goalless draw in a league match between these clubs.
Home and away
League (inc PL): Bolton 23 wins, West Ham 18, Draws 7
Prem: Bolton 5 wins, West Ham 5, Draws 3
at Bolton only
League (inc PL): Bolton 17 wins, West Ham 3, Draws 4
Prem: Bolton 4 wins, West Ham 1, Draws 1
LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
Bolton Wanderers 4-0 West Ham United
9 December 2006 - Ref: Howard Webb
Bolton scorers: Davies 17, 52, Diouf 77, Anelka 78
THIS SEASON'S REVERSE FIXTURE
West Ham United 1-1 Bolton Wanderers
4 November 2007 - Ref: Peter Walton
West Ham scorer: McCartney 20
Bolton scorer: Nolan 90
REFEREE
Rob Styles (Waterlooville, Hampshire)
Premier League referees' table
Rob Styles's 2007-08 Premier League card count
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No favours, says Al - KUMB
Filed: Friday, 11th April 2008
By: Staff Writer
Alan Curbishley has warned Bolton that his West Ham United team will not be
looking to do them any favours when the two sides meet tomorrow.
Defeat for Bolton tomorrow could all but condemn the Trotters to the
Championship, being as they are just four points behind Birmingham who hover
above the relegation zone in 17th place.
Curbishley - whose side took advantage of a lacklustre performance from
Bolton during the run-in last season - insists that his team will be going
all out for victory, despite having won just once in their last seven
outings.
Altogether United have taken just four points from those seven games -
relegation form by any standards. However the home side's form is even worse
as Gary Megson's team have to go back to February 14th - some 11 games - for
their last win, a 1-0 success against Athletico Madrid in the UEFA Cup.
"We've come into a situation during the last couple of weeks where we've
managed to produce probably our worst run of the season, which coincided
with the chance to finish in a decent position in the league," said
Curbishley in his pre-match press conference. "That's unfortunate - but we
have still got five games left.
"It's a chance to pick three points up - that's how we see Saturday. We know
how Bolton are feeling, we've been there before - but we have got to go and
do our job. We need the result for ourselves so we'll be looking to try and
get it.
"I didn't expect what has happened to us in recent games. We came into them
really full of confidence - we got the result against Blackburn and then
went up to Everton and played well. At Sunderland we got done in the 96th
minute but Tuesday was a big disappointment.
"When you've not won in three games like ourselves then the motivation is
there - we've got to get back to getting a result. In the last three games
we've been in positions where we could have taken more points - and if we
had played better then I'm sure we would have done.
"I'm expecting a high tempo, passionate game. With their recent results and
with games running out they've got to look at our game as a chance to try
and get out of it. The one thing we will be stressing is that we were in a
similar position and nobody helped us out."
The game kicks-off at 3pm.
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Bolton Wanderers v West Ham Utd - KUMB
Filed: Friday, 11th April 2008
By: Matthew Coker
The penultimate road trip of the season sees us off to the North West for
what could be our last trip to the Reebok for a little while. We look
forward to a 3pm Saturday kick off against a struggling Bolton Wanderers
outfit in a Premier League fixture.
The Trotters are currently teetering in 18th place in the league, staring
down the precipice into the chasm of Championship life. The gap to safety at
the moment is just four points and the fixtures are not too bad if you
exclude the last game of the season trip to Stamford Bridge, facing the mid
table mediocrity of us, Sp*rs, Boro and Sunderland. However, they were
comfortably outplayed by Gareth Barry last week, so the omens, for them at
least, aren't good.
There have been several highly questionable decisions made in both the
boardroom and the technical area this season and the fans have been quick to
vent their anger on chairman, Phil Gartside and manager, Gary Megson.
Gartside is seen to be the man to have made such a mess of replacing Sam
Allerdyce, initially with the inexperience of Sammy Lee and now with a
manager that makes Allerdyce's football look free flowing but without it
actually generating any league points. Chuck in the sale and subsequent
failure to replace Nicolas Anelka in the January transfer window and you can
understand why the fans are less than happy.
The appointment of Lee at least had a kind of logic, albeit an ultimately
floored one. The intention seemed to have been to move the style away from
what had been politely called the Bolton way, in other words football that
includes more hoofing than in a blacksmith's barn.
The panic appointment of Megson , after it quickly became clear that Lee was
not up to the job was always questionable given his second tier cv as well
as his much reported propensity for falling out with players. He started
surprisingly well, he had recently been appointed when we played out a 1-1
draw with them and a draw with Bayern Munich in the UEFA cup and a win over
Manchester United closely followed.
However, the momentum soon faded and they are currently in a terrible league
run that sees them without a win in their last eight league games, the
victory over Reading in February being their only Premier League triumph
this year.
They are also suffering a goal drought of late, the two against ten men
Arsenal was the only game in the last five league games where they have
managed to score. This has contributed to an expected lack of belief.
Recently, it appears that if they are going to play well in a game, it tends
to be early on as once they concede a goal, their confidence drains and it
is down to the opponents to take advantage.
Taking all this into account, plus the Megson decision to take a second team
to a UEFA cup game Lisbon in what had been the one glimmer of hope for the
fans this season, has meant the Bolton supporters are at breaking point,
with a minority planning protests at the game on Saturday.
Line up wise, they will start with deputy goalkeeper, Ali Al Habsi, with
Jussi Jaaskelainen out for the rest of the season. The loss of Jaaskelainen
has not been as severe as Bolton feared as despite a shaky start, Habsi has
settled down to reasonable form in the last few games.
Andy O'Brien and Gary Cahill, £3.5m from Villa in the January transfer
window, are settled as the central duo, the new signing has been one of
their most impressive performers of late and they would expect Gretar
Steinsson and former Portsmouth man, Matty Taylor to start in the wide
roles. Taylor has been converted to a defensive role and whilst he probably
is an improvement on Jlloyd Samuel, the player Villa fans overwhelmingly
voted as their worst last season, it further serves to remove creativity
from a side crying out for a few chances to be made.
Megson tends to play five across midfield with the spit and polish merchant,
El Hadj Diouf as a wide man on the left and lumbering striker, Kevin Davies
on the right. The central midfield trio tend to feature more industry than
creativity, the likes of Gavin McCann, Joey O' Brien and Danny Guthrie are
backed up by the option of Ivan Campo. However, this week may see a slight
improvement in performance as they welcome back Kevin Nolan, who has sat out
the last two due to a suspension.
Up front is biggest problem as the strikers that they have are all of a
similar ilk. Davies (when played up front), Heidar Helguson and Gregor
Rasiak are all big, fairly pedestrian, slightly cumbersome strikers, none of
whom could be accused of being prolific this season (4 goals between them).
They could justifiably argue that this is partly to do with the supply that
they are given but much of the blame must be centred on the decision to
replace Anelka with Rasiak.
The gulf in quality is one aspect, though Bolton's perilous league position
would have made a like for like replacement difficult. However, Megson could
surely have been trying to replace some of Anelka's qualities, namely pace
and ability on the ball. Even more than ever, Bolton need to rely on
thumping the ball up to a big centre forward, but even this tried and tested
formula is failing them at the moment, which in theory should mean a decent
afternoon for us.
Reebok Revenge
No doubt, there will be many of us who look upon this game as a chance to
get revenge on Bolton for surviving at our expense back in 2003 and I
believe that, come the end of the season, that wish will be fulfilled. Even
in amongst this Premier League campaign, where some awful teams will
survive, they look certain candidates for the drop.
However, after the last couple of performances, most notably on Tuesday
night, I am not convinced we have enough about us to put a nail in their
coffin. As we were unable to make an impression on a Portsmouth side so
disinterested in a game that they could barely be arsed to celebrate when
they scored, I don't see where the strength to beat a relegation threatened
side will come from.
We are a side at the moment with little in the way of gumption and the end
of season ennui has kicked weeks ahead of schedule. If a team decides to
concentrate on stopping us playing, as Bolton's formation and line up
suggest they will, we simply don't have any answers and I can see this being
an ugly and scrapped for 1-0 win for them.
Enjoy the game.
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Curbs - No favours for Bolton - SSN
Hammers boss ready for Reebok test
By Rob Parrish Last updated: 11th April 2008
Alan Curbishley has warned Bolton not to expect any favours when West Ham
travel to the Reebok Stadium on Saturday. The Hammers produced a stunning
finale to last season to avoid relegation on the final day with victory away
to Manchester United. This term the Upton Park outfit are safely in
mid-table, while Bolton are battling to beat the drop and are currently four
points adrift of safety. But Curbishley's only concern ahead of the game
against Gary Megson's men is improving on a recent run of five defeats in
seven matches, which included the midweek reverse at the hands of
Portsmouth. He said: "We have been there before and nobody set about helping
us out last season. "We know how Bolton are feeling but we will be going
there for ourselves and no-one else. "In the last couple of weeks, we've
produced our worst run of the season just when we had a chance to finish in
a decent position in the league. "It's been unfortunate but we have still
got five games left. When you have not won for three games, like us, the
motivation is there. "Tuesday was a big disappointment. We started brightly
but it just fizzled out. Hopefully we can put it right. It's a big game for
all of us. We want to finish as strongly as we can."
Curbishley knows the Hammers will be in for a testing afternoon in the North
West, especially given Bolton's current plight. He said: "I'm expecting a
very high tempo, very passionate game. "You have to be aware they take every
opportunity to get the ball in the box and challenge for it and make it very
difficult for you and we have to be strong enough to deal with that. "I
think with their recent results that they'll see our game as a stepping
stone to try and get out of it. "I still don't think they're that far from
safety. That's their objective and it can turn in a weekend and that's what
they've got to be hoping for."
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Bolton v West Ham preview - SSN
Trotters desperate for Reebok success
By James Pearson Last updated: 11th April 2008
PREDICTIONS:
Skysports.com predicts:
Bolton 1 West Ham 1
SKY BET odds:
Bolton 6/5 Draw 11/5 Fulham 15/8
One to Watch:
Dean Ashton
Bolton Wanderers will be desperate for the win when they tackle out-of-sorts
West Ham at The Reebok. Last weekend's 4-0 thumping at Aston Villa has left
Gary Megson's side six points adrift of fourth from bottom Birmingham City
with only five games left. The Hammers have not fared much better themselves
of late having won just one of their last seven league games, including
suffering a 1-0 home defeat to Portsmouth on Tuesday. The omens are good for
Bolton as they have lost just one of their last seven league games against
the East Londoners and have scored at least once in their last 10 games
against The Hammers. Defending has been a problem for Alan Curbishley's side
of late with the team conceding a whopping 17 goals in last their seven
league games.
Bolton are boosted with the news that captain Kevin Nolan is available for
Megson after missing the last two games through a combination of injury and
suspension. Veteran Spanish midfielder Ivan Campo is pushing for a recall,
but Joey O'Brien is set to miss out with a hamstring strain. Bolton are
still without long-term absentees Ricardo Gardner, Nicky Hunt and Jussi
Jaaskelainen, so Ali Al Habsi will continue to deputise between the sticks.
West Ham are set to welcome England international Matthew Upson back into
the starting XI after over a month on the sidelines with a calf injury.
Right-back Lucas Neill is a doubt for The Hammers with an ankle knock, so
both Jonathan Spector and John Pantsil will be keen to get the nod should
the Australian international miss out. Wales Under-21 international Jack
Collison is in line to make his first senior start for West Ham with Mark
Noble unlikely to recover from a hamstring injury in time for their trip up
north.
Bolton v West Ham Last Goalscorer: Ashton, D. 6/1
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Prem interest in Bees winger - SSN
Youngster tipped for the top
By Graeme Bailey Last updated: 11th April 2008
Barnet starlet Albert Adomah is attracting interest from the Premier League
and his former boss has no doubt he will soon be playing at the top-level.
The pacey winger, who is equally at home up-front, has been a sensation for
the League Two side since he arrived from non-league Harrow Borough.
Adomah has scored five goals since signing for Barnet at the end of January
and has not missed a game. But Barnet are already bracing themselves to lose
Adomah - who has impressed the scouts in recent weeks. The likes of Swansea,
Cardiff, Plymouth, Queens Park Rangers and Charlton have all made checks -
but now Premier League scouts are also taking an interest. Tottenham,
Manchester City, West Ham, Bolton and Sunderland are all believed to have
filed glowing reports about the 20-year-old after attending recent games.
Adomah's progress comes as little surprise to Harrow manager David Howell -
who discovered the player in his local park. "Albert lives down the road and
I saw him playing down the local park, I brought him in and after just one
youth game I promoted him straight to the first-team," the former Birmingham
and Southend midfielder told skysports.com. "He played 99 games and he
learnt in every game he played, I was confident he was ready to go to league
football at that point and he has the ability to take it by storm. "I have
little doubt that he is a Premiership player, no doubt whatsoever, he has
the ability to make other players look, well, average. "But Albert is humble
with it and you could not meet a nicer lad, he learns all the time."
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BOLTON v West Ham: Nolan makes Trotters return - Daily Mail
Last updated at 14:02pm on 11th April 2008
Captain Kevin Nolan will return to lead relegation-threatened Bolton in
their crucial Barclays Premier League home game against West Ham. The
midfielder has missed Bolton's last two matches through a combination of
injury and suspension, during which time Gary Megson's side have conceded
seven goals and seen their winless run extend to eight games. Ivan Campo is
also pushing for a recall to the starting line-up but Joey O'Brien is likely
to be ruled out with a hamstring injury and joins long-term absentees
Ricardo Gardner, Nicky Hunt and Jussi Jaaskelainen on the sidelines.
Bolton (from): Al Habsi, Steinsson, Cahill, A O'Brien, Taylor, Guthrie,
McCann, Nolan, Davies, Helguson, Diouf, Campo, Cohen, Samuel,
Giannakopoulos, Rasiak, Alonso, Fojut, Walker.
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Bolton v WEST HAM: Upson set to make Hammers return - Daily Mail
Last updated at 11:37am on 11th April 2008
Matthew Upson is set to return to the West Ham side for Saturday's Barclays
Premier League clash at struggling Bolton after recovering from a calf
injury.
Upson has been sidelined for over a month and was forced to miss England's
defeat to France but has been training all week and is likely to slot
straight back into the West Ham defence. Right-back Lucas Neill is a doubt
after turning his ankle in Tuesday's 1-0 defeat to Portsmouth, with both
Jonathan Spector or John Pantsil ready to fill in. Mark Noble is struggling
with a hamstring strain but Wales Under-21 international Jack Collison is in
line to make his first senior start for West Ham.
West Ham(from): Green, Walker, Neill, Pantsil, Spector, Upson, Ferdinand,
Tomkins, McCartney, Solano, Collison, Boa Morte, Mullins, Parker, Noble,
Collison, Ashton, Cole, Zamora, Sears.
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Gary Megson desperate for West Ham victory - Times Online and Agencies
Gary Megson, the Bolton Wanderers manager, admits his side needs to beat
West Ham United on Saturday if they are going to have any chance of staying
in the Premier League. Bolton have just five matches left to save themselves
and, with only two home fixtures remaining, Megson is desperate for three
points against the Hammers. Megson said: "I would say so because we are
running out of opportunities to try and get out of the trouble we are in and
we are at home. "If we didn't win, there are still points available but it's
such a huge game for us that if we were to win then that conceivably could
change a lot of things for us and put us right in the mix."
There has also been talk of unrest within the Bolton camp over the past few
weeks, but Megson hopes the fans get behind the team tomorrow. "Confidence
isn't particularly high amongst anybody [here]. The players aren't hiding,
they are putting the work rate in so we have got some things we can build on
and utilise to help us get these results but a result has a huge impact on
any football club." "If it's a good atmosphere that gives us a better chance
and another advantage. I'm sure they are intelligent enough to know the
effect they can have on the team."
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Send them down' – Curbishley tells Hammers - Echo News
By Rob Pritchard
ALAN Curbishley has told his players to send Bolton Wanderers down to the
Coca-Cola Championship. A West Ham victory at the Reebok Stadium - where the
Irons have never won in six previous visits - tomorrow would leave The
Trotters staring down the relegation abyss. And Curbishley, whose side have
lost five of their last seven matches, has ordered the Hammers to show no
mercy to Gary Megson's strugglers. The Irons boss also urged his players to
look back to the same stage last season, when the Hammers were themselves
putting together a run of seven wins in nine matches to escape the drop on
the final day of the season. "As I have been in similar positions and the
opposition really don't take it into consideration," he observed. "They want
to get the result themselves too and win the game. "When you have not won
for three games, like us, the motivation is there. "We need to get the
result as it makes everything else easier."
Ravaged by injuries that have ruled 11 first team squad members out of
tomorrow's game, Curbishley's side have struggled in recent weeks, drawing
at Everton before losing to Sunderland and Portsmouth - defeats that cost
the East Enders the chance of overhauling ninth-placed Manchester City. And
the Irons manager has called for an immediate improvement. "For me, in the
last three games, we were in position to take more points and, had we played
better, we could have done," he added. "In the last couple of weeks, we've
gone into a situation where we've managed to produce probably our worst run
of the season, coincided with the chance for us to finish in a decent
position in the league. "So it's been unfortunate, but we have still got
five games left, and I'm a firm believer that the next game is the chance to
pick three points up. "We know how Bolton are feeling - we've been there
before - but we need to go and do our job. "We need the result for ourselves
and our fans."
Curbishley's cause will be helped by the return of England defender Matthew
Upson, who is fit again after injuring his calf in the 4-0 defeat at
Liverpool on March 9. However captain Lucas Neill (twisted ankle) and
midfielder Mark Noble (hamstring) are unlikely to feature. "Matty has
trained all week. We felt Tuesday was a little bit too early but he is back
this weekend," Curbishley confirmed.
West Ham: (from) Green, Walker, Neill, Spector, Pantsil, McCartney, Upson,
Ferdinand, Tomkins, Mullins, Parker, Noble, Collison, Solano, Stokes, Boa
Morte, Cole, Ashton, Sears, Camara, Zamora.
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Whites clutching at straws
By Gordon Sharrock
A DIP into the recent history of Wanderers-West Ham clashes should give
Kevin Nolan and Co a much-needed confidence boost ahead of today's crunch
clash at the Reebok. Victory in itself will not be enough to ease their
relegation fears - although defeat for Birmingham at home to Everton would
help - but it would give them something to play for in their remaining four
games. And, if they can repeat the results of their last four Premiership
meetings on Bolton soil, they would at least be three points better off at
five o'clock this evening. Omens count for nothing, of course, but, after
taking just a single point from their last eight games, Wanderers fans have
reached the straw-clutching stage. Some have even been alerted to the
situation at Birmingham, where co-owner David Sullivan and chief executive
Karren Brady were arrested and released without charge in connection with
police investigations into alleged corruption. The hope is that, if
Birmingham are in trouble with the authorities, they might be docked points.
Don't hold your breath. Nevertheless, those who pay any attention to
previous head-to-heads, can take heart from the fact that the Hammers have
not won a league game at the Reebok since November, 1995, and have lost
their last five, two of which have had serious repercussions for the
Londoners. Jay Jay Okocha's unforgettable goal in April 2003 gave Sam
Allardyce's Wanderers a 1-0 win that proved decisive in the relegation
battle that ended with the Whites staying up and the so-called star-studded
Hammers, who turned out to be the sorest of losers, going down with a record
42 points. Last season's 4-0 hammering - Wanderers went fifth in the
Premiership with goals from Kevin Davies (2), El-Hadji Diouf and Nicolas
Anelka - turned out to be the last straw for grim-faced chairman Eggert
Magnusson who sacked Alan Pardew the following week.
Perhaps more encouraging still is that Alan Curbishley's Hammers - marooned
in mid-table after winning just one of their last six games - would appear
to have nothing to play for, although Curbishley has felt the need to remind
his players that the club's bonus system, including his own, is geared to
finishing in the top 10. In days gone by, Gary Megson might have considered
that a distinct advantage to Wanderers, but not these days when a single
place can be worth well over half a million pounds. "Older people will
remember that you could get to February sometimes and some teams would have
nothing to play for," he said. "But it's changed in as much as you always
have something to play for. You could finish three places higher and your
club's £2m richer. "So, although they (West Ham) might seem to have nothing
to play for, they have. They also have a fantastic squad of players, who've
had a fair old season. They've got a lot of injuries, but they can still put
out a really good side."
Megson believes, however, that the threat of relegation should in itself be
enough to inspire Wanderers to a long overdue victory. "I'd obviously rather
be in their position, trying to get into the top 10, but Alan's way of
motivating his players has nothing to do with us," the Wanderers' boss said.
"That's his business. From our point of view, we are battling to try to stay
in the Premiership and that should be all the motivation our players need."
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