WHUFC.com
Three goals in three games and a welcome return for Kieron Dyer have left
Carlton Cole in good form
04.01.2009
Carlton Cole is planning to fire West Ham United to FA Cup glory after
scoring his third goal in three games in the 3-0 third round win over
Barnsley.
The 25-year-old headed in Herita Ilunga's cross to complete a comfortable
victory at the Boleyn Ground - the first time he had scored in three
consecutive matches since turning out for a Chelsea youth team coached by
Steve Clarke. Having discovered his scoring touch, Cole wants to keep up the
good work by helping the club at least emulate the achievement of 2006 by
reaching the FA Cup final.
That match saw West Ham United play out a thrilling 3-3 draw with Liverpool
before going down 3-1 on penalties. Despite the defeat, the striker said the
memories of reaching the final of the world's most famous cup competition
were still cherished in east London.
"This is a competition that is definitely winnable for us. We were in the
final just a few years ago against Liverpool - the year before I joined the
club - and everyone is still buzzing off that at the club. I want to be
involved in such a massive part of the club's history myself one day.
"It's not always the top-four that get into the finals - even Millwall got
there a few years ago. Cup ties are the sort of games where you have to
grind out a result and you need a bit of luck to get to the final."
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola lifted the FA Cup twice during his playing
career - alongside Clarke in 1997 - and Cole would love to match 'Mister' by
raising the trophy aloft at Wembley on 30 May.
"He has mentioned his FA Cup wins. He said he knows how it feels and has
been there in the final and won it. He wants to pass on that kind of
pleasure to us and that's what we're trying to achieve."
While Cole is dreaming of FA Cup glory, the former England Under-21 forward
was also delighted to see Kieron Dyer make a successful comeback to first
team action against the Tykes. The 30-year-old made his first appearance
since breaking his leg in a League Cup tie at Bristol Rovers in August 2007.
Dyer's late cameo, which saw the England man clip the crossbar with a
spectacular volley, excited both the home crowd and team-mate Cole.
"He's been training brilliantly. Touch wood, I've never had an injury like
that in my career but he's done so well to fight and get back to full
fitness and full flow. Hopefully he's now going to come into the team and do
well for us. He's such a good player and he reads the game so well. He's up
there with the best players I've ever played with and I'm so grateful he's
back because he'll be a great asset to the club.
"He's a brand new signing, there's no doubt about that. Full credit to him
because he's worked so hard to get fit and he looked really sharp when he
came on and had a couple of shots. I'm so happy for him. I congratulated him
after the game and said 'Welcome back' and he's buzzing."
Cole himself is also buzzing after hitting the back of the net in three
consecutive matches for the first time in a decade - a fact he was reminded
of in jest by Clarke. The Croydon-born hitman wants to keep impressing the
first team coach by continuing his recent run of fine goalscoring form.
"I score different goals in training but that's on the training field. All
the managers I've worked with and players I've played with know that I can
score goals but that's on the training pitch and I'm trying to convert that
on to the field. Clarkey said to me after the game 'That's the first time
you've scored three goals in three games since I was your youth team manager
so our partnership is obviously working again!' He was making it a humorous
thing but it's important for me to keep on going now.
"I'm not even looking at it being three goals in three games. I've missed a
lot of opportunities and should have got more. I just feel like I've got to
try and get better."
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Dyer return adds to positives
WHUFC.com
Steve Clarke was a happy spectator as Kieron Dyer gave an eye-catching
display on his comeback.
04.01.2009
Steve Clarke has spoken at length about how Kieron Dyer will be a 'big
addition' to the West Ham United squad for the second half of what is
proving a promising campaign.
After three successive wins including a 3-0 win against Barnsley at the
weekend, West Ham United are tenth in the Barclays Premier League and
looking forward to an FA Cup fourth-round tie at Hartlepool United later
this month. A highlight of the victory on Saturday was Dyer's appearance for
the last 20 minutes after 16 long months on the sidelines following his
double leg-break in August 2007.
First-team coach Clarke was pleased to see Dyer, who went close with a
couple of fierce shots and looked to get forward at will, get the reward for
his hard work at Chadwell Heath, although he warned there was still some
work to be done before he is ready for a first-team start. Clarke said: "You
can see that when Kieron came on to the pitch he's got quality. He could
have got a couple of goals and he will be a big addition to our squad when
fully fit.
"But we also saw when he's made two or three forward runs he struggling to
get back so he's lacking condition but that will take time. He's been
working on his rehabilitation and only joined up with the group three weeks
ago and we are just trying to integrate him into the sessions and work him
as hard as we can in the way we like to work."
Dyer is set to continue his comeback with more match time under his belt in
the reserve's fixture away at Aston Villa on Monday - a fixture which will
be subject to the pitch being playable. "He'll have a massage and then play
for the reserves on Monday night. He was working on Sunday and then Monday
he plays for the reserves and then if he's very good we might give him
Tuesday off," Clarke added with a smile.
The-30-year-old's comeback was pencilled in for the second half and with the
Hammers already leading through a trio of strikes from Herita Ilunga, Mark
Noble and Carlton Cole, Clarke saw it as the perfect time to welcome the No7
back into the fold. "The thinking was that he knew he wasn't fully match-fit
and we knew it would be a gamble putting him on the bench, but we hoped we'd
be in a position to bring him on to the pitch just to give him a lift and
let him know that everyone was thinking about him. The reception from the
crowd was fantastic."
The midfielder's positive attitude has impressed Clarke, as he had to not
only deal with the rehabilitation from the double leg-break, but the
frustration of having his comeback date delayed. "Obviously it's been
difficult for Kieron. No player likes to be injured for the length of time
that he has been out but he's always tried to be positive. Coming back you
always get little setbacks but we've always worked hard with him to try to
keep him happy."
As well as offering Gianfranco Zola greater pace and penetration, Clarke
believes that Dyer's adaptability gives the manager further options in
midfield as he can be utilised in several different areas. "I'm not going to
give any secrets away but when you've got a player like Kieron Dyer you can
make many positions for him and many different systems."
Whether Dyer will get another chance to impress against his former club
Newcastle United this weekend remains to be seen, with Clarke fully focused
on preparing the squad for their bid to make it six games unbeaten on the
road.
"I am in a position where my job is to coach the players. When those players
come through the door we try to organise the training and prepare for the
matches as best we can and I think in the last few games we have seen some
better performances and that's a pleasing sign for everyone at the football
club."
The assistant coach did re-emphasise the management team's desire to work
with a smaller squad at Chadwell Heath. "You want 20 outfield players and
three goalkeepers. I think at the moment we are operating with 26 plus three
goalkeepers. Maybe you'll get 21 or 22, but I think 20 outfield players with
three goalkeepers is ideal.
"It makes it harder with a bigger squad if you want ten versus ten in
training. You can have 13-a-side if you want but it doesn't work. Just for
organisation purposes it's better to have smaller numbers and you can work
better with your team. It's about organisation and structure and if you have
26 you have to leave out 15 outfield players every week and that is a lot."
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Hartlepool next in FA Cup
WHUFC.com
Gianfranco Zola's men have learned their opponents for the FA Cup fourth
round to be played this month
04.01.2009
West Ham United will play away against Hartlepool United in the FA Cup
fourth round on the weekend of Saturday 24 January.
The clubs have never met before but Gianfranco Zola's men will know they
will have to be on their guard after Hartlepool overcame Stoke City 2-0 in
the third round. Hartlepool are ranked 15th in League One. West Ham United
were 3-0 winners against Barnsley on Saturday.
Fourth-round draw
Liverpool v Everton
Southampton or Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur
Hull City or Newcastle United v Millwall or Crewe Alexandra
Sunderland v Blyth Spartans or Blackburn Rovers
Hartlepool United v West Ham Unitted
Leyton Orient or Sheffield United v Charlton Athletic or Norwich City
Cardiff City v Arsenal
Portsmouth or Bristol City v Histon or Swansea City
Chelsea or Southend United v Ipswich Town
Cheltenham Town or Doncaster Rovers V Aston Villa
West Bromwich Albion or Peterborough United v Queen's Park Rangers or
Burnley
Torquay United v Coventry City
Kettering Town v Fulham
Watford v Leicester City or Crystal Palace
Derby County v Nottingham Forest
Birmingham City or Wolverhampton Wanderers v Middlesbrough
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Parker on his way?
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 4th January 2009
By: Staff Writer
Scott Parker is in talks with Manchester City over a proposed £12million
move, according to reports tonight. Sky Sports are claiming that the United
midfielder could be on his way to Eastlands after West Ham apparently
accepted a £12million offer earlier this evening. Parker - who was signed by
Alan Curbishley from Newcastle United for £7million 18 months ago - has been
a virtual ever-present for the Hammers this season, making 19 appearances
although failing to score. The emergence of 20-year-old Jack Collison, who
has taken to Premier League football with consumate ease could have
persuaded Gianfranco Zola to allow Parker to move on, should the reports
have any substance. The possibility that a new signing could be on the way
to replace Parker cannot be discounted, despite the media's insistence that
West Ham are set to undergo a fire sale during the current transfer window.
We'll have more for you on this as it happens.
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Potential nightmare on the cards
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 4th January 2009
By: Staff Writer
West Ham and Millwall fans could both be travelling to the North East for
the fourth round of the FA Cup - should Millwall win their third round
replay against Crewe Alexandra. Today's fourth round draw pitched the
Hammers against Hartlepool whilst Millwall could face a trip to Newcastle -
but only if the Magpies can overcome Hull City in their third round replay.
That scenario would present a nightmare scenario for the footballing
authorities who would find it virtually impossible to prevent both sets of
fans travelling on the same day, with many supporters likely to make a
weekend of it. Despite the history between the two clubs all of West Ham's
recent encounters with their local neighbours have passed without major
incident, although the prospect of both fans travelling on the same flights
and rail journeys for some 250 miles would present new problems for the
Police. The FA have confirmed that all fixtures will be played on the
weekend on 24th January, although it is not beyond the realms of possibility
that one or both fixtures may be switched to a later date should both
Newcastle and Millwall win their respective replays.
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FA Cup draw: Hammers face Hartlepool
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 4th January 2009
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United will face Hartlepool United in the fourth round of the Cup.
The draw, conducted this afternoon pitched the Hammers against the League
One side for the first time ever. Hartlepool, who sit mid-table at present
made the fourth round courtesy of wins against Brighton (following a
replay), non-league Fleetwood Town and Premier League Stoke who they beat
2-0 in yesterday's third round tie. West Ham beat Barnsley 3-0 yesterday to
book their place in today's draw. The glamour ties from the draw include
Liverpool v Everton, Derby v Nottingham Forest and possibly Man Utd v
Tottenham, should the former win their third round tie against Southampton
later this afternoon. Hartlepool's Victoria Park ground has a capacity of
8,000 whilst the Rink End stand, usually reserved for away fans holds just
under 1,000. All fourth round matches take place on the weekend of 24th
January.
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Parker ready to pen City deal
Hammers midfielder on the move to Eastlands
Last updated: 4th January 2009
SSN
Sky Sports News understands Scott Parker will join Manchester City within
the next 48 hours. City boss Mark Hughes is desperate to add steel to his
badly underachieving side and has earmarked West Ham's Parker to do just
that. Hammers chief Gianfranco Zola is a firm admirer of a player well liked
at Upton Park, but the club's precarious financial position is likely to
dictate a sale. Sky Sports has learnt that Parker has already engaged with
City officials over personal terms that will substantially improve his
current deal of £70,000 per week should the move be pushed through. City
initially targeted Lassana Diarra but have now turned to Parker in light of
the then Portsmouth man's decision to spurn their offer in favour of Real
Madrid. Parker's career has not perhaps taken off as he would have liked
since leaving Charlton for Chelsea in 2004, with a subsequent move to
Newcastle not seeing the best of him either. At West Ham, though, he has
rediscovered his best form and has forced his way back into the England
reckoning under Fabio Capello. It is such displays of late that have
prompted a sizeable offer from City and it does now look as though he will
become the latest big money signing to make the switch to Eastlands.
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Cole delight at Dyer return
Hammers striker believes Dyer return is like having a new signing
By Richard Bailey Last updated: 4th January 2009
SSN
West Ham United striker Carlton Cole believes that the return to fitness of
midfielder Kieron Dyer is like having a new signing at the club. Despite the
January transfer window having only just opened speculation surrounds some
of the club's big name players with Matthew Upson, Scott Parker and Craig
Bellamy all linked with moves away from Upton Park. With so many players
subject to bids from rival clubs Dyer's first appearance for 17 months, when
he came off the bench in the Hammers' 3-0 win over Barnsley, on Saturday
went somewhat unnoticed. Dyer's 20-minute cameo in the third round of the FA
Cup is sure to brighten the mood at Upton Park and Cole is one player who
cannot wait to link up with the former Ipswich and Newcastle man. "Kieron's
been training brilliantly. He's such a good player, he reads the game so
well for us," the former Chelsea striker enthused. "He's going to be a great
asset for the club. It's like a brand new signing for the club. He looked
sharp when he came on. I congratulated him after the game. He's buzzing.
"Kieron and Bellamy are two rapid players to play alongside you and I'm
happy they're both back in action."
With many Premier League managers preferring survival over silverware Cole
insists that boss Gianfranco Zola, who won the FA Cup twice as a player,
sees the trophy as a chance to win some long awaited silverware. "The
manager wants to do well in this competition and we've got to grind out
results," he urged. "We were expecting Barnsley to give us a hard time.
They've given other teams a hard time in the cup in the past. "We knew
they'd set their stall out and they did. We had to just concentrate on our
own game and get a result."
While the rest of squad enjoy two days off Dyer is expected to turn out for
the reserves against Aston Villa on Monday to regain match sharpness. The
Hammers' recent good form, which has seen them record three successive wins
following Saturday's result, coincides with Cole's own good form after his
goal against Barnsley made it three goals in as many games for the first
time since his Chelsea youth team days. "I've not scored three goals in
three games since I was in the youth team and Clarkey (Steve Clarke) was my
youth team manager," he explained. "He said to me: 'Our partnership's
working again'. It's very important we keep on going now. I've got to get
better and keep on with this momentum."
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Keiron Dyer lifts gloom hanging over West Ham
West Ham United (2) 3 Barnsley (0) 0
Telegraph
By Tom Cary
Last Updated: 9:37PM GMT 04 Jan 2009
An unmistakeable whiff of anxiety permeates West Ham, despite the recent
upturn in results. This routine win over last season's FA Cup giant-killers
Barnsley – a third in succession for Gianfranco Zola's side – could not
dispel talk of Icelandic banking crises, looming administration and possible
fire sales. "There is nothing we can do about it," said assistant manager
Steve Clarke. "I just get paid to coach the players that are here."
Clarke denied there was anything sinister in the absence of Matthew Upson,
who he said was suffering the after-effects of flu rather than avoiding
being Cup-tied, and that he expected Craig Bellamy "to be here next week,"
although he did admit the squad needed paring down. Kieron Dyer provided one
chink of light. After 17 months out injured, Dyer looked electric in his
brief cameo and nearly scored with his second touch. He will play in
tonight's reserve match against Aston Villa. "It's like a new signing for
the club," said striker Carlton Cole, who scored his third in three games
after Herita Ilunga and a Mark Noble penalty had put West Ham 2-0 up at the
break. "He has been training brilliantly and is going to be a great asset
for the club."
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Lucas Neill spotted at AC Milan training
WWOS staff
wwos.ninemsn.com.au
16:00 AEST Mon Jan 5 2009
A wage bill of around $140,000 a week for Australia's Lucas Neill may be
getting to expensive for English Premier League club West Ham but it's
certainly not beyond the reach of Italian super club, AC Milan. With the
transfer window just around the corner, speculation is rife that the
Socceroo star is about to leave Hammers but the location of his next home
may have been made just a little clearer. While David Beckham, Kaka, Andriy
Shevchenko and Ronaldinho went through their paces at the AC Milan training
camp in Dubai on Saturday, a casually dressed Neill was spotted standing at
the Al Nasr Sports Club stands. Meantime, West Ham defeated Barnsley 3-0 at
Upton Park in the FA Cup. The 30 year-old has not played for West Ham since
the Boxing Day hefty 4-1 defeat of Portsmouth. Just two years ago, Neill
signed with West Ham reportedly knocking back a bid from Liverpool. It is
believed that should a club be willing to take on the final six months of
Neill's contract which expires in June, West Ham will consider a free
transfer. Neill's former club Blackburn Rovers, where he played from 2001 to
2007, is believed to be considering re-hiring his services, as is Harry
Kewell's club Galatasaray.
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Julian Dicks named as Wivenhoe Town boss
7:03am Monday 5th January 2009
GazetteNews.co.uk
By Simon Spurgeon »
Julian Dicks is expecting his Wivenhoe Town players to provide the sort of
passion that he showed during his playing days at Upton Park and Anfield.
The tough-tackling 40-year-old West Ham legend and Liverpool full-back is
taking over the managerial reins at Broad Lane today and is under no
illusion about the size of the task that lies ahead of him. Dicks retired
from the professional game nine years ago after knee problems halted his
glittering career, during which time his no-nonsense playing style made him
a hero to the West Ham fans in two stints at the East London club, and he
has been living in Spain for the past three years near Alicante. He has
decided to turn his back on the Iberian sun to take charge at the Dragons,
but it is not an easy situation that he steps into. Large debts hang over
the club and their 5-0 Ridgeons League premier division defeat by Tiptree
United on Saturday extended their unbeaten run to nine games under manager
Wayne Ward, following the departure of former boss Richard Carter. The lack
of funds at Broad Lane means the Dragons' squad has an extremely
inexperienced look to it, but the new boss insists he will stay loyal to the
policy of using local talent and will be demanding maximum effort from his
players as they bid to turn their fortunes around.
"It will be hard work, but I'm always up for a challenge," he said. "The
buck stops with the players and if they graft hard enough, we will be fine.
"They are young players and they need guidance and hopefully things will
change. "We also have some potential backers and there may be some money to
be put in. "I don't want to name names at the moment in case it does not
happen, but I hope one or two will come on board and if things are right,
they will back us. "The buck stops with myself and the players that play and
if things are right on the pitch, then things will be right off it. "My main
focus is on the pitch as I am the manager of the club. "It will be tough as
there is no money for players, but I will be working with Wayne Ward as my
assistant. "You can't do it on your own. It is a team game and we will be
working together to get out of the situation we are in at the moment. "I
have been coaching and managing a bit in Spain so I have still been involved
in football. "Coming back will be different as even though the players have
been of a similar standard over in Spain, the council always puts money in
over there. "It will be different, but it is like riding a bike and you
don't forget. "I have a blank canvas to work with. "I watched them play a
couple of weeks ago when they got beaten by Needham Market and the players
worked really hard and I thought it was something I could work with. "They
tired in the second half and ended up losing 4-0, so I will look at their
fitness and will look to motivate them. "I'm not being paid and I have a
good life in Spain, so while I can't say to fans 'I can guarantee things
will be great in a few months' as I would be lying, I can say that I will
give 110 per cent. "That is what I did as a player and that is what I will
do in management. "Supporters pay £6 to get in and are entitled to their
money's worth and I will guarantee that those players will give 110 per cent
or I will look to get in other players who can do the job."
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Monday latest
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 5th January 2009
By: Staff Writer
A round up of the Monday morning Hammers transfer headlines ...
The Times claim that Calum Davenport is now in talks with Bolton over a
proposed move. Bolton's interest has become widely known in recent days
after the central defender fell out with manager Gianfranco Zola. No price
is mentioned although the Hammers are likely to accept around £2million,
£1million less than they paid Tottenham for his services two years ago.
News of Manchester City's interest in Scott Parker is dealt with elsewhere
(see KUMB news) but the Eastlands-based club are also said to have made an
improved bid for striker Craig Bellamy, according to the Independent.
Despite Gianfranco Zola's insistence that Bellamy remains very much a part
of his plans an offer of around £15million could tempt the Hammers boss into
a sale - assuming he would receive the bulk of the deal in order to replace
the Welsh international.
Meanwhile former Hammers target Stephen Appiah will begin training with
Harry Redknapp's Tottenham today with view to signing a permanent contract.
The Hammers had tracked Appiah over the summer but failed to reach an
agreement with the free agent prior to the end of the summer transfer window
due to his excessive demands.
Staying out of the firing line is Gianfranco Zola, who hotfooted it to
Sardinia straight after Saturday's FA Cup win over Barnsley - so much so
that Steve Clarke was asked to cover the press briefings.
Rumours of a bust-up with Scott Duxbury with regard to the possible sale of
Scott Parker to Manchester City have been uttered although the official line
is that Zola is visiting family; horse's heads on the pillow for anyone who
dare suggest otherwise...
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City step up Bellamy hunt
Offer to West Ham for Welsh striker and midfielder Parker increased to £20m
By Sam Wallace
Monday, 5 January 2009
Independent.co.uk Web
Manchester City have responded to their disastrous FA Cup third-round defeat
to Nottingham Forest in the fashion expected of the richest club in the
world: by raising to £20m their bid for the West Ham pair of Craig Bellamy
and Scott Parker. It is understood that the new bid was put together before
Saturday's game and City expect an answer this week.
Bellamy and Parker are both aware that they could improve their wages by
going to City but will wait to learn West Ham's reaction first. The last bid
for the pair by City, of £15m, which was delivered on 27 December, was
firmly rejected by the West Ham chief executive, Scott Duxbury, who will
presumably believe now that he can extract even more from City as they
desperately try to strengthen their squad.
Bellamy's first choice, should he leave West Ham, is known to be Tottenham
but their bid of £6m, rejected on Boxing Day, looks ever more puny compared
to the amount that City are prepared to pay. It is Bellamy whom West Ham are
more eager to keep out of the two players, although it appears that they
will be tested to the limit this month with City's need all the greater
after another humiliating defeat on Saturday.
After the match, Mark Hughes (right) said that the 3-0 home defeat to
Forest, currently 21st in the Championship, demonstrated the "frail" element
at the heart of his team which he evidently hopes Parker, an aggressive
holding midfielder, can change. "At the moment we are frail, we lack a
physical presence," he said. "It's evident that we need a certain type of
player to help in that respect and we need good players in key areas of the
field to make sure we are strong and don't compromise ourselves."
The City manager is not expected to be under any immediate pressure with
regard to his job after a performance he called "not acceptable". However,
there is no doubt that preparations to bring some of the biggest names in
football to City in the summer are progressing whether Hughes is still at
the club or not. The Milan playmaker Kaka and Valencia's David Villa are the
two most likely targets.
The Ghana midfielder Stephen Appiah will start training with Tottenham today
with a view to signing for the club until the end of the season. Appiah, 28,
is effectively out of contract although he has a long-standing legal wrangle
with his former club Fenerbahce relating to his last contract.
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City poised to buy Parker and Santa Cruz for £30m
Blackburn striker would cost £18m plus Ben Haim
Two transfers would take Hughes's outlay past £100m
Daniel Taylor The Guardian, Sunday 4 January 2009
Manchester City confidently expect to conclude another £30m worth of
transfer business this week, and possibly within 48 hours, after responding
to their FA Cup exit at the hands of Nottingham Forest by lodging bids for
Scott Parker of West Ham United and their long-time target Roque Santa Cruz
of Blackburn Rovers.
A £12m deal for Parker was close to being finalised last night and if, as
expected, the former Chelsea player agrees personal terms, it will take Mark
Hughes's spending more than £100m since he was appointed manager seven
months ago.
The Premier League's richest club also believe they have finally made a
breakthrough in their negotiations for Santa Cruz. City will make a one-off
payment of around £18m and include Tal Ben Haim in the package, thus
reuniting the Israel international with his former manager from Bolton
Wanderers, Sam Allardyce.
This flurry of spending indicates that, for now at least, the Abu Dhabi
United Group are still willing to entrust Hughes with an extensive
recruitment programme that could feasibly see them spending in excess of
£100m this month. The first signing was completed on Saturday when Wayne
Bridge arrived from Chelsea for a fee of around £12m, having signed a
4½-year contract that is understood to make him the highest paid full-back
in the world, with a salary close to £100,000.
City are also willing to swell the bank accounts of a number of other
players, notably Craig Bellamy of West Ham, Jermain Defoe of Portsmouth,
Arsenal's Kolo Touré and the Newcastle United goalkeeper Shay Given. There
are, however, complications in each case. City are not entirely confident
West Ham will agree to sell them two of their best players at once, so that
might rule out Bellamy. If so, that would prompt City to accelerate their
interest in Defoe even though it is known he would rather rejoin Tottenham
Hotspur. Portsmouth want a fee of around £20m, which would be no problem to
City but has created difficulties for Spurs.
Touré has been on City's radar for the last few months and informed Arsenal
over Christmas that he would like to leave. Hughes has lost faith with his
centre-halves, Richard Dunne and Micah Richards, but Touré's position has
altered after a meeting with Arsenal's manager, Arsène Wenger, and he is now
understood to have withdrawn his request for a transfer.
The same cannot be said of Given, who is determined to leave Newcastle after
becoming disillusioned because of the seemingly endless turmoil at St James'
Park. Hughes, however, does not regard Given as a high priority and is
merely monitoring the situation.
The 3–0 defeat inflicted by a Forest side fourth from bottom of the
Championship has also strengthened City's desire to sell Elano and they will
encourage Lazio to follow up their interest in a player who is regarded as a
troublemaker by the club's management. Elano has already been fined by
Hughes for criticising him in a television interview and had a row on the
pitch with a team-mate, Daniel Sturridge, on Saturday.
While the priority is to increase the squad, several other players will
leave. Ben Haim, a £5m recruit from Chelsea, was the first player to arrive
at City after Hughes became manager but he was bought on the say-so of the
former owner, Thaksin Shinawatra, and it has since been made clear to him he
has no future at the club. Jo, the Brazilian who cost £19m from CSKA Moscow
with a further £5m going to agents, is another Thaksin signing and will be
available once Santa Cruz's transfer is confirmed. Dietmar Hamann, Darius
Vassell and Michael Ball also have an uncertain future after Saturday's
humiliation.
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Man City confident improved bid will land West Ham's Parker
05.01.09 | tribalfootball.com
Manchester City are on the verge of sealing a deal for West Ham United
midfielder Scott Parker. The Daily Mail says City offered West Ham
£16million for Parker and Craig Bellamy and have been quoted £20m. Last
night Parker's switch - valued at £12m - was almost done. City insiders do
not believe West Ham will sell them both players.
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West Ham No2 Clarke admits sales must be made
05.01.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United assistant boss Steve Clarke admits they're looking to sell
fringe players this month. "We are very pleased with the way that things are
going. You can see on the pitch that things are improving, you can see that
we have worked very hard to get to this position and don't want to let it
go," said Clarke. "In the last few games we have seen better performances
and that is a pleasing sign for everyone at the club. "Ideally you want a
squad of 20 plus three goalkeepers. The maximum is 22 plus three goalkeepers
- right now we are operating with 26 outfield players. "That means you can't
have a 10 v 10 in training or 11 v 11 in training - you can have 13-a-side
but that doesn't work. It works better to have smaller numbers."
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West Ham No2 Clarke: Dyer will make life easier for Zola
05.01.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United assistant boss Steve Clarke admits a fit-again Kieron Dyer
will make life easier for manager Gianfranco Zola. "I'm not going to give
any secrets away but when you've got a player like Kieron Dyer you can make
many positions for him and many different systems," he told whufc.com.
"He'll have a massage and then play for the reserves on Monday night. He was
working on Sunday and then Monday he plays for the reserves and then if he's
very good we might give him Tuesday off," Clarke added with a smile.
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USA defender Spector happy with West Ham return
05.01.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United defender Jonathan Spector was delighted to be in the squad
for their victory over Stoke City. The USA international had been sidelined
since April with a hip injury and told Soccer365: "It felt great to return
to playing in the Premier League after being sidelined for so long.
"Although it was only a short appearance, it was nice to be part of the
team's home victory. "I have not had any adverse side effects, and my hip
feels as good as can be expected at this stage."
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West Ham's Parker settles personal terms with Man City
05.01.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United midfielder Scott Parker has settled personal terms with
Manchester City. Sky Sports News says Parker has already engaged with City
officials over personal terms that will substantially improve his current
deal of £70,000 per week should the move be pushed through. A deal to take
Parker to Eastlands is expected to go through in the next 24 hours.
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Bolton locked in West Ham talks for Davenport
05.01.09 | tribalfootball.com
Bolton Wanderers are in talks with West Ham United for defender Calum
Davenport. The Times says Davenport cost £3 million from Tottenham Hotspur
but has started only 12 league matches, in part, because of injuries. The
26-year-old has looked ungainly alongside Matthew Upson and West Ham, who
want to cut costs, have six other players who can play in that position.
Davenport joined Watford on loan a year ago, but suffered a broken bone in
his neck on his debut against Charlton Athletic and missed the rest of the
season.
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West Ham's Cole: Bellamy offers constructive criticism - LOUDLY!
05.01.09 | tribalfootball.com
Carlton Cole has laughed off talk of on-field rows with West Ham United
strike-partner Craig Bellamy. "Bellamy gives me constructive criticism —
just in a loud way!" Cole admitted, after the pair exchanged views several
times during their FA Cup triumph over Barnsley.
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