WHUFC.com
The manager is expecting 'terrific support' yet again for the visit of champions Chelsea
11.09.2010
Avram Grant has issued a rallying call ahead of his first derby date as West Ham United manager on what is sure to be a fired up Boleyn Ground on Saturday. With the transfer window firmly shut, key men such as Scott Parker and Carlton Cole going nowhere and the likes of Tal Ben Haim, Lars Jacobsen, Valon Behrami and Victor Obinna all in the manager's thoughts for the first time in the league this season, there have been plenty of positives in preparation for Chelsea. Writing in his programme notes, Grant said: "We welcome our new players and I am sure they will have a lot of success. From now on we know we are all together. We will get better with every game and we will see the results on the pitch. "Contrary to what some might think, we have not written off this game. Of course we know it will be one of the most difficult matches of the season but my experience tells me that football can always surprise. "This is a London derby and I don't need to ask you to be behind us. Your support continues to be terrific and we will do our very best to make you proud."
Grant alluded to a groundswell of fan support for the singing of 'Bubbles' in the 66th minute, to recognise the club's part in the 1966 FIFA World Cup triumph - whatever the situation facing his men. "What a fantastic idea and typical of the unique fans that have helped make this club great," he said. Although he has only been at the club for a short space of time, the manager added that he has already been left well aware of what being a Hammers fan means to so many. "I meet West Ham fans constantly wherever I go and the passion in their eyes is plain to see."
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Jacobsen ready if required
WHUFC.com
New right-back recruit Lars Jacobsen has a score or two to settle with Chelsea
11.09.2010
Lars Jacobsen may only have had two days training with West Ham United but the right-back would relish the chance to line up against Chelsea this afternoon. The Denmark international - fresh from a strong showing on midweek UEFA Euro 2012 duty at home to Iceland - was part of the Everton side beaten 2-1 by Chelsea in the 2009 FA Cup final at Wembley. It was a terrific experience but he would love to put that right and make it a potential dream debut for his new club. "The FA Cup final was unbelievable, I played the second half and loved it. We didn't get the result but it was a very big game for me to get the chance to play at Wembley in front of those fans. It would be nice to get some revenge, but more importantly we need the points. It would be very nice way to start."
Having not had much time with his new colleagues, Jacobsen accepts that the manager may not employ his services straight away - much as he cannot wait to don the claret and blue. "I hope to play, of course, but. I am not the type of guy that turns up and expects to play. Getting selected comes with hard work and playing well when you get the chance. I am hoping the manager will see that but I know I have to prove myself, work hard and be professional.
"It would be terrific to play against Chelsea. They are a strong team but that is the Premier League, every game is tough. It is up to the manager. I won't have any expectations. I will train my best and see how it goes."
In all eight new signings have arrived at the club and the experienced Jacobsen said time was required before all would click. "It is always a bit difficult to get into a new groove and of course it will be like that for everyone. We need to settle in and get used to the manager's style and get used to the environment at the club."
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Avram on Friday
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's manager has spoken to the press ahead of the visit of Chelsea on Saturday
10.09.2010
Avram Grant has conducted his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's Barclays Premier League visit of Chelsea to the Boleyn Ground. The manager spoke positively about the expected fervent home support against the champions, Scott Parker signing a new contract and the return to fitness of Kieron Dyer. Grant also spoke of the need to rise to the challenge of facing the Blues and of his memories of managing the Stamford Bridge club during the 2007/08 season.
Avram on the fans...
I think the fans have done well for us so far, because it was not easy for them. I think they need to cheer and to support us and not to be against anybody.
I think first we need to pick up results away from home because we cannot go through the whole season with only one win, and this is one of our targets. Everybody would prefer to play at home - it's a good home. We felt it against Bolton. The supporters pushed us and this is one of the reasons we were so dominant in the game. We're happy to play at home.
Avram on team news...
Victor Obinna and Lars Jacobsen are already training but as for playing, we will see tomorrow. They can play. We have no new injuries for the moment.
Avram on Scott Parker signing a new long-term contract...
I think it is very good for the club. We have a project here for the next years and we want to develop the team. We want new players and we want young, talented players but for this we need experienced players who are very positive and good examples for the young players. Scotty is good for this and I'm happy that he signed for us.
I think the experienced players are good for the team. We wanted to keep them because we don't have a big squad. They are good players and I'm happy that they are here, but I didn't think about any other situation.
Avram on Chelsea...
It's a challenge but it's a good challenge. They are the best in England, they play the best football and have played together for a long time. We are a new team that we need to develop but I think in football we cannot think in negatives. If we think negatively we will lose the game. They are a very good team but in football anything can happen and we need to think like this.
I think this team is more or less the same in the last years, with the same players more or less and the same system. They know each other well and are very familiar with the system so every year it gets easier for them. They won the title and the FA Cup and they are a good team.
Everybody knows the Chelsea players. I don't think being their manager before gives me an advantage - maybe in small things but everybody knows them.
I don't think [Chelsea will be thinking about their UEFA Champions League tie at MSK Zilina on Wednesday] because they are used to it. In the last years, they play in the Champions League and the league, so I don't think this will be a problem.
I think it is a problem to play Chelsea in any situation, even if we had nine points now, because they are a very good team. We need to look at ourselves and overcome the problems we had before.
I'd like to win for West Ham. Never in my life do I feel I play against something or someone. I think I need to do my job for my club and that's all. It belongs to the past but I think everyone that understands and respects football knows I did a good job for Chelsea not just for the year I was there but for the years that followed. I enjoyed that season.
Avram on Didier Drogba...
He's a very good player and a player likes to develop himself and likes to get more and more. He's a very good person, but Chelsea is not just Didier Drogba. There are a lot of players and a lot of players on the bench that can play in any top team, so you cannot say we need to be careful about one player. It's a good team with very good players.
Avram on taking positives from the opening three Premier League games...
I think we take a lot of positive things. In the first game, we didn't play good. In the second game against Bolton I think we played very well - one of our best games in the last years. We needed to lead 3-0 or 4-0 at half-time, but we lost. It happens in football.
I think even against Man United we were in the game and good in the game. They didn't even score from open play - it was a penalty - and on the edge of our box we competed well. But Man United is a better team than us so there were many positive things to take.
Avram on confidence...
The most important table is at the end of the season, not now. I'm sure you will see the teams in second, third and fourth place will not be there and I can guarantee you that some of the teams down the bottom will not be there, and I'm sure we are one of them.
We know what we are doing. At any team I have been at, I didn't want to look at three or four games. I want to see the whole picture. We know we are doing the right things and now we know the squad, whereas up to 31 August there were lots of question marks. Now I think it gets easier and I think you will see development in every game.
Avram on pressure...
I didn't have any problems [with the owners] and pressure is part of the game. I like to put pressure on myself even when there is no pressure. You cannot be in this game without pressure but I must say that I have no problem with the boardroom.
Life in football is like this. Sometimes you have runs like this in the middle of the season and if you want to educate players, you need to prepare them for this. We spoke about this before the start of the season, not just because of the fixtures, and about how to behave in the good times and bad times. They are doing their best.
I expected to have a few points more, but I think we will find the solution. We did some things and you will see the results in the following weeks.
I feel pressure like I did all my life in football. When I was at Chelsea I was asked the same question about doing this and that, and the same in Portsmouth. Pressure is always there in football and when things are not good, it is higher. It's part of the game.
I enjoy the challenge here. It is a big challenge but a good challenge. This is a good club and I think our vision is good. If you keep doing the things we want to do, West Ham will be a good team in the next years. You always need patience in football, but I am a long-term person and you saw in my time at Chelsea and Portsmouth development every month. You will see it also here. Sometimes I don't have patience because I want points, but you cannot think about only one or two weeks.
Avram on Kieron Dyer...
He didn't play for three years, so we need to be very careful with his physical condition but he is a good player, a clever player, and I'm glad we can use him.
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West Ham v Chelsea
BBC.co.uk
Barclays Premier League
Venue: Upton Park Date: Saturday, 11 September Kick-off: 1500 BST
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live, local radio, Final Score & highlights on Match of the Day
TEAM NEWS
West Ham's new signings Victor Obinna and Lars Jacobsen could make their debuts on Saturday. Robert Green and Valon Behrami are fit again, but Thomas Hitzlsperger and Danny Gabbidon are injury doubts.
Chelsea captain John Terry is fit after a hamstring strain, but Frank Lampard has not recovered in time from hernia surgery. Gael Kakuta has overcome a back problem to be included in the squad, while Ramires is hoping for his first start.
West Ham
Doubtful: Gabbidon (hamstring), Hitzlsperger (thigh)
Injured: Collison, Hines & Kurucz (all knee)
Chelsea
Injured: Bosingwa (knee), Ivanovic (back), Lampard (groin)
MATCH PREVIEW
Bottom meets top at Upton Park, where struggling West Ham attempt to halt the champions tremendous start to the season. Just three games in, Chelsea are already nine points and 22 goals better off than their London rivals. Hammers boss Avram Grant, who led Chelsea to the runners-up spot in the 2007/08 season, cannot be relishing the visit of his old club. Grant says his side are psychologically troubled and lacking belief after a torrid start to the season. With just one goal in the league, and that coming from the penalty spot, they are in urgent need of a confidence boost from somewhere. Chelsea, by contrast, have carried on where they left off last season, scoring 14 goals without reply. They have scored 32 goals since conceding in the Premier League, an incredible statistic that explains why they are the bookmakers' favourite to win the title.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• West Ham have not beaten Chelsea since May 2003, a run of 10 games.
• Chelsea lead the overall head-to-head by 41 wins to 36, with 18 draws.
• West Ham have made their worst-ever start to a Premier League season, losing their opening three matches.
• Their last seven league victories all came at Upton Park.
• They have kept one clean sheet in their last 15 league games.
Chelsea
• Chelsea are the only side with a 100 per cent record in the Premier League, winning three out of three so far. They won their first six matches last season.
• Chelsea have scored 47 goals in their last 11 Premier League games, with just four conceded.
• Didier Drogba has scored eight goals in his last five Premier League games, including four this season.
• It is 586 minutes (almost 10 hours) since Chelsea last conceded a league goal, when Gareth Bale scored in Tottenham's 2-1 win on 17 April.
LEADING GOALSCORERS
West Ham
Noble: 1 goal (1 league); Parker: 1 goal (0 league)
Chelsea
Drogba & Malouda: 4 goals (4 league)
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Chris Foy
Assistant referees: Andy Garratt & Bob Pollock
Fourth official: Lee Probert
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS
West Ham (L0-3 v Manchester Utd, a): Green; Spector, Gabbidon, Upson, Ilunga, Faubert (Barrera 61), Noble, Parker, Boa Morte (Stanislas 90), Dyer (Piquionne 75), Cole. Subs not used: Stech, Kovac, McCarthy, da Costa.
Chelsea (2-0 v Stoke, h): Cech; Ferreira, Alex, Terry, Cole, Essien (Ramires 85), Mikel, Lampard (Kalou 72), Anelka (Sturridge 81), Drogba, Malouda. Subs not used: Turnbull, Benayoun, Zhirkov, Van Aanholt.
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Gold wants boss rule change
Gold wants international managers to represent own countries
Last updated: 10th September 2010
SSN
David Gold wants a rule change after accusing English football of 'almost prostituting' itself in hiring a foreign national boss. The West Ham chairman was against hiring Swede Sven Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello as England boss. He now wants a law change which would result in managers only able to represent their own countries. Gold told TalkSport: "I want to see an England manager. I would love to see the law changed. "I think the law ought to be that all managers throughout the world have to meet the same criteria the players meet. "Then you would have an English manager. Most countries choose a manager from their own country. We seem to be bucking the trend all the time. "It has caused us more grief. Every time we do it there is a furore. We are almost prostituting ourselves when we bring in a manager from another country."
The FA are set to appoint an Englishman when Capello leaves the national team job after the 2012 European Championships. Harry Redknapp, Steve Bruce and Sam Allardyce have already confirmed they would be interested in taking the helm.
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Hammers offer Upson deal
Grant says it is a 'matter of money'
Last updated: 10th September 2010
SSN
Avram Grant is hoping Matthew Upson will follow the lead of West Ham United team-mate Scott Parker by signing a new contract. Influential midfielder Parker tied up a new four-year deal at Upton Park on Thursday and the Hammers now want Upson to commit his future to the club. The England defender's current deal expires at the end of the season and talks have taken place regarding an extension. Hammers boss Grant wants the 31-year-old to stay at the club and says finances will dictate whether Upson accepts a new contract. "The club have given him an offer, they are in negotiations," Grant confirmed. "The club want him to stay, but it's a matter of money."
Meanwhile, the build-up to Saturday's match against Chelsea has been overshadowed by comments attributed to club co-chairman Sullivan, who was reported to have said a number of the squad's foreign players "couldn't be bothered" to play for the club. Previous manager Gianfranco Zola came into conflict with Sullivan for his public criticism of the players last season, but Grant insists he has no problem with the 61-year-old. Grant said: "First, the owner didn't say that. Second, for me there is no foreign players or English players. For me there is a team, everybody is a football player for me. "He is the chairman and if he wants to do something he can do it as long as it doesn't hurt the team and I don't think it hurts the team. "We have a good relationship and I need to do my job, not to look at what people said."
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Grant - Give me more time
Hammers boss pleads for patience amongst Upton Park faithful
Last updated: 10th September 2010
SSN
Avram Grant insists he is not worried about his West Ham United future despite their woeful start to the season. After losing their opening three matches of the season to Aston Villa, Bolton and Manchester United, the club have endured their worst start to a league campaign in 33 years. David Gold and David Sullivan sacked Gianfranco Zola at the end of last season after the Italian narrowly kept the club in the top flight and the Upton Park chairmen turned to Grantin the hope he would bring success and stability. Despite making wholesale changes over the summer, question marks over the former Portsmouth manager's future have surfaced after failing to turn around the club's fortunes so far. And defeat against champions Chelsea on Saturday would give Grant the unwanted tag of having guided the Hammers through their worst league start in the club's history, but the Israeli has called for fans to keep cool.
Patience
"In football you always need patience," said Grant. "I am a long-term person and if you see my clubs before - even at Portsmouth and Chelsea, you see developing teams, they develop every match and you will also see the same here. "We need not to think about one week or two weeks but longer. "The most important thing about the table is the end of the season, not now," he added. "The teams that are in the second or fourth place in the league will not be there and I can guarantee that some teams that are at the bottom of the league will not be there at the end and I'm sure we will be one of them."
Reports that Grant had been given a three-match ultimatum were denied by the club this week but rumours about the manager's future will continue to persist if West Ham fail to win any of their tricky upcoming fixtures against Chelsea, Stoke and Tottenham. Grant rubbished suggestions he was under pressure and insisted he was still enjoying life at the club. "I'm enjoying the challenge here," said the 55-year-old. "I am enjoying it because it is a big challenge, a good club and our vision is good and if we do the things we want to do here over the next few years then West Ham will be a good team."
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Grant wants Hammers belief
Iron chief wants positive response in front of home fans
By Elliot Ball Last updated: 10th September 2010
SSN
Avram Grant has called for West Ham to display a winning mentality against his former club Chelsea this weekend. The Hammers have yet to register a point on the board this season after suffering three straight defeats so far and they are currently propping up the table. And the omens do not look good for Grant'sside on Saturday, as they play host to champions Chelsea, the only team in the division to hold a 100 per cent winning record. And while the Iron boss admits his former employers are the team to beat in the Premier League, the Israeli has told his troops to approach the game with a positive attitude.
Grant told Sky Sports News:"They are the best team in England right now, they play the best football and they have been together for a long time now and we are a new team and we need to develop. "But I think in football you cannot think negative or you will lose the game. "They are a good team but in football anything can happen and we need to think like this."
Drogba
West Ham were boosted earlier in the week by Scott Parker's decision to sign a new four-year deal at the club. And the former Chelsea midfielder will have to be on top of his game if he is to stop the Blues' engine room from feeding striker Didier Drogba, who has started the season on fire. But Grant is not just wary of the Ivory Coast marksman, saying: "He's a very good player but Chelsea is not just Didier Drogba." "They are a lot of players on the bench who can play in any of the top teams so you cannot say we need to be careful of one player."
West Ham and Chelsea fans could face problems getting to Upton Park for Saturday's game due to engineering work on the underground. East London's Upton Park tube station will be closed so supporters are advised to travel via Canning Town or Barking to get to the Boleyn Ground.
Chelsea 2/7, Draw 4/1, West Ham 10/1
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West Ham v Chelsea preview
Rock-bottom Hammers tackle table-topping Blues
By Chris Burton Last updated: 10th September 2010
SSN
PREDICTIONS:
Skysports.com prediction: 0-2
SKY BET odds: West Ham 10/1, Draw 4/1, Chelsea 2/7
One to Watch: Florent Malouda
MATCH FACTS
Florent Malouda has scored the first goal of the game in each of Chelsea' three matches this season - Malouda to score 11/8 - BET NOW
West Ham have won none of their last 11 London derbies in the Premier League.- West Ham to win 10/1 - BET NOW
Only one team has stopped Chelsea from scoring in the Blues' last 24 Premier League games on the road (Birmingham City in December 2009) - Chelsea not to score 9/1 - BET NOW
Two contrasting records face off at Upton Park on Saturday as struggling West Ham face high-flying Chelsea. The Hammers have endured a torrid start to the 2010/11 campaign and are yet to pick up a point. Chelsea, on the other hand, have taken three wins from as many fixtures, scoring 14 and conceding none along the way, and are currently perched top of the table. Ex-Blues boss Avram Grant will not be relishing a visit from his former employers this weekend, as the last thing he needs is a meeting with a side in red-hot form. His own team have mustered just one goal in three outings so far and have yet to suggest that they are capable of avoiding a repeat of last season's relegation battle. Worryingly for the Hammers, they have also failed to win any of their last 11 London derbies in the Premier League, and have gone seven long years since they last beat Chelsea. Carlo Ancelotti's Blues, meanwhile, could not be in better shape as they prepare to make the short journey across the capital. The reigning champions have burst out of the blocks in awesome style and have now scored 32 goals without reply in the top flight, a Premier League record. Only one team has been able to stop them finding the target in their last 24 trips out on the road, with Birmingham the last team to shut them out back in December 2009. West Ham are the latest to fall in the firing line, and Chelsea have a number of players within their ranks who can boast enviable records against the Hammers. Didier Drogba has scored five goals in seven starts against the men from Upton Park, while former Hammer Frank Lampard has notched three times in his last five visits to his old stomping ground.
Team news
West Ham could hand debuts to summer signings Lars Jacobsen and Victor Obinna on Saturday. Israeli defender Tal Ben Haim will also be hoping to make his Hammers bow after coming through Euro 2012 qualifying duty unscathed. Valon Behrami is expected to be welcomed back after a thigh complaint, but Thomas Hitzlsperger continues to nurse a similar problem. Zavon Hines and Jack Collison (both knee) remain long-term absentees, but Scott Parker has penned a new deal with the club and will want to make a positive impression on one of his former clubs this weekend. Chelsea are waiting on the fitness of captain John Terry and midfielder Lampard ahead of their trip to the East End. Lampard's chances of facing his former club look slight after hernia surgery although Ancelotti is hopeful he will be available to play. Terry, who like Lampard missed out on England's two Euro 2012 qualifying victories over Bulgaria and Switzerland, is battling to shake off a hamstring injury in time. Both players are understood to be back in training but Ancelotti may decide not to risk them. Jose Bosingwa is also back in training and could be pushing for a start, but Branisalav Ivanovic and Gael Kakuta (both back) definitely miss out.
Possible starting XIs
West Ham: Green, Jacobsen, Upson, Ben Haim, Ilunga, Dyer, Noble, Parker, Behrami, Obinna, Cole.
Chelsea: Cech, Ferreira, Alex, Terry, Cole, Benayoun, Essien, Mikel, Malouda, Anelka, Drogba.
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Dyer could earn new deal
Hammers boss Grant may miss Stoke clash
Last updated: 10th September 2010
SSN
West Ham are ready to offer Kieron Dyer a new contract, provided he can prove his fitness over the coming season. The former England international has been blighted by injury setbacks during his time at Upton Park with his future in the game being questioned at times. But the 31-year-old midfielder, whose current deal expires at the end of the season, has started the last two Premier League games for Avram Grant's men. And co-owner David Gold has admitted the club would be ready to offer the former Newcastle and Ipswich man fresh terms if he can stay clear of the treatment room. Gold said: "If he plays two thirds of the games this season, why wouldn't we want him to stay at the club for the rest of his career? "A new contract is certainly something we would look into."
Grant
Meanwhile, Gold has admitted he would be prepared to allow Grant to miss the forthcoming clash with Stoke to observe Yom Kippur. West Ham's trip to the Britannia Stadium clashes with the Day of Atonement - a key date in the Jewish calendar - and the Israeli could be given a leave of absence. "It is difficult to stand in the way of religious conviction," Gold said. "Religion is a very personal thing and, much as I would like Avram to be at every game, I would respect his decision. "It's like a player who wants to miss a game to be at the birth of his child - no matter how much his team-mates might need him on the pitch, it's hard to stand in his way of something which is so important in his personal life. "It varies, from individual to individual, how important religion is to you and it's a question of degrees. If my grandparents were still alive, they would not have gone to a match on Yom Kippur. "Personally, I believe it is possible to fulfil both your religious obligations and your work obligations, but it's not so easy to do both if you are absolutely devout. "I don't know Avram well enough yet to say whether he must be at the game, but you can't make a judgement like this on behalf of someone else."
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I used to Av so much cash
The Sun
Published: Today
AVRAM GRANT insists he spent more money trying to save Portsmouth from the drop than he has been given at West Ham. The Israeli said: "I thought I'd have more money to spend at West Ham but I knew what the financial situation was. "At Portsmouth we spent more money than we have here. It's not a secret that we wanted to do more things but the owners saved the team from possible bankruptcy. "It's a concern when you see what Stoke, Sunderland and Birmingham have spent because they are clubs which you'd hope to do well against."
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Zola: My West Ham Torture
The Sun
By ROB BEASLEY
Published: Today
GIANFRANCO ZOLA'S trademark smile is back, his eyes are sparkling once more and his renowned love for football shines through again as brightly as ever. But it has taken four long months for the real Zola to re-emerge. A whole summer to transform himself back from the hollow-eyed, grim-faced, head-down, haunted figure he became last season as he battled to keep West Ham up. It is a re-birth that will surely thrill every football fan - even those of the Claret and Blue persuasion and certainly those wearing the Royal Blue of Chelsea. And how fitting the hugely popular Italian, 44, has chosen to return to London just in time for today's derby clash between his two former clubs at Upton Park.
A clash only possible because Zola, against all the odds, managed to keep the Hammers in the Premier League. It took its toll though. Zola said: "I could have started my management career with an easier situation. "In my two years I had to handle situations that some managers don't deal with during their whole careers. "So many people have come up to me to say how they felt for me. "They were saying my face just wasn't the same. I'd stopped smiling, I looked tense, and seemed to have aged overnight. "That's not like me. I love to smile, to enjoy my life and enjoy my football. "I played the game until I was 39 and I can honestly say that it never ever felt like a job to me, it was always a joy, a pleasure. "But when the pressure was on I let it show. I also brought it home with me. "You are supposed to leave your work behind at the office - but I didn't do that. "I found it hard to switch off and took it all home. "Maybe the players sensed that I was nervous, that I was worried. Maybe they could smell it. So that's a big lesson and I will never make the same mistake again."
The way Zola's tenure at Upton Park ended in May was in stark contrast to the way it began. The Chelsea legend was appointed by West Ham's former Icelandic chief Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson exactly two years ago. Zola said: "Remember when I first took the job, the club was owned by one of the richest men in the world. We discussed what he wanted to achieve. He was a lovely man and he was football mad and totally in love with West Ham and with making them successful. We talked for hours... about how each year we would build the club. "How we would add one or two more pieces every year and really turn West Ham into something special. "It was an exciting idea and one I couldn't resist. "But, unbelievably, within two weeks of starting the global recession had hit, the owner was broke and the whole scenario changed. My first feeling was of sorrow for him because he was a lovely person and back then I didn't realise the full impact of what had just happened. "The truth is that the whole situation suddenly became the opposite - every year instead of adding one or two top players we had to sell one or two top players. "And it was not about building a club, it became about saving a club."
Zola led West Ham to ninth in the Premier League in his first full campaign. But things changed last term when a loss of form, injuries to key players and a poor start plunged the Hammers into a relegation scrap. Zola said: "The first season was very good for us. "The problems for the club pulled the players and the coaching staff together. "We played some attractive football and just missed out on qualifying for Europe. The second year was not the same. We were all optimistic. "Yes, we'd lost Craig Bellamy in the January transfer window. But we still thought we could improve. "Then we lost our skipper Lucas Neill and there were bad injuries to Dean Ashton, Kieron Dyer, Luis Boa Morte and Jack Collison. "And Scott Parker and Carlton Cole were also missing at key times.
"So suddenly it all became a struggle - it was like having an ice cold shower. A real shock to the system. "Please don't think I'm saying this to try and deflect away from my part in all of this. I admit I made mistakes and I take full responsibility for them. "I made too many compromises instead of pushing on with what I really wanted."
The arrival of new owners David Gold and David Sullivan hardly helped as Zola's low-key way of doing things seem to conflict with their high-profile status.
He said: "Last year was very challenging for me, very dramatic for me not just as a manager but as a person. I had so many different situations that I had to deal with. "I went from being a footballer who concentrates almost exclusively on himself to the manager who had to deal with many different, non-footballing situations every day, to deal with 20 to 30 players every day. "And that's even though we agreed on a European-style approach where my job was only to focus on football and working with the players. But it didn't turn out to be that simple. "There were no big, big things but so many different problems that when they were added all together made one big problem. "But when I look back I can say with confidence... "Yes, I learned a lot. A helluva lot."
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Karren Brady's Football Diary
KARREN BRADY - First lady of football
Published: Today
SATURDAY, SEP 4
NO football so I'm at Heathrow about to fly to Monaco on club business when I spot an elderly jet-set tramp. He is all belly, flowing grey hair and an air of defeat about him, as though he'd just had his 60 metre yacht impounded. Which he had, because it's Flavio Briatore and he's in decline, all right. There are places, like football club boardrooms and grand prix motor-homes, to which the Italian is no longer as welcome as he was. QPR shrugged off their former chairman and he has been barred from Formula One. It's a hard life, fellas, when you have to travel by scheduled airline, even with a few million still in the bank and a wife who models for Wonderbra.
SUNDAY, SEP 5
MY chairman David Sullivan is reported today as saying he thinks all West Ham's foreign players are rubbish. Well, that's not what he thinks and he's going to straighten things out for supporters in the match programme. Basically, David was trying to say that foreign players found it very difficult here, especially when they first arrive. As for the other story that appears today that says manager Avram Grant has three matches to pull the team around or he'll be sacked... Well, there's no record of offloading managers under pressure from my board. We moved out only three in 16½ years at Birmingham, withstanding all manner of hue and cry.
MONDAY, SEP 6
RYAN GIGGS is identified as his successor as Wales manager by departing incumbent John Toshack. He might think so, I think it's tosh. Giggs is under contract to Man U and has no experience, let alone of leading a nation he was reluctant to serve as a player. The place to learn for even the most talented player is down among the jobbing class of the lower leagues. Giggs should talk to Roy Keane about that. Giggs can hardly know about the kind of club where the manager pleaded with his chairman for a physio. The chairman asked 'What would he do in the three months from the end of the season to the start of a new one?' and then answered it with 'He can do the painting and decorating'.
TUESDAY, SEP 7
IT has taken Wayne Rooney a long time to score but he does tonight against Switzerland and the whole country, probably with the exception of Coleen, smiles. We have our very own Tigergate, although Rooney seems less sullen about his alleged misdemeanours. Most of us wonder how a sportsman can concentrate on his job with all the mess but that's not how it is. No matter how much a star loves his wife and family, being at the top in his sport is what makes him tick. Woods didn't hide from golf tournaments out of shame at his betrayal of his wife - he hid because of the Press. People have told Rooney since he was a boy wonder: "It's what you do on the pitch that counts."
Indeed, we're still telling him.
WEDNESDAY, SEP 8
LORD COE announces his support for our bid to play at the Olympic Stadium from 2014. Great. Now I can't wait for the December decision on whether we get the go-ahead. Outside the London building where I'm to meet our bankers - without whose help West Ham would have ceased to exist long ago - there are dozens of cameramen. I wonder what they know I don't until someone tells me the verdict on snooker world No 1 John Higgins is about to be proclaimed. Then I hear Fabio Capello says he's giving up the England job after Euro 2012. Watch it, Fabio. The next game is in October and Montenegro's Revenge awaits a bad result. It has already done for John Toshack of Wales and Bulgaria's Stanimir Stoilov.
THURSDAY, SEP 9
CHIEF executive Richard Scudamore reports to the League meeting that he was on the big delegation the Prime Minister led to India last June. I ask my neighbour why there were no women on the 20-man trip. "Don't know," he says. "It was a great chance to bring back recipes for their husband!" My teeth are gnashing. No room for women in coalition government? Earlier, I had an invite from another director to the opening of an exclusive club that sounds like an underwear store. He thinks he's macho. I think he's pathetic.
FRIDAY, SEP 10
PLAYERS' excessive wages have become too much even for tomorrow's opponents Chelsea to swallow. Roman Abramovich wants a measure of control and the Premier League have responded with a poll of clubs on what kind of salary cap they prefer, if any. Our wage bill is almost £40million, yet I don't believe in a cap. In League Two, wages are a percentage of turnover. One owner beat it by sponsoring the shirts to increase turnover. I'll give you a simple answer to daft demands and four-year-olds can spell it. It's NO.
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The Jeremy Nicholas column: The 66th minute
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 10th September 2010
By: Jeremy Nicholas
Three games into the Premier League season and we are still without a point. Thanks goodness it's only Chelsea, Stoke and Tottenham next, or I'd be worried.
There's been a debate on the KUMB.com forum on a novel way to get behind the team. It's all about adopting the 66th minute, an idea put forward by a poster called Shammy. Impressed by the way Trabzonspor fans erupt into song on the 61st minute of every game, because their postcode is 61, he wants West Ham fans to do something similar.
Shammy suggests the 66th minute in tribute to the year when West Ham won the World Cup.
As always on message boards a debate soon becomes a heated debate and there's all manner of arguments for doing it and not doing it. There are calls for me to get involved and help coordinate the 'spontaneous' singing. Others think that would be just plain wrong.
Now I think adopting a minute is a great idea, but not if it's coordinated by anyone from the club itself.
If it's going to be spontaneous, it has to come from the fans. Me indicating the that now is the time to sing would be cringeworthy and we'd be the laughing stock of the league. So I have no plans to blow a whistle, make an announcement or do anything to indicate it is time to do something. The Boleyn Ground Orchestra has been sounding mighty fine for a hundred years without a conductor, and I have no plans to become one.
Sorry if anyone thinks that's lame, but for everyone who does, I know there will be ten who are with me on this one.
During Alan Pardew's tenure as West Ham's manager, he was in favour of all sorts of things to get the crowd going, that I wasn't comfortable with. I had to stand my ground on a few issues, namely the playing of music after goals. A few times when the crowd was quiet he told me I hadn't done my job properly. I could have argued that the level of noise had more to do with his performance than mine. But I didn't.
To be fair to Pards the best ever Boleyn Ground atmosphere that I've experienced did come during his regime. The semi-final play off against Ipswich will live long in the memory. However once you've employed bubble machines, opera singers, dancers, ticker tape welcomes and the like, it means the next game, when you don't use them, can be a bit flat. I suspect the Ipswich semi would have been a bit special anyway. If you keep throwing paraffin on the fire, it does give you a big burst of fire, but in the long run the fire dwindles, craving more paraffin. It's far better to let the fire grow naturally. That way the fire knows it's on its own and it's not waiting for any artificial accelerant.
My proudest West Ham memory is singing 'Billy Bonds Claret and Blue Army' over and over at the FA Cup semi final at Villa Park. As the Forest goals went in, we didn't miss a beat. It was spontaneous and I'm welling up just thinking about it. I work a lot for BBC TV in Nottingham and the Forest fans still mention it.
It happened because we were filled with righteous indignation at the ludicrous decision by referee Keith Hackett to send off Tony Gale. The noise was immense. It was mentioned by commentators and showed that we may not be the best club in the world, but we are special. The continuous chanting didn't affect the result, but Keith Hackett's guide dog was off his Bonio for weeks.
It would be great to think we can recreate that level of noise again. But it has to come from within.
When each slave stood up at the end of the film Spartacus to claim 'I'm Spartacus' it was an incredibly powerful ending. It wouldn't have been half as powerful if Kirk Douglas had gone round beforehand asking Tony Curtis and the rest to do it. OK they all got crucified, but what a message they'd sent out.
So back to the Chelsea game.
Shammy is suggesting the 66th minute. Others suggest the 64th minute or the 65th minute in recognition of the FA Cup and European Cup Winners Cup triumphs. There's also a similar case for the 75th and 80th minutes as FA Cup years. Maybe the 23rd as well, although we lost that one. It would be good to have a first half minute though, so step forward the 40th minute, to commemorate our War Cup win.
I've no plans to tell anyone what to do. I'm not chucking paraffin on this particular fire. But as there's a danger that the fire might not get going at all, here's a few firelighters. They come in the form of suggestions from fellow fans and therefore qualify as coming from within. I'm just relaying them.
6th minute Bobby Moore's Claret and Blue Army
23rd minute- Sydney King's Claret and Blue Army
40th minute – War Cup, we won the …etc
64th, 65th, 66th minute – (19 mins on second half clock) continuous 'We are West Ham's Claret and Blue Army' for three minutes until the 67th minute (22 mins on clock)
75th minute – Bubbles (the 75 squad recorded it)
80th minute – Slow Bubbles (lots of people love the idea of a slower version, but does anyone have the bottle to start it?)
81st minute Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Bubbles. (I've only ever heard this a few times, but it is awesome if done well)
I think there are some good and bad suggestions in there. I'm sure people can think up some better ones. It would be great to think that sporadically during the game, people tried to start their own chants linked to particular minutes.
There's always the danger that no-one joins in and you look a right plonker. But just imagine if everyone around you DOES join in. What a feeling that must be.
How I'd love to be able to claim I was the person who started the 'Johnny Lyall's Claret and Blue Army' song during the minute's silence at the Middlesbrough semi-final. It was a very brave thing to do, because there was a chance that no-one would join in and the instigator would be seen as spoiling the silence. As it was, we all joined in and John son's Murray has subsequently told me how touched the family were at that outpouring of emotion.
So sing what you want, when you want against Chelsea. But if you are going to do it, do it loud and do it proud.
Just a couple of things to mention before I finish.
Jamie Penfold (Geordie Hammer) is doing a sponsored cycle ride from Newcastle to West Ham. Just to make it more interesting he's riding down in the two days after he's finished running the Great North Run. It's all for the Bobby Moore Fund and you can read more about it here.
We went to Buckingham Palace last weekend. There's been rumours for a while that the Queen is a West Ham fan. I've only seen her at the ground once, and she was opening a grandstand at the time. The Palace won't comment on the speculation, but it's known she was a fan of Ron Greenwood. After the visit I popped into the souvenir shop and came across these claret and blue Union Jack cushions. So maybe it is true?
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Avram Grant: They told me I was like Brooking as a player but really I was more of a Platini... then a car smashed into me
By MATT LAWTON Chief Football Correspondent
Last updated at 12:41 AM on 11th September 2010
Daily Mail
Avram Grant had just suggested to his mother that they cross at a safer point in the road when the motorcycle struck him. He was thrown 33 metres, only to then be hit by a car coming from the opposite direction. A promising 17-year-old footballer's career was certainly over, but for two weeks his family feared his life was over as well. 'It took me two weeks to regain full consciousness,' says Grant. 'And two months to even get out of bed. I remember the day they let me use a wheelchair. It was freedom. One of the happiest days of my life. 'You know the irony? We were going to the hospital to visit my niece, who had been in a car accident. They said I had broken just about every bone down the left side of my body, with two bones within an inch of my heart.'
The doctors told Grant he would walk but never play football at any kind of level again. 'And I was good!' he says with a smile and a touch of mock indignation. 'A technical, attacking midfielder who scored goals. People compared me to Trevor Brooking. Looking back I think I was more like Platini!' After a year of painful rehabilitation, he decided to return to his club near Tel Aviv, Hapoel Petah Tikva, as the youth team coach. 'I was 18-and-a-half,' he says. 'But I took to it immediately. I had been captain of teams I had played for and I loved helping players improve.' Grant was in the job for more than 13 years, but in that time took every opportunity to educate himself. He studied at the university in Tel Aviv for a degree in psychology and physical education, and travelled as much as he could, often with his football-mad Uncle Jacob, to learn from the greats of the game. As a teenager he went to watch Ron Greenwood's West Ham train and also recalls observing Hennes Weisweiler, the legendary coach of the Borussia Monchengladbach side that lost the 1977 European Cup final to Liverpool. 'I quickly realised that, because of the quality of the football, I could only learn so much in Israel,' he says. 'I would go to England five or six times a year, and to other parts of Europe. To Milan, Madrid. I saw Fabio Capello in Roma and during his first spell in Madrid. Just to study his methods.' Grant's rise from youth coach to manager by the time he was 31 is something that defines him and something, after what has been a difficult start to his tenure at Upton Park, that should give supporters of West Ham a better idea of the man now in charge of their club's destiny.
He is a fighter; someone, from the moment he was struck by that motorcycle, who has been battling against adversity for most of his life. For the most part he has been winning, given the success he enjoyed in Israel and since he arrived in the Barclays Premier League. At home, he amassed 10 major domestic trophies, with four league titles among them, before a decent stint with the national team was then followed by his brief but dramatic spells with Chelsea, who West Ham face at Upton Park today, and Portsmouth. In the 87 matches with the two clubs, he managed to reach a Champions League final, two Wembley finals and came within a whisker of winning the Premier League title, too. Not bad for a 55-year-old guy who, on both occasions, became manager after the season had started. Having sat down for a spot of lunch in London's West End, he reflects candidly for the first time on the chaos he encountered at Fratton Park. He talks about working for a club that was going bust with players who were not even being paid on time; players who responded to the dismissal of training ground staff by paying their wages to keep them on. 'I can't really describe what it was like,' he says. 'But you are from the media so I will put it like this. The media sometimes create a big story from a small story. In this instance the story was so much bigger than even the media realised.
'There are still things I don't know and to be honest I didn't want to know too much at the time. I had to focus on the football side and put all my energy into what was a difficult enough challenge. I didn't want the distraction of all the financial problems. But there were obviously many things that were wrong. I don't know what happened to all the money when all those players were sold. But I was made certain promises when I took the job. That money would be reinvested in the team. It was why I agreed to have a big chunk of my salary set aside for a bonus for keeping them up.
'But the money never materialised, the club went into administration, the team was docked nine points and that was that. Nobody has ever explained to me what went wrong. I would like to know but I'm not sure any of us will ever know.' At Chelsea, where the players were left stunned by the sudden departure of Jose Mourinho, and also at Portsmouth it was a case of combining crisis-management with football management. But the challenge at Fratton Park was one that Grant relished. A challenge that drew on every ounce of his experience and wisdom. 'It was very difficult,' he says. 'There was one day when the players had a meeting after they had again not been paid and many of the staff had been fired. 'I said we have two choices. We can give up and we will go to the beach. Or we can fight on. But if we do, let's really fight. I don't want somewhere in-between. I am not interested in that. 'And they took the decision to fight. They paid the money to keep on some of the training ground staff and we played with spirit. I was very proud of what happened. We did a good service to English football, because we kept fighting. We believed in the spirit of the game and we protected the integrity of the competition. We won games. We got to the FA Cup final. And again one penalty from glory.' He also hopes the Premier League recognise Portsmouth for the cautionary tale that it is.
'Look, the people who run the Premier League have created a great league. But they need to be careful. Right now it is the best league in the world but the Germans had the best league in the world at one stage and so did the Italians. 'The fact is, anybody can buy a team here without guarantees and they really do need to look at that. You can buy a club even if you don't have money. And at Portsmouth, in the end, it was the supporters who got punished and that is not right.' Amid the financial chaos that reigned under Icelandic ownership, the supporters of West Ham have suffered, too. And they are worried now, given that their team have failed to take a single point from their first three Premier League games under Grant's guidance. But the man in charge is not panicking.
'You can never be calm in football,' he says. 'But I am sure we are going in the right direction. We have not had an easy star t . Now we play Chelsea; another difficul t game. And we have been unlucky with injuries. Thomas Hitzlsperger and Pablo Barrera have been two important signings but both were injured in international matches before the star t of the season and we have missed them.'
Last weekend, reports suggested Grant was already under pressure. That the club's owners, David Sullivan and David Gold, were beginning to get itchy trigger fingers. 'Those stories are absolutely not true,' he says. 'I have spoken to the owners and they know where we are. When I took the job they said it is going to be tough. They took over a club with many debts and the first task is to regain financial stability. 'We agreed that for the first season we just have to stay in this league. That is the objective. I want to build something exciting here. Something to be proud of because West Ham is a great football club. 'I signed a four-year contract because I have a vision that the owners share. But they are also responsible people. The kind of people a club like Portsmouth needed. 'Nobody is happy that we have no points. The picture might not be good now but it is one that will improve. I know it will.'
After nearly 40 years in coaching, West Ham should certainly trust his judgment.
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Avram Grant forced to lower ambitions as he picks up West Ham pieces
Israeli manager has been given little money to spend and a lopsided squad to work with
Jamie Jackson
guardian.co.uk, Friday 10 September 2010 22.31 BST
Avram Grant has been manager at three Premier League clubs yet this is the first season in which he has started the campaign in charge. It has hardly begun with a dazzle. Three defeats and one goal have left West Ham United bottom and, with Chelsea visiting east London tomorrow, the challenge is not getting any easier for the Israeli.
Grant took over in the summer after David Gold and David Sullivan, the owners, told him their vision was a four- to five-year project to rebuild a club riven by financial mismanagement, as supporters tried to forget the after-shock of the Carlos Tevez affair and the careless Icelandic owners who preceded the two Davids.
Finance is not the only issue Grant must address. The squad inherited from Gianfranco Zola is known to have baffled him due to its lopsided nature. The Italian had assembled a playing staff that contained no recognised right-back and Julien Faubert was therefore asked to operate further back than his midfield inclination. There was also no holding midfielder – Radoslav Kovac does not convince in the role and Mark Noble and Scott Parker like to attack as much as defend. Carlton Cole was the only genuine striker, though his goal tally is usually in the low double figures. And Grant found no senior back‑up to Robert Green, the goalkeeper.
Zola was a renowned player but Gianluca Nani, the departed director of football, was taking the decisions regarding whom to recruit and to retain and they were erratic. Kovac and Manuel Da Costa (12 league starts since his August 2009 arrival) were brought in and Valon Behrami and Jonathan Spector considered assets. While Behrami's CV shows more than 60 league starts for Lazio, the club's unsuccessful attempt to move him out this summer to Roma, who refused to pay a fee, illustrates a revised assessment of his quality. And even Championship clubs decided to pass on Da Costa and Spector.
Grant's ability to perform surgery was hampered by a net spend that ended at £6m, limited in Premier League terms, especially when compared with the personnel recruited by the clubs West Ham have realistic ambitions to finish above. Stoke City spent £10.75m on players who included Kenwyne Jones and Eidur Gudjohnsen; Birmingham City brought in Alexander Hleb and Matt Derbyshire; and Sunderland could splurge £13.2m on their club record signing, Asamoah Gyan.
"I wish I had the same money that they had," Grant said. "With this money we could do a lot and we could improve the team a lot. But the situation is that we could not afford it here and I cannot do anything about this.
"The owners were also not happy but they have to be careful," he said, hinting at the influence of Straumur, the Icelandic bank that owns 35%, over Sullivan's and Gold's ability to operate.
Grant's cash was spent on players of potential or back-up performers. Winston Reid (22, and from Danish football) was bought for an undisclosed fee to fill the right-back vacancy and was joined by Blackburn's Lars Jacobsen (30, 11 league starts) on a free, while Pablo Barrera (23, Mexican football) cost £4m and Frédéric Piquionne, who played for Grant at Portsmouth, cost less than £1m. Beyond these deals loans were the only option, with Internazionale's Victor Obinna and Portsmouth's Tal Ben Haim joining.
Grant is also struggling to arrest a negative thought process among his players. Following the 1-0 Carling Cup victory over Oxford United nearly three weeks ago he revealed he had spoken to the squad about ending talk of last season's relegation struggle and to be more positive and look forward. Yet according to someone present the players again had to be reminded about the issue recently.
This inability to take on board instructions also manifested itself against Manchester United a fortnight ago during the 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford. Having instructed his defence to be careful not to foul Ryan Giggs, Grant watched as Spector subsequently tripped the Welshman and gave away a penalty while West Ham were still level.
Whatever the result against Chelsea Grant will be desperate to take something from the next game, which is against Stoke City, before West Ham have to play Tottenham. So far his talkative owners have said nothing publicly to undermine him, as they did with Zola. But if West Ham continue to lose, it might not be long. Grant said: "If they want to do something, they can do it as long as it doesn't hurt the team and I don't think it hurts the team. We have a good relationship and I need to do my job, not to look at what people said."
Gold and Sullivan have become more realistic. After stating in the summer that mid-table should be the aim, privately they would now happily accept another 17th-place finish and a season of stability. "We have a programme so that every year we will have more money to spend," said Grant. He had hoped to name 23 players in the Premier League squad to allow two spaces for further recruitment of out-of-contract players. But he was refused by Gloucester Place. For now he has to struggle on with what he has.
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Avram Grant desperate for a break in mission to prove his stature at West Ham
David Sullivan has said that West Ham United are "walking a tightrope between ambition and survival".
Telegraph.co.uk
By Jason Burt
Published: 11:00PM BST 10 Sep 2010
It is to Avram Grant that he and co-chairman David Gold have entrusted the job of treading that path. After a traumatic start to the season, with three Premier League defeats and nine goals conceded, that high wire is wobbling a little more precariously for Grant. West Ham complete double signing of Pablo Barrera and Frederic Piquionne There is a sign at West Ham's Chadwell Heath training ground – on the door of a part of the gym called 'The Cave' – which reads: "What we do in the dark will show itself in the light". Put in the hard yards, therefore, and you will reap the benefit. Certainly Grant feels that with this opportunity at West Ham he, finally, has the chance to prove he is, as he termed it, a "long-term manager". With Sullivan describing reports that Grant has the next three games – starting at home to his former club Chelsea – to save his career at West Ham as the work of "unscrupulous journalists inventing stories to fill their columns", the manager does appear to have the board's backing. He is their choice, of course, following the dismissal of Gianfranco Zola and is understood to have drawn up a five-year plan to put West Ham "in a good place in the league for many, many years".
After his brief spells at Chelsea and, last season, Portsmouth, the jury remains out on another simple question: is Grant a good manager or merely a well-connected one? Unsurprisingly he bridled at that suggestion. "If you don't know now," he said, "when do you want to know?"
West Ham supporters would undoubtedly reply, ''pretty quickly''. They, along with Sullivan and Gold, will want to see progress. Despite his protestations, and his time in the glare at Stamford Bridge and Fratton Park, this is his true test. "When I started in football, my first team in the premier league [his hometown club of Hapoel Petah Tikva in Israel] when I was 30, they said 'we will judge you' and we took second place," Grant said. "Then I moved to a big club [Maccabi Tel Aviv], then the national team. Then I came to Chelsea, so every year you judge me. I am used to it."
It comes with the territory, and so does the accusation that Grant has moved around too much. "I wanted to stay at Chelsea," he said, "because I think we only started the process." Instead he was fired after the 2008 Champions League final and, incredibly, would have lost the job even if his team had won. Faith had in him quickly diminished. "Also, in Portsmouth I came for many, many years, but, what happened with the club, I couldn't stay," Grant added. "So I hope now I will stay and I will do the positive things that I want to do here."
Nevertheless, West Ham's future has been in jeopardy. Debts are still estimated by the owners at £100 million and the Sullivan-Gold regime is grappling with the balance sheet they inherited. Sullivan said: "The club is trading at a £30 million loss, which myself and David Gold have both funded, but both the trading loss and debts will be reduced gradually with the support of ourselves, hopefully new investors, and the banks."
It has meant, however, that "there are restrictions on what we can pay for players and what wages we can pay", Sullivan claimed. "But we have added eight players to the wage bill – only two came off, so a net increase of six players – and some of the new players are highly paid. As we work down existing contracts, so we will become more ambitious in our spending. "Our problem is our wages budget has contractually been spent on players we inherited. Some players' wages are so high it's impossible to give them away, let alone get a fee for them."
Certainly Grant has felt the pinch, though he maintains there have been no surprises, and that he has a "happy" squad. "It's not a secret that we wanted to do more things but also we need to remember that the financial situation is a problem – because the owners saved the team, maybe, from bankruptcy," he said. "This is the reason I signed for four years. We went for a long-term programme. We know the problems, we cannot solve it in one year. At Portsmouth we spent more money than we have here. We tried £5 million, £6 million, £4 million deals here but we couldn't do it. Anyway, we have a good team and we have targets."
Overseeing the club's worst start to a season in 33 years does not help. There are mitigating circumstances – not least the unavailability of key players such as Thomas Hitzlsperger and Talal Ben Haim. Grant, however, is unperturbed by the start, claiming he should be judged after "15 or 20 games", not three, and "guaranteeing" that West Ham will not be relegated. "I think we don't need to speak about this now but after three months," he said. "If, after three games, we are on zero points, we are maybe four or five points only from fourth place, which means if you win two games you can be in a much better position."
Sullivan is clear in what he expects this season. "Mid-table, with a cup run," he said, "though I accept we have to start picking up points soon."
He is aware of the odds being offered. "Chelsea are 1/3 and we are 8/1," he said. "I believe luck goes in runs – it's time that West Ham United's luck changed."
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Grant not interested in three-match ultimatum
ESPN
September 11, 2010
Avram Grant has demanded patience from West Ham fans as he faces up to the daunting task of halting his team's poor start by registering an unlikely win against his former club Chelsea on Saturday.
West Ham have endured their worst start to a league campaign in 33 years after losing all three of their opening matches against Aston Villa, Bolton and Manchester United. Chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan appointed Grant in the hope that he would be able to bring success and stability to a club that only just managed to avoid relegation to the Championship under Gianfranco Zola last term.
Despite a host of summer signings, former Portsmouth boss Grant has failed to turn around the fortunes of the team, which has led to questions regarding his future at Upton Park. Defeat against the Premier League champions would give Grant the unwanted tag of having guided the Hammers through their worst start to a season in the club's history, but he is not a worried man.
"In football you always need patience,'' Grant said. "I am a long-term person and if you see my clubs before - even at Portsmouth and Chelsea, you see developing teams, they develop every match and you will also see the same here. We need not to think about one week or two weeks but longer.
"The most important thing about the table is the end of the season, not now. The teams that are in the second or fourth place in the league will not be there and I can guarantee that some teams that are at the bottom of the league will not be there at the end and I'm sure we will be one of them.''
Reports that Grant had been given a three-match ultimatum were denied by the club this week but rumours about the manager's future will continue to persist if West Ham fail to win any of their tricky upcoming fixtures against Chelsea, Stoke and Tottenham. Grant rubbished suggestions he was under pressure and insisted he was still enjoying life at the club.
"I'm enjoying the challenge here,'' said Grant. "I am enjoying it because it is a big challenge a good club and our vision is good and if we do the things we want to do here over the next few years then West Ham will be a good team.''
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