WHUFC.com
A 4-3 aggregate defeat saw Avram Grant's men fall at the final hurdle in
their Carling Cup dreams
27.01.2011
Avram Grant vowed to use the "huge disappointment" felt after the Carling
Cup exit at Birmingham City to get the job done in the Barclays Premier
League.
"We will continue fighting," said the manager, before paying tribute to the
"magnificent" support that once more greeted his team at St Andrew's. A 3-1
defeat on the night - after Carlton Cole had put the Hammers in front with a
stunning strike - meant a 4-3 reverse on aggregate. Grant said his team
would have to show their strength to put it behind them for the challenges
ahead. "The response after our last games when we didn't get the result we
wanted was good, although I don't think that it was a case of us not playing
well against Birmingham. There could be a good reaction to this result. The
players are confident in themselves that we can do it. We will not give up,
we'll keep fighting."
It was another strong start from the Hammers, with Cole's long-range goal
nearly followed by a second from Zavon Hines, only for his hooked effort to
crash against the post. Birmingham roared back into it after the interval
and levelled through Lee Bowyer before Roger Johnson levelled the tie. It
was left to Craig Gardner to settle the tie in extra time. "We played very
well in the first half," said Grant, as he was asked to reflect on a see-saw
contest. "We scored the first goal and we were dominating and controlling
the game. We could have scored again but we hit the post. "We didn't deal
with Birmingham very well in the second half, they scored from two corners
and that's very disappointing. It is a huge disappointment for everyone,
especially the players who did so much to get this far and the supporters
who were behind us all the way. "We've done well in the Carling Cup. Until
now, we've won a lot of games and in the first half tonight we played good
football and did well but, unfortunately, we're not at Wembley."
The manager also refused to look for excuses despite having Frederic
Piquionne harshly banned - joining the already suspended Victor Obinna - and
referee Howard Webb appearing to miss a kick-out by Barry Ferguson at
substitute Kieron Dyer that could have led to a red card before the end of
normal time.
As it was, Dyer could have saved the day with a late effort that just
cleared the bar. It was too little, too late and, in truth, Robert Green
needed to be at his best at the other end to stop the home side adding to
their tally.
"I don't think that this will affect our confidence in the Premier League.
We were winning 1-0 and we were not playing like a team at the bottom of the
table. We need to defend better at set-pieces but I feel a lot of confidence
after the game at Everton on Saturday and the game here at Birmingham.
"I'm sure with our attitude and football, everything will be good for the
team."
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Olympic Stadium update
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have issued the following update with regard to the 2012
Olympic Stadium
26.01.2011
More than 50 MPs signed their support on Wednesday for the West Ham United
and Newham Council joint bid to take over the Olympic Stadium in Stratford
after the 2012 Games.
The first image of how the Olympic Stadium could look as part of the
proposed bid was unveiled by West Ham United vice-chairman Karren Brady and
Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales at a House of Commons reception hosted by
West Ham MP Lyn Brown.
The computer-generated image shows an extended roof which would add to the
intimate feel created by the impressive sightlines and seating lay-outs, as
well as a taste of some of the wider facilities to be included in the state
of the art complex.
The stadium - at the heart of the Olympic Park - would include a football
museum, interactive learning facilities and be a home sport for elite, club,
community and school athletes of all discipline. Under the plans, it would
be open for use as soon as summer 2014.
The event saw dozens of MPs from all the main political parties signing a
pledge board confirming their support for the West Ham-Newham Bid including
Tessa Jowell, the Olympics Minister when the 2012 Games were awarded to
London in July 2005. Also present were Westfield and Live Nation -global
leaders in construction and entertainment events respectively - along with
UK Athletics and Essex Cricket.
Welcoming guests with a passionate speech, Lyn Brown MP said: "As you can
see today, we have cross-Parliamentary support for this Bid. It is a strong
bid, it is the only bid that makes sense, puts money back into the community
and makes sure our children have a sporting future."
Making the formal presentation were Karren Brady and Newham Council Chief
Executive Kim Bromley-Derry, while West Ham Chairman David Gold and Sir
Robin Wales also addressed the audience. Sir Robin emphasised the importance
of ploughing investment back into the community while Mr Gold spoke of his
personal attachment to the East End.
Karren Brady said: "This image gives a true sense of how the Olympic Stadium
would look post-conversion - a truly multi-purpose, multi-event stadium that
would stand as a true home for sport in this country. On 6 July 2005, a
promise was made in the Queen's name. We believe in that promise and we
believe in legacy.
"It's important for the UK's credibility as a sporting nation - especially
in the wake of the 2018 FIFA World Cup disappointment - to keep that
promise. Pulling down the stadium would waste half-a-billion pounds in
taxpayers' money."
Kim Bromley-Derry said: "We see the stadium as a key catalyst in the
regeneration of London. Football is pivotal, of course, but it is also a
golden opportunity for other sports. It's all about creating an Olympic and
multi-sport legacy for the UK and securing an economic legacy for Newham and
London."
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Birmingham 3 - 1 West Ham (agg 4 - 3)
BBC.co.uk
By Phil McNulty
Chief football writer at St Andrew's
Craig Gardner's extra-time goal sent Birmingham City to their first major
Wembley final for 55 years and set up a Carling Cup final meeting with
Arsenal.
Avram Grant's West Ham United arrived at St Andrew's protecting a 2-1 lead
from the semi-final first leg - and looked on course for victory when
Carlton Cole's spectacular strike gave them an interval lead and extended
their advantage in the tie.
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish, who had listened to his side jeered off after
a desperate opening period, responded by introducing the giant figure of
Nikola Zigic with the express purpose of unsettling the previously
undisturbed West Ham defence. What he lacks in technical ability the Serb
makes up for in sheer presence and he was the unlikely figure who sparked a
dramatic Birmingham revival that carried them to Wembley on a wave of
euphoria.
Lee Bowyer levelled the game on the night with an emphatic finish on the
hour and Roger Johnson's powerful header 11 minutes from the end of normal
time restored equality to the semi-final. Lifelong Birmingham fan Gardner,
brought up just four miles from St Andrew's, thought he had clinched a place
in the final only to see his shot turned on to the post by Robert Green in
the final moments as extra-time beckoned. It was the second time he had
struck the woodwork, but he was the hero four minutes into the extra period
with another low drive that Green was powerless to prevent going in. West
Ham, so ordered early on, wasted chances to mount a revival of their own
through Scott Parker and substitute Kieron Dyer - and eventually ran out of
energy and ideas. Birmingham's jubilation at the conclusion of a dramatic
night was understandable as they can now prepare for their first major
Wembley occasion since the 1956 FA Cup Final defeat against Manchester City.
They lost a penalty shoot-out against Liverpool in the 2001 Worthington Cup
Final in Cardiff, but they will relish their return to Wembley and deserve
huge credit for the way they lifted their spirits after looking down and out
at half-time.
West Ham boss Grant, given a vote of confidence by the Upton Park board
after speculation he was to be sacked, must now raise the morale of his
shattered troops after this devastating setback. Birmingham needed a goal to
bring the tie back level, but it was West Ham who demonstrated all the early
ambition and composure - with youngster Zavon Hines twice testing Ben Foster
after escaping the attentions of his markers. Cole, so often the sleeping
giant but looking in the mood when faced with a Birmingham defence in which
Martin Jiranek was given a rare start, gave a warning of what was to come
with a flashing drive that was only inches off target. And he produced a
moment of individual brilliance to provide West Ham with the goal their
dominance deserved after 31 minutes. Cole took Wayne Bridge's throw-in
before turning and sending an angled shot beyond Foster from 25 yards.
Birmingham were simply unable to enjoy any periods of sustained possession
and only the woodwork saved them from falling further behind when Hines
flicked on Mark Noble's free-kick. The frustration of the home team was
mirrored by the home fans at St. Andrew's as referee Howard Webb's half-time
whistle was greeted with a resounding chorus of disapproval. McLeish's
answer to Birmingham's lack of inspiration was to introduce Zigic for Matt
Derbyshire. It hardly added an edge of unpredictability to their approach
but it had the desired effect.
Zigic's knockdown created an opening for Gardner but his effort from the
edge of the area struck a post. He then won another aerial challenge to set
up Cameron Jerome, who shot hopelessly off target. The pressure was
building, though, and West Ham's defence was finally breached just before
the hour as Bowyer struck. Birmingham had loud penalty appeals rejected when
Bridge appeared to handle, and when West Ham failed to deal with the
resulting corner Bowyer lashed a powerful finish high past Green. The entire
mood of the game had changed as Birmingham exerted relentless pressure and
Green did well to dive low to his right to turn away a long-range shot from
the outstanding Barry Ferguson. West Ham broke the shackles that had kept
them in their own penalty box for most of the second half as Cole brought a
save from Foster - but it was a rare moment of respite as Birmingham put
Grant's side under siege. Birmingham were transformed from the strugglers of
the opening 45 minutes and they brought the tie level with 11 minutes left
as Johnson rose to power a header beyond Green.
And as West Ham rocked it needed more desperate defending as Jerome bore
down on Green in search of the goal that could seal a place at Wembley.
Gardner thought he had won the tie for Birmingham with virtually the last
kick of normal time, but once again he was denied by the woodwork after a
vital touch from West Ham keeper Green. He refused to be discouraged and
finally got his reward four minutes into extra-time with a repeat of his
last-ditch effort and this time it carried too much power for Green. West
Ham now needed a goal and Parker was almost the provider with a neat turn in
the area only to shoot over from eight yards. Substitute Kieron Dyer was
then guilty of an even more wasteful finish when he volleyed over from
close-range with only Foster to beat - and West Ham's supporters ready to
celebrate. As the Hammers pushed forward with time running out, Birmingham
substitute Kevin Phillips raced unattended towards goal but Green was equal
to the task with an important block. The miss was not to prove costly and
the party started around St Andrew's as soon as the final whistle sounded.
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Birmingham City 3 West Ham Utd 1 (4-3 agg.)
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 26th January 2011
By: Staff Writer
A sadly familiar second half collapse - combined with a tie-turning
refereeing decision - saw West Ham tumble out of the Carling Cup tonight.
Carlton Cole's first half strike had given the Hammers a 1-0 lead on the
night before second half goals from former Hammer Lee Bowyer and Roger
Johnson sent the tie into extra time - where Craig Gardner's effort won the
night and a place at Wembley for the home side.
However Birmingham should have been reduced to ten men in the final minute
of normal time when Barry Ferguson avoided censure for kicking Kieron Dyer
in an off-the-ball incident; unlike Victor Obinna in the first leg, Ferguson
got away scot-free.
As in the first leg, the Hammers controlled the first half - but crucially,
managed to convert their dominance into just one goal.
Carlton Cole's second goal of the tie was a joy to behold; at the Boleyn it
was Ben Foster's howler that allowed West Ham's number nine to register, but
tonight the former England 'keeper was left clutching at air as Cole's
spectacular, dipping 25-yard drive had him beaten all ends up as the Hammers
extended their lead in the tie to two goals - a lead they took into the
half-time break.
It was only two months ago that West Ham threw away a two-goal lead at St
Andrew's in the Premier League fixture. That recent memory appeared to weigh
heavy on the minds of Avram Grant's players as they began the second half a
shadow of the team that had dominated the first.
So it was no surprise when City drew level on the night a minute ahead of
the hour mark through former Hammer Lee Bowyer. A series of long balls aimed
at the head of 6'7" substitute Nicola Zigic led to a Blues corner from which
Bowyer lashed home a loose ball inside the box. Once again, the Hammers had
been caught napping from a set piece.
Birmingham's onslaught continued but with the game approaching the final ten
minutes, and with a trip to Wembley so tantalisingly close, it looked as if
West Ham might just hang on. That was until the unmarked Roger Johnson sent
the game into extra time with a pinpoint header from - you guessed it, a
corner.
After Ferguson had managed to escape a complusory red card - and managed to
get Dyer booked for reacting angrily to his sly kick (as was he) in the
process - extra time exploded when Birmingham took the lead for the first
time in the tie.
This time it was West Ham who were caught on the break and Gardner - who had
twice hit the woodwork in normal time - saw his slightly deflected shot
avoid Green's outstretched hand to make it 3-1 on the night, and 4-3 on
aggregate.
West Ham pushed on in search of a second away goal that would have sent them
through to the final without the need for penalties; Mark Noble, Scott
Parker and goalscorer Cole all had oportunities of varying degrees of
difficulty as the end of extra time neared but none managed to find their
intended target.
In the end it was down to the excellent Green to save further embarrassment
when he forced a David Murphy point-blank effort over the bar via his chin
with the final whistle seconds away. If there was one player who didn't
deserve to be on the end of a 4-1 drubbing, it was the England 'keeper who
was oustanding tonight, as he has been all season.
So once again the Hammers are denied a trip to Wembley. Some will point to
Victor Obinna's needless and stupid red card in the first leg as the main
cause; others to Howard Webb's failure to spot Ferguson's equally nasty kick
tonight. What if Freddie Piquionne, ridiculously red-carded at the weekend,
had been available?
Regardless, the cold, stark facts are that West Ham are out of the
competition having once again failed to hang on to a (two goal) lead - and
that's nobody's fault except the players on the pitch and the management
team who oversee them.
Attentions now turn to the other cup competition with high-flying
Championship side Nottingham Forest up next at the Boleyn this weekend, in
the FA Cup fourth round.
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Cup exit leaves Grant flat
Hammers boss reflects on topsy-turvy night at St Andrews
Last updated: 26th January 2011
SSN
Avram Grant admits morale in the West Ham camp has been rocked by their
dramatic Carling Cup exit. The Hammers held a 2-1 lead heading into the
second leg of their semi-final showdown with Birmingham on Wednesday, but
were unable to protect that advantage. They took the lead at St Andrews
through Carlton Cole, but saw old boy Lee Bowyer and Roger Johnson hit back
to take the tie to extra-time. Craig Gardner then netted again for the
Blues, leaving the Hammers to reflect on what might have been. "It's very
flat," Grant, whose side are rooted to the foot of the Premier League, told
Sky Sports.
"We are a team that has come from the bottom of the league and played really
well. Everyone is very disappointed."
Control
On the game, Grant admitted that lapses in concentration cost his side dear
and denied them the opportunity to turn out at Wembley. He added: "It is
tough. We were leading 1-0 and were doing good. Then we didn't do good with
two corners, which they scored from, and we lost the game. "We were totally
in control. But we had chances to score again at 1-0, but we didn't. They
then scored from corners, which happened on Saturday [against Everton]."
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Blues barrage halts Hammers
Gardner sends Birmingham to Wembley
Last updated: 26th January 2011
SSN
Birmingham staged a remarkable fightback against West Ham to record a 3-1
win after extra-time and book their place in the Carling Cup final. The
Hammers led 2-1 heading into the second leg of the last four encounter, but
we were undone on Wednesday as Lee Bowyer, Roger Johnson and Craig Gardner
cancelled out Carlton Cole's spectacular opener. Birmingham started brightly
in front of a lively home support but soon lost their way and allowed the
Hammers to take control of proceedings. After knocking on the door for some
time, Avram Grant's side forced the breakthrough on 31 minutes as Cole
collected the ball 25 yards from goal and curled brilliantly past a
sprawling Ben Foster. The Blues keeper may have been responsible for
allowing a tame shot from the Hammers striker to slip through his grasp at
Upton Park, but there was nothing he could do but stand and admire on this
occasion. Unsurprisingly, given what was at stake, Birmingham were much
improved after the interval and threw everything they had at West Ham. Their
pressure paid off shortly before the hour mark as the visitors failed to
deal with a corner and Bowyer crashed the loose ball past a collection of
bodies on the line.
Birmingham were now relentless in their attack on the Hammers goal and a
flurry of corners allowed Johnson to stoop and nod home a second 11 minutes
from time. That effort took the tie into extra-time, where Gardner, who had
already hit the woodwork twice, lashed past Robert Green four minutes in to
wrap up a 4-3 aggregate success for the hosts and secure a Wembley date with
Arsenal on 27th February.
West Ham started well and almost caught out the home side on the counter
attack when a fine pass from Mark Noble allowed Zavon Hines a run at goal.
But Foster was well placed to block the shot from a wide angle. Cole then
should have done better when he fired over from inside the area after
latching onto a ball over the top from former Blues defender Matthew Upson.
Liam Ridgewell made a crucial interception to cut out a cross from the
by-line by Cole as the Hammers started to enjoy a spell of pressure. Then
after 31 minutes a superb strike from Cole put the Hammers ahead on the
night and 3-1 on aggregate. The England striker was allowed time 25 yards
out to line up his shot but there was no doubting the quality of the strike
as it flew past Foster into the net. Birmingham tried to retaliate and Green
punched out an effort from Matt Derbyshire and clung onto a Sebastian
Larsson free-kick. Hines then saw an audacious over-head kick slip off the
outside of the post, with Foster well beaten. McLeish made a half-time
change with Derbyshire making way for Nikola Zigic.
Unfortunate
Gardner was unfortunate after 53 minutes when his 25-yard drive hit the
inside of a post and flew across the goal without crossing the line.
Birmingham tried to build up some momentum and a deep cross from Ridgewell
was headed across goal by Martin Jiranek. But Jerome was unable to keep down
his shot which flew wide. City's pressure was now relentless and Green
turned a Ridgewell header around the post from Larsson's corner. Then after
59 minutes Bowyer reduced the arrears. Another Larsson corner was not dealt
with by the Hammers and the ball broke to Bowyer who hammered the ball past
Green from 12 yards out. Blues were almost caught on the counter-attack when
a low cross from Cole just evaded the run into the box of Hines. West Ham
were hanging on desperately to their lead and Green did well to turn aside a
shot from Ferguson which flew through a ruck of players. The home side were
in complete control and Green was booked for time-wasting. Green tipped over
a Jerome header from Larsson's corner and after 79 minutes Johnson brought
Blues level.
Smothered
Bowyer supplied the cross and Johnson rose above the Hammers defence to head
past Green. Jerome could have won the game for City in normal time but Green
smothered his low shot inside the box. Barry Ferguson and Kieron Dyer were
both yellow carded in the final minute after squaring up to each other.
Then in the dying seconds Green finger-tipped Gardner's low drive onto a
post. But Gardner was not to be denied after 94 minutes although Green
should have done better. His swerving shot was well struck but Green looked
to have it covered only for the ball to slip away from his grasp into the
corner of the net. Scott Parker showed good control in the box but shot over
and Dyer shot over when well placed inside the box. James Tomkins and Cole
were booked for dissent early in the second period of extra-time. Foster
held onto a scissor kick from Cole and Green denied Davied Murphy when put
clear by Ferguson.
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Hammers get Keane as Carling consolation
Published 23:10 26/01/11 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror
Robbie Keane is set to seal a loan move to West Ham within days. The
30-year-old striker is keen to move to Upton Park where he will form a
re-shaped attack alongside new signing Demba Ba. Keane has made just seven
League appearances for Spurs this season. He has agreed to move to Upton
Park because it is understood Tottenham plan to leave him out of their
25-man Champions League squad. West Ham, desperate to escape relegation
trouble, are believed to have paid £1million to sign him initially on loan
with a permanent £6million deal if they stay up. The Hammers will also pay
Keane's £65,000-a-week wages.
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Birmingham City and West fans brawl as police make 14 arrests in Carling Cup
semi-final
Tekegraph.co..uk
By Sandy Macaskill 10:35PM GMT 26 Jan 2011
Birmingham City will come under fresh scrutiny from the Football Association
after violence broke out at their Carling Cup semi-final against West Ham
United on Wednesday night. West Midlands Police made 14 arrests "for a
variety of offences" outside St Andrew's and promised that anyone found
guilty of football related violence would face a lifetime ban from the game.
Birmingham are already under investigation from the FA because of crowd
trouble inside and outside the stadium during their Carling Cup
quarter-final victory over Aston Villa last month, when more than a thousand
Birmingham supporters invaded the pitch and launched a flare into away fans
in the Gil Merrick stand.
Riot police deployed inside the stadium last night ensured that violence did
not break out between the home and away sections of the support in the
stands, but eyewitnesses described fights in the streets outside St
Andrew's, with supporters even brawling on the top of cars. West Midlands
Police confirmed the disorder. A statement read: "Fourteen people have been
arrested at the Birmingham City v West Ham game for a variety offences. The
arrests come as a robust policing operation is underway in and around the St
Andrews ground. "In addition to a criminal conviction, those found guilty of
football related violence face a lifetime ban imposed by the club and a
football banning order preventing offenders of attending future matches."
A Birmingham City spokesman said: "We will assist the police in identifying
the culprits." Wednesday night's scenes puts more pressure on the football
unit of the West Midlands Police, created especially this season to cope
with four Premier League clubs in the area, and an increase in football
related disorder. They are still preoccupied with making arrests from the
Villa v Birmingham Premier League derby on Oct 31. They were strongly
criticised for the disorder when Birmingham and Villa met in the Carling
Cup. Although in the region of 500 officers were deployed, they were unable
to control the disturbance which was described as "like a war-zone" by one
witness, leaving 14 people, including four police officers, requiring
hospital treatment. Birmingham manager Alex McLeish condemned the scenes
inside the stadium, saying it was a return to "the dark ages." And while the
authorities anticipated disturbances last night, and were once again in
strength outside the ground, questions will be asked at how the violence was
once again allowed to break out.
Before the match, Supt Steve Graham, who was in charge of the police
operation, said: "We have been working with both clubs and the Football
Association to ensure that the event takes place in a safe environment.
"While most people will come and enjoy the game, we recognise that there is
a minority who may use the event as an opportunity to cause trouble."
Moody Blues: how club has struggled with violence
Jan 17, 2011
A smoke bomb is set off during a bad-tempered Second City derby, despite the
number of tickets available for fans being heavily restricted by West
Midlands police.
Dec 1, 2010
City's Carling Cup victory over their bitter rivals is soured by a mass
pitch invasion following the final whistle. Home fans race towards the
visiting contingent and missiles and flares are thrown. The club vows to
investigate the trouble.
Sept 13, 2009
Seven Birmingham fans, and the same number from Aston Villa, are arrested
after another derby game boils over at St Andrew's.
Sep 16, 2002
A Birmingham supporter confronts Aston Villa goalkeeper Peter Enckleman on
the pitch after his errors leads to a City goal. Michael Harper, 26, is
later jailed for four months and banned from football grounds for six years.
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West Ham struggling to keep hold of reserve team manager Alex Dyer
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 11:07 PM on 26th January 2011
Daily Mail
West Ham are fighting to keep hold of reserve team manager Alex Dyer, who is
wanted by Charlton. New Addicks boss Chris Powell wants Dyer to be his No2
and the south London club want to discuss a compensation package with the
Hammers to land the coach. The 45-year-old former defender is highly-rated
at Upton Park and the Barclays Premier League side want him to stay, but
will ultimately let the coach decide.
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Gardner's drive takes Birmingham to Wembley
Birmingham City 3 West Ham United 1 (Birmingham win 4-3 on aggregate; aet)
By Jon Culley at St Andrew's
Thursday, 27 January 2011
Independent.co.uk
Putting their Premier League anxieties to one side, Birmingham and West Ham
found the lure of a Carling Cup final enough to conspire in an exhilarating
battle for a Wembley place against Arsenal that was settled only after a
gutsy Birmingham fightback had taken last night's semi-final second leg into
extra time.
West Ham, 2-1 up from the first leg, appeared to be cruising towards an
all-London final when Carlton Cole put them in front after 31 minutes but
Birmingham levelled the scores on the night through former West Ham player
Lee Bowyer before Roger Johnson's header 11 minutes from time forced the tie
into extra time.
It was a night to lift the spirits of manager Alex McLeish with pressure
mounting in a difficult league campaign, the Birmingham players rallying to
his cause with an heroic effort reflected in no player more vividly than the
midfielder Craig Gardner, who twice hit the post in normal time and struck
what turned out to be the winner four minutes into the additional period,
booking Birmingham's place in the final 10 years after they were runners-up
to Liverpool.
"To walk out at Wembley will be one of my proudest moments," he said. "It is
a fantastic moment for this club."
Birmingham are one point outside the relegation places and McLeish
acknowledges that his position has begun to look insecure following comments
by acting chairman, Peter Pannu, that appeared to show dissatisfaction with
the former Scotland manager's transfer spending. "I'm not invulnerable if
results don't go my way," he said. "That's football. I have to get results
and we got a good one tonight."
It was particularly gratifying, in the circumstances, that it should be
Nikola Zigic, until now a major disappointment after his £6m arrival from
Racing Santander, whose entrance as a half-time substitute proved a major
factor in swinging the match Birmingham's way.
The 6ft 6in Serbian striker changed the focus of the match after West Ham
had largely controlled the first half.
"We had to change the tactics and Zigic had his best game for the club,"
McLeish added. "But it needed the players to show some guts, too, because
West Ham had been comfortable and it looked like we were going out."
Cole's strike, a superb effort from 25 yards, seemed to have set up Avram
Grant for his fourth cup final in as many seasons only two weeks after it
appeared his reign at Upton Park was about to end before the West Ham
hierarchy, none of whom was present last night, reiterated their support for
the former Chelsea manager.
Birmingham were a little lucky, none the less, not to be two goals behind at
half-time after Zavon Hines hooked the ball against Ben Foster's left-hand
post.
Zigic had an immediate impact after replacing Matt Derbyshire. Almost his
first contribution was to nod the ball down for Gardner to launch a curling
effort from 20 yards that had Rob Green beaten, only to hit an upright and
rebound to safety.
Soon afterwards, after Green had pushed Liam Ridgewell's header round the
post, Larsson delivered the ball a second time into the West Ham penalty
area, targeting Zigic again. It dropped nicely for Bowyer, twice a West Ham
player, who smashed a venomous, diagonal shot into the far corner.
The goal sparked an explosion of noise and inspired fresh belief in
Birmingham, who drove forward with such purpose they were able to take the
lead on the night and force the tie into extra time when Johnson forced
Green to concede a corner with one header, tipped over the bar, then buried
the next as Bowyer swung the ball in from the left.
Moments before Howard Webb's final whistle beckoned another 30 minutes,
Gardner hit the post a second time, Green making a fine save as he galloped
forward in search of winner.
As it happened, he provided it only four minutes into the supplementary
period. Charging energetically through the middle as captain Stephen Carr
broke down the right, he was perfectly placed to receive the full-back's
square pass and his 20-yard shot had too much swerve for Green.
Cole and substitute Kieron Dyer might have snatched victory on away goals
for West Ham but defeat for Birmingham would have been an injustice. "It was
disappointing," Grant said. "We played well in the first half hour.
Unfortunately we will not be at Wembley but the players are confident we can
get out of trouble in the league."
Birmingham City (4-4-1-1): Foster; Carr, Jiranek, Johnson, Ridgewell;
Larsson (Beausejour, 101), Gardner (Murphy, 101), Ferguson, Bowyer; Jerome;
Derbyshire (Zigic, h-t). Substitutes not used Taylor (gk), Phillips, Fahey,
Hleb.
West Ham United (4-4-1-1): Green; Faubert, Upson, Collins, Bridge; Spector
(McCarthy, 106), Noble, Parker, Boa Morte (O'Neill, 83); Hines (Dyer, 71);
Cole. Substitutes not used Boffin (gk), Reid, Gabbidon, Sears.
Referee H Webb (South Yorkshire).
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Wanted: Leadership and Creativity, as well as goals!
West Ham Till I Die
What a Jekyll and Hyde performance. In fact it was very similar to the 1st
Leg, only this time we leaked three goals rather than one! The first half
performance was superb, we controlled the match and made Birmingham City
look what they are, a limited footballing side. We were quicker to the
ball, knocking it around with confidence and looking dangerous on the
attack. We went 1-3 up and should have scored a second to make the match
safe.
To be honest, as well as we played in the first 45 minutes, I was nervous
about the changes McLeish would make at half-time and our ability to
respond. And so it transpired! They introduced the 6ft 7inch Zigic and
stopped attempting to out play us. From the second half, Brum reverted to
getting crosses into the box and following up on Zigic's knock downs. We
could not cope with it and effectively played in to their hands by defending
ever deeper and deeper. Whereas, we should have pressed the play and cut
off the supply of crosses into the box. We always fail to deal with this
type of play and that is why we have a history of capitulating to the
Boltons and Stoke Citys! When are we going to learn how to counter these
tactics?
So, as we defended progressively deeper and deeper, what were the West Ham
bench doing? Well, from where I was sitting not much! When are the
management and coaching staff going to respond tactically to the changes
made by their opposition counter-parts? It was like Grant and his coaches
were mere passive observers of the footballing 'coach crash' unfolding
before their very eyes. No, they are not players, they do not cross the
white line, but they should instruct, guide and remonstrate them from the
sidelines. And what about the strong leadership on the pitch? Upson should
do far more to organise and gee up the team when they are under the cosh.
He is experienced enough to know what happens when you start defending deep
and what needs to be done to rectify it.
Earlier today I posted a blog arguing that we needed to sign big characters
in the transfer window. More to the point, we need an inspirational
defensive leader and captain to organise us and drive the team to ever
greater endeavours. The second half debacle serves to underline this point.
We are lacking leadership on the pitch, a Lucas Neill character that
organises the rearguard and instructs the side, especially when we are under
the cosh. Losing three second half goals to a team like Birmingham City is
a bad joke. As soon as Zigic came on the defence struggled and retreated in
to itself. As soon as Bowyer scored, you could see the discipline and
self-belief drain out of the side, as we committed defensive suicide.
I hope that we land Ba and Keane to give us a better cutting edge, but we
also need to also recruit a strong right-back or centre half who can assume
this leadership role. It could also be argued that tonight's match
highlighted our lack of creativity in midfield. We have a squad full of
midfielders that are quite similar, only Mark Noble has the vision and
extensive range of passing skills that makes him stand out in the creativity
stakes. We need to add one of those playmakers (a la Len Goulden, Martin
Peters, Trevor Brooking, Alan Devonshire, Eyal Berkovic and Yossi Benayoun)
for whom West Ham have alway been famous. We are too one dimensional and
need to add a bit of guile to enable us to open up opposition defences and
create scoring opportunities for our strikers.
Yes, I know these 'playmakers' are far harder to come by these days, and
expensive to boot, but there must options out there. If any good comes of
this Carling Cup defeat, it have concentrate the board's attention upon the
lack in the current squad (in terms of leadership and creativity) and the
necessity to address it in what remains of this window. Getting to a
Carling Cup Final, may have bred complacency about what is lacking in the
current squad? We must get the right players to enable us to avoid
relegation. In short, the board need to get their cheque books out to sign
the leadership and quality, as well as goals, to save our PL status. If this
defeat brings about those transfer deals, then it will have been worthwhile
in the long run.
Who knows Brum may even come to regret this victory, especially considering
their dodgy PL position and poor recent results. Football has a funny way
of turning things on their heads. Do you remember the 4-0 humiliation by
Charlton and the 3-0 trouncing by Sheffield Utd in the 2006-07 season. Who
would have thought that those two teams would have been relegated after
those results, yet they were and it was us who survived. We must now sort
ourselves out and ensure that we beat Birmingham City in the game that
really counts, the PL match at Upton Park in early February! If we win that
one, then this defeat will not seem nearly so bad.
In our position, if it is a choice between a Carling Cup Final appearance or
three PL points, I Would take the points every time! So, chin up, fellow
Hammers, and lets hope that this West Ham board recognise what needs to be
done between now and midnight on 31st January 2011. Sign sources of
leadership and creativity, as well as goals, to guarantee PL redemption.
We Hammers fans may suffer another cup defeat in our usual stoic fashion,
but another relegation will not be so easily forgiven!
SJ. Chandos.
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