WHUFC.com
The manager admitted a slow start had cost his West Ham United team dear at
Pride Park
31.12.2011
Sam Allardyce is targeting 'a group of wins' after watching his depleted
West Ham United side stumble to a 2-1 npower Championship defeat at Derby
County. Big Sam was without eight injured or suspended players for the New
Year's Eve trip to Pride Park and the manager handed first league starts of
the season to Gary O'Neil and goalscorer Frank Nouble. Winston Reid also
played for the first time in two months after recovering from a dislocated
shoulder, while 17-year-old Dan Potts continued at left-back.
The new-look team conceded twice inside the opening ten minutes to hand the
Rams the initiative. Nouble's goal three minutes before half-time gave the
Hammers hope, but they were unable to find an equaliser despite dominating
long periods of the second 45 minutes. Speaking exclusively to West Ham TV,
the manager admitted his side's poor start and inability to convert the many
chances they created had cost them dear.
How do you assess a game that saw your team start poorly for ten minutes and
concede two goals but then proceed to dominate the remaining 80 minutes?
"It's no good when you've gone 2-0 down and not got the result out of the
game. What satisfaction do you get from playing well when you lose? Yes, the
lads recovered from a disappointing start but we've got nothing out of the
game. "As well we've played after a horrific ten or 15 minutes at the start,
we have faltered in front of goal to get something out of the match.
Realistically, we've thrown the game in that opening period. "It was
probably because of our injury and suspension problems that we started so
sloppy and a little hesitant. I thought we lacked a little bit of confidence
because of the problems that we've had. "We did recover very well from it
and give it a really good go and I think, in the end, deserved a draw out of
the game in terms of the other 80 minutes and the chances we created. Again,
creating them and scoring them are our achilles heel - we've scored one but
we've created enough chances to score two or three but not done it. That
wasn't happening in the early part of the season. "We've got Sam Baldock
back who has come off the bench and got a game, we've got Carlton Cole fit
and four players coming back from suspension for Monday against Coventry
City and that will make us better. "Winston Reid has played his first game
for eight weeks and has only trained for three days so he has done a
brilliant job today. I know we let in two goals in the first ten minutes but
to play a full 90 minutes having done nothing for eight weeks was
impressive. Joey O'Brien also got off his sickbed after an ear infection.
"So I have to say that after the first 15 minutes that cost us the game,
they actually rallied around very well with a lot of fight and a lot of
spirit and in the end, quite a lot of hope by half-time when I thought we
should have been level at 2-2.
"With the free header we had [through Papa Bouba Diop shortly after Frank
Nouble's goal] we have got to make sure we bury those. You can't afford to
miss them and we did. The second-half chances weren't quite as clear-cut as
the first half but you expect the players we've got would have done a lot
better with them. That would have got us a point, but it didn't."
You named Gary O'Neil and Frank Nouble in your starting lineup for the first
time in the league this season. How did you assess their performances?
"Frank has been at Gillingham for three months so he has played three months
of football, two-games-a-week and he's enjoyed his time there. I've got so
many players coming back from injury with a lack of match practice but we
knew Frank was match-fit. That was the reason why we threw him in. "Like
everybody else, after a slow start he started to show some good things. The
goal, of course, got us back in the game and it wasn't an easy chance. He
put it away brilliantly into the bottom corner after a great move."
The visit of Coventry City offers you a great opportunity to get back to
winning ways on 2 January, doesn't it?
"We've got a sticky spell at the moment. We've got to watch that we haven't
lost our confidence. In terms of playing again on Monday, the only good
thing for us is that we've got our four suspended players back to choose
from, which makes us a lot stronger as a squad. That's what we need. "The
last thing we needed last week was for three players all to get booked and
all to be suspended for the same game on the back of Jack Collison's
suspension. We were struggling enough with injuries.
"Now that injury and suspension record has caught up with us and cost us
big, big results like Burnley, Reading and now Derby. Of course, at
Birmingham we also got a draw instead of a win. "We've got to get over this
difficult period and get back to as near to full-strength as we can and
start winning. We're in a situation now that it's a group of wins we need to
put together. We need to win three or four or five games on the trot to make
sure we boost our points tally back to where we need to be. "We're four
points behind where we want to be and to catch up those four points you need
to win four games on the trot - that's how difficult it is."
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Transfer window update
WHUFC.com
New faces are on their way into the Boleyn Ground once the transfer window
opens in 2012
31.12.2011
The transfer window is open and West Ham United will be active once again in
the New Year. Sam Allardyce is looking for attack-minded players to add
firepower to his squad as well as defensive reinforcements, with a number of
bids already made before 1 January. The forwards being targeted are all
proven goalscorers either at home or abroad. Joint-Chairman David Sullivan
said: "It is transfer window time again and once more, my friend and partner
David Gold and I will do all within our power to make funds available to
improve the squad. "If we can sign players who we feel will improve the
team, we will. Already we have made bids for three players that the manager
has identified. However, it is not easy to try and acquire key players that
other clubs don't want to lose. "Rest assured, though, I'll be working 24/7
throughout the month of January to do the business we need."
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Derby 2 - 1 West Ham
Page last updated at 15:19 GMT, Saturday, 31 December 2011
BBC.co.uk
Early goals by teenage striker Callum Ball and Paul Green earned Derby a
second successive win over the Christmas period as they beat West Ham. Ball,
19, struck his second senior goal from the edge of the area in the second
minute and Green headed his first goal in over a year eight minutes later.
Hammers striker Frank Nouble replied with a rasping drive before the break.
But Derby have now won three of their last four league games and are within
two points of the play-offs. West Ham, depleted by injuries and suspensions,
have won only one of their last five league games. They could have gone
joint top of the Championship table following Southampton's Friday night
defeat by Bristol City.
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Down but not out
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 31st December 2011
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are out of the Championship's automatic promotion places for the
first time since the beginning of October following today's 2-1 defeat at
Derby. Middlesbrough's draw at home to Peterborough this afternoon was
enough for the Teesiders to move above Sam Allardyce's out-of-form West Ham
into second spot behind leaders Southampton in 2011's final league table.
However it could have been even worse for West Ham, had Middlesbrough clung
on to the lead they held until Tommy Rowe grabbed an equalier for Posh with
just three minues of normal time remaining at the Riverside. With
Southampton slipping to their first home defeat in 25 matches against
Bristol City last night - Stephen Pearson scoring the game's only goal of
the game for the visitors on 79 minutes - West Ham could have gone top today
had they beaten Derby by three or more goals today. However that always
looked unlikely given Sam Allardyce's starting XI (and subs' bench
containing five strikers) and the Hammers slip to third place as a result -
albeit with a seperior goal difference to Middlesbrough (+16 to +10
respectively). The chasing pack are also now hot on the heels of West Ham,
who have picked up just four points from their last five Championship
outings. Cardiff, who won 1-0 at Nottingham Forest this afternoon are just
two points adrift of United on 42 points - whilst Reading (39 points) also
closed the gap with the 1-0 defeat of Ipswich at the Majedski Stadium. Hull
became the third team in the top six to fall to defeat this weekend when
they were beaten 1-0 at Burnley today.
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Derby County 2 West Ham Utd 1
KUMb.com
Filed: Saturday, 31st December 2011
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's latest Annus Horribilis ended in defeat at Pride Park this
afternoon as the Hammers failed to recover from a couple of early blows. A
quite awful 2011 which started in the Premier League ended with a
Championship defeat as two goals in the opening ten minutes proved to be the
undoing of Sam Allardyce's side, who once again blew the chance to go top of
the Championship table following Southampton's shock home defeat to Bristol
City last night. West Ham - depleted by a string of injuries and with no sub
goalkeeper but FIVE strikers on the bench - found themselves 2-0 down inside
ten minutes after Callum Ball (2 minutes) and Paul Green (10) gave Derby a
commanding lead. And although Frank Nouble popped up with three minutes of
the first half remaining to score his first goal for the club and give West
Ham a lifeline, Allardyce's injury-ravaged side were unable to restore
parity thereafter leaving them contemplating a sixth league defeat of the
season.
With the manager having insisted at the beginning of the campaign that any
more than eight defeats in a season could spell curtains for a club's
promotion hopes, his team will have to enjoy an extraordinary run of form
not to miss that particular target.
However it is unlikely that they will have to do so again with such a
limited pool of first team players to choose from. With four players
suspended from today's fixture (Nolan, Collison, Faubert and McCartney) and
several either injured (Faye and Demel) or less than fully fit (Reid, O'Neil
and Baldock), Allardyce continued with Danny Potts at left back whilst
bringing Gary O'Neill back for his first start since April. Frank Nouble,
who has most recently been playing for Gillingham in League Two was also
brought in for his first start of the campaign - whilst Winston Reid, who
was clearly less than fully fit was restored to the starting XI for his
first appearance since the 0-0 draw with Bristol City on 1st November.
It took the home side little more than 100 seconds to undo West Ham's
makeshift defence; Potts' error from a quick throw-in allowed Nathan Tyson
to make a beeline for the box. After being challenged, the ball broke for
youngster Callum Ball who sent a superb curling effort beyond Rob Green into
the far corner. West Ham barely had time to recover from that early blow
before County doubled their advantage. Jamie Ward's near-post cross was met
by Paul Green who powered his header beyond (Rob) Green; young Danny Potts
being the player beaten to the header. A slow recovery subsequently ensued
before the Hammers scored what proved to be a consolation effort just ahead
of the half time whistle. Freddie Piquionne, as anonymous as he has been
for most of the season played a good ball inside for Frank Nouble and the
youngster - who this time a fortnight ago was playing for Gillingham in
League Two - fired neatly into Frank Fielding's bottom left hand corner.
Although West Ham, no doubt spurred on by a good old-fashioned half-time
roasting by Allardyce were the better side after the break they were unable
to score that all-important second goal and were thusly condemned to a third
defeat in five games. With a decent run of fixtures coming up in January -
Coventry (h), Portsmouth (a), Nottingham Forest (h) and Ipswich (a) plus the
FA Cup third round tie at Sheffield Wednesday - Allardyce and his team will
be hoping to get their faltering season back on track. And with the transfer
window opening for business at midnight tonight, it's not beyond the realms
of possibility that the Hammers may line up for some of those games with at
least one or two new faces in the team.
Derby County 2 West Ham Utd 1: match facts
West Ham United: Green, O'Brien, Reid, Tomkins, Potts, Diop (Hall 79), Noble
(c), O'Neil (Cole 61), Lansbury, Piquionne (Baldock 61), Nouble.
Subs: Carew, Sears.
Goals: Nouble (42).
Shots on target/off target: 6/8.
Booked: Lansbury (24), O'Brien (57), Reid (66), Cole (90).
Derby County: Fielding, Brayford, Roberts, Bryson, Barker, Shackell, Ball
(Buxton 90), Bailey, Green, Tyson (Robinson 46), Ward (Davies 73).
Subs: Legzdins, Priskin.
Goals: Ball (2), Green (10).
Shots on target/off target: 4/7.
Booked: None.
Attendance: 28,067 (3,251 away).
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Early Ram raid stuns Hammers
Last updated: 31st December 2011
SSN
Callum Ball and Paul Green struck early in the first half as Derby closed in
on the Championship's top six with a 2-1 home win over West Ham. The Rams
recorded a second successive win over the Christmas period at Pride Park on
Saturday. Ball, 19, struck his second senior goal from the edge of the
penalty area in the second minute and midfielder Green, who returned from a
long-term knee injury in November, headed his first goal in over a year
eight minutes later. Hammers striker Frank Nouble pulled one back for the
visitors with a rasping drive just before the break, but Nigel Clough's side
created other chances and defended valiantly in the second half to claim
another prized scalp by following up their Boxing Day win over Leeds. Derby
have won three of their last four league games to climb within two points of
the play-offs.
West Ham, depleted by injuries and suspensions, have won only one of their
last five league games and could slip out of the top two if Middlesbrough
beat Cardiff later this afternoon. Derby were unchanged from the side that
beat Leeds 1-0 on Boxing Day, while Hammers manager Sam Allardyce was
without eight first-team players. Skipper Kevin Nolan, winger Julien
Faubert, defender George McCartney and midfielder Jack Collison all missed
out through suspension, while Abdoulaye Faye(thigh), Guy Demel (thigh), Matt
Taylor (calf) and David Bentley (knee) are currently injured. Midfielder
Gary O'Neil and striker Nouble both made their first league appearances of
the season for the Hammers but Derby caught the visitors cold by racing into
an early lead.
Striker Nathan Tyson slipped the ball inside from the right side of the
penalty area and Ball rammed an unstoppable shot into the top corner from 18
yards.
The visitors had barely had time to catch breath when the Rams doubled their
advantage. Left-back Gareth Roberts stormed forward and supplied a fine
cross for former Doncaster team-mate Green to head firmly downwards beyond
West Ham keeper Robert Greeninto the bottom corner in the 10th minute. West
Ham midfielder Noble, skipper in Nolan's absence, lifted his side with a
25-yard shot that flew just wide and Papa Bouba Diop headed over the
crossbar. Hammers striker Frederic Piquionne also went close with a header
and at the other end Derby striker Jamie Ward flashed two shots just off
target. Derby goalkeeper Frank Fielding saved brilliantly twice to deny
Nouble and O'Neil in quick succession in the 39th minute, but could do
nothing to prevent Nouble reducing the deficit three minutes later.
Piquionne played the ball inside from the left and Nouble arrowed a shot
into the bottom corner from 20 yards. Rams midfielder Craig Bryson fired
wide early in the second half and Ball dragged his effort off target from
similar distance inside the area. Allardyce sent on strikers Sam Baldock and
Carlton Cole with an hour gone, but it was Derby who threatened to add to
their lead. Green's goalbound header from John Brayford's cross was blocked
by West Ham defender James Tomkins and Ward lashed a shot from the edge of
the area wide. The action continued to flow from end to end, with Noble and
Cole this time pulling shots wide for the visitors.
Noble's late corner prompted Fielding into another sprawling save and Cole
headed wide in the 90th minute, but Derby held on.
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Big Sam blames slow start
Clough salutes Ball after Derby defeat Hammers
Last Updated: December 31, 2011 5:08pm
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce blamed a dismal start after his patched-up
side suffered a 2-1 defeat to Derby at Pride Park. The Hammers were ravaged
by suspensions and injuries and it showed in the first 10 minutes when Derby
scored twice through Callum Ball and Paul Green. Frank Nouble scored his
first goal for West Ham just before half time but Derby defended strongly
after the break to celebrate back-to-back home wins. "We didn't have to put
ourselves under that pressure as early as we did," Allardyce said. "We made
a couple of mistakes and Derby took full advantage of that. "The disaster in
the first 10 minutes made it too difficult for us. We didn't make life easy
for ourselves, we knew we were putting a team out that was patched up and
the last thing we wanted to do was to give the opposition a couple of goals.
"It knocked the stuffing out of us but we made a great recovery and we
didn't want half time to come. We felt we would get more chances in the
second half based on how we finished the first but we didn't find the
quality of finish we have in the past to nick us a draw."
Impressed
Ball's second goal in four games set Derby on their way and manager Nigel
Clough showed his appreciation by giving the 19-year-old a big hug when he
was substituted at the end. "Anyone who has watched him in the reserves or
the youth team in the last couple of seasons will have seen him doing that
regularly but it's lovely he's made the progression now and is doing it in
front of 28,000 people," he said. "I thought it was a good all-round centre
forward's performance. I was impressed with the way he put himself around
again physically without fouling and we are excited about him as we are
about five or six of the lads coming through.
"The last two games have been outstanding team performances, the effort and
the honesty stood out an absolute mile and that's what has got us the two
results. We have to play at that level to get results against the likes of
Leeds and West Ham. "It's only the second time we've had the back four we
wanted and we feel we have got a side that's good enough to play in the top
half of the Championship when they are out there."
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Injured Rhodes NOT going to West Ham, insists Clark
Published 22:15 31/12/11 By Michael Morgan
The Mirror
Jordan Rhodes has been rocked by an injury that dents Huddersfield's
promotion charge and shatters West Ham's hopes of signing him for £3m this
month. Rhodes, 21, has his right foot encased in a protective boot after
kicking the bottom of Carlisle defender Lubo Michalik's boot during
Friday's 1-1 draw. Anxious Town will get scan results in the next 24 hours,
and both Rhodes and manager Lee Clark hope he's not broken a bone. The
equaliser against Carlisle was his 35th goal in the calendar year. Clark is
desperate to keep him, saying: "The situation is simple — he is our player
and that's the way it is going to stay. Jordan will be here for the rest of
the season."
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Big Sam warns Carew and Piquionne to start earning their keep
Published 21:45 30/12/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has issued a warning to John Carew and Frederic
Piquionne that they need to start scoring goals to justify their huge
salaries. Carew and Piquionne have struggled to hit the back of the net this
season, despite being two of the biggest names in the Championship. Carew
has won three league titles during his career and has a wealth of
experience, but he has only scored two goals following his move from Aston
Villa during the summer. Piquionne has also been well below his best,
scoring just two goals and has struggled to command a regular first-team
place. Allardyce has already shown he is in the market for another striker
with his interest in Huddersfield forward Jordan Rhodes and feels Carew and
Piquionne need to start living up to their reputations if they want to stay
in the team. Allardyce said: "Sam Baldock will score goals, Carlton Cole's
got eight. But John Carew and Freddie Piquionne have just two. That's not
good enough.
"Whether they don't play as often as they think they should, the amount of
minutes they've had on the field we've needed more goals from them. "From a
wages point of view, we have the four most expensive centre-forwards in this
league. There's no doubt about that. "And those four players, as well as the
other players, have got the responsibility to live up to that. I demand that
because they're getting paid more than everybody else that they deliver
more. "It's my job to make them deliver. It's my job to get them to
understand the responsibility of it. It's not as much as they earn in the
Premier League - but that's their fault! It's not mine."
Allardyce will be missing six key players for the game against Derby today
(SAT) while influential skipper Kevin Nolan, George McCartney, Julien
Faubert and Jack Collison are all ruled out through suspension. But he will
be boosted by the return of Baldock and New Zealand international Winston
Reid who has been sidelined with a dislocated shoulder.
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Cardiff boss tells Whittingham suitors to stop wasting their time
Published 21:40 30/12/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
Cardiff boss Malky Mackay has made it clear Peter Whittingham is not for
sale. The promotion-chasing Bluebirds have turned down a £3million offer
from Championship rivals West Ham for midfielder Whittingham. But Mackay,
preparing for today's trip to Forest, insists clubs trying to prise away the
highly-rated 27-year-old in January will be wasting their time. "Peter
Whittingham isn't for sale," he said. "I'm here to improve and grow this
club and bring players in, not sell them and wreck it. "We had an approach
in terms of a call from West Ham. But Peter isn't for sale. Our chairman and
directors feel the same way." Whittingham, who has scored seven goals this
season, signed a new three-year deal with Cardiff in August.
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Derby County 2 West Ham United 1: match report
Read a full match report of the Championship game between Derby County and
West Ham United at Pride Park on Saturday Dec 31, 2011.
By Rajvir Rai at Pride Park8:29PM GMT 31 Dec 2011
Telegraph.co.uk
Sam Allardyce said West Ham had only themselves to blame as they failed to
recover after conceding two early goals against Derby. Strikes from Callum
Ball and Paul Green inside the opening 10 minutes consigned West Ham, who
equalised through Frank Nouble just before half-time, to a third defeat in
five games. The result leaves them three points behind Championship leaders
Southampton and this was another opportunity to close the gap squandered by
Allardyce's side — their frustration most evidently shown by Carlton Cole
petulantly throwing the ball away in the closing stages of the game after a
decision went against them. "We had a disaster in the first 10 minutes and
gave ourselves an uphill battle," said Allardyce. "We've lost because of our
own demise, rather than Derby's great play unfortunately. We didn't have to
put ourselves under that much pressure early on. We made a couple of
mistakes and Derby took full advantage."
Derby manager Nigel Clough was full of praise for his side's effort and in
particular the performance of 19-year-old Ball. "The effort and honesty
stood out and that got us a result," said Clough, whose side move into 11th.
"Everyone who saw Ball in the reserves knows what he can do and it is great
he is now doing it in front of 28,000 people."
A nervous start by West Ham — epitomised by a miss control by teenage
left-back Daniel Potts after the ball was played back to him from the
kick-off — became a nightmare start when Ball curled an effort from the edge
of the box into the top right-hand corner. Things got even worse nine
minutes later, when Green dived low to head home a Gareth Roberts cross.
West Ham, switching from a 4-5-1 to a 4-4-2 in an effort to get back into
the game, became more of a threat as the half wore on, and pulled a goal
back through Nouble — his first goal since returning from Gillingham, where
he was on loan. As the half unfolded both teams had chances: an unmarked
Papa Bouba Diop heading over for West Ham from a corner and Ball dragging a
shot wide for Derby . In the second half, as West Ham pushed for an
equaliser they left themselves exposed at the back, but remained in the
contest as Theo Robinson and Jamie Ward squandered chances for the home
side. Half chances came and went for West Ham and even the introductions of
Sam Baldock and Cole failed to see them break down a resolute Derby.
With the transfer window opening today, Allardyce said West Ham have opened
negotiations with a number of potential targets and remain committed to
keeping the likes of Cole and James Tomkins. "I would be gambling £8m, £10m
or even £15m against £80m to get back in the Premier League," he added.
"Unless the offer was so big that I could use the money to improve the
squad, why would we sell?"
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