Oxford United 1-0 West Ham United FT
WHUFC.com
Deane Smalley's goal sends the Hammers to a narrow defeat at the Kassam
Stadium
17.07.2012
Oxford United v West Ham United
Pre-season match
Kassam Stadium
Tuesday 17 July 2012
Kick-off: 7.45pm
Final score - Oxford United 1-0 West Ham United
92 mins - Clarke clears upfield and the final whistle is blown.
91 mins - Last chance. Maynard is fouled. Hall wants to take the free-kick,
but seniority rules and Taylor will have it. Third-time lucky? No. He
smashes the ball wide and high and into the stand.
89 mins - Well, with a few minutes to go, let's sum up. West Ham created a
host of half-chances throughout the game, but could not fashion a real
clear-cut opening aside from Nolan's low cross that Vaz Te poked over the
top. On the plus side, it's been a competitive game and will have helped
boost fitness levels. The goal from Oxford was a special finish. Meanwhile,
the home fans are forecasting a difficult season ahead for their guests in
song. Let's hope they are very wrong.
87 mins - A decent film must just have finished. The cinema car park is full
of people returning to their cars. Either that, or it was a rubbish film and
everyone has decided to leave early.
85 mins - Oxford are still on the offensive and looking for a second goal,
but Craddock's shot is wayward this time. It flies well wide and out for a
goal kick.
81 mins - Henderson gets a bit lucky. He calls to make the clearance, then
mis-controls outside his box. He slips a bit but just about manages to make
a challenge on Constable. Spence gets back and ensures no further damage is
done.
80 mins - Boateng now shoves Taylor over on the left edge of the Oxford box.
Free-kick. Hall to take. Hall whips it over and Turgott heads goalwards.
Clarke tips over but the referee gives a goal kick. The home fans actually
cheered their goalkeeper for making the fingertip stop.
78 mins - Embarrassing. Boateng gets down the right and latches on to a
pass. He tries to take on Taylor before throwing himself to the ground
inside the box. It's a clear dive, and Mr Scott goes over to tell the
right-back to sort himself out.
77 mins - I know it's nearly over, but positionally, Nasha is at right-back
with Spence, Wearen and Taylor alongside him. Turgott, Moncur, Ruddock and
Porritt are across the midfield, with Hall supporting Maynard. Porritt has a
go with a side volley, but the ball loops into the hands of Clarke.
76 mins - Turgott is fouled about 30 yards out and Taylor can have another
go. It's almost exactly the same spot he fired over from about 25 minutes
ago. This time his low shot hits the wall and spins through to Clarke.
74 mins - Hall again, swapping passes twice with Turgott wide on the right
before getting to the byline and crossing high. Porritt gets there first,
but his header lacks direction and flies wide of the far post. Hall is in
the mood!
71 mins - Well, well, well. Porritt collects a deep cross and races forward
to halfway before picking out Hall with a pinpoint 40-yard pass. Hall
controls instantly and gets to within 22 yards before driving a low shot
with his weaker right foot that hits the base of the far post before
spinning away for a goal kick. The home fans cheer his name again.
70 mins - Oxford win a corner, but Henderson is there to make the catch when
the cross comes in at the second attempt. West Ham try to break, but Moncur
isn't as quick as the ball and Clarke catches inside his box.
68 mins - West Ham's youngsters will need to do something their senior
colleagues could not if the Hammers are to avoid defeat here. Hall is doing
his best as he picks out the run of Turgott. The winger crosses first-time
and low but Maynard isn't quite far enough forward to finish. Good move,
though.
66 mins - Rigg looks to get in on to a pass and he is bearing down on
Henderson. Fair play to Taylor who races back and makes an inch-perfect
sliding challenge inside the penalty area. No foul and Henderson can clear.
61 mins - Seven changes from West Ham. Noble, Morrison, Nolan, Reid, O'Neil,
Demel and Vaz Te go off. Moncur, Porritt, Ruddock, Turgotg, Wearen, Nasha
and Rob Hall come on. The Oxford fans welcome the latter with a chorus of
'Robbie, Robbie Hall'. He is a hero in these parts!
59 mins - A period of West Ham possession comes to nothing as Maynard tries
to spin on the edge of the D. Oxford try to break forward but Spence is
there to clear for a throw. From it, the U's build again before centre
midfielder Forster-Caskey launches a shot into the car park.
57 mins - Craddock cuts in from the Oxford left and shoots powerfully.
Henderson gets his body behind the ball and clutches it to his chest. Secure
goalkeeping.
55 mins - Nolan scoops the ball out to O'Neil, who cushions it back to
Demel. He crosses on the diagonal towards Nolan, but it's too high and the
ball bounces away for a goal kick. The second half hasn't really got going
as yet, and we're expecting a few West Ham changes soon...
51 mins - Morrison collects a pass in a central position 30 yards out. He
looks up, takes a touch but drags his low shot well wide of the left-hand
post. Today's attendance is 4,780, with 1,101 of them from West Ham.
50 mins - West Ham have a free-kick about 30 yards out and Taylor is all
over it. Meanwhile, Oxford have changed all ten outfield players. The back
four is now Boateng, Raynes, Tafazoli and Capaldi, the midfield is Smith,
Harris, Craddock and Forster-Caskey and Constable is partnering Rigg up
front. Taylor curls the free-kick a yard over the top.
48 mins - Oxford have made a load of changes. Constable, Forster-Caskey,
Raynes and Tafazoli are among those who have come on, but I've no idea who
has gone off as yet. I'll try to find out!
46 mins - Two changes at the break for West Ham. Maynard and Oxford-born
Taylor on for Cole and McCartney. Taylor is involved straight away, crossing
dangerously and forcing a corner. Noble takes but it's cleared.
Half-time score - Oxford United 1-0 West Ham United
There are 22 players warming up on the pitch at present, including eleven
West Ham players. I'm not sure all of them will come on at half-time, but I
expect to see one or two start the second half.
Meanwhile, Oxford's Under-6 side are getting a proper ovation as they do a
lap of honour! The West Ham fans give them a loud cheer as they jog past.
Under-6s are small!
47 mins - That's half-time. Oxford lead. Join us again in a little under 15
minutes for the second half.
45 mins - We're going to have one added minute. Big Sam is out in his
technical area. I would think he will demand an improvement at half-time.
He'll certainly want his players to be more clinical.
41 mins - Cole lays the ball off from O'Neil's long pass to Morrison. He
comes forward and does a step-over before trying to play in Cole, but the
pass is behind the striker. It's been a case of 'so near yet so far' for
West Ham - they've had the ball in plenty of encouraging positions without
exploiting one as yet.
39 mins - West Ham attack and McCartney's cross is only cleared as far as
O'Neil. He lofts the ball back in from the right edge of the penalty area.
Vaz Te rises and goes to ground. He wants a penalty, but Mr Scott is again
unmoved. Goal kick.
36 mins - GOAL! We have a goal and it's a great finish from Smalley. The
cross comes over from the left and McCartney wins the header above Pittman,
but the ball drops to the No10, who rockets the half-volley past Henderson
from the angle. It might only be a pre-season game, but Big Sam will want a
response from his players immediately.
36 mins - Morrison is seeing plenty of the ball for West Ham. The fans
didn't see much of him last season following his arrival from Manchester
United, but the youngster clearly has talent.
34 mins - The Oxford fans want a penalty as McAllister tries to cut between
O'Neil and Spence and goes down. Mr Scott waves the appeals away.
32 mins - The corner is cleared but West Ham have it back. Morrison shows
some neat footwork before Noble's pass is handled by Batt. Free-kick wide on
the left. It's taken short to Nolan, who holds off his man inside the box
and drills the cross over. Vaz Te is there, but the pace on the ball makes
it a bit more difficult and the No12's first-time shot flies high and wide.
30 mins - Another ball in the car park as O'Neil wins it back in midfield
and finds Cole. He waits for the overlap of Vaz Te, who shoots left-footed
and sees his effort deflected over the fence by Evans for a corner.
28 mins - Back to the football and Demel skips past his man on the right
touchline. The cross takes a nick of the head of Evans and is a bit awkward
for Morrison. He controls on his chest and pokes the ball forward for Nolan,
but it's difficult for the skipper and Clarke is there to collect.
27 mins - Mr Scott has a chat with Chapman and Noble, but no cards are
shown. He then has a chat with captains Nolan and Wright. Presumably, his
message was something along the lines of 'This is a pre-season match and I
don't want loads of paperwork to do!'.
24 mins - Erm, it has all got a bit tasty here. Noble goes in hard but fair
on Pittman and the Oxford players react angrily. One, Adam Chapman, charges
at Noble and there is a coming together. This leads to some handbags
involving at least 16 players, but it is all over as quickly as it started.
Now the officials are having a chat...
22 mins - Another half-chance. Nolan finds the overlapping McCartney and he
stands the cross up on the edge of the six-yard box. Clarke comes to claim,
but he drops the ball. Oxford try to break from the clearance, but Reid gets
in a strong sliding challenge. That gets the players going and the action
only ends when Morrison is brought down by Potter. Noble doesn't like the
challenge. Nor does the referee as Mr Scott talks to the former Havant and
Waterlooville man.
20 mins - West Ham come close twice. First, Vaz Te beats two men before
trying to trick his way past Wright inside the box, but he's challenged.
Then, Nolan crosses towards Cole and Evans clears at the near post.
16 mins - The corner nearly leads to a goal...for Oxford! O'Neil collects
the short corner and his cross is headed clear powerfully. Spence is
favourite to get there, but Pittman beats him to the ball and is in on goal.
He elects to shoot from the edge of the D, but he leans back and the ball
flies too high. Relief for Spence.
14 mins - Golden opportunity for the first goal as Demel plays a superb
one-two with Nolan and gets to the byline and beats his man. Cole is
unmarked for the pull-back six yards from goal, but Demel picks the wrong
option and the ball goes behind for a corner. The flag-kick is cleared. West
Ham come again and Morrison and Nolan force another corner.
12 mins - The West Ham fans on the far side sing Carlton Cole's name as West
Ham come forward once more. Vaz Te does well to shake off McGinty but his
cross is just a little too strong for Morrison. McCartney crosses from the
nearside but Cole is beaten to the ball.
8 mins - This is a decent game so far. The Oxford fans give it a bit of
noise after their team attack again and a couple of strong challenges go in.
Batt crosses and Pittman challenges. Spence heads the ball backwards and
Henderson is out again quickly to catch ahead of Smalley.
6 mins - West Ham break quickly and Morrison finds Vaz Te in space. He cuts
inside from the left and shoots from 25 yards. It's too high and clears the
crossbar, fence and three rows of cars before nestling next to a tree.
5 mins - West Ham look to be in total control until Morrison gives the ball
away in midfield. Oxford break and a low cross threatens until McCartney
puts the ball out for a corner. Heslop's corner is headed up into the air
before Pittman's header is held by Henderson
4 mins - A momentary scare as Smalley brings down Reid and the Kiwi clutches
his ankle. It's nothing to worry about though, as Reid is quickly back up.
2 mins - Oxford come forward but Reid makes the headed clearance. The
Hammers then win a free-kick as Demel is fouled. All very low-key so far.
7.49pm - West Ham kick-off shooting from right to left. Tonight, it means
the Hammers are shooting towards an end with no stand. Any wayward shots
could threaten aerials and wing mirrors in the cinema car park behind the
goal!
7.47pm - Rob Hall's name gets a loud cheer from the home fans. The Hammers
youngster really caught the eye of U's supporters during two loan spells
here last season, when he scored six goals in 14 games.
7.45pm - Here come the two teams, led by Kevin Nolan and Jake Wright. West
Ham are in their all Navy away kit. Oxford are in all yellow. The conditions
are better than they were at Southend on Saturday! The pitch here looks in
decent nick. A sizeable travelling contingent from east London are sat
directly opposite me.
7.44pm - It looks like kick-off might also be slightly delayed as there is
no sign of the Oxford team, while West Ham have now gone back to their
dressing room...
7.40pm - Due to West Ham's slightly delayed arrival, the Hammers are out
warming up and will stay out on the pitch for kick-off.
7.35pm - For those wondering who 'Porritt' is on the teamsheet, he is Nathan
Porritt. Now 22, the former England Under-18 international midfielder is now
unattached after a spell in Belgian football.
7.15pm - So, Big Sam has named a very strong team tonight, with Carlton Cole
returning to action for the first time since the opening pre-season game at
FK Austria Wien. The same can be said of goalkeeper Stephen Henderson, who
has recovered from a slight thigh injury. On the bench, the Development
Squad have returned from Moscow and the likes of Jake Larkins, Eoin Wearen,
Pelly Ruddock, George Moncur, Blair Turgott and Seb Lletget are available
tonight.
7.10pm - OK, sorry for the delay but the team coach was slightly held up on
the road to the Kassam Stadium. The team news is in -
Oxford United: Clarke, Batt, McGinty, Wright, Chapman, Heslop, Smalley,
Pittman, Potter, McAllister, Evans
Subs: Crocombe, Raynes, Constable, Rigg, Boateng, Capaldi, Forster-Caskey,
Tafazoli, Harris, Smith, Craddock, Long, Lynn
West Ham United: Henderson, Demel, Spence, Reid, McCartney, Noble, Nolan,
O'Neil, Morrison, Cole, Vaz Te
Subs: Larkins, Wearen, Maynard, Porritt, Hall, Taylor, Ruddock, Moncur,
Turgott, Nasha, Lletget
Good evening and welcome to the Kassam Stadium for West Ham United's fourth
pre-season fixture against npower League Two side Oxford United.
The Hammers won their first pre-season match on Saturday, producing a decent
all-round performance to win 3-0 at Southend United, with Nicky Maynard,
Jordan Spence and Sam Baldock on target.
Baldock's goal was his third in three appearances so far in 2012/13 and the
former MK Dons man will be eager to find the net again and continue his hot
start to the new Barclays Premier League campaign.
There are a number of links between the two clubs - West Ham forward Rob
Hall spent two spells on loan with the U's last season, while Oxford coach
Andy Melville was part of the Hammers squad which gained promotion to the
Premier League via the Play-Offs in 2005. Meanwhile, West Ham midfielder
Matt Taylor was born and raised in Oxford.
Squad-wise, Sam Allardyce has chosen a group mixing first-team regulars and
young professionals. The likes of Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble and Ricardo Vaz Te
are joined in the squad by Development Squad players Eoin Wearen, Callum
Driver, Pelly Ruddock, George Moncur, Jake Larkins, Blair Turgott and
Sebastian Lletget.
Summer signing Stephen Henderson returns from a minor thigh injury and could
start in goal after missing the trips to Boreham Wood and Southend, while
Guy Demel could make his first pre-season start.
Tuesday's fixture will be the first meeting between West Ham and Oxford
since 24 August, when Scott Parker's late goal saw the Hammers beat the U's
1-0 in the League Cup second round at the Boleyn Ground.
The Hammers will be making their first-ever visit to the Kassam Stadium.
West Ham United: Henderson, Demel (Nasha 61), Spence, Reid (Wearen 61),
McCartney (Taylor 46), Noble (Moncur 61), Nolan (Ruddock 61), O'Neil
(Porritt 61), Morrison (Turgott 61), Cole (Maynard 46), Vaz Te (Hall 61)
Subs: Larkins, Lletget
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Diame happy with start
WHUFC.com
Momo Diame has enjoyed his first few weeks as a West Ham United player
16.07.2012
Mohamed Diame believes he has already settled in east London despite only
being at West Ham United for a few weeks. The 25-year-old got his first
taste of life as a Hammer during the club's training camp in Austria,
playing the full 90 minutes in the 3-1 defeat to FK Austria Wien. The
midfielder will have to wait before pulling on the claret and blue shirt
again though, as he jetted off straight away to join up with the Senegal
squad for the 2012 Olympic Games. Speaking to whufc.com, the Senegal
international praised his new team-mates and colleagues for giving him the
perfect welcome. "It was great to meet up with the rest of the team and to
start pre-season training. Everybody has been very welcoming to me, the
other players and all the staff. It made me feel good and it was nice to
start getting settled," he said. "The week we had in Austria was very good -
it was very hot and we worked hard - it was nice to get started. "I think
everyone was happy with the work we did and there is also a great spirit in
the team, as I said, it made feel very welcome."
Diame, who became Sam Allardyce's third summer signing, now hopes he can
build on his Hammers' debut, believing that the Olympics will provide the
perfect platform ahead of the new domestic season. "We had a good week and
now we have to keep working hard towards the new season - I will be with
Senegal now for the rest of pre-season but I am looking to come back and
help play my part on the training pitch and for the team when the new season
begins."
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London 2012: F1 track plan among Olympic Stadium bids
BBC.co.uk
A scheme to turn the Olympic Stadium into part of a Formula 1 track after
the London 2012 Games is one of four now under official consideration.
Football clubs West Ham and Leyton Orient are bidding to be tenants, as is
the UCFB College of Football Business. An original deal for West Ham to
lease the £486m stadium was scrapped last year amid legal wrangling. The
London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) said bids will be assessed
before any negotiations begin. Plans for a grand prix circuit were tabled by
Intelligent Transport Services, in conjunction with F1. The proposal would
reportedly allow another British round of the world championship in and
around the stadium in East London. UCFB, which offers degrees in football
business, is based at Burnley FC's Turf Moor ground and is an affiliate of
Bucks New University. It is understood Orient's proposal is based on a
ground share with West Ham, although the Premier League club has previously
insisted it is not considering that arrangement.
OLYMPIC STADIUM TIMELINE
12 July, 2012: Extended deadline for bidders to submit proposals
27 July-12 August: Olympic Games take place
29 August-9 September: Paralympics take place
October: Decision expected on succesful bidders
2014: Stadium reopens with new tenants
F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone said last month that he had been consulted by the
Intelligent Transport Services company about plans to use the stadium for a
race.
Ecclestone told the Daily Telegraph: "This is a firm that happened to be
bidding for use of the stadium, not to own it. They came up with a scheme
whereby Formula 1 would race around the stadium, inside it, outside it. They
wanted to make sure I would be interested." He has separately said that
plans for a race on a 3.15 mile (5.1 km) London circuit taking in sights
including Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and Trafalgar Square were "no joke".
Orient chairman Barry Hearn refused to comment on a possible ground share,
but told BBC Sport he hoped the League One club's bid could succeed. "There
is no point dwelling on the design of the stadium and the faults of the
stadium," he said. "We have to get on with it, we have to make a fist of it
and we have to make sure the Government and the people of this country get
maximum value for the investment that has gone into the Olympic Stadium.
"Our idea does that and I think it forms part of a legacy that people in
this country can be proud of. Bearing in mind this is the only time in our
lifetime that we are ever going to hold the Olympic Games, we need to get
something out of it. "A mixture of usages and a mixture of opportunity
within the Olympic Stadium will give us the feeling that we have spent our
money wisely and that is really what we are trying to achieve. All sides
have to exercise common sense and move forward. I think we have created a
very interesting scheme that can do just that."
Essex County Cricket Club has dropped plans for tenancy at the stadium after
its partner, the University of London, pulled out of the process. It has
already been announced the 80,000-capacity Olympic Stadium will be reduced
after the Games to a 60,000 venue, which retains a running track, and will
host the 2017 World Athletics Championships. The LLDC says it is possible
more than one bidder could be successful, with a decision expected in the
autumn.
Meanwhile, preferred bidder status has been granted to iCITY for the Olympic
press and broadcast centres. It wants to them into a design, technology and
research base that might create more than 4,000 jobs. The scheme includes a
conference centre, pedestrian square, cafes, restaurants and bars.
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West Ham seek deal for Mali striker Modibo Maiga
BBC.co.uk
By Frank Keogh
BBC Sport
West Ham are hoping to complete the signing of Mali striker Modibo Maiga
from French club Sochaux for a reported fee of £4.5m. The 25-year-old is
understood to be in England for a medical ahead of his proposed transfer.
Maiga went on strike during the 2011 summer transfer window as he tried to
secure a move to Newcastle. He eventually failed a medical at the Magpies
in January due to a knee problem. Maiga has scored 24 goals in 52 games for
Sochaux since signing from Le Mans in July 2010.
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Tomkins thanks fans
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 17th July 2012
By: Staff Writer
James Tomkins has thanked the readers of KUMB.com for naming him as their
2011/12 Player of the Season. The 23-year-old central defender, who narrowly
pipped midfielder Mark Noble to the award said: "I was delighted to be
chosen as player of the year by everyone at KUMB. "Any award and support
from our fans is great and very important to all of us as players, as it
comes from our supporters who watch us week in week out. "I will always say
it is a team effort and last season was no different, everyone worked hard
to get the team back up in the Premier League and it was fantastic we
achieved that. "Our aim was to do that for our fans first and foremost, to
say thanks for the incredible support you all give us. "I have been here
since I was a young boy and came through the Academy, so I know a lot of our
fans have followed my career as I have made it through to the first team.
"I have always appreciated the support, people coming up to me and wishing
me well and wishing me success in the team and it is nice to know that
everyone is looking out for you. "It is great to have won this award and I
hope to repay this great support by playing my part in the team this season
as we look forward to being back in the Premier League once again. Thank you
again for everyone at KUMB for voting for me."
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Mohsni set for Hammers
West Ham are Premier League club
By Graeme Bailey - Tweet me: @skygraemebailey. Last Updated: July
17, 2012 2:59pm
SSN
Sky Sports understands that the Premier League club ready to take Southend
ace Bilel Mohsni on trial is West Ham United. The 24-year-old defender, who
can also play as a striker, has been linked with a host of clubs over the
past 12 months. Stoke City and Blackpool have both seen offers rejected by
Southend, but now they have confirmed that they have agreed to let him train
with an unnamed club. Sky Sports can confirm that the team in question is
West Ham, and he is due to link up with them this week. Mohsni has just a
year left on his current deal, after Southend took up the 12-month option
they had on him at the end of last season.
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Sam rules out Carroll & Berba
West Ham boss insists strike duo will not be heading to Upton Park
By Rob Parrish - Follow me on Twitter @skysportsrobp. Last Updated: July
17, 2012 8:26pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce has admitted West Ham have given up on their hopes of signing
Andy Carroll and rejected reports of an interest in Dimitar Berbatov. Sky
Sports revealed earlier on Tuesday that England international Carroll has
been told that he does not figure in Brendan Rodgers' immediate plans, but
is reluctant to leave on a permanent basis. The £35million striker has been
targeted by former club Newcastle, who have seen an initial loan bid
rejected by the Reds and are considering whether to return with an improved
offer. The Hammers have also been linked with the 23-year-old and while
Allardyce admitted that discussions had taken place with the Reds, they
proved fruitless and the Upton Park boss is now moving on to other targets.
Nothing progressing
He told Sky Sports News HD: "I think that we're not in a situation where we
can secure a deal with Andy or Liverpool at the moment. "We talked to them,
we had some negotiation. But at the moment there is nothing progressing
forward on Andy coming to West Ham. "Andy is yet to make his mind up where
his future lies and the negotiation with Liverpool hasn't been a situation
where we've been able to agree. "We'll just leave it as it is and move on
with other players, as we have been doing on a daily basis through the
summer."
Pure speculation
Another striker to be linked with a switch to East London is Manchester
United forward Dimitar Berbatov, with the Bulgarian widely expected to leave
Old Trafford this summer. But Allardyce has flatly rejected suggestions that
the languid forward, who has been tipped for a move to Serie A, could be on
his radar. The West Ham boss added: "That's pure speculation in the media. I
haven't had any contact with Sir Alex. "There was a statement from Dimitar
saying he's available for £5million. Everybody knows we're looking for a
striker so they say we're in for him, but I've not had any conversations
with Sir Alex."
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Hammers close on Maiga
Allardyce confirms deal for Mali striker is in pipeline
Last Updated: July 17, 2012 9:08pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce has confirmed that West Ham are hoping to complete the signing
of Mali striker Modibo Maiga from Sochaux. Sky Sports understands that the
25-year-old is undergoing a medical with the East London club ahead of a
proposed £4.5million move from Ligue 1. Maiga was linked with a move to
Newcastle last summer and a proposed move to St James' Park in the January
transfer window fell through. The Mali international joined Sochaux from Le
Mans in July 2010 and has since scored 24 goals in 52 games for the French
side. Allardyce admitted that a deal to bring in Maiga was in the pipeline
but insisted there were still some details to be finalised before he puts
pen to paper. The Hammers boss told Sky Sports News HD: "At the moment that
is progressing. That is going forward as we speak but is a little way off
being clinched."
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Split decision: West Ham and Leyton Orient could SHARE Olympic Stadium
The Mirror
A ground share between West Ham and Leyton Orient is one of four proposals
now being considered for the Olympic Stadium. There are bids from West Ham,
Leyton Orient, the UCFB College of Football Business, and a plan to turn the
Olympic Stadium into part of a Formula 1 track, tabled by Intelligent
Transport Services, in conjunction with F1. Last year West Ham were in pole
position with a solo deal to lease the £486m stadium, but that was scrapped
amid legal wrangling. It is understood that it is Leyton Orient's proposal
which offers a ground share with West Ham, although the Premier League club
have previously rejected any such share. Orient chairman Barry Hearn refused
to comment on whether his proposal contained a possible ground share with
West Ham, but told BBC Sport he was hopeful of success. "There is no point
dwelling on the design of the stadium and the faults of the stadium," he
said. "We have to get on with it, we have to make a fist of it and we have
to make sure the Government and the people of this country get maximum value
for the investment that has gone into the Olympic Stadium.
"Our idea does that and I think it forms part of a legacy that people in
this country can be proud of. Bearing in mind this is the only time in our
lifetime that we are ever going to hold the Olympic Games, we need to get
something out of it.
"A mixture of usages and a mixture of opportunity within the Olympic Stadium
will give us the feeling that we have spent our money wisely and that is
really what we are trying to achieve. All sides have to exercise common
sense and move forward. I think we have created a very interesting scheme
that can do just that." It has already been announced that the
80,000-capacity Stadium will be reduced after the Games to 60,000.
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West Ham weigh up bid for ex-Chelsea wide man
By Jamie Sanderson | Tuesday, July 17, 2012
TalkSPort
West Ham are weighing up a move for out-of-favour Hamburg winger Gökhan
Töre. Töre has been told he is free to quit the Bundesliga outfit this
summer, despite a number of impressive displays, after falling out with new
manager Thorsten Fink. The quicksilver winger, who moved to Hamburg from
Chelsea just 12 months ago, turned out 22 times in the league last term, but
he has been omitted from Fink's first-team plans ahead of the new season.
Russian outfit Spartak Moscow have been strongly linked with a move, but it
appears the 20-year-old is keen to return to the Premier League, where his
agent has offered his services to newly-promoted West Ham. Töre would bring
an injection of pace, power and genuine width to the Hammers line-up, and
while boss Sam Allardyce is keen, he has requested a trial run out first,
something Hamburg have rejected. The news of Töre's switch away will be good
news for Chelsea, who will earn 50% of the fee Hamburg receive, after
including a hefty sell-on clause in the deal to sell him to Germany.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham in race for Olympic Stadium
Reuters - Today, 15:03
442.com
A bid linked to motor-racing group Formula One and football club West Ham
United are among four parties competing to take over the Olympic stadium
after the London Games, the London Legacy Development Corporation said on
Tuesday. The LLDC said it was assessing proposals from the two, as well as
from Leyton Orient Football Club and the UCFB College of Football Business,
without saying when a decision was due. Formula One supremo Bernie
Ecclestone told Reuters he was not directly involved in the motor-racing bid
which LLDC said was made in association with a company called Intelligent
Transport Services. "If they were to get permission to do it [use the
stadium for a Grand Prix], then we would be more than happy to do something
with them. But we have nothing to do with putting in a bid," he said.
The process to select a main tenant for the stadium in east London was
extended eight weeks in May after the LLDC said parties had been discouraged
from bidding because of unresolved issues including stadium-naming rights.
"London is further ahead in planning legacy than any previous host Olympic
city," LLDC chairman Daniel Moylan said. There has been speculation that
Formula One planned to use the stadium and neighbouring land to create a
motor-racing circuit. Some local politicians fear the 80,000-seat venue
could become a white elephant. A previous plan to sell the stadium to West
Ham fell apart in October with the government citing "legal paralysis" after
Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, which had a bid turned down,
challenged the decision. The LLDC also said a bid to turn the 1 million
square foot Olympic media centre into offices, research labs and a data
centre was now the preferred choice. A plan by the so-called iCity
consortium is the favourite after the only other bidder withdrew last week.
The consortium is backed by data centre manager Infinity and property
company Delancey. It plans to create more than 4,000 jobs. The LLDC said it
will name the residential developer selected to build the first
neighbourhood of housing on the park next week.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
And Another Two Bite the Dust, But the Maiga Deal Seems Somewhat More
Promising!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
Well, so two more bits of transfer speculation bite the dust. Apparently Sam
Allardyce has confirmed that the Andy Carroll deal is not going to happen.
While he has also poured some very cold water on the rumour that we were
ever interested in Berbetov. Neither development is much of a surprise in
all honesty. Therefore, barring a dramatic changed state of affairs, the
improbablity is not a possibility, and the 10% 'long shot' is not going to
come off. While, the Berbetov speculation appears to a case of the media
doing their standard trick of making 2 (west Ham need a striker) + 2
(Berbetov is available) = 5 (West Ham want Berbetov).
Elsewhere, things look somewhat more promising on the Maiga deal.
Negotiations appear to be at a fairly advanced stage, but Allardyce has
stressed that there are stiill some issues to be ironed out before the deal
can be completed. Hopefully, those 'issues' relate to personal terms, rather
than medical complications. We will just have to wait and see? Maybe Maiga
will prove to be an absolute gem, emerging out of 'left field' to barnstorm
his way in to the Hammers Hall of Fame! Goodness, how we could do with a
McAvennie or Devonshire scenerio of a 'low expection' signing turning out to
be absolute gold. Unfortunately those kind of deals are all too rare,
especially these days. Although the Vaz Te deal had a touch of that about it
last season. Similarly, Vaz Te bursting on to the PL scene, with a glut of
goals, would also be most welcome event. At a push, I might even settle for
him being a one season sensation, with 20 plus PL goals leading to a £10m
summer move to Porto!
Yesterday, amidst the inertia of the current transfer window, my mind
wanderered back to the pre-season of 1985-86. Now, everyone celebrates the
exploits of the Boys of 86, but the general apprehension that preceeded that
season is seldom recalled . West Ham had bumped around the bottom half of
the old First Division table in 1984-85, but we managed to pull clear of
relegation trouble with a bit to spare. But it was a decidedly underwhelming
season. The prevalent view was that we needed to 'buy big' to avoid a repeat
in the following campaign. Yet, instead of households names, our 'trophy'
signings were a winger from Oldham and an attacking midfielder from St
Mirren. Few had heard of them and many fans were left fearing the worst.
Yet, McAvennie and Ward slotted in beautifully and the rest of the team
gelled around them. And the rest as they say is history! I am not saying
that it will happen again, but it is still a comforting recollection. Oh,
yeah and they did not win a game in the 1985-86 pre-season, to boot!
(Tallking of which, we apparently lost 1-0 to Oxford Utd yesterday evening
in our latest pre-season friendly).
Finally, forget about Carroll and Berbetov. West Ham are said to be
interested in Southend Utd utility man, Bilel Mohsni. Mohsni appears to be a
Derek Johnstone type of player (hands up those who remembers him?) who can
operate as both a defender and a striker. Is it just another baseless
rumour, who can possibly say at present?
Anyway, keep the faith! If ever I needed to adhere to my favourite Gramscian
dictum 'Pessimism of intellect, optimism of the will' it is probably now.
And, of course, It is easy to forget that things could be a lot worse. If
those three early Blackpool sitters in the play-off Final had gone in, we
would now be faced with another tough season in the championship, having to
cope with dire consequences of 'financial fair play.' There, that's cheered
you up hasn't it. COYI!
SJ. Chandos.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham and Formula One lead grid in race for Olympic Stadium
Other bidders are UCFB College and Leyton Orient
West Ham remain favourites to move into stadium
Owen Gibson
The Guardian, Wednesday 18 July 2012
The London Legacy Development Corporation has named four bidders in the
bidding process for the £428m stadium. Photograph: Paul Gilham/Getty Images
West Ham United remain favourites to move into the Olympic stadium after the
Games after the club were named as one of four final bidders , while
ambitious plans to stage a Formula One race in the Park also remain on the
shortlist.
Following a board meeting, the London Legacy Development Corporation named
the four bidders that remain in the protracted bidding process for the £428m
stadium. Bernie Ecclestone has given his backing to the bid to use the
stadium as part of a Formula One track, a separate scheme from recently
floated plans to stage a race in central London, but he is not directly
involved.
"If they were to get permission to do it, then we would be more than happy
to do something with them. But we have nothing to do with putting in a bid,"
he said of the bid, submitted by a company called Intelligent Transport
Services.
The other two bidders are the UCFB College of Football Business and Leyton
Orient. The east end club, which along with Tottenham Hostpur and an
anonymous complainant to the European Union derailed an earlier attempt to
award the stadium to West Ham, did not put its name forward under the
initial bidding process. But when the deadline was extended by the LLDC,
partly because bidders had been discouraged by unresolved issues around
naming rights, the chairman, Barry Hearn, changed his mind and submitted a
bid.
West Ham remain favourites to move in, but have said they will only do so on
their terms. The vice chair, Karren Brady, wants to ensure the club and
their supporters feel as though they have ownership of the ground during the
football season and can benefit from sponsorship and commercial
opportunities as the main tenants.
The club will also have to invest in adding a roof and hospitality boxes and
want to investigate the possibility of installing retractable seating for
the running track.
UK Athletics is already guaranteed use of the stadium, which will host the
2017 world athletics championships. Newham Council, which will put £40m into
the project, will also be guaranteed a certain number of days access for
community use. The four bids will be now be evaluated before negotiations
begin, with the aim of coming to a decision by October. "London is further
ahead in planning legacy than any previous host Olympic city. Despite our
success this is no time to rest on our laurels. We have planned a superb
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and we are working to ensure we achieve the
right long-term future for all our permanent venues," said LLDC chairman
Daniel Moylan, who recently replaced Margaret Ford.
The LLDC has also made the iCity consortium the preferred bidder for the
cavernous international broadcast centre and main press centre on the site.
It will now enter into exclusive negotiations over its plans to house a data
centre, hi-tech start ups, post production companies and educational
establishments on the site.
The company will have to sign up to promises to deliver 3,800 jobs on the
site. It has said it could increase employment on the site and in the
surrounding area by up to 6,000.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Wednesday, July 18
Tuesday, July 17
Daily WHUFC News - 17th July 2012
Nolan happy with Jussi arrival
WHUFC.com
Kevin Nolan was delighted to see the Hammers sign his former team-mate Jussi
Jaaskelainen
15.07.2012
Kevin Nolan believes West Ham United have signed a top-class goalkeeper in
Jussi Jaaskelainen. The Hammers captain knows exactly what Jaaskelainen can
do, having spent ten years playing in front of the Finn at Bolton Wanderers.
The pair shared great times at the Reebok Stadium, achieving promotion to
the Premier League, reaching the League Cup final and twice competing in the
UEFA Cup. Having lined up in the same team more than 300 times for the
Trotters, Nolan believes Jaaskelainen possesses the experience and ability
to help West Ham to consolidate their place in the Barclays Premier League.
"Obviously Jussi's record speaks for itself," he told West Ham TV. "When we
were at Bolton and were at our height finishing in the top-eight in four
straight seasons, he was probably easily worth 12 points a season to us and
that was just in games that he won for us on his own by pulling off saves
when our backs were against the wall. "He is that type of keeper who can
pull of great saves. He is a good lad to have around the place too. "There
was no-one more disappointed than me to see Rob Green go. I was close to him
and consider him a good friend and we've stayed in touch. I wish him well in
his move but was disappointed not to see him stay because it would have been
interesting to see those two going at it for the No1 jersey. "Jussi is
someone the gaffer knows really well and I'm sure he'll warm the West Ham
fans' hearts quickly because he is that type of player and character."
Nolan was also pleased to see the Hammers acquire Senegal midfielder Mohamed
Diame following his departure from Wigan Athletic. The pair have enjoyed a
number of battles in the Barclays Premier League over the past few seasons
and the skipper believes Diame will also prove to be a shrewd acquisition
over the course of the season. "I don't really know much of Mohamed but I've
played against him and seen him on the TV. What I've seen of him over the
past week is that he is a good lad who has mixed in with the boys and I'm
sure he'll be a good signing for us. "He seems a very good player and is a
young kid - well, he's younger than me! I'm sure he's going to be a very
good player for us this season."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hall relishing Oxford return
WHUFC.com
One-time Oxford United loanee Rob Hall is looking forward to Tuesday's
pre-season match
16.07.2012
Rob Hall is looking forward to showing Oxford United supporters more of his
undoubted talent on Tuesday evening. The West Ham United forward enjoyed two
fruitful loan spells with the npower League Two club last season, scoring
six goals in 14 appearances and dazzling the U's faithful with his quick
feet and elusive dribbling and movement. Tuesday's pre-season fixture at the
Kassam Stadium - kick-off 7.45pm - will give the 18-year-old an opportunity
to illustrate again why he is considered one of English football's
most-promising young players. The player himself told West Ham TV he is
desperate to be involved in a fixture that is set to be attended by dozens
of his friends and family members, many of whom hail from Hall's hometown of
Aylesbury just 20 miles from Oxford. "Hopefully I'll be involved but I have
to take it step-by-step," he said modestly. "We're back in training today
and I'll work hard to try to get into the squad. "It would be great to go
back there and play again in front of the Oxford fans and nice to be in and
around the team and the club because I really enjoyed my time there."
Hall caught the eye during a 30-minute run out in Saturday's 3-0 pre-season
victory at Southend United - less than 48 hours after he had played 120
minutes in England's agonising 2-1 UEFA European Under-19 Championship
semi-final defeat by Greece. The Hammers teenager's disappointment was
compounded by the fact he saw his penalty saved with the scoreline standing
at 1-0 to Greece just before half-time. While Hall was naturally upset at
England's exit, he has vowed to learn from the experience and bounce back a
stronger character and a better player. "I got back from Estonia at about
6pm on Friday after a long day of travelling, but it wasn't too bad. I got a
nice 30-minute burst and felt fresh. "It was a long time away from home but
I learnt a lot out there. I had a lot of experience, some bad of course such
as getting knocked out in the semi-finals, but it was a good all-round trip.
"You see different cultures and learn to live different ways. We had a lot
of down-time out there where you have to look after yourselves, so you have
to learn from that. "I heard I was only playing 30 minutes on Saturday and I
thought it would be at the end of the game, but I came into the changing
room and saw my name in the starting XI and I thought I did alright.
"England-wise, I feel I am a penalty taker but I've missed my last two so
the next one needs to go in! I might have to change my technique but I'm
confident it will go in. "You've just got to step up and keep your head and
on the day the Greek keeper read where I was going to go, so I'll learn from
it and move on from that."
Tuesday's fixture will be the first meeting between West Ham and Oxford
since 24 August, when Scott Parker's late goal saw the Hammers beat the U's
1-0 in the League Cup second round at the Boleyn Ground. The Hammers will be
making their first-ever visit to the Kassam Stadium. *An allocation of 500
tickets will be on sale (cash only) to West Ham United supporters from the
Kassam Stadium North Ticket Office from 6.30pm on Tuesday evening.
Tickets are priced at £18 for Adults, £14.50 for Students (NUS card required
and in full-time education) and £10.50 for Over-65s/Under-16s.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Maiga in London to seal switch
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th July 2012
By: Staff Writer
Modibo Maiga has arrived in London to rubber-stamp his move to West Ham. The
Malian forward, who is set to cost United up to £7million arrived in the
capital late this afternoon before being whisked away to a hotel where he
will be staying ahead of meeting with Hammers chiefs and undergoing a
medical. The 24-year-old forward, who currently plays for French Ligue 1
club Sochaux began his footballing career in his home country with Stade
Malien before moving to Moroccan club Raja CA Casablanca in 2004. Having
been part of the Arab Champions League-winning side when Casablanca beat
Egyptian outfit ENPPI Club 2-1 in 2006, Maiga moved to France when Le Mans
came calling in 2007. Following three years with MUC 72, he was signed by
current club Sochaux, for whom he scored 15 goals in his first season. A
year ago last month Maiga looked set to move to Newcastle but he eventually
failed a medical ahead of a £7million deal. Having returned to France he
went on to score another 15 goals last season as he helped Les Lionceaux to
fifth place in Ligue 1.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam on Andy
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th July 2012
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce is still hopeful of landing Liverpool's Andy Carroll on loan -
despite the England striker's former club entering the race to sign him.
Newcastle United, who sold Carroll to Liverpool last January for a
record-breaking £35million are said to be ready to pay around £13million to
re-sign the Gateshead-born striker on a permanent basis - whilst West Ham
are hoping to take him on loan with view to a permanent deal. Key to West
Ham's bid is the close relationship between Carroll and West Ham captain
Kevin Nolan - and the fact that both are represented by agent Mark Curtis,
who has become an increasingly influential figure at West Ham in recent
months. The controversial Curtis also represents West Ham's central
defender James Tomkins - for whom he recently negotiated a new bumper
contract - and manager Sam Allardyce. Speaking to the local press earlier
today, Allardyce reiterated his desire to bring the 6'3" hit man to east
London. "We would dearly love to have Andy Carroll with us but it is a
complex situation and he is in no hurry," he said. "He doesn't have to make
a quick decision if he doesn't want to. If Andy is going to leave Liverpool,
he can wait and see how many are interested. "The fact, though, that Kevin
is a good friend of Andy's is a slight positive because, if he came here, he
wouldn't be going into a strange environment which would make it easier for
him to integrate."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam 'frustrated' at lack of activity
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th July 2012
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce is becoming increasingly frustrated at West Ham's inability to
land any of his favoured transfer targets, KUMB has learned. The West Ham
manager has seen a string of deals fall through already this summer due to
the board's unwillingness to pay high wages and is said to be disappointed
at the lack of backing he has received from the club's co-owners, Davids
Sullivan and Gold. Sunderland's Kieran Richardson, ex-Tottenham defender
Ryan Nelson (now QPR) and former Rangers forward Steven Naismith (now
Everton) are three of the players who Allardyce has failed to land having
seen negotiations fall through due to the board's insistence on refusing to
accede to extortionate demands. Sullivan - and to a lesser degree, Gold -
have refused to sanction such transfers, preferring instead to wait in the
hope that some of their targets remain available until later in the transfer
window when they are more likely to accept more agreeable terms. "We've
identified a number of players but, as yet, we've not been able to sign them
because of their demands," Big Sam said earlier today. "At the moment, we
have signed two out of 12 players we have gone for but I believe we need
another four. "I still believe we will sign the players we need but every
day that goes by makes me more anxious."
27-year-old Richardson, for example, is thought to have demanded circa
£45,000-per-week to join West Ham despite having failed to stand out since
moving from Manchester United to Sunderland for £5.5million in July 2007.
Despite the lack of activity in the past fortnight, West Ham have already
signed four players since confirming their return to the Premier League -
Stephen Henderson, Jussi Jaaskelainen, Momo Diame and George McCartney -
whilst Modibo Maiga is expected to join within the next few days. Allardyce
is seeking a full back, a central defender, a wide forward and a central
striker.
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Ferdinand: no match for West Ham
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th July 2012
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammers target Kane Ferdinand says his Southend United team were
distinctly second best against Sam Allardyce's side at the weekend. West Ham
recorded their first win of pre-season with Saturday's 3-0 success at Roots
Hall; the goals coming from Nicky Maynard, Jordan Spence and Sam Baldock,
who maintained his record of having scored in every game of pre-season. And
Ferdinand - who was first linked with a move to Upton Park in June 2011 -
admitted that the two teams were a class apart. "I think the difference in
class between the two teams was there to see but it was good for us to get
out there again," the relative of former Hammers Rio, Anton and Les
Ferdinand told the Echo. "West Ham have been back in training a few more
weeks than we have and that showed as well, but it was nice to get a game
in. The matches help to break up the hard runs and training we're doing and
I'm sure this will have done us good."
Meanwhile West Ham's assistant manager Neil McDonald was once again pleased
with efforts of the team. They're getting stronger and they're getting
fitter which is what pre-season is all about," he told whufc.com. "It was
nice to get some goals as well, which was great. With another good week of
work under their belts and having played two games this week, it's building
up well in pre-season. "We passed the ball really well and kept it moving.
We've been working on keeping the ball and passing and moving during the
past two weeks and we now just need to build their fitness up. We played
some really nice stuff at times."
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Cole: days numbered?
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 16th July 2012
By: Staff Writer
Carlton Cole's days at West Ham could be numbered after he was told that he
may not necessarily be part of Sam Allardyce's first team plans for next
season.
KUMB understands that the former England striker, who scored the first goal
in West Ham's 2-1 play-off Final win against Blackpool back in May has been
informed that he will not be guaranteed a first team spot next season. With
West Ham chasing the likes of Liverpool's Andy Carroll and Sochaux's Modibo
Maiga - who some sources have suggested will complete a move to West Ham
this week - Cole is likely to be second choice, at best, for the lone
striker's role under Allardyce's system.
And the 28-year-old, who moved to West Ham from Chelsea six years ago has
been told to seek a new club should he wish to guarantee first-team football
on a regular basis. The Hammers are still in line to sign Mali striker Maiga
this week, with the club still seeking to land Carroll on loan from
Liverpool. However the Hammers face stiff competition from his former club
Newcastle.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
And the Latest Player Allegedly Being Pursured by West Ham is - Dimitar
Berbatov!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
The Daily Mirror have reported that West Ham's latest transfer target is
allegedly Manchester Utd's Dimitar Berbatov. It seems that Berbatov's time
at Old Traford is nearing its conclusion and there is speculation that he
could be allowed to move for a £5m fee. West Ham could undoubtedly afford
that level of transfer fee, but about his his wage package? Berbatov is
still a PL quality striker and he needs regular first team football. Are
West Ham genuinely interested in him? Perhaps, but it does begs the question
will the Board meet his wage demands?
Sam Allardyce's recently reported comments about his fustrations at failing
to secure the club's summer transfer targets have been illuminating. It
appears, as many of us have suspected, that potential deals are breaking
down because the Board will not meet the wage demands of the players. That
is a double edged sword, because while it is essential that the club is
competitive in the transfer market, no one wants to see the club paying
decidely average players heavily inflated wages. The truth is that quality,
above and beyond what we already have, will cost the club. As a general
rule, there is no getting away from that harsh reality. Yes, it is probably
right to take a stand on inflated player wages, but if you are doing it in
isolaion, as one PL club, there is every prospect that you will only end up
disadvantaging yourself in the transfer market.
Everyone knows how important the summer transfer window is in having a good
season. Get it wrong, and you need up on the back foot, trying to pull it
out of the fire with expensive and desperate transfers in January. That's
exactly what happened in 2010-11, we never recovered from a poor start and
the January transfers did nothing to turn the club's fortunes around at the
11th hour.
When history repeats itself, its first as tragedy and then as farce. This
club cannot afford another relegation farce this time around. Surely
everyone can agree on that? Personally, i am not overly pessimistic about
our current squad, the likes of Noble, Collison, Tomkins and Nolan give us a
reasonable fighting chance in the coming the season. Especially if the team
spirit and togetherness that emerged last season is carried over in to the
new season. But to perform better than expected we probably need an
injection of extra quality in key positions.
Hopefully, the quality in the current squad, the much improved team spirit
and Sam Allardyce's managerial nous will keep us out of any real trouble.
But would it not be nice to do a bit better and secure a top ten finish.
That is a quality often sorely missing at Upton Park over the decades
....... ambition.!
SJ Chandos.
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Hammers bid for Berbatov: New boys want the Manchester United misfit
The Mirror
West Ham have made an audacious bid to rescue Dimitar Berbatov from his
Manchester United hell. The promoted Hammers have moved for the Bulgarian
hitman as it appears Newcastle are set to win the race for another of their
targets, Liverpool and England striker Andy Carroll. Berbatov, 31, has made
public his desperation to quit the Reds in search of regular first-team
football next season. But United have taken out an option to extend his
contract by another 12 months in the hope of landing a fee for the striker
of around £5million. The east Londoners want to hand Berbatov a chance to
return to London, where he made his name with Tottenham, on loan – at least
initially – whereas the deposed champions are looking for a sale. Berbatov
took to Facebook at the weekend to make clear he'd rather cut his losses
than stay on the bench for another season at Old Trafford. Signed for £30m
from Spurs four years ago, Berbatov hit 14 goals in his first season at
United and 12 in his second. In his third, he rattled in 20 Premier League
goals to share the Golden Boot with Carlos Tevez of Manchester City.
However, the emergence of both Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez at United,
has since seen Berbatov plummet down the pecking order.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Show me the way home! Miffed Carroll ready for Toon return after snub
By DOMINIC KING
PUBLISHED: 23:00, 16 July 2012 | UPDATED: 06:22, 17 July 2012
Daily Mail
Andy Carroll has paved the way for a dramatic return 'home' by admitting
that he wants to re-join Newcastle. Having harboured hopes he would be able
to convince Brendan Rodgers of his suitability for the new Liverpool,
Carroll has now been forced to reluctantly accept that he must move on to
play regular football. Newcastle had an approach to take the England
international on a season-long loan firmly rebuffed by Liverpool on Sunday
night but they will now be expected to come back with another offer after
receiving encouraging noises from Carroll's entourage. West Ham United,
Fulham and Aston Villa have all stated their interest to varying degrees but
it would appear Carroll would only want to go back to the Sports Direct
Arena. According to an unnamed friend, who was quoted in Monday's Newcastle
Evening Chronicle, Carroll is annoyed that he hasn't had an opportunity to
impress Rodgers. 'From a professional point of view Andy is miffed that he
wasn't given the chance to show what he can do in front of new manager
Brendan Rodgers,' a close friend of Carroll's said. 'He was expecting to get
at least pre-season to show what he could offer him. He ended last season on
a high and wanted to continue that. 'Now Newcastle are interested and Andy
wants to come home. He's already told Liverpool that too. He's surprised
Liverpool don't want him anymore and doesn't want to be where he is not
wanted.'
Former Newcastle captain Alan Shearer believes returning to Tyneside would
be a 'great move' for Carroll
The 41-year-old said in The Sun: 'Andy is an England centre-forward and I
wouldn't say he has been a flop at Liverpool by any means. 'Yes, it took him
a bit of time to settle there but he finished the season strongly and
considering he only started one game at the Euros, I thought he did well.
'Make no mistake, he is a very good footballer. I can fully understand why
Newcastle are in for him and I think it would be a great move. 'When he was
there before he benefited from the fact that the team was always working to
get him the ball - and he thrived on that. That hasn't always been the case
at Liverpool and perhaps at times he suffered.' He added: 'There is an old
saying that you should never go back but, in Andy's case, I don't think it
would be a mistake at all. 'He was hero-worshipped by the crowd first time
around and they would warm to him again. Andy loved playing there and
whatever the fans felt about him leaving to join Liverpool, I'm sure he
would win them over quickly.'
As Liverpool paid £35million for Carroll in January 2011, they will play
hard ball with any club enquiring about the striker and will not sell him on
the cheap.
Liverpool would be looking to recoup at least half of what they initially
paid for Carroll and will only do business if they receive a serious
permanent offer or a loan deal with a commitment to buy. Rodgers is looking
to make additions to Liverpool's squad and is keen on both Fulham's Clint
Dempsey and Joe Allen of Swansea but he admitted last week that his
restructuring would not be done with huge amounts of cash. Were Liverpool to
offload Carroll, then, they would have more room for manoeuvre in the
transfer market but no deal will be done until their valuation is met.
Carroll was not on Liverpool's flight to Boston on Monday, as he is still on
holiday and is expected to report back next week following his exertions at
Euro 2012.
There is no suggestion that this saga will be resolved quickly and West Ham
boss Sam Allardyce is refusing to give up hope of luring Carroll to Upton
Park, despite the 23-year-old's reticence. 'We would dearly love to have
Andy Carroll with us but it is a complex situation,' said Allardyce. 'He is
in no hurry; he doesn't have to make a quick decision if he doesn't want to.
If Andy is going to leave Liverpool, he can wait and see how many (clubs)
are interested.'
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Kevin Nolan was delighted to see the Hammers sign his former team-mate Jussi
Jaaskelainen
15.07.2012
Kevin Nolan believes West Ham United have signed a top-class goalkeeper in
Jussi Jaaskelainen. The Hammers captain knows exactly what Jaaskelainen can
do, having spent ten years playing in front of the Finn at Bolton Wanderers.
The pair shared great times at the Reebok Stadium, achieving promotion to
the Premier League, reaching the League Cup final and twice competing in the
UEFA Cup. Having lined up in the same team more than 300 times for the
Trotters, Nolan believes Jaaskelainen possesses the experience and ability
to help West Ham to consolidate their place in the Barclays Premier League.
"Obviously Jussi's record speaks for itself," he told West Ham TV. "When we
were at Bolton and were at our height finishing in the top-eight in four
straight seasons, he was probably easily worth 12 points a season to us and
that was just in games that he won for us on his own by pulling off saves
when our backs were against the wall. "He is that type of keeper who can
pull of great saves. He is a good lad to have around the place too. "There
was no-one more disappointed than me to see Rob Green go. I was close to him
and consider him a good friend and we've stayed in touch. I wish him well in
his move but was disappointed not to see him stay because it would have been
interesting to see those two going at it for the No1 jersey. "Jussi is
someone the gaffer knows really well and I'm sure he'll warm the West Ham
fans' hearts quickly because he is that type of player and character."
Nolan was also pleased to see the Hammers acquire Senegal midfielder Mohamed
Diame following his departure from Wigan Athletic. The pair have enjoyed a
number of battles in the Barclays Premier League over the past few seasons
and the skipper believes Diame will also prove to be a shrewd acquisition
over the course of the season. "I don't really know much of Mohamed but I've
played against him and seen him on the TV. What I've seen of him over the
past week is that he is a good lad who has mixed in with the boys and I'm
sure he'll be a good signing for us. "He seems a very good player and is a
young kid - well, he's younger than me! I'm sure he's going to be a very
good player for us this season."
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Hall relishing Oxford return
WHUFC.com
One-time Oxford United loanee Rob Hall is looking forward to Tuesday's
pre-season match
16.07.2012
Rob Hall is looking forward to showing Oxford United supporters more of his
undoubted talent on Tuesday evening. The West Ham United forward enjoyed two
fruitful loan spells with the npower League Two club last season, scoring
six goals in 14 appearances and dazzling the U's faithful with his quick
feet and elusive dribbling and movement. Tuesday's pre-season fixture at the
Kassam Stadium - kick-off 7.45pm - will give the 18-year-old an opportunity
to illustrate again why he is considered one of English football's
most-promising young players. The player himself told West Ham TV he is
desperate to be involved in a fixture that is set to be attended by dozens
of his friends and family members, many of whom hail from Hall's hometown of
Aylesbury just 20 miles from Oxford. "Hopefully I'll be involved but I have
to take it step-by-step," he said modestly. "We're back in training today
and I'll work hard to try to get into the squad. "It would be great to go
back there and play again in front of the Oxford fans and nice to be in and
around the team and the club because I really enjoyed my time there."
Hall caught the eye during a 30-minute run out in Saturday's 3-0 pre-season
victory at Southend United - less than 48 hours after he had played 120
minutes in England's agonising 2-1 UEFA European Under-19 Championship
semi-final defeat by Greece. The Hammers teenager's disappointment was
compounded by the fact he saw his penalty saved with the scoreline standing
at 1-0 to Greece just before half-time. While Hall was naturally upset at
England's exit, he has vowed to learn from the experience and bounce back a
stronger character and a better player. "I got back from Estonia at about
6pm on Friday after a long day of travelling, but it wasn't too bad. I got a
nice 30-minute burst and felt fresh. "It was a long time away from home but
I learnt a lot out there. I had a lot of experience, some bad of course such
as getting knocked out in the semi-finals, but it was a good all-round trip.
"You see different cultures and learn to live different ways. We had a lot
of down-time out there where you have to look after yourselves, so you have
to learn from that. "I heard I was only playing 30 minutes on Saturday and I
thought it would be at the end of the game, but I came into the changing
room and saw my name in the starting XI and I thought I did alright.
"England-wise, I feel I am a penalty taker but I've missed my last two so
the next one needs to go in! I might have to change my technique but I'm
confident it will go in. "You've just got to step up and keep your head and
on the day the Greek keeper read where I was going to go, so I'll learn from
it and move on from that."
Tuesday's fixture will be the first meeting between West Ham and Oxford
since 24 August, when Scott Parker's late goal saw the Hammers beat the U's
1-0 in the League Cup second round at the Boleyn Ground. The Hammers will be
making their first-ever visit to the Kassam Stadium. *An allocation of 500
tickets will be on sale (cash only) to West Ham United supporters from the
Kassam Stadium North Ticket Office from 6.30pm on Tuesday evening.
Tickets are priced at £18 for Adults, £14.50 for Students (NUS card required
and in full-time education) and £10.50 for Over-65s/Under-16s.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Maiga in London to seal switch
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th July 2012
By: Staff Writer
Modibo Maiga has arrived in London to rubber-stamp his move to West Ham. The
Malian forward, who is set to cost United up to £7million arrived in the
capital late this afternoon before being whisked away to a hotel where he
will be staying ahead of meeting with Hammers chiefs and undergoing a
medical. The 24-year-old forward, who currently plays for French Ligue 1
club Sochaux began his footballing career in his home country with Stade
Malien before moving to Moroccan club Raja CA Casablanca in 2004. Having
been part of the Arab Champions League-winning side when Casablanca beat
Egyptian outfit ENPPI Club 2-1 in 2006, Maiga moved to France when Le Mans
came calling in 2007. Following three years with MUC 72, he was signed by
current club Sochaux, for whom he scored 15 goals in his first season. A
year ago last month Maiga looked set to move to Newcastle but he eventually
failed a medical ahead of a £7million deal. Having returned to France he
went on to score another 15 goals last season as he helped Les Lionceaux to
fifth place in Ligue 1.
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Sam on Andy
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th July 2012
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce is still hopeful of landing Liverpool's Andy Carroll on loan -
despite the England striker's former club entering the race to sign him.
Newcastle United, who sold Carroll to Liverpool last January for a
record-breaking £35million are said to be ready to pay around £13million to
re-sign the Gateshead-born striker on a permanent basis - whilst West Ham
are hoping to take him on loan with view to a permanent deal. Key to West
Ham's bid is the close relationship between Carroll and West Ham captain
Kevin Nolan - and the fact that both are represented by agent Mark Curtis,
who has become an increasingly influential figure at West Ham in recent
months. The controversial Curtis also represents West Ham's central
defender James Tomkins - for whom he recently negotiated a new bumper
contract - and manager Sam Allardyce. Speaking to the local press earlier
today, Allardyce reiterated his desire to bring the 6'3" hit man to east
London. "We would dearly love to have Andy Carroll with us but it is a
complex situation and he is in no hurry," he said. "He doesn't have to make
a quick decision if he doesn't want to. If Andy is going to leave Liverpool,
he can wait and see how many are interested. "The fact, though, that Kevin
is a good friend of Andy's is a slight positive because, if he came here, he
wouldn't be going into a strange environment which would make it easier for
him to integrate."
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Sam 'frustrated' at lack of activity
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th July 2012
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce is becoming increasingly frustrated at West Ham's inability to
land any of his favoured transfer targets, KUMB has learned. The West Ham
manager has seen a string of deals fall through already this summer due to
the board's unwillingness to pay high wages and is said to be disappointed
at the lack of backing he has received from the club's co-owners, Davids
Sullivan and Gold. Sunderland's Kieran Richardson, ex-Tottenham defender
Ryan Nelson (now QPR) and former Rangers forward Steven Naismith (now
Everton) are three of the players who Allardyce has failed to land having
seen negotiations fall through due to the board's insistence on refusing to
accede to extortionate demands. Sullivan - and to a lesser degree, Gold -
have refused to sanction such transfers, preferring instead to wait in the
hope that some of their targets remain available until later in the transfer
window when they are more likely to accept more agreeable terms. "We've
identified a number of players but, as yet, we've not been able to sign them
because of their demands," Big Sam said earlier today. "At the moment, we
have signed two out of 12 players we have gone for but I believe we need
another four. "I still believe we will sign the players we need but every
day that goes by makes me more anxious."
27-year-old Richardson, for example, is thought to have demanded circa
£45,000-per-week to join West Ham despite having failed to stand out since
moving from Manchester United to Sunderland for £5.5million in July 2007.
Despite the lack of activity in the past fortnight, West Ham have already
signed four players since confirming their return to the Premier League -
Stephen Henderson, Jussi Jaaskelainen, Momo Diame and George McCartney -
whilst Modibo Maiga is expected to join within the next few days. Allardyce
is seeking a full back, a central defender, a wide forward and a central
striker.
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Ferdinand: no match for West Ham
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 16th July 2012
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammers target Kane Ferdinand says his Southend United team were
distinctly second best against Sam Allardyce's side at the weekend. West Ham
recorded their first win of pre-season with Saturday's 3-0 success at Roots
Hall; the goals coming from Nicky Maynard, Jordan Spence and Sam Baldock,
who maintained his record of having scored in every game of pre-season. And
Ferdinand - who was first linked with a move to Upton Park in June 2011 -
admitted that the two teams were a class apart. "I think the difference in
class between the two teams was there to see but it was good for us to get
out there again," the relative of former Hammers Rio, Anton and Les
Ferdinand told the Echo. "West Ham have been back in training a few more
weeks than we have and that showed as well, but it was nice to get a game
in. The matches help to break up the hard runs and training we're doing and
I'm sure this will have done us good."
Meanwhile West Ham's assistant manager Neil McDonald was once again pleased
with efforts of the team. They're getting stronger and they're getting
fitter which is what pre-season is all about," he told whufc.com. "It was
nice to get some goals as well, which was great. With another good week of
work under their belts and having played two games this week, it's building
up well in pre-season. "We passed the ball really well and kept it moving.
We've been working on keeping the ball and passing and moving during the
past two weeks and we now just need to build their fitness up. We played
some really nice stuff at times."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cole: days numbered?
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 16th July 2012
By: Staff Writer
Carlton Cole's days at West Ham could be numbered after he was told that he
may not necessarily be part of Sam Allardyce's first team plans for next
season.
KUMB understands that the former England striker, who scored the first goal
in West Ham's 2-1 play-off Final win against Blackpool back in May has been
informed that he will not be guaranteed a first team spot next season. With
West Ham chasing the likes of Liverpool's Andy Carroll and Sochaux's Modibo
Maiga - who some sources have suggested will complete a move to West Ham
this week - Cole is likely to be second choice, at best, for the lone
striker's role under Allardyce's system.
And the 28-year-old, who moved to West Ham from Chelsea six years ago has
been told to seek a new club should he wish to guarantee first-team football
on a regular basis. The Hammers are still in line to sign Mali striker Maiga
this week, with the club still seeking to land Carroll on loan from
Liverpool. However the Hammers face stiff competition from his former club
Newcastle.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
And the Latest Player Allegedly Being Pursured by West Ham is - Dimitar
Berbatov!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
The Daily Mirror have reported that West Ham's latest transfer target is
allegedly Manchester Utd's Dimitar Berbatov. It seems that Berbatov's time
at Old Traford is nearing its conclusion and there is speculation that he
could be allowed to move for a £5m fee. West Ham could undoubtedly afford
that level of transfer fee, but about his his wage package? Berbatov is
still a PL quality striker and he needs regular first team football. Are
West Ham genuinely interested in him? Perhaps, but it does begs the question
will the Board meet his wage demands?
Sam Allardyce's recently reported comments about his fustrations at failing
to secure the club's summer transfer targets have been illuminating. It
appears, as many of us have suspected, that potential deals are breaking
down because the Board will not meet the wage demands of the players. That
is a double edged sword, because while it is essential that the club is
competitive in the transfer market, no one wants to see the club paying
decidely average players heavily inflated wages. The truth is that quality,
above and beyond what we already have, will cost the club. As a general
rule, there is no getting away from that harsh reality. Yes, it is probably
right to take a stand on inflated player wages, but if you are doing it in
isolaion, as one PL club, there is every prospect that you will only end up
disadvantaging yourself in the transfer market.
Everyone knows how important the summer transfer window is in having a good
season. Get it wrong, and you need up on the back foot, trying to pull it
out of the fire with expensive and desperate transfers in January. That's
exactly what happened in 2010-11, we never recovered from a poor start and
the January transfers did nothing to turn the club's fortunes around at the
11th hour.
When history repeats itself, its first as tragedy and then as farce. This
club cannot afford another relegation farce this time around. Surely
everyone can agree on that? Personally, i am not overly pessimistic about
our current squad, the likes of Noble, Collison, Tomkins and Nolan give us a
reasonable fighting chance in the coming the season. Especially if the team
spirit and togetherness that emerged last season is carried over in to the
new season. But to perform better than expected we probably need an
injection of extra quality in key positions.
Hopefully, the quality in the current squad, the much improved team spirit
and Sam Allardyce's managerial nous will keep us out of any real trouble.
But would it not be nice to do a bit better and secure a top ten finish.
That is a quality often sorely missing at Upton Park over the decades
....... ambition.!
SJ Chandos.
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Hammers bid for Berbatov: New boys want the Manchester United misfit
The Mirror
West Ham have made an audacious bid to rescue Dimitar Berbatov from his
Manchester United hell. The promoted Hammers have moved for the Bulgarian
hitman as it appears Newcastle are set to win the race for another of their
targets, Liverpool and England striker Andy Carroll. Berbatov, 31, has made
public his desperation to quit the Reds in search of regular first-team
football next season. But United have taken out an option to extend his
contract by another 12 months in the hope of landing a fee for the striker
of around £5million. The east Londoners want to hand Berbatov a chance to
return to London, where he made his name with Tottenham, on loan – at least
initially – whereas the deposed champions are looking for a sale. Berbatov
took to Facebook at the weekend to make clear he'd rather cut his losses
than stay on the bench for another season at Old Trafford. Signed for £30m
from Spurs four years ago, Berbatov hit 14 goals in his first season at
United and 12 in his second. In his third, he rattled in 20 Premier League
goals to share the Golden Boot with Carlos Tevez of Manchester City.
However, the emergence of both Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez at United,
has since seen Berbatov plummet down the pecking order.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Show me the way home! Miffed Carroll ready for Toon return after snub
By DOMINIC KING
PUBLISHED: 23:00, 16 July 2012 | UPDATED: 06:22, 17 July 2012
Daily Mail
Andy Carroll has paved the way for a dramatic return 'home' by admitting
that he wants to re-join Newcastle. Having harboured hopes he would be able
to convince Brendan Rodgers of his suitability for the new Liverpool,
Carroll has now been forced to reluctantly accept that he must move on to
play regular football. Newcastle had an approach to take the England
international on a season-long loan firmly rebuffed by Liverpool on Sunday
night but they will now be expected to come back with another offer after
receiving encouraging noises from Carroll's entourage. West Ham United,
Fulham and Aston Villa have all stated their interest to varying degrees but
it would appear Carroll would only want to go back to the Sports Direct
Arena. According to an unnamed friend, who was quoted in Monday's Newcastle
Evening Chronicle, Carroll is annoyed that he hasn't had an opportunity to
impress Rodgers. 'From a professional point of view Andy is miffed that he
wasn't given the chance to show what he can do in front of new manager
Brendan Rodgers,' a close friend of Carroll's said. 'He was expecting to get
at least pre-season to show what he could offer him. He ended last season on
a high and wanted to continue that. 'Now Newcastle are interested and Andy
wants to come home. He's already told Liverpool that too. He's surprised
Liverpool don't want him anymore and doesn't want to be where he is not
wanted.'
Former Newcastle captain Alan Shearer believes returning to Tyneside would
be a 'great move' for Carroll
The 41-year-old said in The Sun: 'Andy is an England centre-forward and I
wouldn't say he has been a flop at Liverpool by any means. 'Yes, it took him
a bit of time to settle there but he finished the season strongly and
considering he only started one game at the Euros, I thought he did well.
'Make no mistake, he is a very good footballer. I can fully understand why
Newcastle are in for him and I think it would be a great move. 'When he was
there before he benefited from the fact that the team was always working to
get him the ball - and he thrived on that. That hasn't always been the case
at Liverpool and perhaps at times he suffered.' He added: 'There is an old
saying that you should never go back but, in Andy's case, I don't think it
would be a mistake at all. 'He was hero-worshipped by the crowd first time
around and they would warm to him again. Andy loved playing there and
whatever the fans felt about him leaving to join Liverpool, I'm sure he
would win them over quickly.'
As Liverpool paid £35million for Carroll in January 2011, they will play
hard ball with any club enquiring about the striker and will not sell him on
the cheap.
Liverpool would be looking to recoup at least half of what they initially
paid for Carroll and will only do business if they receive a serious
permanent offer or a loan deal with a commitment to buy. Rodgers is looking
to make additions to Liverpool's squad and is keen on both Fulham's Clint
Dempsey and Joe Allen of Swansea but he admitted last week that his
restructuring would not be done with huge amounts of cash. Were Liverpool to
offload Carroll, then, they would have more room for manoeuvre in the
transfer market but no deal will be done until their valuation is met.
Carroll was not on Liverpool's flight to Boston on Monday, as he is still on
holiday and is expected to report back next week following his exertions at
Euro 2012.
There is no suggestion that this saga will be resolved quickly and West Ham
boss Sam Allardyce is refusing to give up hope of luring Carroll to Upton
Park, despite the 23-year-old's reticence. 'We would dearly love to have
Andy Carroll with us but it is a complex situation,' said Allardyce. 'He is
in no hurry; he doesn't have to make a quick decision if he doesn't want to.
If Andy is going to leave Liverpool, he can wait and see how many (clubs)
are interested.'
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Monday, July 16
Daily WHUFC News - 16th July 2012
Potts on the mend
WHUFC.com
Dan Potts has been discharged from hospital after his clash of heads at
Southend
15.07.2012
Dan Potts has been discharged from hospital after suffering mild concussion
in a clash of heads at Southend United on Saturday. The youngster was
stretchered off in a neck brace and wearing an oxygen mask after being hurt
in a collision with Shrimpers defender Mark Phillips late in West Ham
United's 3-0 pre-season victory. There was understandable concern for Potts'
welfare as he was knocked unconscious for a short period. He was tended to
by the club's medical staff and paramedics, but thankfully the 18-year-old
was soon up and about and able to have a shower in the away dressing room at
Roots Hall. The left-back, who was voted Man of the Match, was taken to
hospital for a precautionary scan and remained in overnight for observation
before being allowed to go home on Sunday. Potts has confirmed on social
networking website twitter that he is on the mend and thanked his fans and
followers for their concern and support over the past 24 hours. "Was
discharged from hospital earlier this morning. Scan and results were all OK
just suffered mild concussion. Thnx again 4 all the support!" he tweeted.
The teenager produced an outstanding performance at Southend, impressing as
an attack-minded left-back during the first half before moving into an
unaccustomed wide midfield role in the second 45 minutes. Potts defended
with typical calm and composure, while his marauding runs and willingness to
support his team-mates going forward were a constant thorn in the Shrimpers'
side. Last season's Under-18 captain will continue to be assessed by the
club's medical staff before he is given the all-clear to return to
pre-season training. The son of former West Ham defender Steve Potts, Dan
made four first-team appearances last season and is hoping to force his way
into Sam Allardyce's thoughts on a regular basis in 2012/13.
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Dev Squad end Moscow stay with win
WHUFC.com
Ian Hendon's side beat Besiktas 4-0 to end the VTB Lev Yashin Cup on a high
15.07.2012
West Ham United's Development Squad ended their pre-season trip to Russia on
a high on Sunday. The Hammers beat Turkish club Besiktas 4-0 to finish fifth
in the VTB Lev Yashin Cup in Moscow - a prestigious international Under-21
competition - ensuring Ian Hendon's side would have a victory to celebrate
from their five-day stay in the Russian capital.
Like Besiktas, West Ham had been defeated in each of their two group-stage
fixtures, being edged out 2-0 by German club Freiburg on Thursday and losing
3-1 to host club Dynamo Moscow on Friday. After a training session and a
guided sight-seeing tour of Moscow on Saturday that saw the squad visit the
Kremlin and Red Square, Hendon's youngsters returned to the pitch in style
on Sunday evening. Played at the Luzhniki Olympic Complex, the fifth-place
play-off match was a one-sided affair as the Hammers hit their stride from
the kick-off. Matthias Fanimo put West Ham in front with a fine individual
effort to give the English side a 1-0 half-time lead. After the break Kieran
Sadlier, Sebastian Lletget and Frazer Shaw added further goals to give the
final scoreline a convincing appearance. The Development Squad ended their
trip by attending the closing ceremony at the Yantar Stadium, where the
players and staff mingled with their counterparts from the five other sides
involved - Besiktas, Freiburg, Dynamo Moscow, Malaga and the Mexico Under-19
national team.
Hendon and his players will fly back to London on Monday before returning to
training and continuing their pre-season preparations by travelling to Grays
Athletic on Friday evening.
Development Squad/West Ham United XI pre-season fixtures
(All matches AWAY)
20 July - Grays Athletic (Rush Green Stadium, 7.45pm)
21 July - Thurrock (Ship Lane, 3pm)
24 July - Dartford (Princes Park, 7.45pm)
28 July - Welling (Park View Road, 3pm)
4 Aug - AFC Wimbledon (Kingsmeadow, 3pm)
7 Aug - Northampton Town (Sixfields, 7.45pm)
11 Aug - Dagenham and Redbridge (Victoria Road, 3pm)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Have West Ham Bid £15m for Carroll?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
There is a newspaper report this morning that West Ham have now submitted a
£15m bid to take Andy Carroll to the club on a permanent basis. It suggests
that this has sparked Newcastle Utd in to action, who have responded by
moving to take Carroll on loan for the season, with a view to a permanent
transfer next summer. However, it seems that Liverpool have rejected
Newcastle Utd's proposal. Does that mean that they might be looking to cut
their losses and sell the player?
Take this report as seriously, or not, as you think fit. But is it likely
that the club would bid £15m for one player in this transfer window, plus
fund his c.£70,000 a week wage package?
SJ. Chandos.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
£15M ANDY CARROLL CRUNCH
Daily Star
16th July 2012 By George Scott
A £15m West Ham bid for Andy Carroll last night sparked off a tug-of-war
with former club Newcastle. Promoted Hammers have made a club record offer
to sign the Liverpool striker permanently. But Newcastle yesterday made
contact with Kop bosses and tabled an offer to take him on a season-long
loan with a view to a permanent switch. And although Liverpool last night
rejected Toon's offer, sources hinted Carroll would welcome a return to his
home- town club, who sold him to Liverpool for £35m inJanuary of last year.
West Ham are desperate to mark their return to the Premier League with a
move for the England international and had also been considering a
season-long loan. But it is understood Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has now
decided he wants to sign Carroll outright and is ready to break the bank to
do it. The England striker is back from holiday this week, but remains
desperate to prove his worth to new Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers. The
23-year-old will hold talks with Rodgers when he joins up with the squad on
their pre-season tour of the USA and will try to persuade him he can fit in
with his plans.
But after the arrival of Fabio Borini from Roma for £10.5m, the big hitman's
Anfield days appear to be numbered. Aston Villa, Fulham and AC Milan have
also expressed an interest. But West Ham hope the presence of Carroll's good
friend and ex-Newcastle team-mate Kevin Nolan at Upton Park will swing it.
The pair lived together as part of Carroll's bail conditions while he
awaited trial on an assault charge. The Hammers' current record transfer
fee is the £10m paid to Brescia for Savio Nsereko in 2009. Villa boss Paul
Lambert yesterday confirmed they want Carroll on loan, saying: "If we could
get him, it would be great." Meanwhile, Darren Bent has emerged as a strong
contender to skipper Villa in the absence of Stiliyan Petrov, who is
fighting leukaemia. Fit-again Bent wore the armband during Saturday's 2-1
friendly win at Burton.
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Everton, West Ham and QPR Lead Luc Castaignos Suitors
Insidefutbol.com
Monday, 16th July, 2012
A trio of English Premier League clubs are chasing Inter's out-of-favour
striker Luc Castaignos. The Dutch hitman is expected to leave Inter this
summer and this has piqued the interest of Everton, West Ham United and
Queens Park Rangers. Castaignos has struggled for first team football since
signing for the Nerazzurri from Feyenoord last summer. In the 2011/12
campaign, the 19-year-old was restricted to just six appearances, although
he did find the back of the net. The Dutchman was linked with a switch away
from Inter in the January transfer window, but told Inside Futbol he turned
down a loan move simply because he believed he was learning more training
day in day out with world-class performers in Italy; Castaignos has also
been determined to make his mark at the Serie A giants. However, with Inter
believed to be willing to let the striker leave and the Dutchman himself
growing desperate for regular playing time, the door is open for an exit.
Castaignos is popular in England, where Everton, West Ham and QPR are all
keen on securing his services. Liverpool were amongst his suitors in
January, but that track has since gone cold. Under contract with Inter until
2016, Castaignos also has options away from England, with Portuguese giants
Sporting Lisbon and French champions Montpellier paying close attention to
his situation in Italy. A return to Feyenoord on loan had also been mooted,
but with Inter preferring a permanent sale, this proved not to be
financially viable for the Dutch side.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Dan Potts has been discharged from hospital after his clash of heads at
Southend
15.07.2012
Dan Potts has been discharged from hospital after suffering mild concussion
in a clash of heads at Southend United on Saturday. The youngster was
stretchered off in a neck brace and wearing an oxygen mask after being hurt
in a collision with Shrimpers defender Mark Phillips late in West Ham
United's 3-0 pre-season victory. There was understandable concern for Potts'
welfare as he was knocked unconscious for a short period. He was tended to
by the club's medical staff and paramedics, but thankfully the 18-year-old
was soon up and about and able to have a shower in the away dressing room at
Roots Hall. The left-back, who was voted Man of the Match, was taken to
hospital for a precautionary scan and remained in overnight for observation
before being allowed to go home on Sunday. Potts has confirmed on social
networking website twitter that he is on the mend and thanked his fans and
followers for their concern and support over the past 24 hours. "Was
discharged from hospital earlier this morning. Scan and results were all OK
just suffered mild concussion. Thnx again 4 all the support!" he tweeted.
The teenager produced an outstanding performance at Southend, impressing as
an attack-minded left-back during the first half before moving into an
unaccustomed wide midfield role in the second 45 minutes. Potts defended
with typical calm and composure, while his marauding runs and willingness to
support his team-mates going forward were a constant thorn in the Shrimpers'
side. Last season's Under-18 captain will continue to be assessed by the
club's medical staff before he is given the all-clear to return to
pre-season training. The son of former West Ham defender Steve Potts, Dan
made four first-team appearances last season and is hoping to force his way
into Sam Allardyce's thoughts on a regular basis in 2012/13.
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Dev Squad end Moscow stay with win
WHUFC.com
Ian Hendon's side beat Besiktas 4-0 to end the VTB Lev Yashin Cup on a high
15.07.2012
West Ham United's Development Squad ended their pre-season trip to Russia on
a high on Sunday. The Hammers beat Turkish club Besiktas 4-0 to finish fifth
in the VTB Lev Yashin Cup in Moscow - a prestigious international Under-21
competition - ensuring Ian Hendon's side would have a victory to celebrate
from their five-day stay in the Russian capital.
Like Besiktas, West Ham had been defeated in each of their two group-stage
fixtures, being edged out 2-0 by German club Freiburg on Thursday and losing
3-1 to host club Dynamo Moscow on Friday. After a training session and a
guided sight-seeing tour of Moscow on Saturday that saw the squad visit the
Kremlin and Red Square, Hendon's youngsters returned to the pitch in style
on Sunday evening. Played at the Luzhniki Olympic Complex, the fifth-place
play-off match was a one-sided affair as the Hammers hit their stride from
the kick-off. Matthias Fanimo put West Ham in front with a fine individual
effort to give the English side a 1-0 half-time lead. After the break Kieran
Sadlier, Sebastian Lletget and Frazer Shaw added further goals to give the
final scoreline a convincing appearance. The Development Squad ended their
trip by attending the closing ceremony at the Yantar Stadium, where the
players and staff mingled with their counterparts from the five other sides
involved - Besiktas, Freiburg, Dynamo Moscow, Malaga and the Mexico Under-19
national team.
Hendon and his players will fly back to London on Monday before returning to
training and continuing their pre-season preparations by travelling to Grays
Athletic on Friday evening.
Development Squad/West Ham United XI pre-season fixtures
(All matches AWAY)
20 July - Grays Athletic (Rush Green Stadium, 7.45pm)
21 July - Thurrock (Ship Lane, 3pm)
24 July - Dartford (Princes Park, 7.45pm)
28 July - Welling (Park View Road, 3pm)
4 Aug - AFC Wimbledon (Kingsmeadow, 3pm)
7 Aug - Northampton Town (Sixfields, 7.45pm)
11 Aug - Dagenham and Redbridge (Victoria Road, 3pm)
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Have West Ham Bid £15m for Carroll?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
There is a newspaper report this morning that West Ham have now submitted a
£15m bid to take Andy Carroll to the club on a permanent basis. It suggests
that this has sparked Newcastle Utd in to action, who have responded by
moving to take Carroll on loan for the season, with a view to a permanent
transfer next summer. However, it seems that Liverpool have rejected
Newcastle Utd's proposal. Does that mean that they might be looking to cut
their losses and sell the player?
Take this report as seriously, or not, as you think fit. But is it likely
that the club would bid £15m for one player in this transfer window, plus
fund his c.£70,000 a week wage package?
SJ. Chandos.
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£15M ANDY CARROLL CRUNCH
Daily Star
16th July 2012 By George Scott
A £15m West Ham bid for Andy Carroll last night sparked off a tug-of-war
with former club Newcastle. Promoted Hammers have made a club record offer
to sign the Liverpool striker permanently. But Newcastle yesterday made
contact with Kop bosses and tabled an offer to take him on a season-long
loan with a view to a permanent switch. And although Liverpool last night
rejected Toon's offer, sources hinted Carroll would welcome a return to his
home- town club, who sold him to Liverpool for £35m inJanuary of last year.
West Ham are desperate to mark their return to the Premier League with a
move for the England international and had also been considering a
season-long loan. But it is understood Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has now
decided he wants to sign Carroll outright and is ready to break the bank to
do it. The England striker is back from holiday this week, but remains
desperate to prove his worth to new Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers. The
23-year-old will hold talks with Rodgers when he joins up with the squad on
their pre-season tour of the USA and will try to persuade him he can fit in
with his plans.
But after the arrival of Fabio Borini from Roma for £10.5m, the big hitman's
Anfield days appear to be numbered. Aston Villa, Fulham and AC Milan have
also expressed an interest. But West Ham hope the presence of Carroll's good
friend and ex-Newcastle team-mate Kevin Nolan at Upton Park will swing it.
The pair lived together as part of Carroll's bail conditions while he
awaited trial on an assault charge. The Hammers' current record transfer
fee is the £10m paid to Brescia for Savio Nsereko in 2009. Villa boss Paul
Lambert yesterday confirmed they want Carroll on loan, saying: "If we could
get him, it would be great." Meanwhile, Darren Bent has emerged as a strong
contender to skipper Villa in the absence of Stiliyan Petrov, who is
fighting leukaemia. Fit-again Bent wore the armband during Saturday's 2-1
friendly win at Burton.
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Everton, West Ham and QPR Lead Luc Castaignos Suitors
Insidefutbol.com
Monday, 16th July, 2012
A trio of English Premier League clubs are chasing Inter's out-of-favour
striker Luc Castaignos. The Dutch hitman is expected to leave Inter this
summer and this has piqued the interest of Everton, West Ham United and
Queens Park Rangers. Castaignos has struggled for first team football since
signing for the Nerazzurri from Feyenoord last summer. In the 2011/12
campaign, the 19-year-old was restricted to just six appearances, although
he did find the back of the net. The Dutchman was linked with a switch away
from Inter in the January transfer window, but told Inside Futbol he turned
down a loan move simply because he believed he was learning more training
day in day out with world-class performers in Italy; Castaignos has also
been determined to make his mark at the Serie A giants. However, with Inter
believed to be willing to let the striker leave and the Dutchman himself
growing desperate for regular playing time, the door is open for an exit.
Castaignos is popular in England, where Everton, West Ham and QPR are all
keen on securing his services. Liverpool were amongst his suitors in
January, but that track has since gone cold. Under contract with Inter until
2016, Castaignos also has options away from England, with Portuguese giants
Sporting Lisbon and French champions Montpellier paying close attention to
his situation in Italy. A return to Feyenoord on loan had also been mooted,
but with Inter preferring a permanent sale, this proved not to be
financially viable for the Dutch side.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Sunday, July 15
Daily WHUFC News - 15th July 2012
Macca happy with Southend win
WHUFC.com
Neil McDonald on the Hammers' win at Southend United and with encouraging
news about Dan Potts
14.07.2012
Neil McDonald was delighted to see West Ham United secure a comfortable 3-0
pre-season victory at Southend United on Saturday. The assistant manager was
even happier to report encouraging news about left-back Dan Potts, who left
the pitch on a stretcher with five minutes remaining following a nasty clash
of heads with Shrimpers defender Mark Phillips. Potts was knocked out cold
for a short period before regaining consciousness and being tended to by the
Club's medical staff and paramedics. He was carefully fitted with a neck
brace before being stretchered off the pitch to an ovation from the
7,000-plus spectators inside Roots Hall. Thankfully, the 18-year-old was up
on his feet again in the dressing room a short time later and was able to
have a shower. Potts, who was voted Man of the Match at Southend, will be
taken to hospital on Saturday evening for a precautionary scan and will be
kept in overnight for observation. McDonald told West Ham TV: "Pottsy is
fine. He is going to stay overnight in hospital just to double-check he is
all right but he's up and walking about. He's got showered and now he'll be
taken into hospital for observation. "He's come round and he's got a bit of
a sore head which is only natural from a clash where he's made a fantastic
defensive header. We'll make sure he's OK and, all things going well, he'll
be back to work on Monday."
While the news about Potts' health provided a boost for everybody associated
with the Club, the assistant manager was also pleased with the way West Ham
played in testing conditions at Roots Hall. Heavy rain left the pitch sodden
in places, with puddles holding the ball up in the corners, but the Hammers
moved the ball quickly and relatively easily to open up Southend and score
three fine goals through Nicky Maynard, Jordan Spence and Sam Baldock.
McDonald put West Ham's impressive performance down to the hard work that
has been done on the training field since the Club returned for pre-season
on 1 July. "They're getting stronger and they're getting fitter, which is
what pre-season is all about. It was nice to get some goals as well, which
was great," he confirmed. "With another good week of work under their belts
and having played two games this week, it's building up well in pre-season.
"We passed the ball really well and kept it moving. We've been working on
keeping the ball and passing and moving during the past two weeks and we now
just need to build their fitness up. We played some really nice stuff at
times."
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Southend 0 West Ham United 3
Nicky Maynard, Jordan Spence and Sam Baldock are all on target in a
comfortable victory at Roots Hall
WHUFC.com
13.07.2012
Southend United v West Ham United
Pre-season match
Roots Hall
Saturday 14 July 2012
Kick-off: 3pm
Final score - Southend United 0-3 West Ham United
93 mins - The game is over. West Ham have their first win of the pre-season.
Goals for Maynard, Spence and Baldock completed a very comfortable and
deserved win for the Hammers. The only sour note was the late injury
suffered by Dan Potts. Again, though, let's hope it is not as serious as it
looked and the No33 is back on his feet before we know it. West Ham are back
in action again on Tuesday evening at Oxford United. For ticket details,
click here.
92 mins - Baldock races on to a pass inside the penalty area on the
left-hand side. He pulls the cross back for Lee but the angle is against the
No9 and his header is cleared off the line. Good move from the Hammers.
91 mins - Mavila is on. We'll have two minutes of added time.
89 mins - Potts is secured on a back board and put on to the orange
stretcher. Let's hope it's not too serious. As I said, they always take
every precaution when a player is involved in a clash of heads. I'll do my
best to update you to young Dan's condition later on. He gets a good round
of applause as he is carried down the tunnel.
87 mins - As with every clash of heads, they are taking every precaution
with Potts. The paramedics are tending to the youngster on the pitch and he
hasn't been moved off the turf just yet. He will be replaced by Nathan
Mavila as and when he comes off.
84 mins - Phillips wins a header and West Ham clear. The ball comes over
again and there is a nasty clash of heads involving Phillips and Potts. The
physios come on straight away. The stretcher is on and it will be for the
Hammers No33 as Phillips is up on his feet again.
83 mins - As usual, the substitute is involved straight away, but Nasha is
quick and slides in to clear from in front of Eastwood for a corner. The
first is cleared, but then another cross comes in and Spence slices behind.
82 mins - Former West Ham Academy boy Freddy Eastwood is on, much to the
delight of the home fans. Yoffe is the substitute who is substituted.
81 mins - Potts gets forward again and wins another corner. Taylor crosses
and Potts climbs, but is penalised for a foul.
79 mins - West Ham looking good for a clean sheet. Nasha looks good. I've
not seen him before. He is not the biggest defender but he can't half play a
bit with the ball at his feet. Two or three times he has carried the ball
into midfield before picking out a team-mate.
75 mins - Nasha and Potts combine. The future? The left winger runs at
Leonard and wins a throw over on the far side. The fans ask the No33 to give
them a wave and he responds with one. Cue cheers all round! Southend replace
Ferdinand with Alex Woodyard.
73 mins - Position-wise, West Ham have Demel, Spence, Nasha and Taylor
across the back four, O'Neil, Bywater, Morrison and Potts across the
midfield and Lee and Baldock in attack. Jaaskelainen, controversially,
remains in goal.
71 mins - We've got a decent attendance here today. It's 7,135 in total,
with 2,824 in the West Ham end. Not bad at all considering the weather
conditions.
68 mins - Thankfully, the pitch doesn't seem to be deteriorating too much
despite all the relentless heavy rain.
66 mins - Lee has looked really lively since his introduction. He is a
strong, skilful striker who makes up for his lack of height with superb
movement and a rasping shot. He is a real prospect.
64 mins - GOAL! Baldock has his third goal in three matches. It's a smart,
dinked finish over Smith after the goalkeeper had fumbled Lee's low shot
from distance. Good reactions from the striker and a neat finish high into
the net.
63 mins - Demel gets down the right flank and is fouled. The free-kick comes
over but is cleared.
60 mins - Southend win a corner but West Ham keep their concentration
through all the substitutions and Reid clears the box.
59 mins - Loads of changes! Reid, Noble, Nolan, Vaz Te and McCartney are
off. Demel, Nasha, Morrison, Bywater and Lee are on.
57 mins - Don't forget,you can view exclusive images like the one below on
our official Facebook site here.
56 mins - The game has petered out a bit in recent minutes. Spence gets
forward but his shot is wayward this time and flies wide of the angle of
near post and crossbar.
51 mins - O'Neil picks out the run of Potts. The left-back crosses and
Prosser cannot control on his chest and the ball runs behind. The corner is
headed away.
50 mins - The new Southend are an improvement on the old one. Right-back
Leonard gets forward and runs on to a square pass. He shoots from about 22
yards, but too high.
48 mins - Half a chance again for the Shrimpers as Martin forces a wayward
clearance from Spence. Hall cuts inside and shoots, but it's a slice and
nearly turns into a cross for Yoffe, but the ball is just too far in front
of the No19.
46 mins - Southend kick-off the second half... The Shrimpers come forward
and Yoffe has a shot from about 25 yards. Jaaskelainen collects low down.
That was on target.
West Ham are making a single change at the break. Maynard is off and Sam
Baldock is on, keen to score his third goal in three pre-season halves of
football.
Southend are fielding ten new players in the second half. Kane Ferdinand is
the only player to remain on the pitch for the start of the closing 45
minutes.
Southend United: Smith, Leonard, Phillips, Coughlan, Prosser, Folly, Martin,
Yoffe, Benyon, Ferdinand, Hall
Half-time score - Southend United 0-2 West Ham United
45 mins - Erm, we've only played 44 minutes and ten seconds but it's
half-time!
44 mins - Potts gets forward again from left-back. He's played well so far.
He swaps passes with O'Neil and wins another corner. Near post delivery from
Noble, flicked on by Vaz Te and scrambled behind for another corner. This
one is deeper but headed away.
43 mins - A cross comes in from the Southend left and Harris cannot control.
His touch turns into a sort of shot and Jaaskelainen dives to his right to
claim the ball. It might well have been going wide, that.
40 mins - McCartney slips over and Harris benefits. The cross comes over
from Sealy and Spence clears with a header. Moments later, the right-back
concedes a free-kick, but West Ham deal with the danger comfortably enough.
38 mins - The rain has got heavier. It's difficult to know what to make of
this game. Southend have only been back in pre-season for a few days and it
looks like it. They also have a number of trialists on show. Saying that,
West Ham have played some nice football in difficult conditions so far and
thoroughly deserve their lead.
34 mins - GOAL! Jordan Spence scores! The right-back collects a pass from
Vaz Te and runs from halfway. Nobody thinks to challenge him and Spence
simply looks up and lets fly with a shot that beats Taylor and nestles
inside the far post.
33 mins - Rob Hall is coming off. He's not injured - he played 120 minutes
on Thursday for England in their UEFA European Under-19 Championship
semi-final defeat by Greece in Estonia! Hall is replaced by Gary O'Neil.
27 mins - Superb football as Taylor finds Maynard with a ball down the left
touchline that curls into the box. The ball is laid back to Hall, whose shot
hits Barker and flies over. Corner. It's taken short and Noble gets the
cross in but is cleared again. Finally, Noble plays Vaz Te in on the byline,
but his cross is too high and hard for Reid to control his header. Goal
kick.
26 mins - You can see Vaz Te really fancies getting a goal today. He runs
forward again and it takes three defenders to stop him as his shot is
blocked. Moments later, Nolan heads Taylor's cross back and it hits an arm.
You can hear Nolan's appeal for a penalty from here, but nothing is given.
24 mins - Noble loses out in the tackle and Sealy has a chance to cross from
the right. He does, but Jaaskelainen dives out to claim ahead of Harris. If
you remember, the Southend No9 scored for Millwall against West Ham at the
Boleyn Ground back in 2009.
22 mins - GOAL! Maynard makes the pressure count by heading in Taylor's
dipping right-wing corner. The No8 couldn't really miss from about six
yards. That was all about the delivery. It was a wicked ball in and very
difficult to defend. West Ham thoroughly deserve it.
21 mins - Another West Ham corner as Potts, McCartney and Taylor combine
before the former's cross hits a defender. It comes to nothing until Taylor
cushions the ball wide for Noble, whose cross is headed behind. It's taken
short and West Ham win another corner through Hall. Taylor to take...
18 mins - Hurst gifts possession to Vaz Te. He cuts inside and threatens to
shoot at least twice before finding Taylor on the right corner of the
penalty area. The No14 looks up and shoots right-footed across his namesake,
but the keeper makes another decent stop and holds on low to his right. The
weather and conditions are making for a decent, exciting game, with a few
errors and some quick passing on the slick surface.
15 mins - Hurst takes advantage of a wayward header from Spence. He looks up
and crosses towards Sealy at the far post. Potts does well to get his body
in the way and head the ball clear. Jaaskelainen collects.
14 mins - Potts overlaps and crosses deep. Vaz Te wins the header and tries
to find Maynard, but he can only find the hands of goalkeeper Taylor. This
is very one-sided.
12 mins - Maynard nearly gets through again on to a Noble through-ball, but
centre-back Cresswell is stronger and eases the striker aside. Taylor out
quickly to claim on the slide. Moments later Vaz Te has a shot that clears
the South Stand!
10 mins - West Ham have another chance. Taylor shoots from distance and the
ball skips off the turf but his namesake makes another good save low to his
right. He parries and then gets up quickly to pounce on the loose ball.
9 mins - Another chance. Vaz Te drives forward and pokes a pass through for
Maynard. He tries to round Taylor but loses his footing slightly as he
shoots. It's either Taylor or a defender who deflects the ball over for
another corner. The flag-kick comes to nothing initially.
7 mins - It is all West Ham. Hall skips past one man before finding Potts.
He lays the ball to Taylor, whose near-post cross is headed away. Spence
retrieves and jinks past two players before crossing, but again it's
cleared. A third cross comes over and Nolan's header hits Barker and then
Vaz Te before bouncing wide.
5 mins - The Hammers fans are in superb voice away to my left. They are
filling the North Stand and the corners. It's like being back at
Wembley...except for the weather!
3 mins - The second corner comes over and Reid attacks it, but the Shrimpers
manage to clear their lines. Another cross comes over from the right, but
Taylor is there to make the catch. It's really wet out there - the ball is
holding up in the water on some parts of the pitch already.
2 mins - Bright start in the gloom as West Ham win a corner. Taylor whips it
over low and Vaz Te flicks the ball goalwards with his right foot. Taylor
makes another fine stop, this time low to his left, to push the ball around
the post.
48 seconds - West Ham could easily be ahead! Hall loses his marker and
crosses from the right. Taylor gets in front of his defender and heads
goalwards. Rhys Taylor makes a smart save diving to his right and pushes the
ball aside. Nolan taps home, but he is offside. Exciting start!
3.02pm - Slightly late, we're off and running. West Ham are attacking the
South Stand end of Roots Hall.
2.57pm - Here come the two teams!
2.50pm - Just to give you more information about the Academy youngsters in
the West Ham squad. Gines Guzman is a Spanish goalkeeper who has been with
Peterborough United, Rob Girdlestone and Amos Nasha are centre-backs, Nathan
Mavila joined the Hammers from Wycombe Wanderers this summer, Josh Cullen is
an England Under-16 midfielder and Kieran Bywater is an attacking
midfielder. Speaking of Academy products, Tony Cottee has just taken his
seat in the Directors Box in front of me.
2.30pm - Southend United's team news is in. Former Hammer Freddy Eastwood is
among the substitutes. Left-back Anthony Straker has just joined the Blues,
having helped Aldershot Town to beat West Ham in the Carling Cup last
season. The full Southend lineup is as follows:
Southend United: Taylor, Clohessy, Straker, Gbirsson, Cresswell, Barker,
Hurst, Ferdinand, Sealy, Harris, Tomlin
Subs: Smith, Leonard, Phillips, Coughlan, Prosser, Folly, Martin, Yoffe,
Benyon, Woodyard, Hall, Eastwood, Bentley
2pm - News flash! I think the rain has stopped and the sun is trying to come
out. Big Sam has been out to survey the surroundings, signing autographs for
fans and chatting with former Hammers striker Brian Dear, who is no part of
the corporate hospitality team here at Roots Hall.
1.55pm - As usual, we have a gallery of exclusive images from today's game
fir you to view and comment about on the official Facebook site!
1.50pm - A few unfamiliar names on the squad list today. Rob Girdlestone,
Nathan Mavilla, Amos Nasha and Kieran Bywater are all first-year scholars
who have joined the Academy on a full-time basis this season. Elliot Lee is
a second-year scholar and was top scorer in the Under-18s last term.
1.45pm - OK, well the Hammers are here and the weather appears to be
relenting, which is good news. I also have the West Ham team news for you!
Here you go:
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Spence, Reid, McCartney, Potts, Noble, Nolan,
Taylor, Hall, Vaz Te, Maynard
Subs: Guzman, Demel, O'Neil, Morrison, Baldock, Girdlestone, Mavilla,
Cullen, Nasha, Bywater, E.Lee
1.25pm - Well, I can safely say that this is not the most glorious of days
to be beside the seaside! It is absolutely bucketing it down with rain here
in Southend. The skies are a little brighter to the west so I'm crossing my
fingers that it will clear up before kick-off at 3pm. The Shrimpers are
expecting a bumper crowd of around 8,000 for their first pre-season
friendly, so let's hope the weather doesn't put too many people off.
Good afternoon and welcome to Roots Hall for today's pre-season fixture
between Southend United and West Ham United.
The Hammers have been regular visitors to the Essex resort in recent
seasons, with their most-recent trip down the A13 taking place in August
2010, when recent EURO 2012 runner-up Alessandro Diamanti scored in a 1-1
draw.
In competitive matches, despite the close geographical proximity of the two
clubs, Southend and West Ham have met just once in the past 17 years -
Marlon Harewood scoring both goals in a 2-0 League Cup second-round win at
the Boleyn Ground in August 2004 in a game that Mark Noble appeared in as a
substitute.
The pair's most-recent competitive meeting at Roots Hall was way back in
April 1993, when the Shrimpers ran out 1-0 winners in the old Division One.
Today's game marks the Hammers' third pre-season outing following a 3-1
defeat at FK Austria Wien a week ago and a 1-1 draw at Blue Square Bet South
side Boreham Wood on Tuesday evening. For Southend, this is their first
match since being eliminated from the npower League Two Play-Offs by Crewe
Alexandra back in May.
Sam Allardyce has brought a 22-man squad to Roots Hall, with a mixture of
youth and experience included. Alongside established senior players, Big Sam
has also selected a number of young professionals, who will no doubt benefit
from the experience of preparing alongside the likes of Kevin Nolan and Mark
Noble.
The team news should be available by 2pm, with live text commentary on the
game itselt to start at 3pm.
Finally, if you haven't made it down to Roots Hall today but want to buy a
Season Ticket for the 2012/13 Barclays Premier League campaign, click here
for full details.
Southend United: Taylor (Smith 46), Clohessy (Leonard 46), Straker (Prosser
46), Gbirsson (Phillips 46), Cresswell (Coughlan 46), Barker (Folly 46),
Hurst (Martin 46), Ferdinand (Woodyard 75), Sealy (Yoffe 46, Eastwood 82),
Harris (Benyon 46), Tomlin (Hall 46)
Sub not used: Bentley
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Spence, Reid (Demel 59), McCartney (Nasha
59), Potts (Mavila 90), Noble (Bywater 59), Nolan (Morrison 59), Taylor,
Hall (O'Neil 33), Vaz Te (Mavila), Maynard (E.Lee 59)
Subs: Guzman, Girdlestone, Cullen
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Dev Squad defeated by Dynamo
WHUFC.com
The Development Squad were beaten 3-1 by host club Dynamo Moscow at the VTB
Lev Yashin Cup on Friday
14.07.2012
West Ham United's Development Squad will likely play-off for fifth place
after being defeated 3-1 by host club Dynamo Moscow in their second fixture
at the VTB Lev Yashin Cup in Russia. Having been beaten 2-0 by German side
Freiburg in their opening match on Thursday, Ian Hendon's side needed to win
to have any chance of reaching Sunday's final, but were edged out by Dynamo.
The Russian team, who were playing their first match in the competition and
were therefore fresher than their English visitors, went ahead through a
goal from Solamatin midway through the first half. The lead was then doubled
on 65 minutes when Otstavnovu shot past Jake Larkins.
To West Ham's credit, they did not give up the fight and pulled a goal back
with eleven minutes remaining when captain Eoin Wearen was fouled and George
Moncur tucked away the resultant penalty. Unfortunately, while the Hammers
pushed hard for an equaliser, Dynamo broke away and clinched their victory
when Zhivoglyadov scored with a minute to go. On Saturday, the squad enjoyed
a well-deserved break from match action and took a sight-seeing tour of
Moscow, visiting the Kremlin and Red Square.
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Under doctor's orders
WHUFC.com
Richard Weiler talks about his role as West Ham United's Club doctor
14.07.2012
West Ham United's players and staff are in good hands in the shape of Club
doctor Richard Weiler. The 'Doc', as he is universally known, is an expert
in sports and exercise medicine and deals with all things medical in
consultation with head of sports medicine Andy Rolls and head of
rehabilitation Stijn Vandenbroucke. Weiler, who will be the doctor for the
Team GB blind and cerebral palsy teams at the London 2012 Paralympic Games,
is also one of the country's leading researchers into sudden cardiac events
in sport. With such a varied and interesting role to play for Club and
country, West Ham TV sat down with the Doc to find out more.
Doc, what does your role as West Ham United's Club doctor entail?
RW - There are a lot of different aspects to the role and I work very
closely with the whole of the rest of the medical team. We have a great
support network. I look after any medical matters that fall outside the
realms of rehabilitation and physiotherapy. I do medicals, look after
anything medical that is wrong with the players and work very closely with
head of sports medicine Andy Rolls and head of rehab Stijn Vandenbroucke
with the management of injuries. I provide emergency medical cover and a
sounding board for the medical team on any aspects of science and
performance research that I can help with.
On a matchday, what would your role be?
RW - My job is basically to make sure that anybody who has a major injury or
suffers an illness gets the best available treatment as quickly as possible
to keep them healthy and playing and maintain their performance.
As a fully-qualified doctor, what did you do before joining West Ham United
and do you have any other important roles?
RW - I started off doing general practice and while I was doing that I
started focusing on sports medicine. At around the same time, the new
speciality of sport and exercise medicine was created and I decided to
launch into that feet-first and do specialist training. I carried on doing
the general practice and I still keep my hand in that now as it's very
important that I keep up with everything. I work with the Football
Association and look after the disability football squads - I'll be looking
after the two Team GB Paralympic squads at London 2012. That's very exciting
and very interesting. They are two great bunches of guys - the Blind and
Cerebral Palsy football teams. We managed to get some of the guys in to
train with West Ham last year, which was fantastic.
Are there any special precautions or situations you have to be mindful of in
a sporting environment - for example, if a player has a contagious illness?
RW - The players are all essentially the same as you and I in terms of what
we can do. A lot of what we do is about prevention, both in terms of sports
injuries and illness. It's about preventing small problems from becoming big
problems and making sure they are treated appropriately. Sometimes we have
to quarantine people if necessary and we have a lot of hygiene protocols to
prevent illness being passed from one person to another. Most of this
happens during the winter months, as you might expect.
When you or I get ill, we can take anything from a pharmacy to help us to
get better, but do players have to be mindful of what they put into their
bodies due to restrictions on controlled substances?
RW - By law, it is the players' responsibility for anything that enters
their bodies. I view my role as to guide and advise them so I get a lot of
texts and calls from them asking if they can take this, that or the other
medication. I ask them why they want to take it and decide if it is
appropriate. It can be a bit of a worry, especially with supplements. About
ten per cent of supplements are thought to have banned substances in them,
not necessarily because they are unhealthy, but because they are on the
banned list, so we have to be careful.
Finally, you have done a lot of research into the cause of sudden cardiac
events in football - a topic that has become widely documented and debated
since the collapse of Fabrice Muamba on the pitch in March 2012. What can
you tell us about that research?
RW - I have various interests academically. On the sports performance and
sports injury side I have done work looking at bone turnover in players and
a lot of work with the disability squads looking at various types of
mobility aids. I did a review paper recently in response to what happened to
Fabrice Muamba and various other recent horrible incidents looking at the
evidence and what we do and don't know and what we need to do to try to
reduce the risks of these things happening again. It is absolutely tragic
whenever anything like that happens. There are lots of tests that we do and
those tests are getting better and better as we learn more about sudden
cardiac events. Unfortunately, at the moment, there are still about 30 per
cent of these incidents that remain unexplained. These are very fit and very
healthy individuals. Over time, I would hope to see that figure improve
drastically. It is very sad that we're not quite there yet. Screening has
its limitations and when you work in medicine you realise that there are
very few tests that are 100 per cent specific. It's an interesting topic and
a developing area of interest.
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Southend Utd 0 West Ham Utd 3
KUMb.com
Filed: Saturday, 14th July 2012
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce's side secured their first victory of pre-season with a
comfortable win against League Two Southend at Roots Hall this afternoon.
Goals from Nicky Maynard, Jordan Spence and Sam Baldock gave the visitors an
away day win against Paul Sturrock's experimental squad on a miserable day
in Essex. Having failed to win either of their opening two fixtures of
pre-season - after losing 3-1 against Austria Wien and drawing 1-1 at
Boreham Wood in midweek - the win was a welcome one. It was also thoroughly
enjoyed by the travelling Hammers fans who filled the away end plus had many
more supporters in the home stands. Of the official capacity of 7,135, at
least half were supporting Allaryce's side.
Having scored the opening goal after 22 minutes when Nicky Maynard nodded
home a Matt Taylor corner, the Hammers never looked like losing their lead.
Jordan Spence, who endured such a frustrating season last year on loan at
Bristol City made it 2-0 with a virtuoso effort 12 minutes later. And Sam
Baldock completed a comfortable win for the visitors on 64 minutes when he
pounced on a save by Shrimpers 'keeper Phil Smith to continue his record of
having scored in every game of pre-season.
West Ham Utd: Jussi Jaaskelainen, Jordan Spence, Winston Reid, George
McCartney, Dan Potts, Mark Noble, Kevin Nolan, Matt Taylor, Robert Hall,
Ricardo Vaz Te, Nicky Maynard
Subs: Gines Guzman, Guy Demel, Gary O'Neil, Ravel Morrison, Sam Baldock, Rob
Girdlestone, Nathan Mavilla, Josh Cullen, Amos Nasha, Kieran Bywater, Elliot
Lee
Southend Utd: Phil Smith, Sean Clohessy, Anthony Straker, Marc-Anto
Gbirsson, Ryan Cresswell, Chris Barker, Kevan Hurst, Kane Ferdinand, Neil
Harris, Gavin Tomlin, Tyrone Seally.
Subs: Ryan Leonard, Rhys Taylor, Mark Phillips, Graham Coughlan, Luke
Prosser, Yohan Folly, David Martin, Joe Yoffe, Elliot Benyon, Alex Woodyard,
Ryan Hall, Freddy Eastwood, Daniel Bentley.
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Sam Baldock Scores 3 in 3!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
Sam Baldock scored his third pre-season goal, in a corresponding number of
matches, in yesterday's convincing 0-3 away win over Southend Utd. Maynard
scored the opening goal, with a well taken header from a Matt Taylor cross.
The second goal came from an impressive long range drive from Jordan Spence,
before an opportunistic third by Baldock wrapped iup a comprehensive
victory.
It was West Ham's first win of pre-season and was thoroughly enjoyed by the
large travelling contingent of Hammers supporters. The only negative was a
head injury to Danny Potts, after an accidential clash of heads. He was
stretched off, but hopefully that was just a precaution and he will be fine
for the rest of the pre-season programme. Contrary to strong pre-match
rumours, there was no run out for trialist, Colin Kasim-Richards. Also,
Carlton Cole was obviously rested to allow him to recover from the knock
picked up against Austria Wien.
The West Ham Utd FC line up was as follows:
Jaaskelainen, Spence, Reid, McCartney, Potts, Noble, Nolan, Taylor, Hall,
Vaz Te, Maynard
Subs: Guzman, Demel, O'Neil, Morrison, Baldock, Girdlestone, Mavilla,
Cullen, Nasha, KBywater, E. Lee
As a post-script, it was good to see both Robert Hall and Elliott Lee get
match time at Southend Utd. These are two of our very brightest Academy
prospects, who could reasonably be expected to establish themselves in the
first team squad, especially Hall, who Tony Carr has tipped to get much more
playing time in this coming season. We can only hope that, indeed, proves to
be the case.
SJ. Chandos.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Neil McDonald on the Hammers' win at Southend United and with encouraging
news about Dan Potts
14.07.2012
Neil McDonald was delighted to see West Ham United secure a comfortable 3-0
pre-season victory at Southend United on Saturday. The assistant manager was
even happier to report encouraging news about left-back Dan Potts, who left
the pitch on a stretcher with five minutes remaining following a nasty clash
of heads with Shrimpers defender Mark Phillips. Potts was knocked out cold
for a short period before regaining consciousness and being tended to by the
Club's medical staff and paramedics. He was carefully fitted with a neck
brace before being stretchered off the pitch to an ovation from the
7,000-plus spectators inside Roots Hall. Thankfully, the 18-year-old was up
on his feet again in the dressing room a short time later and was able to
have a shower. Potts, who was voted Man of the Match at Southend, will be
taken to hospital on Saturday evening for a precautionary scan and will be
kept in overnight for observation. McDonald told West Ham TV: "Pottsy is
fine. He is going to stay overnight in hospital just to double-check he is
all right but he's up and walking about. He's got showered and now he'll be
taken into hospital for observation. "He's come round and he's got a bit of
a sore head which is only natural from a clash where he's made a fantastic
defensive header. We'll make sure he's OK and, all things going well, he'll
be back to work on Monday."
While the news about Potts' health provided a boost for everybody associated
with the Club, the assistant manager was also pleased with the way West Ham
played in testing conditions at Roots Hall. Heavy rain left the pitch sodden
in places, with puddles holding the ball up in the corners, but the Hammers
moved the ball quickly and relatively easily to open up Southend and score
three fine goals through Nicky Maynard, Jordan Spence and Sam Baldock.
McDonald put West Ham's impressive performance down to the hard work that
has been done on the training field since the Club returned for pre-season
on 1 July. "They're getting stronger and they're getting fitter, which is
what pre-season is all about. It was nice to get some goals as well, which
was great," he confirmed. "With another good week of work under their belts
and having played two games this week, it's building up well in pre-season.
"We passed the ball really well and kept it moving. We've been working on
keeping the ball and passing and moving during the past two weeks and we now
just need to build their fitness up. We played some really nice stuff at
times."
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Southend 0 West Ham United 3
Nicky Maynard, Jordan Spence and Sam Baldock are all on target in a
comfortable victory at Roots Hall
WHUFC.com
13.07.2012
Southend United v West Ham United
Pre-season match
Roots Hall
Saturday 14 July 2012
Kick-off: 3pm
Final score - Southend United 0-3 West Ham United
93 mins - The game is over. West Ham have their first win of the pre-season.
Goals for Maynard, Spence and Baldock completed a very comfortable and
deserved win for the Hammers. The only sour note was the late injury
suffered by Dan Potts. Again, though, let's hope it is not as serious as it
looked and the No33 is back on his feet before we know it. West Ham are back
in action again on Tuesday evening at Oxford United. For ticket details,
click here.
92 mins - Baldock races on to a pass inside the penalty area on the
left-hand side. He pulls the cross back for Lee but the angle is against the
No9 and his header is cleared off the line. Good move from the Hammers.
91 mins - Mavila is on. We'll have two minutes of added time.
89 mins - Potts is secured on a back board and put on to the orange
stretcher. Let's hope it's not too serious. As I said, they always take
every precaution when a player is involved in a clash of heads. I'll do my
best to update you to young Dan's condition later on. He gets a good round
of applause as he is carried down the tunnel.
87 mins - As with every clash of heads, they are taking every precaution
with Potts. The paramedics are tending to the youngster on the pitch and he
hasn't been moved off the turf just yet. He will be replaced by Nathan
Mavila as and when he comes off.
84 mins - Phillips wins a header and West Ham clear. The ball comes over
again and there is a nasty clash of heads involving Phillips and Potts. The
physios come on straight away. The stretcher is on and it will be for the
Hammers No33 as Phillips is up on his feet again.
83 mins - As usual, the substitute is involved straight away, but Nasha is
quick and slides in to clear from in front of Eastwood for a corner. The
first is cleared, but then another cross comes in and Spence slices behind.
82 mins - Former West Ham Academy boy Freddy Eastwood is on, much to the
delight of the home fans. Yoffe is the substitute who is substituted.
81 mins - Potts gets forward again and wins another corner. Taylor crosses
and Potts climbs, but is penalised for a foul.
79 mins - West Ham looking good for a clean sheet. Nasha looks good. I've
not seen him before. He is not the biggest defender but he can't half play a
bit with the ball at his feet. Two or three times he has carried the ball
into midfield before picking out a team-mate.
75 mins - Nasha and Potts combine. The future? The left winger runs at
Leonard and wins a throw over on the far side. The fans ask the No33 to give
them a wave and he responds with one. Cue cheers all round! Southend replace
Ferdinand with Alex Woodyard.
73 mins - Position-wise, West Ham have Demel, Spence, Nasha and Taylor
across the back four, O'Neil, Bywater, Morrison and Potts across the
midfield and Lee and Baldock in attack. Jaaskelainen, controversially,
remains in goal.
71 mins - We've got a decent attendance here today. It's 7,135 in total,
with 2,824 in the West Ham end. Not bad at all considering the weather
conditions.
68 mins - Thankfully, the pitch doesn't seem to be deteriorating too much
despite all the relentless heavy rain.
66 mins - Lee has looked really lively since his introduction. He is a
strong, skilful striker who makes up for his lack of height with superb
movement and a rasping shot. He is a real prospect.
64 mins - GOAL! Baldock has his third goal in three matches. It's a smart,
dinked finish over Smith after the goalkeeper had fumbled Lee's low shot
from distance. Good reactions from the striker and a neat finish high into
the net.
63 mins - Demel gets down the right flank and is fouled. The free-kick comes
over but is cleared.
60 mins - Southend win a corner but West Ham keep their concentration
through all the substitutions and Reid clears the box.
59 mins - Loads of changes! Reid, Noble, Nolan, Vaz Te and McCartney are
off. Demel, Nasha, Morrison, Bywater and Lee are on.
57 mins - Don't forget,you can view exclusive images like the one below on
our official Facebook site here.
56 mins - The game has petered out a bit in recent minutes. Spence gets
forward but his shot is wayward this time and flies wide of the angle of
near post and crossbar.
51 mins - O'Neil picks out the run of Potts. The left-back crosses and
Prosser cannot control on his chest and the ball runs behind. The corner is
headed away.
50 mins - The new Southend are an improvement on the old one. Right-back
Leonard gets forward and runs on to a square pass. He shoots from about 22
yards, but too high.
48 mins - Half a chance again for the Shrimpers as Martin forces a wayward
clearance from Spence. Hall cuts inside and shoots, but it's a slice and
nearly turns into a cross for Yoffe, but the ball is just too far in front
of the No19.
46 mins - Southend kick-off the second half... The Shrimpers come forward
and Yoffe has a shot from about 25 yards. Jaaskelainen collects low down.
That was on target.
West Ham are making a single change at the break. Maynard is off and Sam
Baldock is on, keen to score his third goal in three pre-season halves of
football.
Southend are fielding ten new players in the second half. Kane Ferdinand is
the only player to remain on the pitch for the start of the closing 45
minutes.
Southend United: Smith, Leonard, Phillips, Coughlan, Prosser, Folly, Martin,
Yoffe, Benyon, Ferdinand, Hall
Half-time score - Southend United 0-2 West Ham United
45 mins - Erm, we've only played 44 minutes and ten seconds but it's
half-time!
44 mins - Potts gets forward again from left-back. He's played well so far.
He swaps passes with O'Neil and wins another corner. Near post delivery from
Noble, flicked on by Vaz Te and scrambled behind for another corner. This
one is deeper but headed away.
43 mins - A cross comes in from the Southend left and Harris cannot control.
His touch turns into a sort of shot and Jaaskelainen dives to his right to
claim the ball. It might well have been going wide, that.
40 mins - McCartney slips over and Harris benefits. The cross comes over
from Sealy and Spence clears with a header. Moments later, the right-back
concedes a free-kick, but West Ham deal with the danger comfortably enough.
38 mins - The rain has got heavier. It's difficult to know what to make of
this game. Southend have only been back in pre-season for a few days and it
looks like it. They also have a number of trialists on show. Saying that,
West Ham have played some nice football in difficult conditions so far and
thoroughly deserve their lead.
34 mins - GOAL! Jordan Spence scores! The right-back collects a pass from
Vaz Te and runs from halfway. Nobody thinks to challenge him and Spence
simply looks up and lets fly with a shot that beats Taylor and nestles
inside the far post.
33 mins - Rob Hall is coming off. He's not injured - he played 120 minutes
on Thursday for England in their UEFA European Under-19 Championship
semi-final defeat by Greece in Estonia! Hall is replaced by Gary O'Neil.
27 mins - Superb football as Taylor finds Maynard with a ball down the left
touchline that curls into the box. The ball is laid back to Hall, whose shot
hits Barker and flies over. Corner. It's taken short and Noble gets the
cross in but is cleared again. Finally, Noble plays Vaz Te in on the byline,
but his cross is too high and hard for Reid to control his header. Goal
kick.
26 mins - You can see Vaz Te really fancies getting a goal today. He runs
forward again and it takes three defenders to stop him as his shot is
blocked. Moments later, Nolan heads Taylor's cross back and it hits an arm.
You can hear Nolan's appeal for a penalty from here, but nothing is given.
24 mins - Noble loses out in the tackle and Sealy has a chance to cross from
the right. He does, but Jaaskelainen dives out to claim ahead of Harris. If
you remember, the Southend No9 scored for Millwall against West Ham at the
Boleyn Ground back in 2009.
22 mins - GOAL! Maynard makes the pressure count by heading in Taylor's
dipping right-wing corner. The No8 couldn't really miss from about six
yards. That was all about the delivery. It was a wicked ball in and very
difficult to defend. West Ham thoroughly deserve it.
21 mins - Another West Ham corner as Potts, McCartney and Taylor combine
before the former's cross hits a defender. It comes to nothing until Taylor
cushions the ball wide for Noble, whose cross is headed behind. It's taken
short and West Ham win another corner through Hall. Taylor to take...
18 mins - Hurst gifts possession to Vaz Te. He cuts inside and threatens to
shoot at least twice before finding Taylor on the right corner of the
penalty area. The No14 looks up and shoots right-footed across his namesake,
but the keeper makes another decent stop and holds on low to his right. The
weather and conditions are making for a decent, exciting game, with a few
errors and some quick passing on the slick surface.
15 mins - Hurst takes advantage of a wayward header from Spence. He looks up
and crosses towards Sealy at the far post. Potts does well to get his body
in the way and head the ball clear. Jaaskelainen collects.
14 mins - Potts overlaps and crosses deep. Vaz Te wins the header and tries
to find Maynard, but he can only find the hands of goalkeeper Taylor. This
is very one-sided.
12 mins - Maynard nearly gets through again on to a Noble through-ball, but
centre-back Cresswell is stronger and eases the striker aside. Taylor out
quickly to claim on the slide. Moments later Vaz Te has a shot that clears
the South Stand!
10 mins - West Ham have another chance. Taylor shoots from distance and the
ball skips off the turf but his namesake makes another good save low to his
right. He parries and then gets up quickly to pounce on the loose ball.
9 mins - Another chance. Vaz Te drives forward and pokes a pass through for
Maynard. He tries to round Taylor but loses his footing slightly as he
shoots. It's either Taylor or a defender who deflects the ball over for
another corner. The flag-kick comes to nothing initially.
7 mins - It is all West Ham. Hall skips past one man before finding Potts.
He lays the ball to Taylor, whose near-post cross is headed away. Spence
retrieves and jinks past two players before crossing, but again it's
cleared. A third cross comes over and Nolan's header hits Barker and then
Vaz Te before bouncing wide.
5 mins - The Hammers fans are in superb voice away to my left. They are
filling the North Stand and the corners. It's like being back at
Wembley...except for the weather!
3 mins - The second corner comes over and Reid attacks it, but the Shrimpers
manage to clear their lines. Another cross comes over from the right, but
Taylor is there to make the catch. It's really wet out there - the ball is
holding up in the water on some parts of the pitch already.
2 mins - Bright start in the gloom as West Ham win a corner. Taylor whips it
over low and Vaz Te flicks the ball goalwards with his right foot. Taylor
makes another fine stop, this time low to his left, to push the ball around
the post.
48 seconds - West Ham could easily be ahead! Hall loses his marker and
crosses from the right. Taylor gets in front of his defender and heads
goalwards. Rhys Taylor makes a smart save diving to his right and pushes the
ball aside. Nolan taps home, but he is offside. Exciting start!
3.02pm - Slightly late, we're off and running. West Ham are attacking the
South Stand end of Roots Hall.
2.57pm - Here come the two teams!
2.50pm - Just to give you more information about the Academy youngsters in
the West Ham squad. Gines Guzman is a Spanish goalkeeper who has been with
Peterborough United, Rob Girdlestone and Amos Nasha are centre-backs, Nathan
Mavila joined the Hammers from Wycombe Wanderers this summer, Josh Cullen is
an England Under-16 midfielder and Kieran Bywater is an attacking
midfielder. Speaking of Academy products, Tony Cottee has just taken his
seat in the Directors Box in front of me.
2.30pm - Southend United's team news is in. Former Hammer Freddy Eastwood is
among the substitutes. Left-back Anthony Straker has just joined the Blues,
having helped Aldershot Town to beat West Ham in the Carling Cup last
season. The full Southend lineup is as follows:
Southend United: Taylor, Clohessy, Straker, Gbirsson, Cresswell, Barker,
Hurst, Ferdinand, Sealy, Harris, Tomlin
Subs: Smith, Leonard, Phillips, Coughlan, Prosser, Folly, Martin, Yoffe,
Benyon, Woodyard, Hall, Eastwood, Bentley
2pm - News flash! I think the rain has stopped and the sun is trying to come
out. Big Sam has been out to survey the surroundings, signing autographs for
fans and chatting with former Hammers striker Brian Dear, who is no part of
the corporate hospitality team here at Roots Hall.
1.55pm - As usual, we have a gallery of exclusive images from today's game
fir you to view and comment about on the official Facebook site!
1.50pm - A few unfamiliar names on the squad list today. Rob Girdlestone,
Nathan Mavilla, Amos Nasha and Kieran Bywater are all first-year scholars
who have joined the Academy on a full-time basis this season. Elliot Lee is
a second-year scholar and was top scorer in the Under-18s last term.
1.45pm - OK, well the Hammers are here and the weather appears to be
relenting, which is good news. I also have the West Ham team news for you!
Here you go:
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Spence, Reid, McCartney, Potts, Noble, Nolan,
Taylor, Hall, Vaz Te, Maynard
Subs: Guzman, Demel, O'Neil, Morrison, Baldock, Girdlestone, Mavilla,
Cullen, Nasha, Bywater, E.Lee
1.25pm - Well, I can safely say that this is not the most glorious of days
to be beside the seaside! It is absolutely bucketing it down with rain here
in Southend. The skies are a little brighter to the west so I'm crossing my
fingers that it will clear up before kick-off at 3pm. The Shrimpers are
expecting a bumper crowd of around 8,000 for their first pre-season
friendly, so let's hope the weather doesn't put too many people off.
Good afternoon and welcome to Roots Hall for today's pre-season fixture
between Southend United and West Ham United.
The Hammers have been regular visitors to the Essex resort in recent
seasons, with their most-recent trip down the A13 taking place in August
2010, when recent EURO 2012 runner-up Alessandro Diamanti scored in a 1-1
draw.
In competitive matches, despite the close geographical proximity of the two
clubs, Southend and West Ham have met just once in the past 17 years -
Marlon Harewood scoring both goals in a 2-0 League Cup second-round win at
the Boleyn Ground in August 2004 in a game that Mark Noble appeared in as a
substitute.
The pair's most-recent competitive meeting at Roots Hall was way back in
April 1993, when the Shrimpers ran out 1-0 winners in the old Division One.
Today's game marks the Hammers' third pre-season outing following a 3-1
defeat at FK Austria Wien a week ago and a 1-1 draw at Blue Square Bet South
side Boreham Wood on Tuesday evening. For Southend, this is their first
match since being eliminated from the npower League Two Play-Offs by Crewe
Alexandra back in May.
Sam Allardyce has brought a 22-man squad to Roots Hall, with a mixture of
youth and experience included. Alongside established senior players, Big Sam
has also selected a number of young professionals, who will no doubt benefit
from the experience of preparing alongside the likes of Kevin Nolan and Mark
Noble.
The team news should be available by 2pm, with live text commentary on the
game itselt to start at 3pm.
Finally, if you haven't made it down to Roots Hall today but want to buy a
Season Ticket for the 2012/13 Barclays Premier League campaign, click here
for full details.
Southend United: Taylor (Smith 46), Clohessy (Leonard 46), Straker (Prosser
46), Gbirsson (Phillips 46), Cresswell (Coughlan 46), Barker (Folly 46),
Hurst (Martin 46), Ferdinand (Woodyard 75), Sealy (Yoffe 46, Eastwood 82),
Harris (Benyon 46), Tomlin (Hall 46)
Sub not used: Bentley
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Spence, Reid (Demel 59), McCartney (Nasha
59), Potts (Mavila 90), Noble (Bywater 59), Nolan (Morrison 59), Taylor,
Hall (O'Neil 33), Vaz Te (Mavila), Maynard (E.Lee 59)
Subs: Guzman, Girdlestone, Cullen
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Dev Squad defeated by Dynamo
WHUFC.com
The Development Squad were beaten 3-1 by host club Dynamo Moscow at the VTB
Lev Yashin Cup on Friday
14.07.2012
West Ham United's Development Squad will likely play-off for fifth place
after being defeated 3-1 by host club Dynamo Moscow in their second fixture
at the VTB Lev Yashin Cup in Russia. Having been beaten 2-0 by German side
Freiburg in their opening match on Thursday, Ian Hendon's side needed to win
to have any chance of reaching Sunday's final, but were edged out by Dynamo.
The Russian team, who were playing their first match in the competition and
were therefore fresher than their English visitors, went ahead through a
goal from Solamatin midway through the first half. The lead was then doubled
on 65 minutes when Otstavnovu shot past Jake Larkins.
To West Ham's credit, they did not give up the fight and pulled a goal back
with eleven minutes remaining when captain Eoin Wearen was fouled and George
Moncur tucked away the resultant penalty. Unfortunately, while the Hammers
pushed hard for an equaliser, Dynamo broke away and clinched their victory
when Zhivoglyadov scored with a minute to go. On Saturday, the squad enjoyed
a well-deserved break from match action and took a sight-seeing tour of
Moscow, visiting the Kremlin and Red Square.
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Under doctor's orders
WHUFC.com
Richard Weiler talks about his role as West Ham United's Club doctor
14.07.2012
West Ham United's players and staff are in good hands in the shape of Club
doctor Richard Weiler. The 'Doc', as he is universally known, is an expert
in sports and exercise medicine and deals with all things medical in
consultation with head of sports medicine Andy Rolls and head of
rehabilitation Stijn Vandenbroucke. Weiler, who will be the doctor for the
Team GB blind and cerebral palsy teams at the London 2012 Paralympic Games,
is also one of the country's leading researchers into sudden cardiac events
in sport. With such a varied and interesting role to play for Club and
country, West Ham TV sat down with the Doc to find out more.
Doc, what does your role as West Ham United's Club doctor entail?
RW - There are a lot of different aspects to the role and I work very
closely with the whole of the rest of the medical team. We have a great
support network. I look after any medical matters that fall outside the
realms of rehabilitation and physiotherapy. I do medicals, look after
anything medical that is wrong with the players and work very closely with
head of sports medicine Andy Rolls and head of rehab Stijn Vandenbroucke
with the management of injuries. I provide emergency medical cover and a
sounding board for the medical team on any aspects of science and
performance research that I can help with.
On a matchday, what would your role be?
RW - My job is basically to make sure that anybody who has a major injury or
suffers an illness gets the best available treatment as quickly as possible
to keep them healthy and playing and maintain their performance.
As a fully-qualified doctor, what did you do before joining West Ham United
and do you have any other important roles?
RW - I started off doing general practice and while I was doing that I
started focusing on sports medicine. At around the same time, the new
speciality of sport and exercise medicine was created and I decided to
launch into that feet-first and do specialist training. I carried on doing
the general practice and I still keep my hand in that now as it's very
important that I keep up with everything. I work with the Football
Association and look after the disability football squads - I'll be looking
after the two Team GB Paralympic squads at London 2012. That's very exciting
and very interesting. They are two great bunches of guys - the Blind and
Cerebral Palsy football teams. We managed to get some of the guys in to
train with West Ham last year, which was fantastic.
Are there any special precautions or situations you have to be mindful of in
a sporting environment - for example, if a player has a contagious illness?
RW - The players are all essentially the same as you and I in terms of what
we can do. A lot of what we do is about prevention, both in terms of sports
injuries and illness. It's about preventing small problems from becoming big
problems and making sure they are treated appropriately. Sometimes we have
to quarantine people if necessary and we have a lot of hygiene protocols to
prevent illness being passed from one person to another. Most of this
happens during the winter months, as you might expect.
When you or I get ill, we can take anything from a pharmacy to help us to
get better, but do players have to be mindful of what they put into their
bodies due to restrictions on controlled substances?
RW - By law, it is the players' responsibility for anything that enters
their bodies. I view my role as to guide and advise them so I get a lot of
texts and calls from them asking if they can take this, that or the other
medication. I ask them why they want to take it and decide if it is
appropriate. It can be a bit of a worry, especially with supplements. About
ten per cent of supplements are thought to have banned substances in them,
not necessarily because they are unhealthy, but because they are on the
banned list, so we have to be careful.
Finally, you have done a lot of research into the cause of sudden cardiac
events in football - a topic that has become widely documented and debated
since the collapse of Fabrice Muamba on the pitch in March 2012. What can
you tell us about that research?
RW - I have various interests academically. On the sports performance and
sports injury side I have done work looking at bone turnover in players and
a lot of work with the disability squads looking at various types of
mobility aids. I did a review paper recently in response to what happened to
Fabrice Muamba and various other recent horrible incidents looking at the
evidence and what we do and don't know and what we need to do to try to
reduce the risks of these things happening again. It is absolutely tragic
whenever anything like that happens. There are lots of tests that we do and
those tests are getting better and better as we learn more about sudden
cardiac events. Unfortunately, at the moment, there are still about 30 per
cent of these incidents that remain unexplained. These are very fit and very
healthy individuals. Over time, I would hope to see that figure improve
drastically. It is very sad that we're not quite there yet. Screening has
its limitations and when you work in medicine you realise that there are
very few tests that are 100 per cent specific. It's an interesting topic and
a developing area of interest.
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Southend Utd 0 West Ham Utd 3
KUMb.com
Filed: Saturday, 14th July 2012
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce's side secured their first victory of pre-season with a
comfortable win against League Two Southend at Roots Hall this afternoon.
Goals from Nicky Maynard, Jordan Spence and Sam Baldock gave the visitors an
away day win against Paul Sturrock's experimental squad on a miserable day
in Essex. Having failed to win either of their opening two fixtures of
pre-season - after losing 3-1 against Austria Wien and drawing 1-1 at
Boreham Wood in midweek - the win was a welcome one. It was also thoroughly
enjoyed by the travelling Hammers fans who filled the away end plus had many
more supporters in the home stands. Of the official capacity of 7,135, at
least half were supporting Allaryce's side.
Having scored the opening goal after 22 minutes when Nicky Maynard nodded
home a Matt Taylor corner, the Hammers never looked like losing their lead.
Jordan Spence, who endured such a frustrating season last year on loan at
Bristol City made it 2-0 with a virtuoso effort 12 minutes later. And Sam
Baldock completed a comfortable win for the visitors on 64 minutes when he
pounced on a save by Shrimpers 'keeper Phil Smith to continue his record of
having scored in every game of pre-season.
West Ham Utd: Jussi Jaaskelainen, Jordan Spence, Winston Reid, George
McCartney, Dan Potts, Mark Noble, Kevin Nolan, Matt Taylor, Robert Hall,
Ricardo Vaz Te, Nicky Maynard
Subs: Gines Guzman, Guy Demel, Gary O'Neil, Ravel Morrison, Sam Baldock, Rob
Girdlestone, Nathan Mavilla, Josh Cullen, Amos Nasha, Kieran Bywater, Elliot
Lee
Southend Utd: Phil Smith, Sean Clohessy, Anthony Straker, Marc-Anto
Gbirsson, Ryan Cresswell, Chris Barker, Kevan Hurst, Kane Ferdinand, Neil
Harris, Gavin Tomlin, Tyrone Seally.
Subs: Ryan Leonard, Rhys Taylor, Mark Phillips, Graham Coughlan, Luke
Prosser, Yohan Folly, David Martin, Joe Yoffe, Elliot Benyon, Alex Woodyard,
Ryan Hall, Freddy Eastwood, Daniel Bentley.
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Sam Baldock Scores 3 in 3!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
Sam Baldock scored his third pre-season goal, in a corresponding number of
matches, in yesterday's convincing 0-3 away win over Southend Utd. Maynard
scored the opening goal, with a well taken header from a Matt Taylor cross.
The second goal came from an impressive long range drive from Jordan Spence,
before an opportunistic third by Baldock wrapped iup a comprehensive
victory.
It was West Ham's first win of pre-season and was thoroughly enjoyed by the
large travelling contingent of Hammers supporters. The only negative was a
head injury to Danny Potts, after an accidential clash of heads. He was
stretched off, but hopefully that was just a precaution and he will be fine
for the rest of the pre-season programme. Contrary to strong pre-match
rumours, there was no run out for trialist, Colin Kasim-Richards. Also,
Carlton Cole was obviously rested to allow him to recover from the knock
picked up against Austria Wien.
The West Ham Utd FC line up was as follows:
Jaaskelainen, Spence, Reid, McCartney, Potts, Noble, Nolan, Taylor, Hall,
Vaz Te, Maynard
Subs: Guzman, Demel, O'Neil, Morrison, Baldock, Girdlestone, Mavilla,
Cullen, Nasha, KBywater, E. Lee
As a post-script, it was good to see both Robert Hall and Elliott Lee get
match time at Southend Utd. These are two of our very brightest Academy
prospects, who could reasonably be expected to establish themselves in the
first team squad, especially Hall, who Tony Carr has tipped to get much more
playing time in this coming season. We can only hope that, indeed, proves to
be the case.
SJ. Chandos.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Saturday, July 14
Daily WHUFC News - 14th July 2012
Reid ready for Shrimpers test
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid and West Ham United head for Southend United on Saturday
14.07.2012
Winston Reid is giving everything to ensure he can hit the ground running in the Barclays Premier League. West Ham United's No2 has opted to remain with the Club for pre-season training rather than join up with the New Zealand squad for the London 2012 Olympic Games. While Reid admitted the decision was a difficult one to make, the 24-year-old wants to give himself the best possible chance of being in Sam Allardyce's starting XI when the Hammers host Aston Villa in their opening league game on 18 August. "Obviously I would have liked to have taken part in the Olympics but it won't be the case. I'm sure I'll get another opportunity to go and represent New Zealand in a major tournament so I'm fine with my decision to stay here and do my pre-season with West Ham and make sure I am ready to start come 18 August."
Reid and his club-mates will head down the A13 to Southend United on Saturday for their third pre-season match against Paul Sturrock's Shrimpers. Southend, who reached the npower League Two Play-Offs last season, will be playing their first pre-season fixture but the Auckland-born defender knows West Ham will face a tough test at Roots Hall. Two weeks after returning to Chadwell Heath and a week on from their training camp in Austria, Reid said the Hammers' fitness levels and sharpness are continuing to improve as each day goes by. "Everyone has been working hard and it's been tough, but that's what pre-season is about and we're enjoying it. "It is always good to get away with the boys and have some banter and Austria was a nice place. The surroundings were good and we had a few superb days there and now we have a few matches before we head away to Germany. "The first few games are all about getting the extra mileage in your legs - that's exactly what it is all about. When it gets closer to the start of the season, it'll be a little more important that we produce better performances, but we're getting there."
Big Sam is taking a squad mixing experience and youth to the Essex resort, with Wembley heroes Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble, Ricardo Vaz Te, Matt Taylor, Guy Demel and Reid, new signing Jussi Jaaskelainen and youngsters Ravel Morrison, Dan Potts, Rob Hall and Elliot Lee all set to take part. James Tomkins and Mohamed Diame are both absent on Olympic duty with Team GB and Senegal respectively. *whufc.com will have live text updates from Roots Hall on Saturday, while West Ham TV will have exclusive highlights and reaction.
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Proud night for Pelly
WHUFC.com
Pelly Ruddock led the Hammers out against old club Boreham Wood on Tuesday
13.07.2012
A year ago, Pelly Ruddock was awaiting his first-team debut for Blue Square Bet South newcomers Boreham Wood. Twelve months on and the midfielder was leading West Ham United's first team out as captain in a pre-season fixture against his old club. Ruddock, 18, joined the Hammers in December 2011 after coming through the ranks at Meadow Park, where Boreham Wood run a successful PASE (Programme for Academic and Sporting Excellence) coaching scheme. The youngster spoke of his pride at captaining the Hammers and his hopes of breaking into the first-team squad on a regular basis during the upcoming Barclays Premier League season.
"It was a good night. I thought we played well and it was good to come back to a place where it all started and I was proud to lead the team out," said Ruddock, who jetted off to Russia with the Development Squad for the VTB Lev Yashin Cup on Wednesday. "I was surprised at first when the manager said I would be captain, but I thought I could lead the team out and show what I could do. "The fans got to see what I can do so hopefully I can push on and see what the first-team manager thinks of me."
Ruddock was a regular in Ian Hendon's Development Squad following his arrival at West Ham, making 12 appearances, while he also turned out for the Club's Under-18 side in the FA Premier Academy League. The youngster admitted the style of football was different from that he experienced in the Blue Square Bet South during the opening half of the 2011/12 season, but felt he had adapted well to his new surroundings. "I thought the change was easier than I thought. I've been training every day, putting the work in and it's been really good. "I'm going to keep pushing in the reserves and I hope the first-team manager likes me and hopefully I can push on from there."
Ruddock also had words of praise and thanks for Boreham Wood - the club he joined as an Under-16, who funded his coaching and education and paved the way for his big move to West Ham eight months ago. "Boreham Wood have got some good players and they like to play football, which is strange for a team in the Blue Square Bet South. I thought they represented their league well against us on Tuesday. "They bring in the youngsters, educate them as well by putting them through college and train three times a week, so it's a good system to go through and it is paying off."
*Pelly Ruddock is part of the Development Squad which has travelled to Moscow for the VTB Lev Yashin Cup this week. Reaction, reports and highlights from Russia will appear on whufc.com and West Ham TV.
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Allardyce airs Carroll concern
Hammers boss not sure striker would want to join him at Upton Park
Last Updated: July 13, 2012 5:08pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce admits he would welcome the opportunity to bring Andy Carroll to West Ham United, but concedes any move will depend on the player. With Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers having hinted that he may be prepared to send Carroll out on loan, speculation regarding where he will be playing in 2012/13 has kicked into overdrive. Italian giants AC Milan are said to be keen, while West Ham have admitted to holding an interest in the England international. Allardyce believes Carroll could be a useful addition to his ranks, having already shown that he has what it takes to score goals in the Premier League.
Stature
The Hammers boss is, however, not convinced that the burly frontman would want to swap life at Anfield for that at Upton Park. "You can't say you wouldn't be interested in Andy Carroll, he's a player who has got great stature in the Premier League," Allardyce told Sky Sports News HD. "Whether Andy Carroll wants to come to West Ham is another matter." Asked if he would favour a loan move or a permanent deal for the 23-year-old striker, Allardyce added: "It depends on whether Andy Carroll wants to come to West Ham."
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Modibo Maiga to Sign Next Week?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
A number of media sources have gone with the story that West Ham expect to sign Sochaux striker Modibo Maiga for €7 million early next week. Maiga, 24, is the latest striker linked with West Ham, but it appears that there may actually be some substance to the rumour on this occasion. The only potential 'fly in the ointment' is that last January he was due to sign for Newcastle Utd, but the deal collapsed due to a failed medical. We will just have to wait to see whether fitness is an issue this time round?
Maiga has scored 24 league goals in the past two seasons with Sochaux, since joining from Le Mans. He is described as a pacy and skllful striker who can also play out wide if required. Is he of the pre-requisite class to make a positive impact in the EPL? His signing is probably a bit of a gamble, but one that Sam Allardyce must feel worthwhile. And there is encouragement in the fact that Allardyce has a good prior track record of successfully introducing overseas players in to the EPL. In his Sky interview, broadcast today, Allardyce admitted something that we fans have long suspected, that West Ham have been unsuccessful in securing many of their priority targets so far this summer. Hence, no Zaha, Elia, Krasnic, etc, regardless of being the first club linked with them. So, it is possible that Maiga is some way down Allardyce's transfer target list. Still never mind, if he signs, he becomes an Hammer and we will get behind him and give him every encouragement to succeed. Who knows, he could have a major impact like Vaz Te had last January!
It seems that the indications are that Andy Carroll wants to stay at Liverpool next season. The deal's stil not 100% dead in the water, but the vibes that came from Allardyce, in today's Sky interview, were not positive. If Carroll stays put, we could do a lot worse than to put in an alternative bid for Fulham's Clint Dempsey. Dempsey is an experienced centre-forward, who is good both on the floor and in the air, something that cannot also be said of Carroll. He is in the last year of his Fulham contract and Wes tHam could get him for a reasonable fee, but they have the will to go out and make it happen.
I know that Maiga (if he signs) can play out wide or as part of a front three, but are we strong enough on the flanks? The Zaha, Elia and Krasnc deals have not materialised, so perhaps we need to make a definite move for a player like Matt Jarvis or seek to get Adam Johnston in on loan from Man City. Johnston would be a realy exciting loan signing and he might be prepared to come to Upton Park to get regular first team football next season. But again, we need to move quickly to tie up a deal. Otherwise, go for a quality wide player like Gamst Pedersen at Blackburn Rovers, surely he is a realistic target for the club? I do not believe that Kassim-Richards is the answer for West Ham and believe that we need to look elsewhere.
There are rumours that Palace's Nathan Clyne is in discussion with an unnamed PL club, although the general indicators are that it is not us. Well, we should be pulling out all of the stops to get this very promising young right-back, for what should be a nominal fee. Unfortunately, the Zaha deal now seems increasingly unlikely, mainly because Palace are being obstructive, as is their right with regard to a contracted player. So, perhaps the cub have now firmly decided to discontinue their overtures for his signature. We also need another centre-back and although we have been linked with a number of players, there has been no progress to date. Christopher Samba would be my first choice, but he is likely to prove too costly an option, even if his Moscow club can be persuaded to let him go in the first place. Although undeniably experienced, Gallas is also a bit injury prone these days. Nothing has happend on a potential move for Roger Johnson, at Wolves, or Scott Dann, at Blacburn Rovers, so we are left wondering where the centre defensive reinforcements are to come from? The latest name to surface is Curtis Davies at Birmingham City. Davies was a very well thought of prospect a few seasons ago, but his career stalled after leaving Villa. He has the ability and West Ham could be a good place for him to get back on track?
Finally, there are positive signs that Ravel Morrison is shaping up well in training and has applied himself in the two pre-season matches to date. If Morrison could emerge as a force this season it would be a huge added bonus for West Ham and a really positive development for England. A player of his technical ability should be a star for both club and country, he just needs to focus on his football and not be distracted by other factors. West Ham want him to succeed, to guarantee the gamblehey took on him last January, and if he applies himself and performs he can force his way in to the first team in the coming season.
SJ. Chandos.
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Chairman ready for battle over Newcastle, West Ham, Man City, Man Utd, Southampton, Fulham & Reading target
London 24
Saturday, July 14, 2012
8:00 AM
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish is determined to extract the club's value for want-away star Nathaniel Clyne. The 21-year-old is out of contract with the Eagles but is currently training with the south Londoners. "There is some interest in him," Parish told the Croydon Advertiser. "Nathaniel is back at the club training and we are dealing with agents, but there is nothing concrete yet. "We just have to try and reach a solution, but we have to get the right deal for everybody." If Palace and the buying club can't agree then Parish is prepared to go to a tribunal. "We have got a figure in mind," he added. "We think it is a fair value [for the player] and if we have got to go to a tribunal to get that, we feel that we have some solid arguments and we are happy to do that." Newcastle, West Ham, Manchester City, Fulham, Manchester United, Reading and Southampton are all said to be interested.
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Sam aims to be the man again at West Ham
Thametoday.co.uk
Published on Saturday 14 July 2012 07:08
Sam Baldock is determined to establish himself as a Premier League footballer as he gears up for the new season with West Ham United. The diminutive Aylesbury-born striker opened his pre-season account with a goal in the Hammers' 3-1 defeat against Austria Wien on Saturday. Life at his new club started so well for Baldock with five goals in his first five games helping him strike an instant rapport with the club's fans. But, having been left out of the starting lineup for much of the second half of last season, the former MK Dons star is itching to force his way back into manager Sam Allardyce's thoughts and make an impact in the world's top league.
"I don't see why I can't take this opportunity to stake my claim," Baldock told www.whufc.com "Everyone knows that during the second half of last year I was very frustrated. "I'm a footballer who wants to play football at the end of the day. "I've been working hard and hopefully I'll be given a chance to show what I can do."
Focusing on his goal, Baldock revealed that he had been slightly fortunate to score, but that there was no luck involved in him being in the right place at the right time to meet Carlton Cole's far-post cross. "I wasn't particularly pleased with my performance but I don't think anyone can say they played particularly well - it was more about getting a run out and seeing if you can get that match-sharpness after six days of training. It was a good end to the trip in a nice stadium with a good
atmosphere and quite a few travelling fans, which was nice to see."
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Maiga to make £5m switch to West Ham as Allardyce bolsters frontline
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 13 July 2012 | UPDATED: 22:31, 13 July 2012
Daily MAil
West Ham are close to a £5million move for Sochaux striker Modibo Maiga, 24, as revealed in Sportsmail. The 24-year-old Mali forward almost joined Newcastle in January but the deal collapsed amid concerns over a knee problem. Maiga is confident there will be no problems this time around and has also attracted interest from Stoke and Reading.
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Carroll to deliver Hammer blow as England striker pledges future to Liverpool
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 13 July 2012 | UPDATED: 22:31, 13 July 2012
Daily Mail
Andy Carroll will reject interest from West Ham and is ready to fight for his Liverpool future. The England international is also wanted by Fulham and Newcastle, but Carroll does not want to leave Anfield and is determined to win Brendan Rodgers over. Liverpool's manager has not given Carroll, 23, any assurances over what his role will be, but he is ready for the challenge and will speak with Rodgers when he returns from holiday. West Ham co-owner David Gold said earlier this week that official talks hadn't taken part between the two clubs, but admitted the London side are interested in signing Carroll. Speaking to BBC Sport, Gold said: 'I am not aware of any talks between ourselves or Liverpool over Andy Carroll. 'But that's not to say we don't have an interest should he become available.'
Fulham could yet hold a trump card with Clint Dempsey as Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is a confirmed admirer of the USA forward, who is in the final 12 months of his contract at Craven Cottage and could be used in a swap deal. There is also interest in Carroll from Italy, and not just from AC Milan but it is debatable whether a move to Serie A would appeal to him.
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West Ham 'aren't a route one team' despite Andy Carroll chase
Evening Standard
Ken Dyer
13 July 2012
Neil McDonald insists West Ham are not a "one-dimensional team" despite reports linking the club with a loan move for imposing Liverpool striker Andy Carroll. Brendan Rodgers, the new man in charge at Anfield, may not see Carroll as the perfect fit for his preferred playing style but there is no doubt about West Ham's priorities, hence the failed bids for Norwich's Grant Holt and this week's interest in Liverpool's big England striker. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce was frequently forced to swat away criticism of his team's perceived direct style last season and his assistant, McDonald, is equally strident now. "We're not a one-dimensional team," he said. "We played fantastic at times last season in what is a difficult league and we work hard in training on keeping possession. We also work on pressing the opposition and counter-attacking. "Last season teams came to Upton Park and tried to stop us playing. Sometimes they succeeded, which is why we broke our away results record but occasionally struggled at home. "Teams will come to us next season and try and win the game so we have to treat things differently."
McDonald was in charge during West Ham's first week of pre-season training in Austria and explained why, despite finishing last season late because of the play-offs, he and Allardyce decided to bring the squad back a week earlier than some clubs. He added: "The players have had a proper break but this time we wanted to factor in a few rest days for them during pre-season." When not involved in preparing the first-team squad, McDonald will be running an evening coaching course for part-time managers and coaches. "I want to give something back," he said. "Sometimes people have the coaching theory but they don't know how to make their sessions varied and entertaining. I believe I can help."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid and West Ham United head for Southend United on Saturday
14.07.2012
Winston Reid is giving everything to ensure he can hit the ground running in the Barclays Premier League. West Ham United's No2 has opted to remain with the Club for pre-season training rather than join up with the New Zealand squad for the London 2012 Olympic Games. While Reid admitted the decision was a difficult one to make, the 24-year-old wants to give himself the best possible chance of being in Sam Allardyce's starting XI when the Hammers host Aston Villa in their opening league game on 18 August. "Obviously I would have liked to have taken part in the Olympics but it won't be the case. I'm sure I'll get another opportunity to go and represent New Zealand in a major tournament so I'm fine with my decision to stay here and do my pre-season with West Ham and make sure I am ready to start come 18 August."
Reid and his club-mates will head down the A13 to Southend United on Saturday for their third pre-season match against Paul Sturrock's Shrimpers. Southend, who reached the npower League Two Play-Offs last season, will be playing their first pre-season fixture but the Auckland-born defender knows West Ham will face a tough test at Roots Hall. Two weeks after returning to Chadwell Heath and a week on from their training camp in Austria, Reid said the Hammers' fitness levels and sharpness are continuing to improve as each day goes by. "Everyone has been working hard and it's been tough, but that's what pre-season is about and we're enjoying it. "It is always good to get away with the boys and have some banter and Austria was a nice place. The surroundings were good and we had a few superb days there and now we have a few matches before we head away to Germany. "The first few games are all about getting the extra mileage in your legs - that's exactly what it is all about. When it gets closer to the start of the season, it'll be a little more important that we produce better performances, but we're getting there."
Big Sam is taking a squad mixing experience and youth to the Essex resort, with Wembley heroes Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble, Ricardo Vaz Te, Matt Taylor, Guy Demel and Reid, new signing Jussi Jaaskelainen and youngsters Ravel Morrison, Dan Potts, Rob Hall and Elliot Lee all set to take part. James Tomkins and Mohamed Diame are both absent on Olympic duty with Team GB and Senegal respectively. *whufc.com will have live text updates from Roots Hall on Saturday, while West Ham TV will have exclusive highlights and reaction.
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Proud night for Pelly
WHUFC.com
Pelly Ruddock led the Hammers out against old club Boreham Wood on Tuesday
13.07.2012
A year ago, Pelly Ruddock was awaiting his first-team debut for Blue Square Bet South newcomers Boreham Wood. Twelve months on and the midfielder was leading West Ham United's first team out as captain in a pre-season fixture against his old club. Ruddock, 18, joined the Hammers in December 2011 after coming through the ranks at Meadow Park, where Boreham Wood run a successful PASE (Programme for Academic and Sporting Excellence) coaching scheme. The youngster spoke of his pride at captaining the Hammers and his hopes of breaking into the first-team squad on a regular basis during the upcoming Barclays Premier League season.
"It was a good night. I thought we played well and it was good to come back to a place where it all started and I was proud to lead the team out," said Ruddock, who jetted off to Russia with the Development Squad for the VTB Lev Yashin Cup on Wednesday. "I was surprised at first when the manager said I would be captain, but I thought I could lead the team out and show what I could do. "The fans got to see what I can do so hopefully I can push on and see what the first-team manager thinks of me."
Ruddock was a regular in Ian Hendon's Development Squad following his arrival at West Ham, making 12 appearances, while he also turned out for the Club's Under-18 side in the FA Premier Academy League. The youngster admitted the style of football was different from that he experienced in the Blue Square Bet South during the opening half of the 2011/12 season, but felt he had adapted well to his new surroundings. "I thought the change was easier than I thought. I've been training every day, putting the work in and it's been really good. "I'm going to keep pushing in the reserves and I hope the first-team manager likes me and hopefully I can push on from there."
Ruddock also had words of praise and thanks for Boreham Wood - the club he joined as an Under-16, who funded his coaching and education and paved the way for his big move to West Ham eight months ago. "Boreham Wood have got some good players and they like to play football, which is strange for a team in the Blue Square Bet South. I thought they represented their league well against us on Tuesday. "They bring in the youngsters, educate them as well by putting them through college and train three times a week, so it's a good system to go through and it is paying off."
*Pelly Ruddock is part of the Development Squad which has travelled to Moscow for the VTB Lev Yashin Cup this week. Reaction, reports and highlights from Russia will appear on whufc.com and West Ham TV.
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Allardyce airs Carroll concern
Hammers boss not sure striker would want to join him at Upton Park
Last Updated: July 13, 2012 5:08pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce admits he would welcome the opportunity to bring Andy Carroll to West Ham United, but concedes any move will depend on the player. With Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers having hinted that he may be prepared to send Carroll out on loan, speculation regarding where he will be playing in 2012/13 has kicked into overdrive. Italian giants AC Milan are said to be keen, while West Ham have admitted to holding an interest in the England international. Allardyce believes Carroll could be a useful addition to his ranks, having already shown that he has what it takes to score goals in the Premier League.
Stature
The Hammers boss is, however, not convinced that the burly frontman would want to swap life at Anfield for that at Upton Park. "You can't say you wouldn't be interested in Andy Carroll, he's a player who has got great stature in the Premier League," Allardyce told Sky Sports News HD. "Whether Andy Carroll wants to come to West Ham is another matter." Asked if he would favour a loan move or a permanent deal for the 23-year-old striker, Allardyce added: "It depends on whether Andy Carroll wants to come to West Ham."
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Modibo Maiga to Sign Next Week?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
A number of media sources have gone with the story that West Ham expect to sign Sochaux striker Modibo Maiga for €7 million early next week. Maiga, 24, is the latest striker linked with West Ham, but it appears that there may actually be some substance to the rumour on this occasion. The only potential 'fly in the ointment' is that last January he was due to sign for Newcastle Utd, but the deal collapsed due to a failed medical. We will just have to wait to see whether fitness is an issue this time round?
Maiga has scored 24 league goals in the past two seasons with Sochaux, since joining from Le Mans. He is described as a pacy and skllful striker who can also play out wide if required. Is he of the pre-requisite class to make a positive impact in the EPL? His signing is probably a bit of a gamble, but one that Sam Allardyce must feel worthwhile. And there is encouragement in the fact that Allardyce has a good prior track record of successfully introducing overseas players in to the EPL. In his Sky interview, broadcast today, Allardyce admitted something that we fans have long suspected, that West Ham have been unsuccessful in securing many of their priority targets so far this summer. Hence, no Zaha, Elia, Krasnic, etc, regardless of being the first club linked with them. So, it is possible that Maiga is some way down Allardyce's transfer target list. Still never mind, if he signs, he becomes an Hammer and we will get behind him and give him every encouragement to succeed. Who knows, he could have a major impact like Vaz Te had last January!
It seems that the indications are that Andy Carroll wants to stay at Liverpool next season. The deal's stil not 100% dead in the water, but the vibes that came from Allardyce, in today's Sky interview, were not positive. If Carroll stays put, we could do a lot worse than to put in an alternative bid for Fulham's Clint Dempsey. Dempsey is an experienced centre-forward, who is good both on the floor and in the air, something that cannot also be said of Carroll. He is in the last year of his Fulham contract and Wes tHam could get him for a reasonable fee, but they have the will to go out and make it happen.
I know that Maiga (if he signs) can play out wide or as part of a front three, but are we strong enough on the flanks? The Zaha, Elia and Krasnc deals have not materialised, so perhaps we need to make a definite move for a player like Matt Jarvis or seek to get Adam Johnston in on loan from Man City. Johnston would be a realy exciting loan signing and he might be prepared to come to Upton Park to get regular first team football next season. But again, we need to move quickly to tie up a deal. Otherwise, go for a quality wide player like Gamst Pedersen at Blackburn Rovers, surely he is a realistic target for the club? I do not believe that Kassim-Richards is the answer for West Ham and believe that we need to look elsewhere.
There are rumours that Palace's Nathan Clyne is in discussion with an unnamed PL club, although the general indicators are that it is not us. Well, we should be pulling out all of the stops to get this very promising young right-back, for what should be a nominal fee. Unfortunately, the Zaha deal now seems increasingly unlikely, mainly because Palace are being obstructive, as is their right with regard to a contracted player. So, perhaps the cub have now firmly decided to discontinue their overtures for his signature. We also need another centre-back and although we have been linked with a number of players, there has been no progress to date. Christopher Samba would be my first choice, but he is likely to prove too costly an option, even if his Moscow club can be persuaded to let him go in the first place. Although undeniably experienced, Gallas is also a bit injury prone these days. Nothing has happend on a potential move for Roger Johnson, at Wolves, or Scott Dann, at Blacburn Rovers, so we are left wondering where the centre defensive reinforcements are to come from? The latest name to surface is Curtis Davies at Birmingham City. Davies was a very well thought of prospect a few seasons ago, but his career stalled after leaving Villa. He has the ability and West Ham could be a good place for him to get back on track?
Finally, there are positive signs that Ravel Morrison is shaping up well in training and has applied himself in the two pre-season matches to date. If Morrison could emerge as a force this season it would be a huge added bonus for West Ham and a really positive development for England. A player of his technical ability should be a star for both club and country, he just needs to focus on his football and not be distracted by other factors. West Ham want him to succeed, to guarantee the gamblehey took on him last January, and if he applies himself and performs he can force his way in to the first team in the coming season.
SJ. Chandos.
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Chairman ready for battle over Newcastle, West Ham, Man City, Man Utd, Southampton, Fulham & Reading target
London 24
Saturday, July 14, 2012
8:00 AM
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish is determined to extract the club's value for want-away star Nathaniel Clyne. The 21-year-old is out of contract with the Eagles but is currently training with the south Londoners. "There is some interest in him," Parish told the Croydon Advertiser. "Nathaniel is back at the club training and we are dealing with agents, but there is nothing concrete yet. "We just have to try and reach a solution, but we have to get the right deal for everybody." If Palace and the buying club can't agree then Parish is prepared to go to a tribunal. "We have got a figure in mind," he added. "We think it is a fair value [for the player] and if we have got to go to a tribunal to get that, we feel that we have some solid arguments and we are happy to do that." Newcastle, West Ham, Manchester City, Fulham, Manchester United, Reading and Southampton are all said to be interested.
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Sam aims to be the man again at West Ham
Thametoday.co.uk
Published on Saturday 14 July 2012 07:08
Sam Baldock is determined to establish himself as a Premier League footballer as he gears up for the new season with West Ham United. The diminutive Aylesbury-born striker opened his pre-season account with a goal in the Hammers' 3-1 defeat against Austria Wien on Saturday. Life at his new club started so well for Baldock with five goals in his first five games helping him strike an instant rapport with the club's fans. But, having been left out of the starting lineup for much of the second half of last season, the former MK Dons star is itching to force his way back into manager Sam Allardyce's thoughts and make an impact in the world's top league.
"I don't see why I can't take this opportunity to stake my claim," Baldock told www.whufc.com "Everyone knows that during the second half of last year I was very frustrated. "I'm a footballer who wants to play football at the end of the day. "I've been working hard and hopefully I'll be given a chance to show what I can do."
Focusing on his goal, Baldock revealed that he had been slightly fortunate to score, but that there was no luck involved in him being in the right place at the right time to meet Carlton Cole's far-post cross. "I wasn't particularly pleased with my performance but I don't think anyone can say they played particularly well - it was more about getting a run out and seeing if you can get that match-sharpness after six days of training. It was a good end to the trip in a nice stadium with a good
atmosphere and quite a few travelling fans, which was nice to see."
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Maiga to make £5m switch to West Ham as Allardyce bolsters frontline
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 13 July 2012 | UPDATED: 22:31, 13 July 2012
Daily MAil
West Ham are close to a £5million move for Sochaux striker Modibo Maiga, 24, as revealed in Sportsmail. The 24-year-old Mali forward almost joined Newcastle in January but the deal collapsed amid concerns over a knee problem. Maiga is confident there will be no problems this time around and has also attracted interest from Stoke and Reading.
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Carroll to deliver Hammer blow as England striker pledges future to Liverpool
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 13 July 2012 | UPDATED: 22:31, 13 July 2012
Daily Mail
Andy Carroll will reject interest from West Ham and is ready to fight for his Liverpool future. The England international is also wanted by Fulham and Newcastle, but Carroll does not want to leave Anfield and is determined to win Brendan Rodgers over. Liverpool's manager has not given Carroll, 23, any assurances over what his role will be, but he is ready for the challenge and will speak with Rodgers when he returns from holiday. West Ham co-owner David Gold said earlier this week that official talks hadn't taken part between the two clubs, but admitted the London side are interested in signing Carroll. Speaking to BBC Sport, Gold said: 'I am not aware of any talks between ourselves or Liverpool over Andy Carroll. 'But that's not to say we don't have an interest should he become available.'
Fulham could yet hold a trump card with Clint Dempsey as Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is a confirmed admirer of the USA forward, who is in the final 12 months of his contract at Craven Cottage and could be used in a swap deal. There is also interest in Carroll from Italy, and not just from AC Milan but it is debatable whether a move to Serie A would appeal to him.
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West Ham 'aren't a route one team' despite Andy Carroll chase
Evening Standard
Ken Dyer
13 July 2012
Neil McDonald insists West Ham are not a "one-dimensional team" despite reports linking the club with a loan move for imposing Liverpool striker Andy Carroll. Brendan Rodgers, the new man in charge at Anfield, may not see Carroll as the perfect fit for his preferred playing style but there is no doubt about West Ham's priorities, hence the failed bids for Norwich's Grant Holt and this week's interest in Liverpool's big England striker. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce was frequently forced to swat away criticism of his team's perceived direct style last season and his assistant, McDonald, is equally strident now. "We're not a one-dimensional team," he said. "We played fantastic at times last season in what is a difficult league and we work hard in training on keeping possession. We also work on pressing the opposition and counter-attacking. "Last season teams came to Upton Park and tried to stop us playing. Sometimes they succeeded, which is why we broke our away results record but occasionally struggled at home. "Teams will come to us next season and try and win the game so we have to treat things differently."
McDonald was in charge during West Ham's first week of pre-season training in Austria and explained why, despite finishing last season late because of the play-offs, he and Allardyce decided to bring the squad back a week earlier than some clubs. He added: "The players have had a proper break but this time we wanted to factor in a few rest days for them during pre-season." When not involved in preparing the first-team squad, McDonald will be running an evening coaching course for part-time managers and coaches. "I want to give something back," he said. "Sometimes people have the coaching theory but they don't know how to make their sessions varied and entertaining. I believe I can help."
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