Daily WHUFC News - 1st September 2012

Maynard departs
WHUFC.com
Nicky Maynard has joined npower Championship club Cardiff City on a permanent basis
31.08.2012

West Ham United can confirm that Nicky Maynard has joined npower Championship club Cardiff City on a permanent basis for an undisclosed fee. The 25-year-old leaves east London after eight months at the Boleyn Ground, having scored three goals in 16 appearances in all competitions. Maynard joined the Hammers from Bristol City in January 2012 and scored on his full debut at Blackpool the following month. He also found the target against his new club in a npower Championship Play-Off semi-final second-leg home win in May. The striker made his final appearance in claret and blue against his first club Crewe Alexandra on Tuesday evening, scoring the opening goal in a 2-0 Capital One Cup second-round victory. Everyone at West Ham United would like to thank Nicky for his efforts and wish him every success in his future career.

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Manager hails Carroll capture
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce cannot wait to start working with Andy Carroll at West Ham United
31.08.2012

Sam Allardyce could hardly contain his excitement as he spoke about West Ham United's capture of Andy Carroll on a season-long loan. Speaking exclusively to West Ham TV, Big Sam was delighted to have secured the signing of the England striker from Liverpool, with the prospect of turning the deal into a permanent move next summer. The manager revealed that Carroll's arrival had come at the end of months of hard work by the Board, himself and his staff.Praising Carroll's ability as an 'all-round footballer', Big Sam is now preparing for the prospect of handing the forward his West Ham debut in Saturday's Barclays Premier League visit of Fulham to the Boleyn Ground.

Sam, can you start by telling us your reaction to the signing of Andy Carroll?

SA - "The move has come about after some long, arduous negotiations with Liverpool and in the end, I think, the fact Andy Carroll needs to play regular, first-team football is a bonus for us because we can give him what he wants. "Like everyone else I can't guarantee it - that's up to Andy - but I can say he will get the opportunity. He can keep his momentum going in terms of his career because he needs Premier League football. We can give him that not just for the sake of himself but for the sake of his England position because if he wasn't going to get many games his England position would be in jeopardy. "I think for all parties this is a great signing."

You have worked with Andy before at Newcastle United and have also managed against him, so what are his attributes as a footballer?

SA - "Well, probably the opposite to what many people think. He is an all-round footballer. Because he is 6'4 and because one of his strengths is his aerial domination power, everybody dismisses the ability Andy possesses on the floor. His great ability has bought many goals with his left foot - he has a thunderous left foot and everyone can see it simply by going on YouTube. "We have got a great deal on both sides. We have a very good footballer who is 6'4 and a player who scores goals. Hopefully he can score goals for us and we will be in a very good position at the end of the year in the Barclays Premier League. "We hope to see goals from Andy of all types and another key signing for us is Matt Jarvis. They will suit each other and it is a very exciting partnership that will gel and provide a lot of opportunities for Andy and our other strikers to score goals."

You have spoken before about the importance of helping new players to settle in the area and at the club. Andy will be moving to the south for the first time, so how important is it that he knows yourself and captain Kevin Nolan from your time at Newcastle United?

SA - "I think it is important because he is going to see familiar faces. I think that the other very, very familiar face is Tim De'Ath, who is the England chef and very close to Andy when he is on international duty. Tim is also our player liaison officer and he has got a great relationship with Andy through the England set-up. Kevin, of course, is a good friend from his time in Newcastle. "I had a short period of time with him when he was really starting to blossom as a footballer and a few other lads here will also know him. It is about him coming and saying to himself 'I am now going to go out and enjoy my football' and hopefully we can see him flourish further at West Ham United."

In the space of a week, West Ham United have broken the club record to sign Matt Jarvis and now brought in the most-expensive English footballer in history. That is some statement of intent from yourself and the Board, isn't it?

SA - "Yes. It is about quality and I think in my lifetime as a manager it has always been about being in the Premier League and signing quality and knowing where you can find that quality. The big problem is can you afford it? The Joint-Chairmen have extended themselves and I really appreciate that, as does everybody else at West Ham United. "The opportunity to sign Andy began as a small dream at first, but it is a dream that has been realised because of the club's persistence. It will be one of the biggest shocks around the end of this transfer window because we have clinched the signing of a £35million player. For us all, it adds to the quality and strength in depth of a squad that is trying to find its feet in the Premier League and trying to achieve as much as we possibly can."

The final question I am sure every Hammers supporter would love to know the answer to is - will he make his debut against Fulham on Saturday?

SA - "I think he will be fit and available to play this weekend. I don't see any problems. He has had a full pre-season and played in the European Championship with England, so there was never a long period of time when Andy had a lot off time off. He has had a couple of games here and there and he has kept his fitness up.
"We hope in the beginning that, if he plays Saturday, the excitement and euphoria will be there for all to see. We hope he settles fast and helps us try to win the game. We then have two weeks when he will go away with England and will hopefully play another game with Roy Hodgson and then thankfully when we get back the window will be closed. "The focus will then only be on the players who are at West Ham United. The frenzy won't start again until December and hopefully, by that time, we will be looking to add more quality because we are doing well in the Premier League."

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Fulham match preview
WHUFC.com
All the early team news and stats ahead of Fulham's visit to the Boleyn Ground on Saturday
30.08.2012

WEST HAM UNITED v FULHAM
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 1 SEPTEMBER 2012
KICK-OFF: 12.45PM
REFEREE: ANTHONY TAYLOR
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV

Introduction

• West Ham United host Fulham in their second home Barclays Premier League home fixture of the 2012/13 season, having beaten Aston Villa 1-0 in their only previous league game at the Boleyn Ground. The Hammers also defeated Crewe Alexandra 2-0 at home in the Capital One Cup second round on Tuesday evening.
• Sam Allardyce's side will be looking to bounce back to winning ways in the Barclays Premier League after last weekend's 3-0 defeat at Swansea City. The loss left the Hammers tenth in the table.
• Fulham will also be aiming to get back to winning ways after a 3-2 defeat at Manchester United last weekend. Like the Hammers they also won their opening game of the season, notching a 5-0 win over Norwich City at Craven Cottage.
• Both clubs have been active during the transfer windows. England striker Andy Carroll became West Ham United's tenth summer signing when he arrived from Liverpool on a season-long loan on Thursday and could make his Hammers debut on Saturday. Fulham, meanwhile, have sold Belgium midfielder Moussa Dembele to Tottenham Hotspur this week. The Cottagers have been trying to complete deals for Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov and Sunderland midfielder and former Hammers schoolboy Kieran Richardson.
• If selected to face Fulham, captain Kevin Nolan will make his 50th West Ham United appearance, while Carlton Cole could make his 150th start for the club. Jussi Jaaskelainen and Mohamed Diame will be making their 650th and 200th senior club appearances if they feature on Saturday.
• Saturday's fixture marks the second of three consecutive 12.45pm Barclays Premier League kick-offs for West Ham United. The Hammers will also travel to Norwich City for a lunch-time assignment on Saturday 15 September.
• West Ham United have not lost at home to Fulham in the Premier League since 3 November 2001. Since then, the Hammers are unbeaten in seven meetings, winning three of them. During that run, however, the Cottagers did leave the Boleyn Ground with a 3-0 FA Cup fifth-round replay victory in February 2004.
• West Ham have won nine of the 16 all-time Premier League meetings between the two clubs, losing just two.
• Saturday's is the 86th meeting between the two sides, West Ham United have won 37, Fulham have won 28 and 20 have ended in draws.

Last time out

West Ham United
The Hammers suffered their first defeat of the Barclays Premier League campaign last weekend going down 3-0 at Swansea City. Angel Rangel opened the scoring after 20 minutes and the Swans doubled their lead nine minutes later through Michu. Danny Graham completed the scoring in the 64th-minute.

25 August 2012
Barclays Premier League
Swansea City 3-0 West Ham United
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Reid, McCartney, Tomkins (Vaz Te 46), Collins, Demel, Nolan, Jarvis, Noble, Diame (Diarra 69), Cole (Maiga 62)
Subs not used: Henderson, O'Brien, Taylor, Maynard

Fulham
The Cottagers narrowly missed out on a point, losing 3-2 to Manchester United at Old Trafford last weekend. Damien Duff put Fulham a goal up within three minutes, only for Robin Van Persie, Shinji Kagawa and Rafael to make it 3-1 before half-time. A Nemanja Vidic own-goal halved the deficit in the second half, but Martin Jol's side could not force an equaliser.

25 August 2012
Barclays Premier League
Manchester United 3-2 Fulham
Fulham: Schwarzer, Hangeland, Hughes, Briggs, Riether, Duff, Diarra (Baird 82), Kacaniklic (Sidwell 62), Petric (Rodallega 73), Ruiz, Dembele
Subs not used: Stockdale, Kelly, Halliche, Kasami
Goals: Duff 3, Vidic 64 (own-goal)

Previous meetings
• Carlton Cole scored his first Barclays Premier League brace against Fulham the last time the two sides met as the Hammers came away from Craven Cottage with a 3-1 win on Boxing Day 2010. The Cottagers took the lead through Aaron Hughes in the 11th-minute but West Ham United reacted well and equalised with eight minutes remaining in the half. The Hammers were ahead before the break when Frederic Piquionne volleyed home in added-time. Fulham fought back in the second half but were unable to break the Hammers resilient defence and Cole sealed the win in the 73rd-minute with a well taken left-foot volley.
Fulham: Schwarzer, Salcido, Pantsil, Hangeland, Hughes, Gera, Murphy, Etuhu (Johnson 53), Dempsey (Duff 53), Davies, Johnson
Subs not used: Stockdale, Baird, Halliche, Greening, Kamara
West Ham United: Green, Ben-Haim, Gabbidon, Tomkins, Upson, Parker, Kovac, Stanislas, Cole, Sears, Piquionne (Nouble 89)
Subs not used: Boffin, Reid, Spector, Ilunga, Barrera, Obinna

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Yossi Benayoun to join West Ham on loan from Chelsea
By David Ornstein
BBC Sport

West Ham have agreed a deal to sign Israel midfielder Yossi Benayoun on a season-long loan from Chelsea. The clubs finally reached a compromise at around 22:00 BST after several hours of negotiations over how Benayoun's salary would be paid. The 32-year-old must now complete the relevant paperwork before the 23:00 BST deadline for the deal to go through. Benayoun returns to the club where in 2005 he began his career in English football, making 72 appearances. He joined Liverpool for £5m in 2007 before moving to Chelsea for a similar price three years later. Benayoun spent last season on loan at Arsenal, scoring six goals in 26 matches for the Gunners. He returned to Chelsea in the summer but was informed he could leave Stamford Bridge if a suitable bid arrived. With no permanent offers to the Blues' or Benayoun's liking, a free loan was the only option before the transfer window closed. There were enquiries from a number of Premier League clubs, but the Israeli favoured a return to Upton Park. After struggling to agree on the percentage of his wages they would both pay, the clubs eventually found common ground.

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Cardiff City capture West Ham striker Nicky Maynard
BBC.co.uk

Cardiff City have signed Nicky Maynard from West Ham United for an undisclosed fee, thought to be close to £2.5m. The 25-year-old striker passed a medical and agreed personal terms at Cardiff City Stadium to seal a three-year contract. Maynard joined the Hammers for £2m from Bristol City in January 2012 but his first-team chances have been limited. The Crewe product is Cardiff's 10th summer signing after Brighton wing Craig Noone joined on Thursday. Cardiff boss Malky Mackay had already signed Craig Bellamy, Tommy Smith, Heidar Helguson, Matthew Connolly, Joe Lewis, Jordon Mutch, Kim Bo-Kyung and Etien Velikonja this summer. Maynard started his career as a trainee at Crewe Alexandra, scoring 32 goals in 59 league appearances, before joining Bristol City in a £2.25m deal in July 2008. The striker was equally prolific during his time at Ashton Gate, hitting 45 goals from the 124 league games, but the Robins were forced to sell Maynard before his contract ran down. He scored in West Ham's 2-0 League Cup win over former club Crewe on Tuesday night, making his first appearance of the season, but now seems to be headed for Cardiff to help boost the Bluebirds' Championship campaign.

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Short and sweet
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 31st August 2012
By: Staff Writer

Nicky Maynard has completed a £2.5million move to Championship club Cardiff City. The former Bristol City striker spent just seven months as a Hammer having signed on transfer deadline day in January of this year when United paid £2million for his services. Speaking on cardiffcityfc.co.uk tonight, 25-year-old Maynard said: "I moved to West Ham with the hope of playing in the Premier League regularly, but that wasn't to be. "Knowing that my chances would be limited there at Upton Park, it was down to me to find a club where I knew I'd be happy to play. It's my aim to play week in week out, which I hope to achieve by playing well for Cardiff City. "The West Ham fans didn't see too much of me, which can happen in football," he added. "I didn't get my chance to play regularly, but whenever I did the West Ham fans were fantastic to me. "I'm sorry on one hand that things didn't work out for me there, but also really excited at the prospect of building a new relationship with the Cardiff City faithful who are always loud and passionate for their club." Maynard made just ten starts for West Ham during his time at the club, scoring four times.

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The turncoat returns
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 31st August 2012
By: Staff Writer

Yossi Benayoun has completed a return to West Ham United - five years after he walked out of the club having reneged on a contract agreement. The 32-year-old midfielder has joined the Irons on a season-long loan after parent club Chelsea agreed to finance part of his £92,000-a-week wages having reduced their wage bill by offloading Michael Essien to Real Madrid earlier in the day. However Benayoun's return will raise eyebrows amongst some of the Hammers faithful, who still haven't forgotten the way in which he left the club back in 2007. Having moved to West Ham from Racing Santander in 2005 Benayoun agreed to sign a new deal with West Ham two years later. "I'm very pleased to have agreed this new deal," he said at the time. "From the first moment I arrived at West Ham, the club felt like home to me."

Yet within the space of two weeks Benayoun - who has also played for Liverpool and Arsenal since leaving Upton Park - snubbed the Hammers by insisting that he wanted to move to Anfield instead. "It is an unpleasant situation after we agreed terms but we will fight it," said the player's agent Ronen Katzav in June 2007. A week later, the Hammers withdrew their offer of a four-year contract and Benayoun went on to complete a £5million move to Liverpool. His first appearance at the Boleyn Ground - in a 1-0 defeat for his new club in January 2008 - resulted in Benayoun receiving a chorus of boos every time he touched the ball. Yet despite that reception he insisted that the club would always stay close to his heart. "West Ham will always be a special place for me," he said. "Even if it my reception wasn't good it won't change the way I feel about the club."

During his previous spell at the club the Israeli, who once referred to his team mates as "drunks" following a defeat, was also accused of 'going missing' ahead of international fixtures - and staging miraculous recoveries from injury when important fixtures for his country loomed. Yet he was also considered to be one of the most creative players to play for the club since the turn of the century - something that Sam Allardyce - who was snubbed by Benayoun when manager of Bolton - will no doubt be hoping he can replicate this season. Benayoun becomes the eleventh and final summer signing for West Ham. His arrival is expected to be confirmed by the club shortly.

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Mensah next?
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 31st August 2012
By: Staff Writer

Unconfirmed reports suggest that West Ham could be set to sign Ghaniain international John Mensah, as the transfer deadline looms. Mensah, who has spent time at both Sunderland and Celtic in recent seasons was released from his contract by French side Lyon back in July four years into a five-year contract. And KUMB understands this afternoon that Sam Allardyce could make Mensah his 11th signing of the summer, ahead of tonight's 11pm UK transfer deadline. The 29-year-old central defender, who was rated as the top player in France back in 2006 moved to OL four years ago after completing a €8.4million move from fellow French club Rennes. However after just a year with Lyon he joined Premier League club Sunderland on loan, with whom he soon became a firm fan's favourite. He was to play for the north east club for the next two seasons but a succession of injuries led to then-manager Steve Bruce opting not to make the move permanent. Elsewhere this afternoon, Norwich City are understood to have made an enquiry into the availability of West Ham's Carlton Cole.

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Sam's the man
kUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 31st August 2012
By: Staff Writer

David Gold has praised Sam Allardyce for being the driving force behind West Ham signing Andy Carroll from Liverpool. The 23-year-old England international completed a season-long loan move to West Ham last night following weeks of speculation - and co-owner Gold was in no doubt who was ultimately to thank for bringing the deal to fruition. "It's Sam who convinced him," Gold told a TV sports network. "I think it's the fact that he's joining people that he knows; Kevin Nolan for example. They've been pals for a long time. "They worked together at Newcastle and Sam was also at Newcastle, of course. I think it's important that he feels he's not going to a club where he's a complete stranger. "That's a key issue. A player feels comfortable coming to a club where he has people that he's comfortable with."

Speaking earlier in the day, Allardyce was equally full of praise for Gold and his fellow co-owner David Sullivan for allowing him to make the deal happen. "It's a real coup for the club," he said. "The co-owners - particularly David Sullivan - worked particularly hard with me over a very short period of time to get this deal through so I'm really appreciative of that. "Hopefully Andy will pay everybody back for the faith we've shown in him."

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West Ham v Fulham preview
London derby starts the Premier League weekend action
Last Updated: August 31, 2012 12:00pm
SSN

Fulham will be hoping to make light of the loss of Moussa Dembele when they travel to Upton Park to face West Ham on Saturday. After a five-star display on the opening day before giving Manchester United a scare last week, the exit of their key midfielder to Tottenham has taken some of the gloss off Fulham's positive start.
The Cottagers were also eliminated from the Capital One Cup by Championship side Sheffield Wednesday in midweek and Martin Jol will be anxious to get his players focused for this one. Like their visitors for this lunch-time kick-off West Ham began their Premier League campaign with a home win before losing on their travels. But it was the manner of the Hammers' 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Swansea that will have worried Sam Allardyce last weekend. Poor errors from Jussi Jaaskelainen and James Collins added to their woes but his team looked disjointed throughout. Perhaps the West Ham boss took encouragement from Tuesday's 2-0 cup win over Crewe because those fringe players may well need to be called upon at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday.

West Ham
Last 6
2-0
3-0
1-0
1-1
3-1
2-2

England striker Andy Carroll is in line to make his West Ham debut against Fulham after completing a season-long loan switch from Liverpool. Left-back George McCartney (ankle) and centre-halves James Collins (calf) and Winston Reid (knee) face late fitness tests after picking up knocks against Swansea last weekend.
Midfielder Jack Collison remains sidelined with a knee problem but the likes of Jussi Jaaskelainen, Guy Demel, Mark Noble, Mohamed Diame and Matt Jarvis will return after they were rested for the midweek Capital One Cup win over Crewe.

Fulham
Last 6
1-0
3-2
5-0
1-2
0-1
0-4

Fulham boss Martin Jol will welcome back the majority of the players who missed the midweek Capital One Cup defeat at Sheffield Wednesday. Forward Mladen Petric did not feature in the 1-0 loss due to a slight knock, while midfielder Mahamadou Diarra was rested. Full-back John-Arne Riise returns following a muscular injury but Bryan Ruiz, who pulled up with a hamstring problem during the warm-up at Hillsborough, is a doubt with Kerim Frei (pelvis) and Philippe Senderos (foot) still ruled out. Kieran Richardson has joined for Sunderland and more arrivals are expected before the deadline.

Opta Facts

Carlton Cole has scored six goals in his last six Premier League appearances against Fulham.
Fulham have only won four of 49 Premier League London derbies away from home.
West Ham have conceded more fouls than any other Premier League team this season (36).

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Benayoun back with Hammers
Israeli claims he did not have any offers from Arsenal or Liverpool
Last Updated: September 1, 2012 12:01am
SSN

Chelsea midfielder Yossi Benayoun has announced his return to West Ham United on loan. The Israel international, who spent two years with the Hammers between 2005 and 2007, announced the move via his Twitter account. "After a long and busy day I can say I had 3 offers from PL clubs..but not from Liverpool or Arsenal like some reports," wrote the 32-year-old. "But I'm very happy to confirm that I will join on loan to West Ham! I can't wait to start..great club."

Benayoun originally joined West Ham from Racing Santander on a four-year contract and played for them in the 2006 FA Cup final. He caused some controversy, though, when he allegedly turned his back on an agreement to sign a new deal in order to move to Liverpool. He spent three years at Anfield before moving to Chelsea in 2010, with the London club then loaning him to Arsenal last summer. And, with opportunities limited at Stamford Bridge, the Blues have decided to release him again.

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Big Sam excited by Carroll
England international backed to repay the faith shown in him
By Soriebah Kajue. Last Updated: August 31, 2012 11:56am
SSN

Sam Allardyce refused to reveal if Andy Carroll would be in the West Ham team on Saturday but insists fans should be excited at his arrival. The 23-year-old has been the Hammers' top transfer target over the summer, following a pursuit that has lasted most of the window. Liverpool have finally agreed to a loan with a view to a £17million permanent deal for the England international after buying him from Newcastle for £35m in January 2011. Asked whether his new signing would start against Fulham on Saturday, Allardyce told Sky Sports News: "He will be in the squad."

Pushed on whether he was looking forward to seeing his new acquisition in action, he added: "Everyone should look forward to that. I think it's a real coup for the club. "The co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold, particularly David Sullivan has worked hard with me over a short period of time to get this deal through, so I'm really appreciative of that. "And hopefully Andy will pay everyone back for the faith that we have shown in him."

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Match Preview: West Ham v Fulham
By Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die

Andy Carroll's move to West Ham is without doubt one of the big stories of the transfer window. I'll talk more about this and the rest of our business in this window in a post tomorrow, but suffice to say, the one bit of player selection we're all waiting for is to see whether Andy Carroll is thrown directly into the side to face Fulham this lunchtime. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if he was on the bench and brought on in the second half. I wouldn't be surprised also if he played both Carroll and Cole in the starting lineup, although I accept that is less than likely in his preferred formation. Maiga might well also think he has done enough to warrant a start, but that would mean playing him on the right in place of Vaz Te. I wasn't there for the Crewe game, and apparently he was very impressive, but I suspect he will be the one who won't get a start, although I imagine he will come on at some point.

The midfield three more or less pick themselves. I can't see an argument for making any changes these, but in central defence I do think Tomkins deserves to start in defence. I hate it when Sam plays him in midfield. There's absolutely no need especially against a side like Fulham.

I'm gutted that I can't make it to the match and will have to watch it on TV. It's a match we really ought to win and win well. I don't mean that out of disrespect to Fulham, but we do need to win matches like this if we are to make ourselves safe as early as possible in the season.

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Yossi a loaner
Published: 4 hrs ago
The Sun

YOSSI BENAYOUN is going back to West Ham on loan from Chelsea. The season-long deal was completed after the Blues agreed to stump up a bigger share of the midfielder's £90,000-a-week wages.

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Karren Brady's football diary
By KARREN BRADY
Published: 4 hrs ago
The Sun

SATURDAY, AUGUST 25

YOU know the television advertisement in which Gio Compario is hit in the goolies by a Stuart Pearce shot. Well, I feel just like the twizzly-'tached tenor after West Ham's defeat at Swansea — except, of course, despite the rumours to the contrary, I do not possess goolies. After 20 years in the game, you accept that you do not win them all — even the ones you expect to. Later that evening, I get a post-match players injury report from my physio. Looking down it, the only thing they have actually damaged is their pride.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 26
BETS were off on the earliest manager sacking of the season when Blackburn announced they were watching Steve Kean's progress in the Championship with gun cocked. But, no, the first man to go is Coventry's Andy Thorn, who lasts just three drawn matches before being called in and invited to collect his P45. I have always had a soft spot for Coventry, who have always been a classy club. Yet once they started their move to the Ricoh Arena, serious problems developed. The current £1.2million annual rent is a huge burden, made greater by relegation to League One. I would be an idiot not to reflect on this warning, in light of a potential West Ham move to the Olympic Stadium.

MONDAY, AUGUST 27
CARLTON COLE is a good guy and likes to stay in touch with supporters through his Twitter site. It causes him no end of bother, though, with all-too-regular reminders that out there are people who can text a lot of damage in 140 characters. He has been hurt again by racial remarks that were sent to him following the Swansea match. A 22-year-old has been bailed today, having been charged with an offence against public order. Quite a few footballers have grown to think they were born with two good feet and a Twitter account. It should not be, I know, but it really is an open line to abuse from idiots both young and old.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28
THE special privilege of being a Manchester Utd player is emphasised by a new agreement that my mate at the club tells me about. All their players will be given a free car of their choice. Not Smart cars, either. No, the deal is with Chevrolet and, from 2014-15, free cars for all includes the famously speedy Corvette sports car.
But for obvious reasons of the survival of some the human race, Alex Ferguson appears to be barring them to Under-23 players. As my friend points out, it is no hardship as most are driving Maseratis anyway! The good news for us is we bounce back from Saturday with a win and are in the next round of the Capital One Cup.
It is great to see the younger players get a run out. I can see why we were awarded category one EPP status.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29
A Premier League chairman calls to say his manager wants one of our players. We agree a deal, on the understanding we can find a replacement. My next call is to a friend at another club and we set up a back-to-back replacement deal. Easy-peasy? Not on your life. The first chairman rings back and says his manager now wants to think about it. He is a manager who has done this kind of thing a dozen times before. I have to cancel the back-to-back deal and the whole thing folds. David Sullivan wishes he could spend these days lying alone in a darkened room. I agree. My manager has only one thing on his mind — Andy Carroll. I speak to Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre more often than my husband, so it is not for want of trying we have not yet done a deal.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30
ALL chief executives know that when your manager calls you before 8am it means something is up. And at 8am it can only ever be something really good or really bad. This time, thankfully, it is in the really good category. The door has been opened on Andy Carroll and it looks as though the persistence and perseverance of Sam Allardyce, coupled with the cheque-book of David Sullivan and David Gold, has paid off. In 15 minutes the deal is signed, sealed and the player is in a helicopter spinning his way to Essex for a medical. I get two texts when the news breaks. One from Everton's Bill Kenwright, my football pal, who is genuinely pleased for us. And one from Lord Sugar, congratulating me on winning the National Reality Television Award 2012 for best TV judge. I am not at the ceremony but doing something far more exciting — ensuring the player is registered so he is available for selection for Saturday. But I am told I beat Gary Barlow, Alesha Dixon, Will.i.am, David Walliams and a few others I have never heard of!

FRIDAY, AUGUST 31
THE papers are full of the news about Andy Carroll signing for West Ham. Sam Allardyce looks like the cat who got the cream. And there is something in the air at West Ham this morning, as the players turn up to train at the ground. I think it is called optimism and it really is something wonderful. Andy Carroll is a gentleman and a fascinating conversation reveals that he is desperate to stay in the England squad. It is a privilege that carries no appearance money with it, because Andy reveals the England players pool their fees and hand them to their charity, Club 66. Obviously, that is a reference to the World Cup triumph of 1966. I have never heard that before and I think it is a wonderful gesture, something the players should be applauded for at a time when their riches often earn them criticism.

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Sam: Andy to tuck in
Published: 5 hrs ago
The SUn

SAM ALLARDYCE tips West Ham new-boy Andy Carroll to gorge on Premier League defences — thanks to the club chef. Manager Allardyce named Tim De'Ath as the man who will help Carroll find his feet in East London. Carroll has struck up a close bond with De'Ath, England's man in the kitchen, who also doubles up as the Hammers player liaison officer. And Big Sam says his loan new signing is ready to serve up a treat against Fulham today. Allardyce said: "I think it is important he settles in and that he is going to see familiar faces. "He knows Kevin Nolan well from their time together at Newcastle. "But the other very familiar face is Tim. He is very close to Andy when he is on international duty." Allardyce reckons the Hammers have saved Liverpool outcast Carroll from losing his England place. He said: "If he wasn't going to get any games his England position would be in jeopardy."

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Big Andy: I'm in for starter
Published: 5 hrs ago
The Sun

ANDY CARROLL has been guaranteed a first-team place and £100,000 a week to become West Ham's main man. The Hammers clinched a deal for the powerhouse striker with a last-minute promise that he will play when available. Then they threw in another £10,000 a week as a sweetener. West Ham boss Sam Allardyce appealed to Carroll's burning international ambitions to tempt him from Liverpool. He joins on an initial loan which will become a £17million transfer if the Hammers stay up. Carroll starts against Fulham today before heading off next week for two World Cup qualifiers. Allardyce said: "Andy can keep his momentum going in terms of his career because he needs Premier League football. "We can give him that not just for his own sake but for the sake of his England position."

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Andy's Hammer time great for England
TERRY VENABLES
Published: 4 hrs ago
The Sun

WEST HAM have always claimed they won the World Cup for England in 1966. And now they may have improved our chances of reaching the 2014 finals as well.
The Hammers' signing of Andy Carroll on a season-long loan is not only a great transfer for them. It is also a great transfer for Liverpool and the striker himself. Even more importantly, though, it is a great transfer for Roy Hodgson and his bid to lead England to Brazil in two years' time. The Three Lions boss clearly sees Carroll as part of his future plans, even if the new Liverpool manager does not. I do not blame Brendan Rodgers for farming out the striker just weeks after arriving at Anfield and just 18 months after the Kop paid £35million to sign the frontman from Newcastle.

If only all managers were that brutally honest. The game is all about opinions and, if a manager does not fancy a player, however expensive, he has the right to say so. Yet at a time when there is not exactly a wealth of English strikers, the situation left Hodgson facing the dreaded prospect of one of his forwards being reduced to warming the Anfield bench and having only cameos in the Capital One Cup and Europa League to look forward to. Hodgson was willing to overlook Carroll's poor start to last season. He showed it by naming him in England's squad for this summer's European Championships — and playing him. He has also named the pony-tailed star in his 24-man squad for our opening two 2014 qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine this month, even though he has not started for Liverpool this season. But how long could Hodgson have continued to keep picking Carroll while the player was not getting game time?

Not very long is the answer. Thankfully, it is a dilemma both have been saved from thanks to West Ham's swoop for Carroll on Thursday. The move is just what Carroll, Hodgson and England need right now. Carroll knows Hammers boss Sam Allardyce and skipper Kevin Nolan well from his days at St James' Park. They will look after him. They will give him the encouragement he needs to rebuild his confidence, which was inevitably damaged at Liverpool. Rather than warming the bench for the Merseysiders, now Carroll will at last be playing every week. Not only that, he will be playing in a team whose style will probably be more suited to his than the Anfielders'.

If the goals come, Hodgson will continue to pick him for England — just as he has done for this month's double-header in Chisinau and at Wembley. Some have pointed out that in Carroll, Jermain Defoe, Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck, Hodgson has four strikers who are not first-choice at their clubs. That claim can no longer be aimed at Carroll, who will be assured of a starting berth at West Ham. Defoe has also started both of Tottenham's opening Premier League matches, while Welbeck at Manchester United and Chelsea's Sturridge are becoming seasoned top-flight stars. All eyes will be on manager Hodgson as The Three Lions start a new qualifying campaign under his reign. He has selected a good squad for the next two vital matches but England have always had quality players to call on. The challenge for the manager is to produce a winning team and formula that will get us to Brazil in a couple of years time. Hodgson went mainly 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 at the Euros, where we reached the quarter-finals and, arguably, exceeded expectations given the coach's late appointment to the job. It will be interesting to see whether he has had enough time to expand or experiment with the in-vogue 4-2-3-1 or other formations. One thing is for sure, though — Carroll playing every week at West Ham will help our cause.

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West Ham v Fulham: Hammers 'won't just hoof it up to Andy Carroll'
The Mirro

Andy Carroll was tempted to join West Ham by a recipe including Kevin Nolan, Sam Allardyce – and the chef to the England team. The West Ham boss predicted ­"excitement and euphoria" at Upton Park with the £35million striker set to start the first game of his loan deal against Fulham on Saturday. Allardyce worked with the forward at Newcastle where he struck up a close friendship with Hammers' skipper Nolan. But Carroll is also a pal of Tim De'Ath, the Hollywood chef who is also West Ham's player liaison manager – and part of the team ready to make the 23-year-old Geordie feel at home. "It is important because he is going to see familiar faces," said Allardyce. "Kevin, of course, is a good friend from his time in Newcastle. "The other very, very familiar face is Tim De'Ath, who is the England chef and very close to Andy when he is on international duty. "Tim is also our player liaison officer and he has got a great relationship with Andy through the England set-up. "I had a short period of time with him when he was really starting to blossom as a ­footballer and a few other lads here will also know him. "It is about him coming and saying to himself, 'I am going to go out and enjoy my football', and ­hopefully we can see him flourish further at West Ham United."

And Allardyce insisted Carroll would not just be the target of long balls. "His attributes are probably the opposite to what many people think," added the Hammers boss. "He is an all-round ­footballer. "Because he is 6ft 4in and because one of his strengths is his aerial domination power, everybody dismisses the ability Andy possesses on the floor. "His great ability has brought many goals – he has a thunderous left foot. "Another key signing is Matt Jarvis. They will suit each other and it is a very exciting partnership that will gel and provide a lot of opportunities for Andy."

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The Kenny Dalglish column: Why the Big 'Un will be a big hit with Big Sam
The Mirror

When a manager moves on, it often happens that some of his players follow him. Andy Carroll did a good job for me at Liverpool, he finished the season strongly and did well for England in the Euros. But Brendan Rodgers has his own philosophies and his own plans, and Andy obviously doesn't fit in with those. That's just the way football is. Before people start criticising Andy for his time at Liverpool, though, let's just remember a couple of things. There were only three domestic trophies up for grabs in England last season and Andy won one of them. He made a big contribution to Liverpool winning the Carling Cup, and scored the winner against Everton in the FA Cup semi-final. If I'd brought him on earlier in the final against Chelsea, he might have won that for us as well. As it was, he scored a goal and tormented their defence - and then destroyed John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic at Anfield in a league game against Chelsea a few days later. The longer Andy stayed at Liverpool, the greater the improvement there was in him.

And the reception he got when he went out to warm up during the game against Manchester City last weekend showed that not many fans felt he let them down.
I was pleased that he did well in the summer and that Roy Hodgson has picked him in England squad for next week's World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine. His loan move to West Ham gives him a better chance of keeping his place with England. Brendan was honest enough to say that Andy probably wouldn't get that many starts if he stayed at Liverpool. And now the Big 'Un has joined up with a manager, in Big Sam, who worked with him at Newcastle and has got a lot of belief in him.

Andy will play a lot of games at West Ham if he delivers, and I am sure that he will. I don't care how good a player you are, if you believe that the manager believes in you, it makes all the difference. Football is all about opinions and most of the time, people have different opinions. So just because Andy was not wanted at one club does not mean that applies elsewhere.

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West Ham v Fulham team news: Carroll poised for debut and Petric returns
The Mirror

England striker Andy Carroll is in line to make his West Ham debut in Saturday's lunchtime game against Fulham after completing a season-long loan switch from Liverpool. Left-back George McCartney (ankle) and centre-halves James Collins (calf) and Winston Reid (knee) face late fitness tests after picking up knocks against Swansea last weekend. Midfielder Jack Collison remains sidelined with a knee problem. The likes of Jussi Jaaskelainen, Guy Demel, Mark Noble, Mohamed Diame and Matt Jarvis will return after they were rested for the midweek Capital One Cup win over Crewe.

Provisional squad: Jaaskelainen, Henderson, Demel, Tomkins, Collins, Reid, McCartney, O'Brien, Potts, Spence, Diarra, Diame, Noble, Taylor, O'Neil, Nolan, Jarvis, Vaz Te, Maiga, Carroll, Cole.

***

Fulham boss Martin Jol will welcome back the majority of the players who missed the midweek Capital One Cup defeat at Sheffield Wednesday. Forward Mladen Petric did not feature in the 1-0 loss due to a slight knock, while midfielder Mahamadou Diarra was rested. Full-back John-Arne Riise returns following a muscular injury but Bryan Ruiz, who pulled up with a hamstring problem during the warm-up at Hillsborough, is a doubt with Kerim Frei (pelvis) and Philippe Senderos (foot) still ruled out.

Provisional squad: Schwarzer, Stockdale, Somogyi, Etheridge, Kelly, Riise, Hangeland, Baird, Briggs, Grygera, Hughes, Riether, Halliche, Diarra, Sidwell, Kasami, Duff, Ruiz, Kacaniklic, Petric, Rodallega, Trotta.

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Benayoun announces West Ham loan return
The 32-year-old confirmed via twitter that he is to re-join the Hammers on a season-long loan from London neighbours Chelsea
Goal.com
31 Aug 2012 23:22:00
By Nicholas McGee

The Israel international first joined the Hammers in 2005 from Spanish side Racing Santander, helping the club to an FA Cup final in his first season before moving on to Liverpool and then Chelsea. Earlier reports suggested that the two clubs had failed to agree a deal after the Blues had refused to cover part of the 32-year-old's wages, however, Benayoun took to his Twitter account to announce that an agreement had been reached, while also denying that there had been interest from both Arsenal and Liverpool. He tweeted: "After a long and busy day I can say I had 3 offers from PL clubs..but not from liverpool or arsenal like some reports.. "But I'm very happy to confirm that I will join on loan to West Ham! Can't wait to start..great club."

Benayoun's first spell at Upton Park was an extremely successful one, as the Hammers reached that infamous cup final, where they defeated in extra time by Liverpool, and also secured a top half finish under the stewardship of Alan Pardew. The midfielder went on to enjoy three years at Anfield with Liverpool, where he scored 18 goals in 92 appearances and became an integral part of the Reds' midfield. Injury hampered his time at Chelsea, but he has now been handed the opportunity to re-vitalise his career at the Boleyn Ground as Sam Allardyce's men look to ensure Premier League survival.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 31st August 2012

Hammers net Carroll
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have signed England international Andy Carroll on loan from
Liverpool
30.08.2012

West Ham United are delighted to announce the signing of England striker
Andy Carroll on a season-long loan deal. The 23-year-old has moved to the
Boleyn Ground from Liverpool for the remainder of the 2012/13 Barclays
Premier League campaign, with the Hammers having the option to complete a
permanent deal for an undisclosed fee next summer. Carroll, a powerful
forward who is an outstanding header of the ball and blessed with superb
technical ability, led the line for his country at EURO 2012 and has been
named in the England squad for the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
with Moldova and Ukraine. The signing of Carroll, who became the
most-expensive English footballer in history when he joined Liverpool from
Newcastle United for a reported fee of £35m in January 2011, represents a
huge statement of the Board's intentions to make West Ham a force to be
reckoned with in the Barclays Premier League. The Gateshead-born frontman,
who could make his Hammers debut in Saturday's home fixture with Fulham, has
expressed his happiness at completing a move that sees him reunited with his
former Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce and captain Kevin Nolan. "It's great
to be here at West Ham and all signed up - I just can't wait to get started
now," Carroll said. "I want to be playing games and obviously hoping to
score some goals. I know the manager well and some of the lads, so it is
nice for me to come to a place where I know people. "I'm hoping to add a lot
of goals and create a few chances. I know Sam from Newcastle and he was a
massive reason for me coming. When I worked with him at Newcastle it was
great so it was a no-brainer really."

His new manager was understandably pleased to welcome Carroll to east
London. He said: "I think for all parties this is a great signing. Andy is
an all-round footballer, but because he is 6'3" and one of his strengths is
his aerial power, everybody dismisses the ability he possesses on the floor.
"Hopefully he can score goals for us and we will be in a very good position
at the end of the year in the Barclays Premier League."

Carroll burst into the Newcastle first-team at the age of 17, making his
first-team debut as a replacement for future Hammer Nolberto Solano in a
UEFA Cup victory over Palermo on 2 November 2006 - an appearance that made
him the youngest-ever player to represent Newcastle in Europe. After scoring
his maiden first-team goal past FIFA World Cup winner Gianluigi Buffon in a
friendly win over Juventus in July 2007, Carroll embarked on a six-month
loan spell with Championship side Preston North End. On his return to St
James' Park, the centre forward forced his way into the Magpies starting XI,
scoring on his full home debut with a towering header against West Ham in a
2-2 Premier League draw on 10 January 2009. The 2009/10 season saw Carroll
come into his own as he combined with Nolan to shoot Newcastle to the
Championship title and promotion back to the Premier League at the first
attempt. The striker finished the campaign as the club's top scorer with 19
goals in all competitions and be voted into the Championship Team of the
Year. At the start of 2010/11, he then took the top-flight by storm, netting
a hat-trick in a 6-0 win over Aston Villa and eleven goals in just 19 league
appearances before completing his record-breaking move to Anfield. Last
season, Carroll collected a League Cup winner's medal as Liverpool beat
Cardiff City before returning to Wembley to score the winning goal against
Everton to take the Reds into the FA Cup final. Carroll's performances for
Newcastle earned him a senior England debut in a friendly international with
France on 17 November 2010. His first senior international goal arrived in a
friendly with Ghana at Wembley on 29 March 2011. The striker's all-round
ability saw him named in England's squad for the 2012 UEFA European
Championship finals, where he impressed by scoring a trademark header in a
group-stage victory over Sweden.

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Big Sam on Fulham
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce looks ahead to Saturday's Barclays Premier League encounter
with Fulham.
30.08.2012

Sam Allardyce was in a positive mood ahead of Saturday's lunch-time Barclays
Premier League clash with Fulham at the Boleyn Ground. After last weekend's
disappointing defeat at the Liberty Stadium, West Ham United are hoping to
bounce back against a team they have enjoyed playing against in recent
times. Big Sam talked all things football, discussing the threat posed by
Fulham, players vying for a starting berth and deadline day madness.

Sam what kind of threat do you think Fulham will pose?

SA - "I watched them last week and they recovered well after looking dead
and buried at Old Trafford. That is something we have to have in mind
because if they play the way they did last weekend from the start of the
game it is going to be very difficult. Every Premier League game is a
challenge and we need to make sure we are ready. We need to get in amongst
them and restrict them from having time on the ball. If we can impose our
home advantage and carry on from our opening-day win we can expose the
Fulham defence. Sheffield Wednesday did just that in the Capital One Cup and
Manchester United did last weekend. I believe there are a few weaknesses we
can take advantage of. However, Fulham have been an established Premier
League side for more than ten years now and they will be very difficult to
beat."

You made a lot of changes against Crewe Alexandra on Tuesday. Have any of
those squad players done enough to make their way into your plans to face
Fulham?

SA - "There will be some included in the team. We have had one or two
injuries from last week and I think we have to make sure that they are fully
recovered if we are going to select them. So yes, some of the players who
were involved on Tuesday may feature. We will see how well the players have
recovered on Friday and Saturday morning. There will be some changes, but
other than that we are looking forward to the game."

Have you got any news on the transfer front, or have you concluded your
business?

SA - "There will probably be another player brought in. A player we are
interested in has become available. Hopefully we can bring in that quality
player who will come in and make an immediate impact."

You mentioned last week that you would prefer to have the transfer window
end before the start of the season, so what is your take on deadline day?

SA - "I think an experiment for one season might be the answer. If we all
came together and said the window has to end before the start of the season
that could work. We shouldn't set it in stone, but experiment and see how it
goes. There has to be a better solution out there."

What do you do when you have concluded all your business?

SA - "I turn both of my phones off, I don't look at the TV and focus on the
game ahead. The one thing this window brings is far too many distractions
ahead of the games you play. If I have concluded all of my business by
Friday lunch-time, then hopefully I have no need to bother with what
everyone else is saying. So my phone and the TV will be turned off."

Last weekend at Swansea City was a blip after a terrific start in the
Barclays Premier League. What have you done during the week to ensure you do
not make any errors?

SA - "I think that the two lads responsible know that it was an unusual
situation for them to make those errors. They do not make them often and
they happen to everyone. If you look all over the Premier League last
weekend and before that, teams make mistakes. We did not want to be the team
that made them because they are very very costly and teams who make those
types of errors haven't won a game of football yet. You only have to look at
Liverpool who drew 2-2 with Manchester City. They made two very big errors
and if they hadn't made them they would have won. That is how much it costs
you in the Premier League. If you make mistakes teams will punish you."

Do you think you will be making any changes from last Saturday?

SA - "The only changes we will make will be forced through injury. Some
players may not have recovered from minor knocks in time. Some were rested
on Tuesday but most of them were injured. That game against Crewe has
encouraged me because, if we do need to make changes, we have players who
can come in and make an impact.

It looks like Fulham will be bringing in Dimitar Berbatov. They have lost
Moussa Dembele, but what sort of challenge will they bring?

SA - "I hope he doesn't play. He is a terrific player and I hope he isn't
fit enough to feature. I think the loss of Dembele to Fulham is a big one.
But the size of the replacement and the quality of the player is an
exceptional piece of business by Fulham. This is one of the best Premier
League goalscorers in recent years and even though he hasn't had the best of
times recently he will be a massive threat if he plays a part in the game on
Saturday. It will be a terrific signing by Fulham if they clinch it."

You got off to a winning start against Aston Villa, how important is it that
you make Upton Park a fortress?

SA - "I think that home form is critical to us all at any football club,
whatever the level. The whole week is based on making sure your fans go home
from the game happy. There will be 30,000 fans here and they pay their money
for us to excite them and win the game. They want to be entertained. That is
what we try to do, but the only way of making sure of that is by winning. If
you can win by a handsome margin then that is great, but our main aim is to
make sure we win the game and send the fans home happy."

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Latics next up for Hammers
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will host Wigan Athletic in the Capital One Cup third round
next month
30.08.2012

West Ham United will host Wigan Athletic in the Capital One Cup third round.
The Hammers were drawn at home to the Latics when the draw was held on
Thursday evening, with the tie set to be staged at the Boleyn Ground in the
week commencing Monday 24 September. The two sides have never met before in
the League Cup competition.

Sam Allardyce's side won through to the last-32 courtesy of a 2-0 home win
over Crewe Alexandra in the secound round, with Nicky Maynard and Modibo
Maiga getting the goals. The Hammers reached the final of the competition in
both 1966 and 1981, when they finished as runners-up. Managed by Roberto
Martinez, the Latics got through to the second round this term courtesy of a
fine 4-1 second-round win at Nottingham Forest.

Barclays Premier League side Wigan reached the League Cup final in 2006 -
the same year the Hammers reached the FA Cup final - before losing to
Manchester United in the final. West Ham have added incentive to win through
to the fourth round as it was Wigan whose 3-2 victory at the JJB Stadium
condemned the Hammers to relegation from the Barclays Premier League in
2011.

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Andy Carroll: Liverpool striker joins West Ham on loan
By Ben Smith
BBC Sport

Liverpool striker Andy Carroll has joined West Ham on a season-long loan.
The 23-year-old England international had wanted to stay at Anfield but the
realisation that he was out of manager Brendan Rodgers's plans persuaded him
to take a move. The move reunites Carroll with his former Newcastle United
manager Sam Allardyce and captain Kevin Nolan. "It's great to be here at
West Ham and all signed up - I just can't wait to get started now," Carroll
said. "I want to be playing games and obviously hoping to score some goals.
I know the manager well and some of the lads, so it is nice for me to come
to a place where I know people. "I'm hoping to add a lot of goals and create
a few chances. I know Sam from Newcastle and he was a massive reason for me
coming. When I worked with him at Newcastle it was great so it was a
no-brainer really."

Allardyce said: "I think for all parties this is a great signing. Andy is an
all-round footballer, but because he is 6ft 3in and one of his strengths is
his aerial power, everybody dismisses the ability he possesses on the floor.
"Hopefully he can score goals for us and we will be in a very good position
at the end of the year in the Premier League."

It is understood there is no commitment to buy the player, although the
Hammers do have the option to complete a permanent deal for an undisclosed
fee next summer. However the deal could allow Liverpool to free up funds to
move for Fulham striker Clint Dempsey.

Andy Carroll career stats
Newcastle (2006-11): 91 games, 33 goals
Preston (loan Aug 2007-08): 12 games, 1 goal
Liverpool (2011-present): 57 games, 11 goals
England (2010-present): 7 games, 2 goals

Liverpool manager Rodgers said: "It is very simple - the club have made a
monumental investment in big Andy. At the moment he is not playing. He made
it very clear he wanted to play games and this is his last chance to do
that." Having conceded defeat in their chase for Carroll earlier this month,
West Ham were given signs of encouragement on Thursday. Liverpool manager
Rodgers is desperate to raise funds for new signings and made it clear
Carroll was a "third choice" striker at Anfield. He said: "You don't need to
be a rocket scientist to see Andy has been a cover player for us and has
been excellent in terms of his attitude and acceptance of where he is at.
"But I don't think we are in a position to have £35m players as third-choice
strikers, or wingers who are on £5m-£6m a year." Liverpool must raise funds
to step up their interest in Dempsey, while Arsenal's Theo Walcott also
remains a target.

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West Ham v Fulham
KO 12:45
30 August 2012
Last updated at 18:18
By Jonathan Pearce
BBC Match of the Day commentator
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Upton Park Date: Saturday, 1 September

West Ham midfielder Mark Noble and striker Carlton Cole should play, despite
having been linked with moves. But the Hammers will still be without injured
Wales midfielder Jack Collison.

Fulham could have Kieron Richardson and Dimitar Berbatov if they complete
their respective signings from Sunderland and Manchester United. Wantaway
forward Clint Dempsey could again be left out, while Kerim Frei (pelvis) and
Philippe Senderos (foot) are still unavailable.

MATCH PREVIEW

Fulham's unsettling week could take a turn for the worse at Upton Park,
where the Cottagers haven't won since their first Premier League meeting
there 11 years ago. A shadow has been cast over their early optimism by the
Clint Dempsey Liverpool transfer saga, the loss of Mousa Dembele, and the
Capital One Cup defeat at Sheffield Wednesday.

This comes on top of the loss of Andrew Johnson, Danny Murphy, Pavel
Pogrebnyak and Bobby Zamora. Martin Jol has worked hard to bring in
replacements, but his squad now looks unbalanced. West Ham can take
advantage of their upheaval, and must do so.

If the Hammers are to stay up, they have to win home matches like this.
They've won five in a row at Upton Park and lost just two of their last 23
games in all competitions. New boys Mohamed Diame and Alou Diarra give them
a solid if rather functional look at the heart of midfield. The return of
James Collins was an inspired signing. Kevin Nolan will always get goals at
any level and Carlton Cole has a good record in this fixture, scoring six
times against Fulham. The visitors will know, though, that the longer they
can hold the Hammers, the more frustrated the home fans will become. Sam
Allardyce has done all that was asked of him by getting the club back into
the Premier League, but he still doesn't seem to have been taken to heart
fully by the Boleyn bubble-blowers. The spectre of Harry Redknapp, now back
in the job market, will be on his shoulder and on the lips of West Ham fans
who yearn for his return. That is so unfair on 'Big Sam'. He's done a great
job and can lead West Ham to a top-half finish if their home form holds up.
For Fulham, it'll be a while before Martin Jol's new team gels. Home win for
me.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

Fulham have only won one of their eight Premier League visits to Upton Park.
That came in the first-ever Premier League meeting between the two clubs on
3 November 2001 (a 2-0 win, with Sylvain Legwinski and Steed Malbranque the
goal-scorers).
The highest-scoring match between the two clubs was at Upton Park in 1968,
when West Ham won 7-2 on 3 February.
West Ham took four points off Fulham when they were last in the Premier
League (in the 2010/11 season).

West Ham
They have only lost two of their past 23 competitive fixtures in all
competitions.
The Hammers won just five of their 19 home matches the last time they were
in the Premier League (2010/11).
Since the start of last season, Hammers captain Kevin Nolan has never gone
more than four games without scoring.

Fulham
Fulham have only won 30 of their 210 Premier League away matches (the fewest
wins of any club to have played at least 150 away matches in the division).
The Cottagers have drawn just one of their past 17 Premier League matches.
With two goals from two games, Irish winger Damien Duff has already matched
his Premier League goals total for last season (when he made 23 starts).

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Cardiff City set to capture West Ham's Nicky Maynard
BBC.co.uk

Cardiff City are poised to sign Nicky Maynard from West Ham United for a fee
understood to be close to £2.5m. If the 25-year-old striker can agree
personal terms with Cardiff, the deal should be concluded before the
transfer window shuts on Friday. Maynard joined the Hammers for £2m from
Bristol City in January 2012 but his first-team chances have been limited.
The Crewe product would be Cardiff's 10th summer signing after Brighton wing
Craig Noone joined on Thursday. Cardiff boss Malky Mackay has already signed
Craig Bellamy, Tommy Smith, Heidar Helguson, Matthew Connolly, Joe Lewis,
Jordon Mutch, Kim Bo-Kyung and Etien Velikonja this summer.

Maynard started his career as a trainee at Crewe Alexandra, scoring 32 goals
in 59 league appearances, before joining Bristol City in a £2.25m deal in
July 2008.
The striker was equally prolific during his time at Ashton Gate, hitting 45
goals from the 124 league games, but the Robins were forced to sell Maynard
before his contract ran down. He scored in West Ham's 2-0 League Cup win
over former club Crewe on Tuesday night, making his first appearance of the
season, but now seems to be headed for Cardiff to help boost the Bluebirds'
Championship campaign.

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Wigan await
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 30th August 2012
By: Staff Writer

West Ham will face Wigan Athletic in the third round of the Capital One Cup.
The Hammers - who beat Crewe Alexandra 2-0 last week in the second round -
will host the Latics at the Boleyn Ground in what will be only the third
ever meeting between the two sides in a Cup competition and the first in the
League Cup in all its various guises. The two sides met for the first time
ever in an FA Cup tie back in January 1984 which West Ham won 1-0 courtesy
of a Ray Stewart penalty; a game which also saw Alan Devonshire tear ankle
ligaments which left him sidelined for the rest of the season. The most
recent meeting came in May 2011 when the Hammers, under Avram Grant, threw
away a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 at the DW Stadium - a defeat that condemned
United to relegation.

All third round ties will be played in the week commencing 24th September.
Full draw as follows:

Manchester United v Newcastle
Manchester City v Aston Villa
MK Dons v Sunderland
West Brom v Liverpool
Crawley v Swansea
QPR v Reading
Norwich v Doncaster
Bradford v Burton
Preston v Middlesbrough
Arsenal v Coventry
Southampton v Sheffield Wednesday
Chelsea v Wolves
Carlisle v Tottenham
Swindon v Burnley
West Ham Utd v Wigan
Leeds v Everton

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Maynard may go
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 30th August 2012
By: Staff Writer

Nicky Maynard is set to hold talks with Cardiff City after the Welsh club
agreed a fee with West Ham. The former Bristol City striker - who netted the
first goal in West Ham's 2-0 Capital One Cup win against Crewe Alexandra
earlier in the week - is set to joing the Championship club on a permanent
basis after United accepted the Bluebirds' £2.5million offer. Speaking after
the Crewe game, Maynard expressed his disappointment at not featuring in the
starting XI for either of West Ham's two Premier League fixtures thus far
this season. "I've not had my chance in the Premier League which has been a
bit frustrating," he said. "But it is a team game and I have to keep working
and waiting for a chance."

However it would appear that that chance has now disappeared with the news
that he is set to make a return to the Championship just seven months after
moving to West Ham on the final day of the previous transfer window. Should
Maynard complete a move to Cardiff he will face stiff competition from the
likes of ex-Hammer Craig Bellamy, Kim Bo-Kyung, Heidar Helguson, Etien
Velikonja and former Brighton striker Craig Noone, who joined City
yesterday.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll signs
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 30th August 2012
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United have completed the signing of Liverpool striker Andy Carroll
on loan. The 23-year-old England international has joined West Ham on loan
for the season with view to a permanent transfer next summer. Carroll - who
joined Liverpool just 18 months ago for a British record fee of £35million -
put pen to paper on a season-long loan deal this evening after he flew into
Stapleford Abbotts airfield earlier in the day, as exclusively revealed on
the KUMB.com forum. Speaking to whufc.com tonight, Carroll said: "It's great
to be here at West Ham and all signed up - I just can't wait to get started
now. "I want to be playing games and obviously hoping to score some goals.
I know the manager well and some of the lads, so it is nice for me to come
to a place where I know people. "I'm hoping to add a lot of goals and create
a few chances. I know Sam from Newcastle and he was a massive reason for me
coming. When I worked with him at Newcastle it was great, so it was a
no-brainer really."

KUMB.com revealed this morning how Sam Allardyce remained keen on tieing up
a deal for the former Newcastle forward despite several other sources
claiming that the move was dead in the water. Earlier this evening news
broke that the two parties were close to agreeing a deal - and shortly
before 8pm tonight the club confirmed that Carroll had indeed completed a
move to West Ham. United boss Sam Allardyce was clearly delighted to have
landed a player he had long sought. "I think for all parties this is a great
signing," he told whufc.com. "Andy is an all-round footballer, but because
he is 6'3" and one of his strengths is his aerial power, everybody dismisses
the ability he possesses on the floor. "Hopefully he can score goals for us
and we will be in a very good position at the end of the year in the
Barclays Premier League."

The centre forward, who is Allardyce's tenth signing of the summer is
represented by agent Mark Curtis, who now exerts a major influence on the
dressing room at West Ham. Curtis also boasts Kevin Nolan, Matt Jarvis,
James Tomkins and Jack Collison amongst his clientele - plus manager Sam
Allardyce.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The same old mistakes
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 30th August 2012
By: Dan Ordidge

After the Swansea game I was left feeling confused, as I had previously
written in my last article I genuinely thought we had a chance to at least
come back through the border with a point.

We started brightly, and for the first 20 or so minutes we controlled
Swansea, we pressed them, not letting them have time on the ball and when we
gained possession we managed to work the ball well. But alas, our old ways
came back to haunt us in the form of defensive mistakes!

I will never forget the mistakes that we made in that fateful season with
Avram when we were relegated into the abyss of the Championship. At times in
the Swansea game I felt like it was that season all over again. Don't get me
wrong, I do not blame individual players for mistakes that lead to goals, I
believe it's the team that makes mistakes.

During the Swansea game it looked like the back line weren't switched on,
the communication between the players was poor and once Jussi Jaaskelainen
spilled the ball into the net (even though it was not technically classed as
an own goal) the team tactics seemed to go out the window, and pardon the
phrase, it all went a bit Pete Tong.

Then Collins popped up, who had a fantastic debut and mis-guided a horrible
ball towards the keeper only to be latched onto by Michu. I talked about
Michu in my last article, a fantastic bit of talent and is a brilliant
signing for Swansea, when that goal went in I felt like I had just eaten my
own words, and it tasted bitter!

These were the types of mistakes that were made in seasons gone by, along
with giving away goals in the final few minutes and it needs addressing. In
the top flight clubs can make you pay dear for silly little mistakes, and
they will not go easy on us. Every point matters and it is going to be a
tough season, without those mistakes we could have come out with something.

The performance against Crewe was to be expected playing a League One team,
they were never going to test the defence's weaknesses, and a lot of the
regular players were rested. So in my opinion we can't take that result as a
confidence booster for the team. The real test will of course be Fulham on
Saturday.

A lot of fans have also commented on the lack of danger that we possessed
going forward against Swansea, it was a hard game for Cole, who received a
poor service throughout the game and was left an uphill task to form the
simplest of attacks. Furthermore Jarvis was phased out of the game
completely, and that was good tactics on Swansea's part, they knew his pace
and skill along with his lethal crosses would be our main goal threat along
with set pieces.

The reaction by a fan on that 'Twitter' thing to Cole was repulsive I must
say, to treat a player who has been loyal to us in such a racist way really
annoyed me. For those readers who use it, be supportive to the players,
because at the end of the day they play to get us the points, if they don't
play they still get paid so let's give them that reason to play for the
points, for us the fans!

So now is the time to look toward the Boleyn on Saturday and the appearance
of Fulham on our holy turf. Fulham started the season well with a 5-0
thrashing of Norwich; the absence of Dembele could make a big impact on the
team, but with players like Sidwell and the old favourite Duff who has
started the season well it will be a hard game.

Fulham look good going forward, especially when they played Manchester
United despite losing. This a game when we will have to put the mistakes me
made against Swansea behind us and move on, the quicker we can achieve this
harmony at the back the better we will do. If we play defensively like
Hurricane Isaac is approaching the ground like we did in Swansea we will be
in big trouble.

I believe we could achieve three points; we play better at home, the roar of
the terraces pumping adrenaline through the player's bodies. But this
achievement will not come easy, things need to be corrected but if we get
behind the squad, like any match of our beloved beautiful game, anything can
happen.

If you are attending the match, have your voice in good pitch and your heart
on your sleeve! The transfer window nears its end and this is our squad and
our chance for the three points.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The midfield dilemma
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 30th August 2012
By: Callum Hurley

Admittedly, I'm not sure this is a problem that has plagued philosophers for
centuries, nor will the answer win the next Nobel prize, but it's certainly
an issue that needs addressing. In our current formation, we allow for three
central midfielders, two wide men, and a target man as striker. So how do
you pick three from a central midfield roster that is oozing with quality?

With last season's departure of the talismanic Scott Parker, it seemed this
area could prove a problem in the rebuilding work of Sam Allardyce. However,
the co-chairmen, David Gold and David Sullivan, saw fit to reinvest the
transfer fee, and sizeable wage (especially for a Championship club) in the
industrious Kevin Nolan, who was promptly made captain.

This was a clear statement from the owners that we had no intention of
staying in the division for more than a year and this faith was repaid,
thanks in no small part to Nolan's goals. As captain, and with the
experience and goalscoring threat that Nolan provides, he seems to be the
stalwart of Big Sam's first eleven.

However, whilst Nolan brings a vast skill set to the team, he, like any
other player, has his limitations. His preference is to advance into the
final third as often as possible is the reason he scores such important
goals, however this can at times leave his tracking back to be a little
suspect. Of course, playing as the head of a central midfield triangle means
that Nolan will have at least one more defensive minded player behind him.
Although therein, it seems, lies the problem: there are more candidates than
there are positions.

Nolan's principal partner last year, whether the centre midfield was a two
or a three, was the ever-present Mark Noble. Noble's combination of ability,
work-rate and 'local boy' status have made him probably the most popular
player amongst the fans, and his improvement last year was staggering. In a
season that saw him named in the Championship team of the year, he
deservedly won the coveted 'Hammer of the Year' award for what was
undoubtedly his finest season at the club, which proved very fitting for the
club's longest serving player.

Besides settling into a more defensive role by making great strides in his
tackling, Noble's ever-improving abilities from set-pieces, including a
fantastic penalty record, have made him an invaluable asset to the team.
Recent rumours of a move to Fulham are sure to be greeted with trepidation
from the fans, who will not want to see a fantastic player, and fan
favourite, leave the club.

As impressive as this duo was last season, a promotion to the Premier League
will invariably bring quality signings that create a high standard of
competition for many positions, and in our case it seems the midfield has
been strengthened the most. Whilst the exciting signing of Matt Jarvis
proved costly for the club, Sam Allardyce's legendary transfer acumen has
been lauded again with the acquisitions of Mohammed Diame and Alou Diarra.

Diame, signed on a free transfer from Wigan, is a hugely underrated player
and is the epitome of what Big Sam likes in his team. He is strong,
confident and enjoys having the ball at his feet, as well as having
incredible stamina, and an engine that allows him to seemingly run all day.
This was demonstrated fantastically on his debut against Aston Villa, in
which Diame looked a constant threat with the ball, as well as pressing so
quickly that it placed a perpetual pressure on the Villa midfield to
distribute the ball quicker than they would like.

This element of Diame's play is complimented perfectly by Noble and Nolan,
the former's style allowing him to get forward if the opportunity presents
itself, and the latter meaning that he doesn't have to force himself forward
if he doesn't perceive there to be an opportunity. In theory, this trio
could be perfect for the stability the club is trying to achieve at the
moment, as they could be instrumental in grinding out victories in tough
games, as well as protecting slender leads. However, in reality, one injury
or poor form could disrupt this, which is why Big Sam brought in another
option.

The other option is indeed a star in his own right; Alou Diarra is not only
a player with 41 international caps, but was also Laurent Blanc's preferred
choice as captain, and featured in all of France's Euro 2012 fixtures. At
31, Diarra may be around his peak for a midfielder who plays in his more
defensive role, and has the experience and ability to cover for centre-back
in a crisis.

A tremendous player signed for a bargain £2 million from cash-strapped
Marseille, Diarra's international and Champion's League experience could
prove pivotal when it comes to fixtures against bigger teams, and could
prove vital in aiding some of the younger players. But the question remains,
if Diarra is to play, which of the aforementioned trio is out? Does Diame
suffer as the new arrival? Noble, who occupies Diarra's preferred position?
Or would Big Sam push Diame further forward, for his increased work-rate
compared to Nolan? Many questions with no straightforward answer, especially
when you add a fifth variable.

The fifth piece of the three-pieced jigsaw is the seemingly forgotten man,
Jack Collison. After barely featuring in pre-season, mostly due to injury,
the Welsh international may be set for a year with limited opportunities
unless he can prove his fitness in training. Collison has had an unfortunate
career with injuries, which has hampered the progression that his enormous
potential promised (so much potential that he and other academy product Mark
Noble were, at one time, drawing comparisons to a young Joe Cole and Michael
Carrick). Despite this, he was truly instrumental in last year's playoff
charge, particularly in both legs of the semi-final against Cardiff.

After spending much of the season unable to really cement a position, and
being tried in many, his performances alongside Nolan and Noble at the back
end of the season is a large factor in why we continue to play with a
three-pronged central midfield. Certainly, everyone at West Ham would like
to see Collison succeed, after a career that has seen constant injury and
personal tragedy, as his ability and work-rate, like Noble, have seen him
become a fan-favourite. If he can rediscover his form then maybe he can turn
Big Sam's selection headache into a selection migraine.

I can imagine that Sam Allardyce is delighted with this particular dilemma,
as he has five top quality midfielders, each of whom could comfortably
cement a place in a similar Premier League team. Undoubtedly, all five
possess the quality and varied abilities to play together, so it seems Sam
can afford to base his selection purely on form and performance. So, it
seems we can afford to have a very optimistic outlook, at least in one area
of the pitch.

Plus, I can think of worse dilemmas to be in, like choosing between Andy
Melville and Darren Powell at centre back...

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham confirm Carroll loan
I want to be playing games, says England striker after Anfield exit
Last Updated: August 30, 2012 11:01pm
SSN

West Ham have confirmed the signing of Andy Carroll on loan from Liverpool
with a view to a permanent deal. The Hammers have worked hard to do a deal
for the England forward with Liverpool initially reluctant to do a loan deal
for the man they paid £35million for last year. But the newly-promoted side
have persuaded the 23-year-old to move to London and confirmed they have an
option to make the signing a permanent one for an undisclosed fee next
summer. The player himself insists he is just looking forward to playing
games - and scoring goals for Sam Allardyce's side. "It's great to be here
at West Ham and all signed up - I just can't wait to get started now,"
Carroll told the club's official website. "I want to be playing games and
obviously hoping to score some goals. I know the manager well and some of
the lads, so it is nice for me to come to a place where I know people. "I'm
hoping to add a lot of goals and create a few chances. I know Sam from
Newcastle and he was a massive reason for me coming. When I worked with him
at Newcastle it was great so it was a no-brainer really."

Great signing

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is delighted to have got his man and believes he
has acquired the services of an all-round talent. He said: "I think for all
parties this is a great signing. Andy is an all-round footballer, but
because he is 6'3" and one of his strengths is his aerial power, everybody
dismisses the ability he possesses on the floor. "Hopefully he can score
goals for us and we will be in a very good position at the end of the year
in the Barclays Premier League."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Are Chris Solly and Miralem Sulejmani the Next to Sign?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

Well, it has actually happened! Much as Sam Allardyce recently hinted, West
Ham have sealed a loan deal at the 11th hour of the transfer window. And our
Manager must be absolutely delighted to now have Andy Carroll on board.
Carroll is an aggressive, hard running centre forward, with the ability to
both disrupt opposition defences and score goals. As Allardyce has stated,
Carroll is very strong in the air, but is also useful on the ground. Talking
to a older Hammers supporter, earlier today, he argued that Carroll was like
the legendary Vic Keeble (another former Newcastle Utd N. 9!) in his playing
style and I know why he made that connection. Carroll's physicality, ability
to link up the play and score goal is very much like Keeble in his 'hay day'
and lets hope that his arrival has the same positive impact! Another famous
West Ham centre forward in this category is David Cross, a hard running,
unselfish front man, who also used to terrorise defenders with his awkward
physicality and was equally proficient in converting his chances.

So, the board have secured another vital peice in Allardyce's jigsaw. It is
a move that will surprise many supporters, particularly after the recent
public admisson that the club's summer transfer business was completed with
the signing of Matt Jarvis. The same applies to Nicky Maynard's move to
Cardiff City, only on Tuesday evening the management were asserting that he
had an important role to play in the squad this season. Yet 48 hours later,
Maynard is out of the door, presumably to help fund Carroll's loan deal! I
have some mixed feelings about the deal, because we really do not know just
how good a striker Maynard is? He certainly has a lot of potential, but at
least we can comfort ourselves with the probability that we are effectively
trading up to a better class of striker. Maynard's departure could also be
good news for Robert Hall and Elliott Lee and a recognition of their ability
to impact at first team level this season. The Carroll and Maynard deals
might also indicate that the club have been unusually 'canny' in publicly
down playing transfer movement, whilst simultaneously working frantically in
the background to make it happen. It is far more preferable to do transfer
business that way, than publicly trumpeting potential deals and then failing
to follow through.

The question now is whether the Carroll deal really is the end of West Ham's
summer transfer actvity? There is persisent speculation that we also have
deals lined up for Charlton's Chris Solly and Ajax's Miralem Sulejmani.
Chris Solly is a highly rated young right-back and would be a good addition,
especially if we could secure his signature for a mooted £2m fee. I would
like to see the deal go through, but we shall just have wait and see? While
a deal for Sulejmani makes perfect sense. He is a fast, skillful forward,
who scores goals. He can play on either flank or through the middle, but
generally tends to prefer the right wing. His signing would perferctly
complement Matt Jarvis on the left flank and would give us so many more
options up front, whether in a 4-5-1, 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 formation. As such, it
adds both balance and variety to our forward line and would be a positive
move, as long as Sulejmani is over the various injury niggles that he has
suffered in recent seasons.

And what about the additional centre-back that we are supposed to be looking
to land? It seems that the club's priority is the forward positions and if a
deal for a centre-back is completed, then it is more likely to be a Boseman
type deal. Unless of course, the club have been even more 'canny' than we
thought, having spun a yarn about us reaching the limits of summer our
transfer budget, while there is actually more money available than we were
led to believe? Or would further deals need to be funded through departures?
Will anything come of the mooted outward deals for Mark Noble to Fulham
and/or Carlton Cole to Reading or the Turkish league? I certainly hope not
because I believe that we need both Noble and Cole in the squad. After all,
what is the point of improving the essential quality of the squad only to
undermine competition for places and its improved strength in-depth?

It could very well be an interesting final 24 hours of the transfer window.
Lets see what transpires?

SJ. Chandos.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll Joins the Happy Hammers - Officially Confirmed
West Ham Till I Die

Well, it seems to be true. Andy Carroll is in London having a medical and
will sign on a season long loan deal. Reports suggest we will be meeting his
wage bill in full.
More as I get it.

UPDATE 20:38: Signing is confirmed on the club's official website.

West Ham United are delighted to announce the signing of England striker
Andy Carroll on a season-long loan deal. The 23-year-old has moved to the
Boleyn Ground from Liverpool for the remainder of the 2012/13 Barclays
Premier League campaign, with the Hammers having the option to complete a
permanent deal for an undisclosed fee next summer.

Carroll, a powerful forward who is an outstanding header of the ball and
blessed with superb technical ability, led the line for his country at EURO
2012 and has been named in the England squad for the upcoming 2014 FIFA
World Cup qualifiers with Moldova and Ukraine.

The signing of Carroll, who became the most-expensive English footballer in
history when he joined Liverpool from Newcastle United for a reported fee of
£35m in January 2011, represents a huge statement of the Board's intentions
to make West Ham a force to be reckoned with in the Barclays Premier League.

The Gateshead-born frontman, who could make his Hammers debut in Saturday's
home fixture with Fulham, has expressed his happiness at completing a move
that sees him reunited with his former Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce and
captain Kevin Nolan.

"It's great to be here at West Ham and all signed up - I just can't wait to
get started now," Carroll said. "I want to be playing games and obviously
hoping to score some goals. I know the manager well and some of the lads, so
it is nice for me to come to a place where I know people.

"I'm hoping to add a lot of goals and create a few chances. I know Sam from
Newcastle and he was a massive reason for me coming. When I worked with him
at Newcastle it was great so it was a no-brainer really."

His new manager was understandably pleased to welcome Carroll to east
London. He said: "I think for all parties this is a great signing. Andy is
an all-round footballer, but because he is 6'3" and one of his strengths is
his aerial power, everybody dismisses the ability he possesses on the floor.

"Hopefully he can score goals for us and we will be in a very good position
at the end of the year in the Barclays Premier League."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Maynard Exits to Cardiff
West Ham Till I Die

So farewell, Nicky Maynard, we never really saw you at your best. A bit like
Sam Baldock, Maynard wasn't really ever given enough of a chance to shine at
Upton Park, and I think it's a real shame that he's apparently gone to
Cardiff for £3 million. I don't blame Sam Allardyce here at all. He must do
what he thinks is best, and if he can bring in strikers who he thinks are
superior to what we have got, then that will necessarily involve some
departures. But with Baldock and Maynard both gone, it's clear that he
expects to bring in at least one further striker before 11pm tomorrow.
Presumably it is Sulejmani, or possibly Berbatov.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers roll out the Carroll
The Sun
By PHIL THOMAS
Last Updated: 31st August 2012

ANDY CARROLL'S Anfield agony came to an end last night. And Liverpool boss
Brendan Rodgers will try to fill the gap with a deadline-day swoop for
Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge. Carroll, 23, has joined West Ham on a
season-long loan with the option of a £17million transfer next summer. The
Hammers will pay a £1m fee, plus another £5m in wages — but Rodgers still
does not have the funds to bring in a permanent replacement. And that has
seen him switch his sights to Sturridge, who could now move to Merseyside
for the rest of the campaign. Rodgers had hoped to bring in Clint Dempsey
yet is still unable to pay the fee Fulham are demanding, with Sunderland his
likeliest destination. And although Liverpool still retain a faint hope of
landing the American before tonight's deadline, Jordan Henderson's refusal
to move the other way as part of the deal proved another obstacle. Despite
ending the Carroll saga, the struggle to bring in a top-line replacement
before the transfer window closes took the gloss off Liverpool reaching the
Europa League group stages last night. Now Rodgers will switch his focus to
today's deadline, with midfielder Charlie Adam set to pack his bags for
Stoke although Everton are lurking in the wings. If Rodgers fails to bring
in a striker, he will have just Luis Suarez, Fabio Borini and rookie Adam
Morgan as out-and-out attackers. Rodgers admitted: "I've been given as much
confidence as I can possibly get that we will have someone to come in.
"Hopefully tomorrow we can get something complete. I am hoping for one or
two." Carroll, meanwhile, said: "It's great to be at West Ham — I just can't
wait to get started now. "I want to be playing games and hopefully scoring
goals."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
YOSSI BENAYOUN SET FOR POSSIBLE WEST HAM LOAN MOVE
Friday August 31,2012
By Daily Express reporter

YOSSI Benayoun could be set for a deadline-day return to former club West
Ham, who are understood to be one of two clubs chasing his loan signing from
Chelsea.
The Israeli tweeted yesterday: "I can confirm that I'm in talks with two
Premier League clubs about a loan move." Aston Villa are believed to be the
other club interested in the 32-year-old.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bluebirds in talks with Hammers' Nicky Maynard
by Terry Phillips, Western Mail
Aug 31 2012

CARDIFF CITY are holding talks with West Ham striker Nicky Maynard about a
potential £2.5m move. The transfer would have to be completed today with the
transfer window closing at 11pm. The two clubs agreed a fee yesterday and
Premier League Hammers gave Cardiff manager Malky Mackay the go-ahead for
talks with the goal ace. A source close to the London club said: "A fee has
been agreed, but talks on personal terms could not start until that point.
There is still a lot of work before anything is finalised." Maynard would be
Cardiff's 10th signing for the season and has been trailed by Mackay
throughout the summer. If Cardiff can secure Maynard's services, he will
join an offensive line-up that already contains the likes Craig Bellamy, Kim
Bo-Kyung, Heidar Helguson, Etien Velikonja and new signing Craig Noone.
Maynard wants more first-team football than he is getting at West Ham where
he has yet to see league action. He scored four goals in 17 Hammers
appearances last season as they were promoted, but says: "I haven't had my
chance in the Premier League which has been a bit frustrating." Mackay
reckons wideman Noone, who he captured from Brighton for £1m, will be a huge
plus for the Bluebirds. "He is a player who is exciting," said Mackay. "He
has personality, pace and skill, and he can get at opposing teams and commit
defenders. "He has two good feet and, at the age of 24, is young enough to
develop as a player. "I believe there is a lot more to come from Craig and
he has the hunger to take his game to another level." Noone – who will wear
the No. 16 shirt – hopes to make an instant impact against Wolves on Sunday
after training with his new team-mates yesterday. "My aim is promotion to
the Premier League as quickly as possible," he said. "I knew there was some
interest from Cardiff for me in January and that went right down to the last
day of the transfer window. I'm glad it's done and can't wait to play."
Noone played 82 minutes for Brighton during the goalless draw against
Cardiff City at the Amex Stadium, producing a number of dangerous runs.
"It's a bit strange signing for Cardiff having played against them for
Brighton a week or so ago," he said. Mackay has plenty of options within his
squad and some big decisions to make when he decides on a starting XI to
face Wolves. Noone will almost certainly fill one of the wide berths in the
absence of the injured Bellamy.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce offers support to QPR goalkeeper Robert Green
Green's QPR place threatened by Júlio César arrival
Allardyce believes Brazilian may struggle in England
Jacob Steinberg
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 30 August 2012 23.17 BST

Sam Allardyce has offered his support to Robert Green, who left West Ham
United for Queens Park Rangers in the summer but whose place is now
threatened by the arrival of the Internazionale goalkeeper Júlio César at
Loftus Road. César, who won the Champions League with Inter two years ago,
has undoubted pedigree but Allardyce believes the Brazilian will take time
to settle in English football and backed Green to rise to the challenge.
"He's a very experienced goalkeeper, an England international, so I don't
think he'll worry too much about the competition from César," said
Allardyce. "He [César] won't be ready for the Premier League. They'll
probably play him because of the size of the name but he won't have seen
anything like the Premier League when it comes in and at him. "I know he's
been at a top club for many, many years but this league is different to what
he's used to playing in and that takes some adjusting to. Rob's proven he's
one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League over the last nine or 10
years."

Allardyce admitted his disappointment at not being able to convince Green to
sign a new contract and stay at West Ham but still wishes him well. Green
has endured a difficult start to life at QPR, a poor performance on his
debut against Swansea City convincing Mark Hughes to move for César. "There
are decisions made by players and managers when we think it is a better time
for us to move on," said Allardyce. "And then when we finally get there it's
not quite as good as we thought it was. In the end from Robert's point of
view he's at a very good club that must have given him a very good contract.
"He's at the prime time of his career. For a goalkeeper just into his 30s
that is the most golden moment, I suppose, or should be because you know all
about the goalkeeping, you know all about the pressure, you know all about
the demands and the level of football and consistency you've got to hit.
It's all there, locked into the brain ready to use. "He's at his peak. His
fitness levels are brilliant, he works hard on the training ground. He tries
to get better all the time and not rest on his laurels."

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - Andy Carroll - WHUFC.com

Hammers net Carroll
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have signed England international Andy Carroll on loan from
Liverpool
30.08.2012

West Ham United are delighted to announce the signing of England striker
Andy Carroll on a season-long loan deal. The 23-year-old has moved to the
Boleyn Ground from Liverpool for the remainder of the 2012/13 Barclays
Premier League campaign, with the Hammers having the option to complete a
permanent deal for an undisclosed fee next summer. Carroll, a powerful
forward who is an outstanding header of the ball and blessed with superb
technical ability, led the line for his country at EURO 2012 and has been
named in the England squad for the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
with Moldova and Ukraine. The signing of Carroll, who became the
most-expensive English footballer in history when he joined Liverpool from
Newcastle United for a reported fee of £35m in January 2011, represents a
huge statement of the Board's intentions to make West Ham a force to be
reckoned with in the Barclays Premier League. The Gateshead-born frontman,
who could make his Hammers debut in Saturday's home fixture with Fulham, has
expressed his happiness at completing a move that sees him reunited with his
former Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce and captain Kevin Nolan. "It's great
to be here at West Ham and all signed up - I just can't wait to get started
now," Carroll said. "I want to be playing games and obviously hoping to
score some goals. I know the manager well and some of the lads, so it is
nice for me to come to a place where I know people. "I'm hoping to add a lot
of goals and create a few chances. I know Sam from Newcastle and he was a
massive reason for me coming. When I worked with him at Newcastle it was
great so it was a no-brainer really."

His new manager was understandably pleased to welcome Carroll to east
London. He said: "I think for all parties this is a great signing. Andy is
an all-round footballer, but because he is 6'3" and one of his strengths is
his aerial power, everybody dismisses the ability he possesses on the floor.
"Hopefully he can score goals for us and we will be in a very good position
at the end of the year in the Barclays Premier League."

Carroll burst into the Newcastle first-team at the age of 17, making his
first-team debut as a replacement for future Hammer Nolberto Solano in a
UEFA Cup victory over Palermo on 2 November 2006 - an appearance that made
him the youngest-ever player to represent Newcastle in Europe. After scoring
his maiden first-team goal past FIFA World Cup winner Gianluigi Buffon in a
friendly win over Juventus in July 2007, Carroll embarked on a six-month
loan spell with Championship side Preston North End. On his return to St
James' Park, the centre forward forced his way into the Magpies starting XI,
scoring on his full home debut with a towering header against West Ham in a
2-2 Premier League draw on 10 January 2009. The 2009/10 season saw Carroll
come into his own as he combined with Nolan to shoot Newcastle to the
Championship title and promotion back to the Premier League at the first
attempt. The striker finished the campaign as the club's top scorer with 19
goals in all competitions and be voted into the Championship Team of the
Year. At the start of 2010/11, he then took the top-flight by storm, netting
a hat-trick in a 6-0 win over Aston Villa and eleven goals in just 19 league
appearances before completing his record-breaking move to Anfield.

Last season, Carroll collected a League Cup winner's medal as Liverpool beat
Cardiff City before returning to Wembley to score the winning goal against
Everton to take the Reds into the FA Cup final. Carroll's performances for
Newcastle earned him a senior England debut in a friendly international with
France on 17 November 2010. His first senior international goal arrived in a
friendly with Ghana at Wembley on 29 March 2011. The striker's all-round
ability saw him named in England's squad for the 2012 UEFA European
Championship finals, where he impressed by scoring a trademark header in a
group-stage victory over Sweden.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - Carroll

Hammers set to rescue Carroll from Anfield nightmare as striker nears Upton
Park switch
By Sportsmail Reporter
PUBLISHED:16:27, 30 August 2012| UPDATED:17:32, 30 August 2012
Daily Mail

Andy Carroll's Liverpool nightmare is set to end as West Ham close in on a
season-long loan deal for the England striker. Sportsmail understands that
the Barclays Premier League outfit are increasingly confident of landing the
23-year-old ahead of Friday's transfer deadline day in a move that could
materialise into a club record £17million deal should Sam Allardyce's side
secure survival.

Allardyce first asked about a possible loan move for Liverpool striker
Carroll a month ago. The former Newcastle star, who cost Liverpool
£35million in January 2011, initially rejected the opportunity to head to
Upton Park. But after Reds boss Brendan Rodger's labelled him a 'cover'
striker earlier this week, Carroll has since reconsidered his future and is
now believed to be destined for an escape to east London.

Allardyce has since spent the bulk of his transfer budget on winger Matt
Jarvis, who cost almost £11million from Wolves. He was worried whether the
Hammers could afford to sign Carroll. But with Nicky Maynard set to join
Cardiff and Carlton Cole on the radar of Turkish club Besiktas, Allardyce
may now finally land his top transfer target. 'When I first went for Andy
Carroll I could afford him, whether I could now is a different matter,' he
said. 'At the very best I think one player will be joining us before the
deadline tomorrow. 'Hopefully we can achieve that and get a quality player
who could add to the team and the squad and make an impact almost
immediately.'

Carroll could be further influenced to put pen to paper at West Ham by
close-friend of West Ham captain Kevin Nolan, who he lived with for a short
time when the pair played together at St James' Park. Midfielder Mark Noble
has also been linked with a move away to Fulham, but Allardyce insisted:
'We've had no bids. 'Would we welcome any bids? No.'

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 30th August 2012

Macca hails 'perfect night'
WHUFC.com
Neil McDonald was happy to see a new-look West Ham United side knock out
Crewe Alexandra
29.08.2012

Goals from Nicky Maynard and Modibo Maiga gave West Ham United a comfortable
passage into the third round of the Capital One Cup courtesy of a 2-0 win
over Crewe Alexandra on Tuesday night. Maynard, playing against the club
where he began his career, opened the scoring after 33 minutes, latching
onto Ricardo Vaz Te's deft flick to volley into the corner from just inside
the box. The Hammers continued to assert their dominance in the second half
and doubled their lead in the 54th minute when Crewe goalkeeper Alan Martin
gifted Maiga his first Hammers goal. A well worked free-kick allowed captain
Kevin Nolan a shot on goal which was parried into the path of Maiga, who
finished well on his first start for the club. Assistant manager Neil
McDonald was happy with the performance and the result that takes the
Hammers into Thursday's third-round draw. "I thought it was a great workout
and they've come through it very strongly," said McDonald. "We've had Modibo
and Alou Diarra come through their first full game and I think they got
stronger as the game went on. We've created chances and scored two fantastic
goals and we've kept a clean sheet. "Modibo has had a couple of great
chances late on but he's off the mark and he's certainly deserved his goal
as he was in the right place at the right time. I think our first goal that
Nicky finished off was great as well."

Debutant goalkeeper Stephen Henderson was rarely troubled but was reliable
when called upon as Crewe fought for a route back into the game. The former
Portsmouth man first denied Luke Murphy, then somehow recovered to stop Ajay
Leitch-Smith's effort after the striker had seemingly rounded him. "Stephen
made two really good saves to help us keep the clean sheet. It helped avoid
the panic that we might have felt had Crewe got one back. We're very happy
with the defensive display as well and we kept their chances down to a
minimum. When Stephen was needed he made the saves very comfortably in the
end. "There were some really good performances all the way through the team
from the back to the front. It's great to see that we've made it through to
the next round after being knocked out by Aldershot last season. "We had a
lot of people play their first 90 minutes, which was even better. We've also
not picked up any injuries, which meant it was the perfect night."

Sam Allardyce handed debuts to Development Squad duo George Moncur and
Matthias Fanimo,who impressed alongside fellow Academy graduate Rob Hall.
Fanimo so nearly set up a goal a minute after coming on when he played a
neat one-two with Nolan before delivering a pinpoint cross that Maiga
volleyed just over. "We put the kids on later on in the game, which was
great experience for them. I think they settled in well. Matthias saw plenty
of the ball and had a good first touch, which was great. George and Rob both
came on and fitted in really well. It's good for their experience and
confidence. "Looking ahead to Fulham, the result will give us competition
for places after the Swansea defeat and it might just give the manager a few
selection problems."

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Van the man!
WHUFC.com
Modibo 'Van' Maiga is ready to make his mark after scoring his first West
Ham United goal
29.08.2012

Modibo Maiga believes he is ready to make a big impact in the Barclays
Premier League after opening his account for West Ham United. The summer
arrival from FC Sochaux-Montbeliard notched his first goal in English
football in Tuesday's 2-0 Capital One Cup second-round victory over Crewe
Alexandra. Maiga's second-half strike highlighted an eye-catching display
that saw him test goalkeeper Alan Martin on numerous occasions, hold the
ball up superbly and work extremely hard in his lone centre-forward role.
Having got off the mark for his new club, the 24-year-old is looking forward
to finding the net on a regular basis in a claret and blue shirt. "I've very
happy to score my first goal for the club," confirmed the Mali
international. "It's very important both for myself and for the confidence
of the club. "I hope to score a lot more goals for West Ham in the future."

The majority of West Ham supporters would have seen little of Maiga prior to
his move to east London, save for a few clips on the YouTube website.
However, after making substitute appearances in the Hammers' opening two
Barclays Premier League matches, the new No11 was able to show off his full
repertoire of skills in Tuesday's victory. A strongly-built figure blessed
with both the ability to hold up play and a neat turn of pace, Maiga
produced an all-action display against the Railwaymen. Maiga was involved in
Nicky Maynard's opening goal before scoring himself after Kevin Nolan's shot
was pushed out by Martin. After his goal, Maiga volleyed one chance over,
saw two headers deflected narrowly wide and tested the goalkeeper with a
pair of rasping late shots from the edge of the penalty area.
When asked if his midweek performance had been a typical one, Maiga nodded
positively in the affirmative. "Of course, scoring my first goal was great
and I was happy to contribute to the victory. I really, really want to do
well here and have real determination to be successful with West Ham. "I
came here to play a big role in the Premier League. I feel like I am ready
to contribute now."

At present, Maiga speaks limited English, but he is receiving regular
lessons and is able to communicate with his new team-mates more and more
every day.
For now, though, his acclimatisation to life in London is being aided by the
club's three other native French speakers - Mohamed Diame, Alou Diarra and
Guy Demel.
"It helps greatly to have people like Mo, Alou and Guy around. We spend a
lot of time together off the pitch and communicate a lot together. It
certainly does help when it comes to settling into life in England."


Finally, Maiga was asked about his mysterious nickname 'Van', which has
confused the coaching staff and players ever since his arrival at the Boleyn
Ground in July.
"Everyone in Mali who has the name Modibo has the nickname 'Van' - it's as
simple as that!" Now that confusion has been cleared up, Maiga can
concentrate on what he clearly does best - leading the line and scoring
goals!

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Stars for instore visit confirmed
WHUFC.com
Matt Jarvis, Ricardo Vaz Te, Momo Diame, Alou Diarra and Modibo Maiga will
all be instore Thursday
26.08.2012

West Ham United will be hosting an exclusive signing session at the Stadium
Superstore on Thursday from 3pm with FIVE stars of the first team dropping
in to meet fans and sign autographs. Matt Jarvis, Ricardo Vaz Te, Alou
Diarra, Momo Diame and Modibo Maiga will all be at the Boleyn Ground for the
signing session, meaning fans will be able to get up close to four of the
Hammers' biggest summer recruits and, of course, the Play-Off final hero.
The players are expected to arrive from 3pm, but keep an eye on whufc.com
for any updates to the schedule.

Please note that only items purchased in the Stadium Superstore on the day
can be signed. To allow as many fans as possible to get an autograph, signed
items and photos will be restricted to one per person. In addition, only
replica shirts purchased on the day or shirts that have printing added on
the day can be signed. Printing is available at £14 for name and numbers and
£18 for name, number and Premier League patches on adult and junior shirts.

Due to training commitments players and timings are subject to change.

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Is Mark Noble surplus to requirements?
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 29th August 2012
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United midfielder Mark Noble is the subject of interest from fellow
Premier League club Fulham, according to reports. The club's longest-serving
player, who made his first team debut eight years ago has featured for five
full-time managers plus three temporary managers but could be the shock
departure ahead of this Friday's transfer window. 25-year-old Noble, whose
current three-and-a-half-year deal expires next summer has today been linked
with a move across the capital to Fulham, who are understood to have
enquired into the player's availability. And with Noble yet to renew his
current contract - with the club understood to have failed to offer him an
extension to his current deal - a move away from West Ham for the
highly-popular Canning Town-born midfielder is not an impossibility.

The number 16's position at the club has been severely weakened in the last
12 months following the arrival of fellow central midfielders Kevin Nolan,
Mo Diame and, most recently, Alou Diarra. One potential deal involving the
two clubs could see United States international Clint Dempsey - someone
keenly admired by Sam Allardyce - move from Craven Cottage to the Boleyn
Ground in a player-plus-cash deal.

West Ham have been keeping tabs on the Texas-born forward, who has been at
Fulham since 2007, for some considerable time and fans'-favourite Noble
could provide the necessary leverage to make a deal work.

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Did Gold and Sullivan veto contract offer?
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 29th August 2012
By: Staff Writer

Former West Ham defender Abdoulaye Faye has claimed in an interview that
United's co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold vetoed a new contract
offer. Faye, who spent last season at the Boleyn Ground, helping West Ham to
make an instant return to the Premier League, was released at the end of the
2011/12 campaign upon the expiration of his one-year contract. However the
34-year-old, who has since signed for Championship club Hull City claimed
that he was set to sign a contract extention offered to him by manager
Allardyce - before the manager was overruled by the joint owners.

Taking to afric.com, Faye - who previously worked with Allardyce at Bolton
and Newcastle - said: "I'm disappointed with everything because he
[Allardyce] has taken me everywhere. West Ham were promoted but I don't know
what happened in the end. "He apologised and said: "I'm sorry but he owner's
won't let me offer you a new contract". I told him it was okay."

Faye was Allardyce's first signing after Big Sam was named as the successor
to Avram Grant; the Senegalese defender signing for West Ham on a free
transfer last June. He went on to make 29 appearances for the Hammers last
season but lost his first team spot for the final few games of the campaign
after Allardyce chose instead to pair Winston Reid with James Tomkins at the
heart of the defence.

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Maiga ready to make his mark
Hammers striker looking to kick on after opening goal account
Last Updated: August 29, 2012 10:25am
SSN

Modibo Maiga opened his West Ham goal account on Tuesday and is now looking
to announce himself to a Premier League audience. The Mali international was
snapped up by the Hammers this summer from Sochaux, allowing the 24-year-old
to complete a dream move to England 12 months after being denied the
opportunity to link up with Newcastle. Maiga made his debut in a 1-0 victory
over Aston Villa on the opening day of the season, and was handed his first
start in a Capital One Cup clash with Crewe. He wrapped up a 2-0 midweek
victory at Upton Park with a close-range finish which showcased his quick
reactions and predatory instincts.
Maiga is understandably delighted to be off the mark for his new employers
and believes he is now ready to make his mark on the Premier League, having
been eased into English life by Sam Allardyce.

Confidence

"I'm very happy to score my first goal for the club," he told the Hammers'
official website. "It's very important both for myself and for the
confidence of the club. "I hope to score a lot more goals for West Ham in
the future." He added: "I really, really want to do well here and have real
determination to be successful with West Ham. "I came here to play a big
role in the Premier League. I feel like I am ready to contribute now."

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Cottagers keen on Noble
Fulham ask about Hammers midfielder
Last Updated: August 29, 2012 10:52am
SSN

Sky Sports understands that Fulham have enquired as to the availability of
West Ham midfielder Mark Noble. The 25-year-old midfielder has entered the
final year of his contract at Upton Park and is yet to sign an extension.
The Hammers will be keen to put fresh terms to a product of their famed
academy system, but as yet no agreement has been put in place. Fulham have
decided to test the water and have made contact with their Premier League
rivals regarding a possible deal. Noble is a proven top-flight performer and
was instrumental in guiding West Ham to promotion last season. As an East
End native he has strong ties to the Hammers and has made over 200 senior
appearances for the club.He has started both of West Ham's Premier League
fixtures so far this season, but it remains to be seen how hard Fulham push
to bring in a man who would help to fill the void created by Moussa
Dembele's proposed switch to Tottenham.

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Ajax to offload Sulejmani
One offer for forward has already been received
By Gerrit van Leeuwen. Last Updated: August 29, 2012 11:12am
SSN

Dutch champions Ajax have confirmed that they are open to offers for Miralem
Sulejmani, with the striker having made it clear that he wants out. The
Serbia international has spent the last four years in Amsterdam, with a
switch from Heerenveen in 2008 seeing him break Ajax'stransfer record. He
has been a regular source of goals throughout his time with the Eredivisie
giants, but has also struggled with injury. Ajax had been hoping that he
would agree to extend his association with the club this summer, but
Sulejmani has rejected the offer of fresh terms.

Interest

The 23-year-old will now be allowed to move on, with Ajax keen to bring in a
fee for a player reported to be interesting clubs in the Premier League.
West Ham are among those to have been linked with the versatile forward, and
Ajax's new director of football Marc Overmars admits one approach has
already been received.
"It's a serious offer, but I can't mention the name of the club," he said.
"Miralem knows about the interest."

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Swap Deal On Cards for Dempsey & Mark Noble?
By Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die

I reckon we're going to get a surprise before the close of the transfer
window on Friday, and it's one we might not like. Look at this as a
scenario...

Fulham have been battered in this transfer window and have just lost another
star player, Dembele, to Spurs. The rumour mill suggests today that they
have made an enquiry about Mark Noble. Now I can't see Mark Noble wanting to
move to a smaller club, but I can quite see Sam Allardyce thinking, OK, you
can have Mark Noble if we can have Clint Dempsey, and we'll bung you a
couple of million too.

It's not as if we are badly off for central midfielders, but what we lack
(apart from Nolan) is an attacking midfielder who scores plenty of goals. In
reality, I suppose Clint Dempsey is a striker who can also play in midfield.
Logically, it makes sense, but I would absolutely hate to lose Mark Noble.
He's the heartbeat of the team and a Hammer to his core, while Dempsey is
not exactly a spring chicken who is holding his club to ransom. Dempsey
wants to go to Liverpool. He was supposed to be off to Sunderland but his
wage demands frightened off the Mackems. Do we want a player who doesn't
want to come to us, and let go a player who would die for us?

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Liverpool offer Andy Carroll to West Ham and Newcastle United
By Lee Ryder, Evening Chronicle
Aug 29 2012

NEWCASTLE UNITED and West Ham United have again been offered the chance to
sign Andy Carroll. Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has made his feelings
clear on Carroll and wants to sign Clint Dempsey from Fulham and Theo
Walcott from Arsenal in the last two days of the transfer window. But he has
been told he must sell to buy. And this means that Carroll must be offloaded
for him to get his wish. Rodgers said: "I don't think we are in a position
to have 35million players as third choice strikers. "It doesn't take a
rocket scientist to see that Andy has been a cover player for us in the
opening two games."

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Liverpool push Carroll towards West Ham in hope of landing Arsenal ace
Walcott
By DOMINIC KING
PUBLISHED: 21:58, 29 August 2012 | UPDATED: 22:29, 29 August 2012
Daily Mail

West Ham will launch a final attempt to land Andy Carroll before the window
closes with a deal that will shape Liverpool's transfer fortunes. Though
the England striker has consistently made it clear he does not want to leave
Anfield, his omission from the squad for Thursday night's Europa League
qualifier against Hearts effectively means his Liverpool career is over.
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers would like to add Theo Walcott to his squad,
even though it emerged the Arsenal forward will see out the final year of
his contract at the Emirates after holding amicable talks with Arsene
Wenger. But should Liverpool offload Carroll, they would be in a position
to test Arsenal's resolve on Walcott, who earlier this summer turned down a
new five-year deal worth £75,000 per week. Liverpool's tight financial
constraints mean they cannot bid for Walcott outright but offloading Carroll
to West Ham would change things dramatically. West Ham would initially take
Carroll, 23, on a season-long loan, paying his £80,000 per week wages in
full, and then - provided they remain in the Barclays Premier League - would
be obliged to sign him permanently for £17milllion.

Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has been desperate to land Carroll ever since it
became clear his prospects under Rodgers would be limited and he is looking
to move on Carlton Cole to free up space in his squad. Newcastle continue to
remain on the periphery and manager Alan Pardew refused to rule his club out
of the reckoning, saying: 'Would I want him in my squad? Of course I would.
Probably every Premier League manager in the country would want him in their
squad. 'But can the deal be done? That's nothing to do with me.'

It will be a hectic final two days for Liverpool, as they are expected to
offload Charlie Adam to Stoke – though it would be no surprise if Everton
emerged as late rivals – while Jay Spearing has the option of a number
Premier League clubs, including Aston Villa and Southampton, on loan.
Rodgers would also want to sign long-term target Clint Dempsey from Fulham
but it is clear that the days when Liverpool could simply go out and sign a
player with barely a quibble have gone. When asked whether Liverpool could
afford to buy without selling, Rodgers replied: 'No. Not at this stage,
obviously I have seen a lot of the links and it is great that those players
would want to come here but the reality is that we are not in a position to
do those sorts of deals. 'I don't think we are in a position to have
£35million players as third choice strikers or wingers who are on
£5-6million a year. This is the challenge I have. 'The club needs to
repair financially. Unfortunately it is going to take more than one window.
This is an incredible club but even if you want to move some players on,
because of the wages and other factors, they are not just going to walk out
the door. 'It is going to take us time to get to the squad we want. In the
meantime we have to keep our head down and work hard and get results.'

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Noble rejects move from West Ham to Fulham
The midfielder was targeted by Martin Jol to replace Mousa Dembele but
25-year-old does not want to join west Londoners despite rejecting new
Hammers contract
Goal.com
29 Aug 2012 21:08:00
EXCLUSIVE
By Wayne Veysey | Chief Correspondent

Fulham have failed in a bid to sign Mark Noble from West Ham, Goal.com can
reveal. The west London club have tried to take advantage of the
midfielder's contract stalemate by making a move to capture him in the final
days of the window. Sources have told Goal.com that Noble has rejected a new
deal from West Ham, who are now willing to listen to offers for a player who
joined the club as a schoolboy. Fulham enquired about the 25-year-old's
availability and prepared an offer but it is understood that Noble has made
it clear he does not want to move to Craven Cottage. This is a blow for
Fulham, who are trying to strengthen their central midfield after selling
Mousa Dembele to Tottenham on Wednesday for around £15 million and allowing
Danny Murphy to join Blackburn Rovers earlier this summer. Despite spurning
the advances of Fulham, West Ham do not expect Noble to sign a new deal and
are ready to sell him if their valuation is met. Noble, who was voted 2012
Hammer of the Year by supporters for his performances in the club's
promotion campaign last season, is a popular figure at Upton Park and has
been a mainstay of the team since fully establishing himself in the 2007-08
season. He has started West Ham's opening two Premier League fixtures of the
season although he did not feature in Tuesday's Capital One Cup win over
Crewe Alexandra.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com