West Ham United statement
WHUFC.com
The Club has released a statement regarding the fixture at Tottenham Hotspur
in November 2012
03.06.2013
The Football Association has concluded its investigation into events
surrounding West Ham United's game at Tottenham Hotspur on 25 November 2012
and has confirmed that no further action will be taken against West Ham
United. In a written response to West Ham United, The FA praised the Club's
reaction to the reported incidents of inappropriate behaviour, which
included issuing immediate life bans to any supporter found to have acted in
an unacceptable way.
The governing body also applauded West Ham United's planning and
co-operation with the authorities and Tottenham Hotspur regarding the return
match at the Boleyn Ground on Monday 25 February 2013, which passed off
without major incident. The Club works extremely hard to address all forms
of discriminatory behaviour, wherever they occur, and operates a strict zero
tolerance policy towards anyone who behaves inappropriately when following
the team. West Ham United actively promotes events and campaigns that
highlight and combat prejudice towards individuals and groups because of
disability, race, sex, sexual orientation and religion. The Club actively
supports campaigns promoting inclusion and tolerance, including Kick It Out,
Show Racism the Red Card, Football v Homophobia and Holocaust Memorial Day,
while the West Ham United Community Sports Trust works positively with
people of all ages and backgrounds.
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Sir Trevor Brooking exclusive - Part 1
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United legend looks back on a successful season and ahead to
the 2013/14 campaign
03.06.2013
With 647 appearances and 102 goals for West Ham United and 47 England caps
to his name, few people are in a better position to assess the Hammers'
2012/13 campaign than Sir Trevor Brooking. In the first section of an
exclusive three-part interview with West Ham TV, Sir Trevor discusses a
successful season and gives his opinion on how his former Club can continue
to progress next term. The 64-year-old two-times FA Cup winner starts by
assessing a campaign that saw Sam Allardyce guide his side to the relative
comfort of a tenth-place finish on their return to the Barclays Premier
League. "I think at the start of the season, like any club coming up, you're
hoping you don't get dragged into the relegation scrap," said Sir Trevor. "A
lot of clubs were always looking over their shoulders because of the way the
league turned out, but we started well. "Funnily enough, in contrast to last
season when we got up through the Play-Offs and our home form wasn't as good
but we were really good away, this time I think our home Premier League
games have been really good and we've deserved the points we have picked
up."
Sir Trevor enjoyed a successful spell in the dugout himself, losing just one
of the 14 games he managed as caretaker between April and October 2003.
As a player, he was part of the West Ham squad that consolidated their
position in the top-flight following promotion as Division Two champions in
1981. After finishing ninth in 1981/82, the Hammers avoided 'second season
syndrome' by finishing eighth the following season, 1982/83.
Similar improvement this time around would be more than welcomed by the
popular former No10, but how can it be achieved?
"I think the important thing is to keep it tight at the back and score
enough goals to win games. Sometimes you can play well but not score and
then you end up with draws instead of wins, whereas one win gets you three
points and they can be crucial. We need that attacking edge. "Andy Carroll
has done well but nobody knows what is going to happen with Andy. Carlton
Cole's contract is up, so the attacking area is an issue. "We also need to
get that support from midfield because, if you look, from the goalscoring
point of view we haven't had a couple of players who have got into double
figures, which gives you that opportunity to get the victories. "I'm sure
Sam will also look at how they can get more threatening and more of a
cutting edge away from home. They picked up a couple of results this season,
but they need to get more wins away from home to take the pressure off
needing to get the results at home."
While a number of other Barclays Premier League clubs have, for one reason
or another, changed their manager in recent weeks, West Ham have bucked the
trend by securing Sam Allardyce's future on a new contract.
Having witnessed periods of both tumult and stability during his long
association with the Hammers, Sir Trevor is delighted to see the Club in
such a stable position. "The Davids [Joint-Chairmen Sullivan and Gold] have
recognised the experience Sam has in this league and it is important this
coming year that he does what he wants to do. If you look at the track
record the two Davids have got, they have been pretty consistent with giving
opportunities to managers when they are leading a club. "Sam led the Club to
bounce back with promotion and we got the win on the final day of this
season to finish tenth."
*In Part 2 of his exclusive interview, to be published on Tuesday, Sir
Trevor Brooking discusses the Hammers' move to the Olympic Stadium.
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Season in Seconds: Mark Noble
WHUFC.com
Our latest player to go under the spotlight is Hammers midfielder Mark Noble
03.06.2013
Hammers Academy product Mark Noble is the latest player to be featured in
our Season in Seconds series.
How would you sum up the season Mark?
MN - "We finished tenth, so I don't think you can ask for much more than
that really."
What was the highlight for you?
MN - "Probably the 1-0 win against Aston Villa on the first day of the
season. Coming up from the Championship, having a home game first and
getting three points on the board was a massive kick start to the season."
What was the funniest moment of the season?
MN - "Probably when Macca [Neil McDonald] fell over on the touchline, doing
a sort of roly-poly backwards. It was quite funny because he takes himself
quite seriously!"
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A take no action over Millwall and West Ham abuse claims
BBC.co.uk
The Football Association will take no further action after investigations
into allegations of discriminatory abuse by West Ham and Millwall fans. Two
West Ham supporters were arrested for anti-Semitic gestures in a game
against Tottenham in November 2012. Sky Sports News also filmed Millwall
fans racially abusing Leeds player El-Hadji Diouf in the same month. An FA
statement said: "No charges are to be issued to either club in relation to
these isolated incidents."
However, it stated: "The FA advises that consideration will be given to
taking disciplinary action against both West Ham United and Millwall if
further reports of spectator misconduct are received." Some of West Ham's
fans are alleged to have mocked Tottenham supporters, who traditionally have
strong ties with London's Jewish community, during the game at White Hart
Lane. Following the game, West Ham said it would take the "strongest
possible action against any of their supporters, including enforcing life
bans from the club, that are found guilty of behaviour which is
categorically not condoned by West Ham".
The FA said it acknowledges "the work West Ham undertook in the immediate
aftermath of the match and the ongoing work the club, led by its owners,
undertakes to prevent all forms of discrimination and misconduct, as well as
the regular statements the club makes to supporters about the standards of
behaviour expected".
It also noted that the return fixture between the clubs in February 2013 at
Upton Park passed without incident. Millwall also acted swiftly, imposing
club bans for offenders who were arrested and charged for making offensive
or racist remarks. The FA statement added: "The FA notes the work the club
continues to do in partnership with its local community to educate
supporters and help tackle discriminatory language/behaviour."
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Gold dismisses Tomkins speculation
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 3rd June 2013
By: Staff Writer
David Gold has told potential suitors that defender James Tomkins is not for
sale. The 24-year-old centre half emerged from the club's Academy and only
15 months ago signed a new four-year contract (with an option for a further
year). However having played second fiddle to James Collins and Winston Reid
for much of the 2012/13 campaign, claims that Tomkins - who has already made
in excess of 150 appearances for the Hammers - was not happy with the
situation began to emerge. Those rumours appear to have alerted Tomkins'
former manager Alan Pardew, who gave the Basildon-born defender his first
team debut in the 1-1 draw at Everton in March 2008. However Hammers
co-owner David Gold has moved to quash rumours of a potential departure for
Tomkins. "We are not selling James - he's on a long contract and is still
only a young man", Gold told Sports Direct News. "He's an absolutely top
prospect and were he to be available it would not be easy to buy him as we
have a very high valuation on him. "But this is no longer a selling club.
We are moving forward into a big future and we will therefore be keeping our
biggest players; James is one of them."
Basildon-born Tomkins started just 18 of West Ham's 38 Premier League
matches last season, with eight further appearances from the bench. His only
goal of the campaign came in the 2-1 defeat at Wigan last October.
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Smoke without fire
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 3rd June 2013
By: Staff Writer
The FA have warned West Ham United over the future conduct of its fans -
whilst refraining from taking action against the club over an incident that
took place at White Hart Lane last year.
West Ham United were investigated by the Football Association after a small
pocket of supporters - estimated to be no more than 20 to 30 people - were
accused of anti-Semitic chanting during the Premier League clash at
Tottenham last November.
Despite widespread condemnation of West Ham United supporters - mostly from
people who weren't even present at White Hart Lane on the day including
journalists such as Mihir Bose and Matt Law of the Sunday Mirror - the FA
have refrained from sanctioning the club in any way.
In a statement released this lunchtime, the FA said: "Consideration will be
given to taking disciplinary action against West Ham United if further
reports of spectator misconduct are received, however, no charges are to be
issued in relation to this isolated incident.
"The FA continues to remind all clubs to address any form of discriminatory
behaviour with the strongest possible action."
West Ham United responded with a statement of their own, which said: "In a
written response to West Ham United, The FA praised the Club's reaction to
the reported incidents of inappropriate behaviour, which included issuing
immediate life bans to any supporter found to have acted in an unacceptable
way.
"The Club works extremely hard to address all forms of discriminatory
behaviour, wherever they occur, and operates a strict zero tolerance policy
towards anyone who behaves inappropriately when following the team.
"West Ham United actively promotes events and campaigns that highlight and
combat prejudice towards individuals and groups because of disability, race,
sex, sexual orientation and religion."
West Ham United are undestood to have banned just one supporter as a result
of the above incident.
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FA clears West Ham and Millwall after investigating discrimatory behaviour
Last Updated: June 3, 2013 3:55pm
SSN
The Football Association will take no action against West Ham and Millwall
over instances of alleged discriminatory behaviour among their fans last
season.
The two London clubs were the subject of separate FA investigations - West
Ham in relation to their game at Tottenham on November 25, and Millwall over
abuse caught on camera by Sky Sports News' Special Report team.
Police arrested several West Ham fans following allegations of anti-semitic
abuse at White Hart Lane, while two Millwall supporters featured in
February's Special Report were subsequently issued with club banning orders.
And FA investigators are satisfied with both clubs' continuing efforts to
deal with abusive behaviour.
Among the conclusions drawn in a statement on its website, the FA noted West
Ham's work ahead of a return fixture with Tottenham which passed off without
incident.
And, with reference to Millwall, the statement highlighted "the work the
club continues to do in partnership with its local community to educate
supporters and help tackle discriminatory language/behaviour".
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Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo's agent hints at Napoli move
By Simone Bargellini. Last Updated: June 3, 2013 9:47pm
SSN
Alvaro Negredo's agent has confirmed the player may leave Sevilla for
England or Italy this summer, with Napoli emerging as frontrunners for his
signature.
The 27-year-old scored 25 goals this season, including all four in Sevilla's
dramatic final day 4-3 win over Valencia last weekend. The Spanish club are
prepared to let the forward go this summer, but only to a side that matches
the £20million release clause in his contract. Everton were linked with a
move for Negredo in January but baulked at the £20million fee while Premier
League rivals West Ham have also been mentioned in recent weeks. His agent
Juanma Lopez has confirmed there is interest from the Premier League for the
player but hinted that Rafael Benitez's Napoli may be his preferred option.
Negredo is keen to test himself in the Champions League and Napoli's
automatic qualification for Europe's premier competition next season has
shot them to the head of the queue. "Alavaro has played a very important
season and many clubs are coming forward for him," Lopez told
tuttomercatoweb. "I think he can go either to England or Italy. "Napoli is a
possibility given that [Rafa] Benitez likes the player and the team will
play in next season's Champions League, a competition that Negredo would
like to take part in. "The final decision is up to Seville, whoever wants
Negredo has to find an agreement with them."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Tuesday, June 4
Monday, June 3
Daily WHUFC News - 3rd June 2013
Cottee welcomes Big Sam stay
WHUFC.com
Former West Ham United striker Tony Cottee says Sam Allardyce is the man to
deliver more success
02.06.2013
Hammers legend Tony Cottee was delighted to see manager Sam Allardyce pen a
new contract with the Club before the end of the 2012/13 campaign. The West
Ham United boss has enjoyed great success in his two years at the Boleyn
Ground, winning promotion to the Barclays Premier League in the first
campaign before guiding his team to a top half finish this term. Cottee, who
notched 146 goals for the Club in 336 games across two spells, has been
mightily impressed with West Ham's achievements over the past couple of
seasons, and is backing Allardyce to deliver more success. He told West Ham
TV: "I'm delighted that Sam has signed a new contract. Above all else, the
Club needs stability - we can't keep getting rid of managers, firing
managers and appointing someone else. "We need it to be like the good old
days and for somebody to be here for four, five, six, seven years, and I
think that's what we'll get with Sam, we'll get the stability. "I was always
confident that we would finish between tenth and 15th this season. To
actually be in the top part of that scale is a great achievement. "To be in
the top ten of the Premier League in any season is a good achievement by any
club, so it's great that we did it at the first attempt back.
"But I think it's important to keep our feet on the floor - I remember when
Alan Pardew's team came up, we finished ninth and reached the FA Cup final,
but then the next season was a real struggle. "The second season can often
be harder than the first season back, because you've got the momentum for
getting promotion. "I'm not telling Sam or Macca anything new, they know
that anyway. There's a good bunch of players in the squad, I'm sure they'll
be given a bit of money and perhaps most importantly of all if we can sign
Andy Carroll we've got a real chance of giving it a big go next season."
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Season in Seconds: Dan Potts
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United youngster reviews his 2012/13 campaign
02.06.2013
Young defender Dan Potts is the latest West Ham United player to be featured
in our Season in Seconds series.
How would you sum up the season?
DP - "On a personal note, I've developed and progressed well in the season
just gone. Obviously it's a step up for the whole club in the Premier
League, the objective for me was to play in the Premier League. I did that
this year and next year I'll be hoping to try and get more minutes under my
belt."
What was the highlight?
DP - "The Man United game here. That stands out for all sorts of reasons,
not only personally but for the game itself. For a neutral it was
entertaining, and I felt if we had gone through nobody could have denied
that we deserved it."
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Former player tours to begin
WHUFC.com
Hammers greats Phil Parkes and Alan Taylor will lead special Boleyn Ground
Tours this summer
02.06.2013
West Ham United legends Phil Parkes and Alan Taylor will lead special Former
Player Tours of the Boleyn Ground this summer. Goalkeeper Parkes signed for
West Ham for a world-record fee in 1979, lifted the FA Cup in 1980 and
helped the Hammers to finish third in Division One in 1985/86. Striker
Taylor joined West Ham from Rochdale in January 1975 before scoring the
goals that carried the Club to FA Cup glory at Wembley five months later.
Parkes and Taylor will lead the unique Tours, which will be held between
26-28 July. Fans will be led on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Boleyn
Ground by one of the two greats, visiting the tunnel, dugouts, dressing
rooms, Chairmen's Suite and Directors Box before sitting down for a
traditional East End feast of pie, mash and liquor*.
Participants will also be invited to take part in a West Ham United quiz,
with signed prizes available to the winners, while photographs taken
pitchside will be emailed to those taking part in the Tour.
Former Player Tours will take place on the following dates:
*Friday 26 July - 9am and 1pm
*Saturday 27 July - 9am and 1pm
*Sunday 28 July - 9am and 1pm
To book your unique Former Player Tour now, call the Ticket Office on 0871
529 1966 (calls 10p/minute plus network extras) and select Option 3 or visit
the Alpari Stand Ticket Office in person. Alternatively, you can book online
here.
For further information - not for booking - email
stadiumtours@westhamunited.co.uk
*Vegetarian option is available, but participants must email
stadiumtours@westhamunited.co.uk with the name and address the Tour was
booked under at least 72 hours prior to the Tour.
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More silverware for youngsters
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 2nd June 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham Ladies Under 16s recently secured their second trophy of the season
with a 2-0 win against Eastern Avenue in the League Cup Final. The West Ham
girls were calm and collected ahead of the game but took nothing for granted
as EA had shown their physical style of play in previous meetings. As the
game unfolded, Eastern tried to disrupt West Ham's flow of well-constructed
and penetrating moves with exuberant challenges. The series of free kicks
that followed only served to benefit the Hammers, giving them the great
spells of possession and forcing Eastern to defend deep. The match enjoyed
spells of high-quality counter-attacking football by both squads. The
majority of Eastern's first half chances were however well dealt with by
West Ham's dominating back four of Morgan Difalco, Courtney Peverill,
Danielle Sillitoe and Natalie Strange. As the second half began, the Hammers
showed terrific quality as they forced their way past Eastern's defences
with fleet-of-foot runs down both wings by Shellie Sumpter and Sarah Wilson
- whilst Ciara Bland and Aleah Headley demonstrated both textbook tackles
and pinpoint dissecting passes to feed the formidable strike force of
Rafaela Cavahlo and Kacie Winsor-Claydon.
A free kick at the edge of the Avenue box proved their undoing as the rising
ball caused frantic jostling in the area, leaving Wilson open at the far
post for a determined header into the net. Eastern replied with a committed
attack and a breaking run that put their striker one-on-one with the West
Ham 'keeper. Hodges came flying out to close the angle, and with a heroic
save threw her body onto the ball. The loose ball rolled teasingly close to
the goal line as Peverill swooped it away to safety. Ten minutes later West
Ham doubled their lead with a well-crafted, individual goal. Cutting in from
the left side, Headley struck a superb effort from 20 yards that tucked in
under the bar. Eastern came close to clawing one back only to see their
effort pushed wide by Hodges. West Ham rejuvenated their attacking power
with Nicole Witham and Sarah Dick, who continued to create further chances
for the Hammers right up to the final whistle.
Manager Ray Wood was extremely proud of the girls' performance both today
and throughout 2012/13. With a lack of pre-season friendlies and only a
handful of last season's players remaining in the squad, his young team have
exceeded his expectations - and finished the season on a real high.
West Ham Utd: Ciara Bland, Rafaela Cavahlo, Morgan Difalco, Aleah Headley,
Georgie Hodges, Courtney Peverill, Danielle Sillitoe, Natalie Strange,
Shellie Sumpter, Sarah Wilson, Kacie Winsor-Claydon.
Goals: Aleah Headley, Sarah Wilson.
Subs: Nicole Witham, Sarah Dick.
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'Keeper to sign three-year contract?
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 2nd June 2013
By: Staff Writer
Reports emanating from Spain this afternoon suggest that Real Betis
goalkeeper Adrian has agreed a three-year deal with West Ham. KUMB.com
revealed a fortnight ago that West Ham had been keeping tabs on the
26-year-old stopper. Now unconfirmed reports claim that a deal worth in the
region of £20,000-per-week has been struck, with Adrian poised to complete a
move to the Premier League upon the expiry of his current deal which ends
later this month. Adrian was missing from the Betis squad that drew 1-1 with
Levante in last night's La Liga clash at Ciutat de València - a result that
guaranteed the Andalusia-based club a seventh-place finish and European
football next season. It is understood that all parties agreed an official
announcement on Adrian's future would be delayed until Betis ended their
2012/13 La Liga campaign. The 6'2" goalkeeper is a home-grown player who
emerged from the Betis youth ranks before turning pro in 2006. He played
more than 30 times for Verdiblancos in 2012/13 and was recently voted Man of
the Match in their 1-0 win over Real Madrid.
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Why Sam Allardyce deserves more credit
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 2nd June 2013
By: Raymond Doyle
What a different two years makes at a football club. On 15th May 2011 Wigan
Athletic came from 2-0 down at half time to beat West Ham United and confirm
the Hammers' relegation from the Premier League.
The board decided to sack then-manager Avram Grant and appoint former
Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers and Newcastle United manager Sam
Allardyce. The 58-year-old quickly went about rebuilding a side capable of
not only getting promoted back to the Premier League but also staying there.
The signing of Kevin Nolan proved to be a masterstroke for Allardyce as the
former Bolton captain scored 13 goals for the club in his first season from
midfield.
The Hammers finished third in the 2011–12 Football League Championship with
86 points, missing out on automatic promotion by two points. However the
Hammers put that disappointment behind them when they beat Blackpool in the
play-off final thanks to a late winner from Portuguese striker Ricardo Vaz
Te.
In the summer of 2012, Allardyce was once again busy in the transfer market
bringing to the club 11 new players including on-loan striker Andy Carroll
from Liverpool. Although Allardyce has often spoke of his plan to play
attractive football, with the addition of Carroll and club record signing
Matt Jarvis from Wolves, West Ham have played a direct style of football
which saw them finish in the top half of the Premier League table this
season.
Highlights for the Hammers this season were their 3-1 win over Chelsea,
their 0-0 draw with Manchester City (in which they were denied victory by a
bad call from the assistant referee) and a 2-2 draw with champions
Manchester United.
Big Sam was rewarded following West Ham's fine performance in the Premier
League this season with a new two-year deal. David Gold, the West Ham
co-owner, announced that the 58-year-old would stay on at Upton Park on his
personal Twitter account.
"I am delighted to announce that our manager Sam Allardyce has signed a new
two year contract," Gold said.
Allardyce himself said: "There were processes we had to go through and put
it together in the right way, which it has now. I never thought there would
be any problem – and there hasn't. There has been some issue with the legal
jargon in the contract which I couldn't understand so that has to go to both
sides' lawyers to agree and then it gets signed. The size of a manager's
contract is pretty substantial in terms of responsibilities."
Say what you like about the playing style of West Ham, results this season
have shown it to be effective. Many pundits applaud the likes of Roberto
Martinez and Wigan for their "easy on the eye" football style but many Wigan
fans may well swap positions with West Ham despite their FA Cup success.
This summer will no doubt be another busy one for West Ham as Allardyce
looks to secure the permanent signing of Carroll along with a number of new
faces. The Hammers will look to push on next season to try and compete with
the likes of Swansea and West Brom and try and snatch a European place but
credit must go to Allardyce for the turnaround at Upton Park since that dark
day against Wigan two years ago!
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The curious case of Joe Cole
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 2nd June 2013
By: Jason Eves
'Boomerang players', as they are known, are a curious topic; some regard
these players returning to their former clubs as a homecoming, a triumphant
return as you will.
But usually the case with a returning player they have reached the ends of
their playing career and want to see it out in a comfortable environment,
none more so than a club they have previously turned out for.
Even our famous ground has had its fair share of players leaving, to only
return again to grace the Boleyn Ground. From former players such as Frank
McAvennie, Pop Robson, Julian Dicks and Tony Cottee to more recent cases
such as James Collins and George McCartney. Collins, I believe didn't want
to leave West Ham in the first place, with much rumours circulating he was
sold to Aston Villa (a notable West Ham graveyard) to free up funds to pay
SBOBet for the transfer of the flop turned Italian International Alessandro
Diamanti.
The 'Ginger Pele' has excelled this season, forming a formidable partnership
with the resurgent Winston Reid, keeping out homegrown (Russell Brand
lookalike) James Tomkins who has been left kicking his heels on the fringes
of the first team.
Although Collins has been suspect with a few notable blunders (look no
further than the Swansea away game) he more than redeemed himself by
shutting out the rampant Luis Suarez during West Ham's visit to Anfield,
where Luis was left chomping at the bit to add to his impressive tally.
McCartney left the club on personal terms allegedly with his girlfriend
seeking a return up north for family issues. His departure also left a
bitter taste, with then West Ham manager Alan Curbishley admitting that
George was sold without his permission.
Following a decent two year spell with the Hammers, his move to Sunderland
didn't bear as much fruit as he had hoped and he was then subsequently
loaned to Leeds for a year, before linking back up to his familiar
surroundings. Brought initially on loan he helped us claim promotion to the
Premier League, where he earned himself a permanent return.
But it seems he has now become a squad player, with Joey O'Brien preferred
on the left for the majority of this campaign and with news of our latest
signing, Romanian captain and Champions League-experienced left back Razvan
(Roland) Rat joining our ranks, George's days at the Boleyn may be numbered.
Now this brings me to Joe Cole, the last of the trio brought in for his
second spell at West Ham. He ticks all the boxes fans look for in a player:
a) He was brought up through the academy,
b) He got the crowd out of their seats with his electric performances and
c) He is an East End boy through and through.
You could almost see the faithful swelling with pride whenever Joe graced
the pitch, knowing he was one of their own. Unfortunately, the powers that
be love to toy with our emotions. With that ill-fated 'too good to go down'
season that condemned us to be stripped of all our finest talent, with Joe
being plucked up by the newly installed Soviet regime at Chelsea.
We all wished him well and hoped his move worked out for him, but alas he
never fulfilled his early potential at Chelsea, making a meagre 180
appearances over the course of seven years at the club. Injuries and manager
preferences plagued his time at Chelsea and obviously knocked the confidence
and halted his nurturing through reserve games and sitting on the bench for
long periods.
He was offered pastures new at Liverpool, a move he later regretted in light
of moving to us. This was his last crack at the big time (before Liverpool
became the faltering giants they are today). Again it was another move that
just didn't work out for him, he started brightly but once again the
injuries took hold and he couldn't force his way back into the fold.
Following a successful spell with French club Lille (where he played
alongside Chelsea star Eden Hazard) Cole returned to Liverpool for one last
roll of the dice. Again with a bright start to the season, he suffered a
reoccurring hamstring problem was left on the sidelines, allowing talent
like Jonjo Shelvey and Raheem Sterling a chance to break into the Liverpool
side. Though as we all remember earlier this season Joe came on against West
Ham and showed us what we were lacking by scoring at Upton Park earning
Liverpool a 3-2 win.
Joe finally made a return to claret and blue during this year's January
transfer window, drafted in on a free transfer with Liverpool keen to get
his relatively high wages off their bill. He has showed flashed of his early
brilliance with a masterclass performance in his debut in the FA Cup match
with Manchester United, putting them to the sword with two assists to his
name.
Following this dream debut, renewed optimism was conjured up at the Boleyn
of the prodigal son returning to take us to the next level, with another
impressive performance against doomed relegation candidates QPR. With
questions once again raised over his fitness Cole was left to sit on the
bench for the duration of the campaign, fulfilling a role as an impact sub
to try and change the game for us in the dying minutes.
His return in general has brought mixed reviews, I for one am happy to see a
player of his calibre join our ranks, even if he is on the wrong side of
thirty I believe with the right approach employed at Manchester United to
prolong legends such as Giggs and Scholes, I think Joe can always offer
something with his vision, passing and other qualities.
I can't help but think he was more of a board signing than an Allardyce
signing as he just doesn't fit Sam's brief when it comes to players. But Sam
has a known reputation for rejuvenating seemingly doomed players (look no
further than Jay-Jay Okocha, Ricardo Gardner etc.) so we may have got a coup
from Liverpool. Of course I'm sure when Joe hangs up his boots he will be
promoted to an ambassadorial role similar to one taken up by Tony Cottee,
where we can use Joe's wisdom to bring the new youth to the famous academy.
But for the short-term, I would take an injury free season for Joe Cole any
day; only time will tell if he is the second coming we all hope he will be.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Adrian In, Tomkins Out?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
There is a report this evening that Betis Keeper, Adrian San Miguel, is due
in London this week to undertake a medical ahead of a move to West Ham.
Apparently, the Betis No1 has been in fine form this season and has
attracted significant interest from La Liga rivals Espanyol and Getafe. If
the report is true then Sam Allardyce has stolen a march on them to sign
Adrian to a three year deal. Even sweeter for the West Ham hierarchy is the
fact that they are likely to have secured the player on very reasonable
terms, given Betis current financial issues. It is anticipated that Adrian
will start as No. 2 to Jussi and be given time to acclimatise to the more
frenetic pace of the Premier League. Following on from Ravzan Rat's signing,
this could prove to be yet another good deal for the club.
While, in the Sunday People, it was reported that Sam Allardyce may be
prepared to sell James Tomkins to Newcastle Utd to finance his summer
transfer deals. The rationale underpinning this old, recycled report is that
money is tight for West Ham's transfer dealings and the majority of what is
available has been hear marked for the signing of Andy Carroll. Therefore,
West Ham may have to sell to buy players to strengthen the squad in other
positions. I personally do not believe that there is a basis to the report.
If they sell Tomkins they will still have to sign a replacement.
Furthermore, James Tomkins is rightly seen as a future star at the club and
I would be amazed if they were prepared to sell. He did not have a great
campaign last season, but there is every expectation that he will get back
on track next season. I know it is fashionable to write players off when
they have a loss of fitness and/or form. You only have to look at Winston
Reid's case to see how impatient and wrong fan opinion can be about players.
If it had been down to the majority fan opinion, the current Hammer of the
Year would have been out the door after our relegation.Thankfully, Sam
Allardyce knew better on that one! And it is a similar situation with
Tomkins.
Well done to the England players who secured an encouraging 2-2 draw with
Brazil this evening. The two England goals were outstanding and, although
they were under the cosh in the first half, their organisational discipline,
hard work and Hart's goal keeping kept them in the game. Actually, it is
funny how black and white our football press see issues pertaining to
England, either jingoistic nationalism or deep pessimism. I had the occasion
to read the Sports Section of the Daily Mail today and it was full of dark
pessimism about England and English football. Particularly Sir Trevor
Brooking's alleged comment about England needing another 10 years to emulate
the recent resurgence of German football. But there was also an article in
which the author stated that the England Team had never had a golden age!!
Funny that, I could have sworn that England were the premier footballing
power from the late 19th century, right through to the early 1950s? Was not
the 3-6 defeat to the Hungarians in 1953 the first time that a team from
outside the British Isles had beaten England on home soil? The first England
away defeat to a foreign side was Spain's 4-3 victory in Madrid in 1929.
England's win record in the period 1930-1949 (even allowing for WW2) was
excellent, suffering only 9 overseas defeats. Today it often forgotten that
until 1968, a German national side had never beaten England home or away.
While Italy's first victory over us was as recently as 1973, Argentina's in
1964 and and Holland in 1977.
To say that England never had a golden age is contrary to historical record
and an insult to great English players such as Lofthouse, Finney, Matthews,
Lawton and, our very own, Len Goulden. In truth the author is not looking at
the issue in terms of the overall historical record, but rather only in
terms of our more recent World Cup/post 1950 record. We did not contest the
first three World Cup competitions in the 1930s due to England's
disaffiliation from FIFA in 1926. It is a virtual certainty that had England
participated they would have won those competitions comfortably, such was
our dominance in that period. However apart from 1966, 1970 and 1990, our
modern World Cup record has been a disappointment. While, our overall win
record since 1970 has declined significantly. So, it would be more accurate
to state that yes there was a golden age for the English national football
team, but (apart from the Oasis of 1966) it was a very long time ago. And in
the modern period a number of other footballing nations have consistently
out- performed us. That is the true position.
Hopefully, the new National Football Centre at Burton and the newly
introduced EPPP Scheme will pay dividends for English youth development. It
will take time to have an impact, but in the meantime we must continue to
compete and make the best use of the talent currently at our disposal. Much
as we did this evening against Brazil. So far from being totally gloomy, we
should be glad that the FA have now made the type of changes that increase
the chances of our national side getting back to the pinnacle of
international football once again. It is long overdue!
Finally, back to West Ham, there are reports this evening that Andy Carroll
will accept West Ham's offer and sign from Liverpool, this coming week, for
a fee of £15m. Lets see what transpires? If he does, that is a major boost
to the club. But we must still be mindful that recent reports have stated
that Carroll is unlikely to be available for selection for at least the
first month or so of the new season. As we saw last season, getting off to a
good start is usually key to having a successful season. So, the emphasis
will then switch to who else will be brought in to give us greater
strength-in-depth up front and see us through Carroll's initial period of
absence?
SJ. Chandos.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Miguel
Published: 6 hrs ago
The Sun
WEST HAM are set to nab Real Betis keeper Adrian San Miguel on a free
transfer this week. The out-of-contract stopper, 26, is expected to travel
to the capital to sign a three-year contract. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has
tracked the Spaniard, who wants out of Betis, for some time.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham swooping for Spanish keeper Adrian San Miguel on free transfer
2 Jun 2013 22:30
The Mirror
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is swooping for Spanish keeper Adrian San Miguel
on a free transfer from Real Betis. Allardyce spotted the highly-rated
26-year-old who will sign for three seasons if he passes a 'test' with the
Hammers. The West Ham chief wants competition for veteran Jussi Jaaskelainen
and San Miguel fits the bill perfectly as his contract is up. San Miguel
will not be coming to settle for life in the reserves. He played 32 times
for the Seville-based outfit.
His arrival puts Jaaskelainen under pressure, but the Finn will fight to
keep his place - although the younger keeper looks set to eventually be
number one.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Former West Ham United striker Tony Cottee says Sam Allardyce is the man to
deliver more success
02.06.2013
Hammers legend Tony Cottee was delighted to see manager Sam Allardyce pen a
new contract with the Club before the end of the 2012/13 campaign. The West
Ham United boss has enjoyed great success in his two years at the Boleyn
Ground, winning promotion to the Barclays Premier League in the first
campaign before guiding his team to a top half finish this term. Cottee, who
notched 146 goals for the Club in 336 games across two spells, has been
mightily impressed with West Ham's achievements over the past couple of
seasons, and is backing Allardyce to deliver more success. He told West Ham
TV: "I'm delighted that Sam has signed a new contract. Above all else, the
Club needs stability - we can't keep getting rid of managers, firing
managers and appointing someone else. "We need it to be like the good old
days and for somebody to be here for four, five, six, seven years, and I
think that's what we'll get with Sam, we'll get the stability. "I was always
confident that we would finish between tenth and 15th this season. To
actually be in the top part of that scale is a great achievement. "To be in
the top ten of the Premier League in any season is a good achievement by any
club, so it's great that we did it at the first attempt back.
"But I think it's important to keep our feet on the floor - I remember when
Alan Pardew's team came up, we finished ninth and reached the FA Cup final,
but then the next season was a real struggle. "The second season can often
be harder than the first season back, because you've got the momentum for
getting promotion. "I'm not telling Sam or Macca anything new, they know
that anyway. There's a good bunch of players in the squad, I'm sure they'll
be given a bit of money and perhaps most importantly of all if we can sign
Andy Carroll we've got a real chance of giving it a big go next season."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Season in Seconds: Dan Potts
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United youngster reviews his 2012/13 campaign
02.06.2013
Young defender Dan Potts is the latest West Ham United player to be featured
in our Season in Seconds series.
How would you sum up the season?
DP - "On a personal note, I've developed and progressed well in the season
just gone. Obviously it's a step up for the whole club in the Premier
League, the objective for me was to play in the Premier League. I did that
this year and next year I'll be hoping to try and get more minutes under my
belt."
What was the highlight?
DP - "The Man United game here. That stands out for all sorts of reasons,
not only personally but for the game itself. For a neutral it was
entertaining, and I felt if we had gone through nobody could have denied
that we deserved it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Former player tours to begin
WHUFC.com
Hammers greats Phil Parkes and Alan Taylor will lead special Boleyn Ground
Tours this summer
02.06.2013
West Ham United legends Phil Parkes and Alan Taylor will lead special Former
Player Tours of the Boleyn Ground this summer. Goalkeeper Parkes signed for
West Ham for a world-record fee in 1979, lifted the FA Cup in 1980 and
helped the Hammers to finish third in Division One in 1985/86. Striker
Taylor joined West Ham from Rochdale in January 1975 before scoring the
goals that carried the Club to FA Cup glory at Wembley five months later.
Parkes and Taylor will lead the unique Tours, which will be held between
26-28 July. Fans will be led on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Boleyn
Ground by one of the two greats, visiting the tunnel, dugouts, dressing
rooms, Chairmen's Suite and Directors Box before sitting down for a
traditional East End feast of pie, mash and liquor*.
Participants will also be invited to take part in a West Ham United quiz,
with signed prizes available to the winners, while photographs taken
pitchside will be emailed to those taking part in the Tour.
Former Player Tours will take place on the following dates:
*Friday 26 July - 9am and 1pm
*Saturday 27 July - 9am and 1pm
*Sunday 28 July - 9am and 1pm
To book your unique Former Player Tour now, call the Ticket Office on 0871
529 1966 (calls 10p/minute plus network extras) and select Option 3 or visit
the Alpari Stand Ticket Office in person. Alternatively, you can book online
here.
For further information - not for booking - email
stadiumtours@westhamunited.co.uk
*Vegetarian option is available, but participants must email
stadiumtours@westhamunited.co.uk with the name and address the Tour was
booked under at least 72 hours prior to the Tour.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
More silverware for youngsters
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 2nd June 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham Ladies Under 16s recently secured their second trophy of the season
with a 2-0 win against Eastern Avenue in the League Cup Final. The West Ham
girls were calm and collected ahead of the game but took nothing for granted
as EA had shown their physical style of play in previous meetings. As the
game unfolded, Eastern tried to disrupt West Ham's flow of well-constructed
and penetrating moves with exuberant challenges. The series of free kicks
that followed only served to benefit the Hammers, giving them the great
spells of possession and forcing Eastern to defend deep. The match enjoyed
spells of high-quality counter-attacking football by both squads. The
majority of Eastern's first half chances were however well dealt with by
West Ham's dominating back four of Morgan Difalco, Courtney Peverill,
Danielle Sillitoe and Natalie Strange. As the second half began, the Hammers
showed terrific quality as they forced their way past Eastern's defences
with fleet-of-foot runs down both wings by Shellie Sumpter and Sarah Wilson
- whilst Ciara Bland and Aleah Headley demonstrated both textbook tackles
and pinpoint dissecting passes to feed the formidable strike force of
Rafaela Cavahlo and Kacie Winsor-Claydon.
A free kick at the edge of the Avenue box proved their undoing as the rising
ball caused frantic jostling in the area, leaving Wilson open at the far
post for a determined header into the net. Eastern replied with a committed
attack and a breaking run that put their striker one-on-one with the West
Ham 'keeper. Hodges came flying out to close the angle, and with a heroic
save threw her body onto the ball. The loose ball rolled teasingly close to
the goal line as Peverill swooped it away to safety. Ten minutes later West
Ham doubled their lead with a well-crafted, individual goal. Cutting in from
the left side, Headley struck a superb effort from 20 yards that tucked in
under the bar. Eastern came close to clawing one back only to see their
effort pushed wide by Hodges. West Ham rejuvenated their attacking power
with Nicole Witham and Sarah Dick, who continued to create further chances
for the Hammers right up to the final whistle.
Manager Ray Wood was extremely proud of the girls' performance both today
and throughout 2012/13. With a lack of pre-season friendlies and only a
handful of last season's players remaining in the squad, his young team have
exceeded his expectations - and finished the season on a real high.
West Ham Utd: Ciara Bland, Rafaela Cavahlo, Morgan Difalco, Aleah Headley,
Georgie Hodges, Courtney Peverill, Danielle Sillitoe, Natalie Strange,
Shellie Sumpter, Sarah Wilson, Kacie Winsor-Claydon.
Goals: Aleah Headley, Sarah Wilson.
Subs: Nicole Witham, Sarah Dick.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'Keeper to sign three-year contract?
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 2nd June 2013
By: Staff Writer
Reports emanating from Spain this afternoon suggest that Real Betis
goalkeeper Adrian has agreed a three-year deal with West Ham. KUMB.com
revealed a fortnight ago that West Ham had been keeping tabs on the
26-year-old stopper. Now unconfirmed reports claim that a deal worth in the
region of £20,000-per-week has been struck, with Adrian poised to complete a
move to the Premier League upon the expiry of his current deal which ends
later this month. Adrian was missing from the Betis squad that drew 1-1 with
Levante in last night's La Liga clash at Ciutat de València - a result that
guaranteed the Andalusia-based club a seventh-place finish and European
football next season. It is understood that all parties agreed an official
announcement on Adrian's future would be delayed until Betis ended their
2012/13 La Liga campaign. The 6'2" goalkeeper is a home-grown player who
emerged from the Betis youth ranks before turning pro in 2006. He played
more than 30 times for Verdiblancos in 2012/13 and was recently voted Man of
the Match in their 1-0 win over Real Madrid.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Why Sam Allardyce deserves more credit
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 2nd June 2013
By: Raymond Doyle
What a different two years makes at a football club. On 15th May 2011 Wigan
Athletic came from 2-0 down at half time to beat West Ham United and confirm
the Hammers' relegation from the Premier League.
The board decided to sack then-manager Avram Grant and appoint former
Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers and Newcastle United manager Sam
Allardyce. The 58-year-old quickly went about rebuilding a side capable of
not only getting promoted back to the Premier League but also staying there.
The signing of Kevin Nolan proved to be a masterstroke for Allardyce as the
former Bolton captain scored 13 goals for the club in his first season from
midfield.
The Hammers finished third in the 2011–12 Football League Championship with
86 points, missing out on automatic promotion by two points. However the
Hammers put that disappointment behind them when they beat Blackpool in the
play-off final thanks to a late winner from Portuguese striker Ricardo Vaz
Te.
In the summer of 2012, Allardyce was once again busy in the transfer market
bringing to the club 11 new players including on-loan striker Andy Carroll
from Liverpool. Although Allardyce has often spoke of his plan to play
attractive football, with the addition of Carroll and club record signing
Matt Jarvis from Wolves, West Ham have played a direct style of football
which saw them finish in the top half of the Premier League table this
season.
Highlights for the Hammers this season were their 3-1 win over Chelsea,
their 0-0 draw with Manchester City (in which they were denied victory by a
bad call from the assistant referee) and a 2-2 draw with champions
Manchester United.
Big Sam was rewarded following West Ham's fine performance in the Premier
League this season with a new two-year deal. David Gold, the West Ham
co-owner, announced that the 58-year-old would stay on at Upton Park on his
personal Twitter account.
"I am delighted to announce that our manager Sam Allardyce has signed a new
two year contract," Gold said.
Allardyce himself said: "There were processes we had to go through and put
it together in the right way, which it has now. I never thought there would
be any problem – and there hasn't. There has been some issue with the legal
jargon in the contract which I couldn't understand so that has to go to both
sides' lawyers to agree and then it gets signed. The size of a manager's
contract is pretty substantial in terms of responsibilities."
Say what you like about the playing style of West Ham, results this season
have shown it to be effective. Many pundits applaud the likes of Roberto
Martinez and Wigan for their "easy on the eye" football style but many Wigan
fans may well swap positions with West Ham despite their FA Cup success.
This summer will no doubt be another busy one for West Ham as Allardyce
looks to secure the permanent signing of Carroll along with a number of new
faces. The Hammers will look to push on next season to try and compete with
the likes of Swansea and West Brom and try and snatch a European place but
credit must go to Allardyce for the turnaround at Upton Park since that dark
day against Wigan two years ago!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The curious case of Joe Cole
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 2nd June 2013
By: Jason Eves
'Boomerang players', as they are known, are a curious topic; some regard
these players returning to their former clubs as a homecoming, a triumphant
return as you will.
But usually the case with a returning player they have reached the ends of
their playing career and want to see it out in a comfortable environment,
none more so than a club they have previously turned out for.
Even our famous ground has had its fair share of players leaving, to only
return again to grace the Boleyn Ground. From former players such as Frank
McAvennie, Pop Robson, Julian Dicks and Tony Cottee to more recent cases
such as James Collins and George McCartney. Collins, I believe didn't want
to leave West Ham in the first place, with much rumours circulating he was
sold to Aston Villa (a notable West Ham graveyard) to free up funds to pay
SBOBet for the transfer of the flop turned Italian International Alessandro
Diamanti.
The 'Ginger Pele' has excelled this season, forming a formidable partnership
with the resurgent Winston Reid, keeping out homegrown (Russell Brand
lookalike) James Tomkins who has been left kicking his heels on the fringes
of the first team.
Although Collins has been suspect with a few notable blunders (look no
further than the Swansea away game) he more than redeemed himself by
shutting out the rampant Luis Suarez during West Ham's visit to Anfield,
where Luis was left chomping at the bit to add to his impressive tally.
McCartney left the club on personal terms allegedly with his girlfriend
seeking a return up north for family issues. His departure also left a
bitter taste, with then West Ham manager Alan Curbishley admitting that
George was sold without his permission.
Following a decent two year spell with the Hammers, his move to Sunderland
didn't bear as much fruit as he had hoped and he was then subsequently
loaned to Leeds for a year, before linking back up to his familiar
surroundings. Brought initially on loan he helped us claim promotion to the
Premier League, where he earned himself a permanent return.
But it seems he has now become a squad player, with Joey O'Brien preferred
on the left for the majority of this campaign and with news of our latest
signing, Romanian captain and Champions League-experienced left back Razvan
(Roland) Rat joining our ranks, George's days at the Boleyn may be numbered.
Now this brings me to Joe Cole, the last of the trio brought in for his
second spell at West Ham. He ticks all the boxes fans look for in a player:
a) He was brought up through the academy,
b) He got the crowd out of their seats with his electric performances and
c) He is an East End boy through and through.
You could almost see the faithful swelling with pride whenever Joe graced
the pitch, knowing he was one of their own. Unfortunately, the powers that
be love to toy with our emotions. With that ill-fated 'too good to go down'
season that condemned us to be stripped of all our finest talent, with Joe
being plucked up by the newly installed Soviet regime at Chelsea.
We all wished him well and hoped his move worked out for him, but alas he
never fulfilled his early potential at Chelsea, making a meagre 180
appearances over the course of seven years at the club. Injuries and manager
preferences plagued his time at Chelsea and obviously knocked the confidence
and halted his nurturing through reserve games and sitting on the bench for
long periods.
He was offered pastures new at Liverpool, a move he later regretted in light
of moving to us. This was his last crack at the big time (before Liverpool
became the faltering giants they are today). Again it was another move that
just didn't work out for him, he started brightly but once again the
injuries took hold and he couldn't force his way back into the fold.
Following a successful spell with French club Lille (where he played
alongside Chelsea star Eden Hazard) Cole returned to Liverpool for one last
roll of the dice. Again with a bright start to the season, he suffered a
reoccurring hamstring problem was left on the sidelines, allowing talent
like Jonjo Shelvey and Raheem Sterling a chance to break into the Liverpool
side. Though as we all remember earlier this season Joe came on against West
Ham and showed us what we were lacking by scoring at Upton Park earning
Liverpool a 3-2 win.
Joe finally made a return to claret and blue during this year's January
transfer window, drafted in on a free transfer with Liverpool keen to get
his relatively high wages off their bill. He has showed flashed of his early
brilliance with a masterclass performance in his debut in the FA Cup match
with Manchester United, putting them to the sword with two assists to his
name.
Following this dream debut, renewed optimism was conjured up at the Boleyn
of the prodigal son returning to take us to the next level, with another
impressive performance against doomed relegation candidates QPR. With
questions once again raised over his fitness Cole was left to sit on the
bench for the duration of the campaign, fulfilling a role as an impact sub
to try and change the game for us in the dying minutes.
His return in general has brought mixed reviews, I for one am happy to see a
player of his calibre join our ranks, even if he is on the wrong side of
thirty I believe with the right approach employed at Manchester United to
prolong legends such as Giggs and Scholes, I think Joe can always offer
something with his vision, passing and other qualities.
I can't help but think he was more of a board signing than an Allardyce
signing as he just doesn't fit Sam's brief when it comes to players. But Sam
has a known reputation for rejuvenating seemingly doomed players (look no
further than Jay-Jay Okocha, Ricardo Gardner etc.) so we may have got a coup
from Liverpool. Of course I'm sure when Joe hangs up his boots he will be
promoted to an ambassadorial role similar to one taken up by Tony Cottee,
where we can use Joe's wisdom to bring the new youth to the famous academy.
But for the short-term, I would take an injury free season for Joe Cole any
day; only time will tell if he is the second coming we all hope he will be.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Adrian In, Tomkins Out?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
There is a report this evening that Betis Keeper, Adrian San Miguel, is due
in London this week to undertake a medical ahead of a move to West Ham.
Apparently, the Betis No1 has been in fine form this season and has
attracted significant interest from La Liga rivals Espanyol and Getafe. If
the report is true then Sam Allardyce has stolen a march on them to sign
Adrian to a three year deal. Even sweeter for the West Ham hierarchy is the
fact that they are likely to have secured the player on very reasonable
terms, given Betis current financial issues. It is anticipated that Adrian
will start as No. 2 to Jussi and be given time to acclimatise to the more
frenetic pace of the Premier League. Following on from Ravzan Rat's signing,
this could prove to be yet another good deal for the club.
While, in the Sunday People, it was reported that Sam Allardyce may be
prepared to sell James Tomkins to Newcastle Utd to finance his summer
transfer deals. The rationale underpinning this old, recycled report is that
money is tight for West Ham's transfer dealings and the majority of what is
available has been hear marked for the signing of Andy Carroll. Therefore,
West Ham may have to sell to buy players to strengthen the squad in other
positions. I personally do not believe that there is a basis to the report.
If they sell Tomkins they will still have to sign a replacement.
Furthermore, James Tomkins is rightly seen as a future star at the club and
I would be amazed if they were prepared to sell. He did not have a great
campaign last season, but there is every expectation that he will get back
on track next season. I know it is fashionable to write players off when
they have a loss of fitness and/or form. You only have to look at Winston
Reid's case to see how impatient and wrong fan opinion can be about players.
If it had been down to the majority fan opinion, the current Hammer of the
Year would have been out the door after our relegation.Thankfully, Sam
Allardyce knew better on that one! And it is a similar situation with
Tomkins.
Well done to the England players who secured an encouraging 2-2 draw with
Brazil this evening. The two England goals were outstanding and, although
they were under the cosh in the first half, their organisational discipline,
hard work and Hart's goal keeping kept them in the game. Actually, it is
funny how black and white our football press see issues pertaining to
England, either jingoistic nationalism or deep pessimism. I had the occasion
to read the Sports Section of the Daily Mail today and it was full of dark
pessimism about England and English football. Particularly Sir Trevor
Brooking's alleged comment about England needing another 10 years to emulate
the recent resurgence of German football. But there was also an article in
which the author stated that the England Team had never had a golden age!!
Funny that, I could have sworn that England were the premier footballing
power from the late 19th century, right through to the early 1950s? Was not
the 3-6 defeat to the Hungarians in 1953 the first time that a team from
outside the British Isles had beaten England on home soil? The first England
away defeat to a foreign side was Spain's 4-3 victory in Madrid in 1929.
England's win record in the period 1930-1949 (even allowing for WW2) was
excellent, suffering only 9 overseas defeats. Today it often forgotten that
until 1968, a German national side had never beaten England home or away.
While Italy's first victory over us was as recently as 1973, Argentina's in
1964 and and Holland in 1977.
To say that England never had a golden age is contrary to historical record
and an insult to great English players such as Lofthouse, Finney, Matthews,
Lawton and, our very own, Len Goulden. In truth the author is not looking at
the issue in terms of the overall historical record, but rather only in
terms of our more recent World Cup/post 1950 record. We did not contest the
first three World Cup competitions in the 1930s due to England's
disaffiliation from FIFA in 1926. It is a virtual certainty that had England
participated they would have won those competitions comfortably, such was
our dominance in that period. However apart from 1966, 1970 and 1990, our
modern World Cup record has been a disappointment. While, our overall win
record since 1970 has declined significantly. So, it would be more accurate
to state that yes there was a golden age for the English national football
team, but (apart from the Oasis of 1966) it was a very long time ago. And in
the modern period a number of other footballing nations have consistently
out- performed us. That is the true position.
Hopefully, the new National Football Centre at Burton and the newly
introduced EPPP Scheme will pay dividends for English youth development. It
will take time to have an impact, but in the meantime we must continue to
compete and make the best use of the talent currently at our disposal. Much
as we did this evening against Brazil. So far from being totally gloomy, we
should be glad that the FA have now made the type of changes that increase
the chances of our national side getting back to the pinnacle of
international football once again. It is long overdue!
Finally, back to West Ham, there are reports this evening that Andy Carroll
will accept West Ham's offer and sign from Liverpool, this coming week, for
a fee of £15m. Lets see what transpires? If he does, that is a major boost
to the club. But we must still be mindful that recent reports have stated
that Carroll is unlikely to be available for selection for at least the
first month or so of the new season. As we saw last season, getting off to a
good start is usually key to having a successful season. So, the emphasis
will then switch to who else will be brought in to give us greater
strength-in-depth up front and see us through Carroll's initial period of
absence?
SJ. Chandos.
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Sam Miguel
Published: 6 hrs ago
The Sun
WEST HAM are set to nab Real Betis keeper Adrian San Miguel on a free
transfer this week. The out-of-contract stopper, 26, is expected to travel
to the capital to sign a three-year contract. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has
tracked the Spaniard, who wants out of Betis, for some time.
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West Ham swooping for Spanish keeper Adrian San Miguel on free transfer
2 Jun 2013 22:30
The Mirror
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is swooping for Spanish keeper Adrian San Miguel
on a free transfer from Real Betis. Allardyce spotted the highly-rated
26-year-old who will sign for three seasons if he passes a 'test' with the
Hammers. The West Ham chief wants competition for veteran Jussi Jaaskelainen
and San Miguel fits the bill perfectly as his contract is up. San Miguel
will not be coming to settle for life in the reserves. He played 32 times
for the Seville-based outfit.
His arrival puts Jaaskelainen under pressure, but the Finn will fight to
keep his place - although the younger keeper looks set to eventually be
number one.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Sunday, June 2
Daily WHUFC News - 2nd June 2013
Season in Seconds: Kevin Nolan
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United skipper goes under the spotlight in our Season in
Seconds feature
01.06.2013
West Ham United captain Kevin Nolan is the latest player to sum up the
2012/13 campaign in Season in Seconds.
Kevin, how would you sum up the season in a few words?
KN - "Fantastic, especially when two years ago we were relegated. I'm
delighted, it's been successful and well deserved."
What was your highlight?
KN - "There's been a few, I must admit. The first game of the season, being
back in the Premier League scoring goals, that was a good day. But I just
think the whole season throughout, the way we've handled it, has been
fantastic."
What are your plans for the summer?
KN - "I've got a couple of weddings to go to in the summer. Ones in Aruba,
so I'm looking forward to that. Then I'll go away with the kids, and one
with all my boys from back in Liverpool. I'm going to enjoy it because it's
been a good season and I'll be ready and raring to go for next year when we
come back in on 1 July."
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On this day - 2 June
WHUFC.com
Former Hammer of the Year Sebastien Schemmel celebrates his birthday today
02.06.2013
Anniversary (1)
Sebastien Schemmel
Born: 2 June 1975, Nancy, France
Clubs: Nancy, Metz, West Ham United, Portsmouth, Le Havre
Honours: Hammer of the Year (2002)
French right-back Sebastien Schemmel was something of an unknown when he
joined West Ham United from French side Nancy for £765,000 in January 2001.
However, it would not be long before the Hammers' supporters realised why
manager Harry Redknapp had brought the marauding defender to the Club, as
Schemmel's second appearance in claret and blue saw West Ham defeat
Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford in the FA Cup third round. The
following season, 2001/02, Schemmel made 35 Premier League appearances as
West Ham finished a creditable seventh in the Premier League table. He was
rewarded for his consistent performances by being voted Hammer of the Year
by the Club's supporters. Schemmel remained at the Boleyn Ground for a
further six months before leaving east London for Portsmouth in January
2003, where he was reunited with former Hammers boss Redknapp. He had made
73 appearances for West Ham, scoring once. The defender spent 18 months with
Portsmouth before being released and, after one season back in France with
Le Havre, he retired in 2005.
Anniversary (2)
England 1-0 Romania
FIFA World Cup finals, Group C
Tuesday 2 June 1970, Estádio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico
West Ham United's 1966 FIFA World Cup-winning trio of Bobby Moore, Geoff
Hurst and Martin Peters were in England's starting XI as they began their
defence of the trophy in Mexico four years later. England had been drawn in
Group C alongside fellow Europeans Romania, Czechoslovakia and South
Americans Brazil. Sir Alf Ramsey's side began their challenge by facing
Romania in front of 50,560 supporters at the Estadio Jalisco in Guadalajara
on Tuesday 2 June 1970.
Just as he had done three times at Wembley in the 1966 final, Hurst was on
target again, converting a cross from fellow World Cup winner Alan Ball with
25 minutes remaining. England would go on to be edged out 1-0 by Brazil in
their second match, despite Moore's outstanding individual display, and beat
Czechoslovakia by the same scoreline to reach the quarter-finals. There,
despite Peters scoring and England taking a 2-0 lead, they were beaten 3-2
by West Germany after extra-time.
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Waiting for Andy to Make a Decision?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
The predominant view in the various media sources is that West Ham are
awaiting a decision from Andy Carroll on whether he intends to join the
club. It has also been reported that the club have asked for a decision next
week, so that its transfer plans are not unduly adversely impacted upon if
the answer is in the negative. Is it true, who knows? The websites are full
of conjuncture about a £15m deal being struck with Liverpool, Andy Carroll
reserving his position to see what his other options are and Liverpool being
keen to move the player out and re-invest the fee in their own summer squad
building. Of course, for a long time the narrative tended to focus squarely
on Carroll's alternative options, namely whether he could stay and fight for
his place at Anfield or return to St James Park. These possibilities were
seen as far more likely than a permanent deal at Upton Park.
The latest conjecture is that Liverpool wish to sell, but are reluctant to
sell him back to Newcastle Utd at such a hugely reduced fee. Alternatively,
perhaps the obstacle to a deal with them is the fact that Newcastle Utd
cannot/do not wish to meet Liverpool's £15m valuation and, consequently,
they have now turned their attentions elsewhere (reportedly to Wilfred
Bony). So, if this is a true assessment of the current situation, it would
appear that the player currently has just one viable option, to move to West
Ham. There is talk of overseas interest and maybe another club making a move
(i.e. Spurs)? Arguably, a move abroad is not the ideal option at this stage
of Carroll's career, so the best move would seem to be to commit to West
Ham. He fits in well at the club, he will play regularly and West Ham is a
good stage upon which to further develop his career. Moreover, with the move
to the Olympic Stadium, it is a club where he can progress and ultimately
realise his ambitions. Carroll is only 24 years of age and at the end of a
new three year contract, all things being equal, he would be at the peak of
his career and able to reassess his options at that point in time. This all
assumes, of course, that West Ham pull out all of the stops and offer
acceptable contract terms.
We must wait and see if a decision is made next week? Whatever happens with
that deal, it is inevitable that there are going to be wholesale changes in
the striker positions. As we know, Carlton Cole has been released and there
is a huge question mark over Maiga's future at the club. So, if Carroll does
not join, we could be looking at trying to sign up to three new strikers
this summer. That would be a challenge, because as we know it is difficult
task to secure one top class striker, let alone three! Personally, I would
give Maiga another chance next season. It is extraordinary how decisive
Maiga's contributions have been in his relatively few appearances this
season, capped by that great assist for Nolan's third goal against Reading.
The rumour is that Sam Allardyce is not happy with Maiga's application and
work rate, but surely this needs to be balanced against what he delivers in
the final third and that key aspect of his game has been consistently good.
Another piece of recent conjecture is that Maiga allegedly fell out of
favour when, against all previous indications, he opted to attend
international duty at the January African Cup of Nations tournament. The
latest news is that Maiga could return to French football in a cut price
£2.5m deal. If that proves to be the case, it will be a great shame
considering his undoubted potential.
Even if Carroll signs and Maiga stays next season, we still need at least
one more striker. And two frequently mentioned names have been Wilfred Bony
and Romelu Lukaku. The probability is that a fee in the region of £14m will
be necessary to capture Bony's signature. Are West Ham realistically going
to sign both Carroll and Bony? That is unlikely, unless they are really
determined to 'push the boat out' in the summer transfer window. However,
the loan signing of Lukaku would make perfect sense as a supplement to
Carroll. And Lukaku also brings other qualities to the strike force, such as
pace and the ability to consistently hit the target at PL level (based on
last season). The possibility of signing him is inevitably down to Chelsea
and their assessment of the player's future. They could, of course, put him
out on loan again, retain him in their squad next season or cash in on him.
And, in the latter case, Dortmund are known to be interested. So, again, we
wait to see what will occur. But make no mistake, if we can secure a loan
deal, Lukaku would be a massive signing for the club.
It is very quiet on the transfer front at the moment, but no doubt much
effort is being expounded behind the scenes. There are key targets in other
positions, such the need to secure a new keeper, but one gets the impression
that our success in securing our striker targets will be crucial to us
strengthening the squad and progressing next season. Our top scorer is Kevin
Nolan with 10 goals for the season, followed by Andy Carroll on 7 goals. And
that speaks volumes about the need to sign a striker that can hit the target
c.15 plus times a season. Get that right and, hopefully, the rest will
follow to facilitate us improving on our top 10 finish and having a cup run
next season.
SJ. Chandos.
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West Ham line up Betis ace
Date: 2nd June 2013 at 2:45 am
Written by Brad Pinard | Comments (0)
Football Fancast
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is set to continue his summer spending by
bringing Real Betis goalkeeper Adrian to East London, according to the Daily
Mail.
Despite current number one Jussi Jaaskelainen recently signing a one year
contract extension, Allardyce is keen to add competition to that area of the
pitch after the former Bolton stopper blew hot and cold on his first season
at Upton Park. Adrian has become one of the top goalkeepers in Spain and La
Liga clubs Espanyol and Getafe are also tracking his progress ahead of
making summer bids. West Ham scouts travelled to Levante to scout the
stopper for the final time ahead of making their own bid which could be
significantly less than expected due to Betis' woeful financial state.
Allardyce has back up options in the goalkeeping market though as Besiktas'
Alan McGregor and Aston Villa's Shay Given are both available and on his
radar.
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Season Review Part 2: Defenders
Posted by Peter Thorne and Vinny Ryan
ESPN
This is the second installment of a close look at West Ham's 2012-13 season,
and the players who played an important part in getting the Hammers into the
top half of the Premiership (We looked at the goalkeepers in Part 1).
Compiled with a considerable amount of input from my blog colleague, Vinny
Ryan, we are looking at how the players performed over the campaign and
highlight what we hope we can expect to see at the Boleyn next season. As
ever, we look forward to input from West Ham fans around the globe on who
you want to see at Upton Park and where you think things can be improved.
Looking at the Hammers' 2012-13 defenders:
Guy Demel
West Ham's Guy Demel, left, held his own against players such as Wigan's
Callum McManaman. Having suffered an injury-ravaged season in 2011-12, Demel
was an important member of the West Ham defence throughout the season. He
played 32 games in all competitions, 31 in the Premiership. At the back end
of the previous season, the Ivorian full-back had done well enough, but a
couple of mistakes in the promotion playoff final did have some questioning
whether he could step up and compete in the top division.
In fact, Demel was sort of unsung hero throughout the campaign and is
probably one of the least talked about players in the Hammers' squad despite
being a mainstay at right back for much of it. Arguably, Demel was the most
consistent player of the entire season. While he isn't a player you come
away from the game saying "Wasn't he great?", you can surmise that the lack
of opinion on his performance can usually be seen as a positive, and it was
a rare occasion when you would think he had been really poor or was given a
roasting by the winger.
In fact, most fans recognise Demel and his ilk for what he is, the type of
player required by every club -- perhaps even every business! -- someone
who, without fuss or favour, just gets on with doing the job in hand.
Dependable and honest, you could even be charged with damning him with faint
praise, as at times when going forward he offered great support and showed
quite a bit of skill. Even through the Hammers' poor run of form after New
Year, he wasn't a player anyone looked to as a weak link or a problem.
His contract was extended to 2015, so we can expect Guy Demel to be one of
the first names on the team sheet again next season.
Appearances: League 31 (3 as sub); Cup 1.
Bookings: 2
Verdict: Solid throughout the season; it is testament to Demel's
performances that right back is not a position Sam Allardyce needs to
urgently look at.
Jordan Spence
Having made his debut in the penultimate game of the 2010-11 season which
saw West Ham relegated at Wigan, many fans believed Spence would get a
chance to play the following season in the Championship. Instead he was sent
out on loan to Bristol City, where he didn't always even play.
With Allardyce not using him at all, it seemed unlikely he would make an
impact following the club's promotion but during preseason, he found himself
playing quite a bit. In fact, he started the first six preseason games.
Spence was not included in any of the squads for the first few Premiership
games, but made his full West Ham debut in the League Cup game at home to
Crewe and also started in the 4-1 home defeat in the same competition to
Wigan.
These two displays were average and Spence found himself dropped from the
next two squads. But he was recalled due to injuries and was on the bench
against Southampton at Upton Park, where he was brought on in the 86th
minute and played on the right wing where he looked impressive, despite not
being on for long.
He found himself on the bench a few more times. But as injuries mounted in
defence, Allardyce showed no faith in him, preferring to move other players
from their normal positions.
Then, inexplicably, Spence was handed a place in the starting eleven against
Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Cup replay, where he acquitted
himself well enough but was unfortunate to give away a penalty (missed by
Wayne Rooney).
After that game, rather than think that Spence had clearly caught the eye of
Allardyce in training, it was clear that the reason Spence was starting was
more for Allardyce's contempt for cup competitions and, given that this was
a replay at Old Trafford and the chance to get through to the next round had
probably ended when the Irons conceded a last-minute goal in the first game,
Sam thought he'd give the player a run-out.
After that game, Spence was not included in one squad. It seems clear
Allardyce is not convinced by the 22-year-old and it is likely Jordan will
be moved on in the summer.
Appearances: League 4 (all as sub); Cup 3.
Bookings: 2
Verdict: For reasons best known to Sam, it doesn't look as if Spence figures
in his plans. The defender may resurrect his career with a Championship
move.
Winston Reid
Winston Reid was Hammer of the Year, and for good reason.
When Reid made his debut as a right back against Aston Villa in 2010, he had
a nightmare. Cut to three years later, and he has just been named Hammer of
the Year and there are few who would disagree with the accolade.
Having cemented his place in the side last season, it seems the chance to
play in the Championship did nothing but good for Reid as he has become a
stronger and more aware centre half. Credit has to go to Allardyce for his
improvement, because under his guidance Reid has turned into an excellent
defender.
The 24-year-old scored his only goal of the season in the 3-0 home win
against Fulham, where he met a Matthew Taylor corner with a thumping header.
The only criticism that could possibly be made is Reid doesn't get on the
end of a few more corners as he generally attacks headers well (something it
seems he has learned from James Collins).
His distribution of the ball has gotten better and is improving all the
time, but his greatest attribute is probably the last-ditch recovery tackle
which he seems to make on a number of occasions. He seems to always be there
to make that decisive challenge or interception and supporters can feel
confident with him at the back.
Reid is the epitome of someone who can go through tough times at a club, but
under the right management and guidance can knuckle down, improve and go on
to be one of the best players. A credit to youngsters everywhere.
Appearances: League 36; Cup 1
Goals: 1 Bookings: 8
Verdict: Hammer of the Year. 'Nuff said.
James Tomkins
It was a very odd season for Tomkins and one not he nor most of the fans
would have expected given his wonderful season in 2011-12.
Tomkins was immaculate during the Championship campaign and the talk of the
central defender becoming another Alvin Martin didn't seem so wide of the
mark. It was expected Tomkins would be one of the first names on the team
sheet coming into the Premier League season with the returning Collins vying
with Reid for the partnership nod.
But Tomkins began on the bench and he was always third-choice throughout the
entire season, although with injuries and suspensions, he still took part in
a number of games, starting 18 Premiership matches and coming off the bench
eight times.
Having been picked for the Great Britain Olympic team in the summer,
everything seemed to be on the up for this West Ham boy. But his displays at
the Olympics were criticised and he did not get a full preseason with the
rest of the Hammers' squad, which did him no favours.
His first start came in the second match against Swansea where Tomkins was
deployed in the centre midfield role. But when things were going badly, he
was taken off at half time. He would have to wait until the League Cup game
at home to Wigan for another start and he had a bit of a nightmare, looking
extremely rusty and lacking match fitness.
Tomkins would get another chance when Reid was taken off after 22 minutes
away at QPR where he slotted in well and settled as the game progressed.
Tomkins was again in the team for the home match against Southampton, but
this time at right back as West Ham battled injury problems.
This was really the story of his season in that he was there just to fill
in. West Ham do not have many centre halves in the squad (just three), so
while he was never able to displace Collins and Reid without one of them
being injured or suspended, he was still required to play a role.
As the season moved into December, Tomkins began to get more games and
played a few at right back and then moved into the centre. Unfortunately
though, his inclusion coincided with the club's poor run of form as injury
to Collins at Sunderland meant Tomkins was going to be needed during the
next month.
Looking back on it, the moment he began to play regularly West Ham began to
concede goals. Although you cannot blame Tomkins entirely, it is clear that
Reid and Collins formed a defensive partnership that worked, while the
player who has come through the Academy never got to grips with the quality
the Premiership has to offer. This was odd as Tomkins was one of the few
players who hadn't looked poor during the 2010-11 relegation season.
There were rumours Newcastle were keen to take Tomkins during the winter
transfer window. But a new four-year deal was signed so fans can only hope
that Sam is able to weave the same magic on Tomkins as he has on Reid. I
firmly believe that not only is he an excellent defender but, with the right
opportunities, the Basildon-born player can go right to the very top.
2013-14 is a very important season for James Tomkins.
Appearances: League 26 (8 as a sub); Cup 3
Goals: 1 Bookings: 5
Verdict: Needs to recapture the form he produced in the Championship.
James Collins
A popular figure in his first spell at the club, James Collins was signed in
the summer to boost the Hammers' defensive options having been surplus to
requirements at Aston Villa.
While his debut against his former club was solid enough the next game away
at Swansea saw him make a catastrophic error as his back pass was
intercepted and Swansea scored. The concerns about his ability were
vehemently talked about amongst the supporters especially as he was keeping
out Tomkins.
Collins has a certain style of defending which took a bit of getting used to
due to its rugged nature, and composure is not a word that you would use
when describing him.
The early-season form was a little concerning with another mistake at home
to Sunderland leading to a goal being conceded. But he got better and the
form improved. There was another blip against Reading at the Madjeski when
his back pass again led to a goal. But after that mistake, I doubt Collins
made another all season. If Reid had not been consistent for the majority of
the season Collins could well have been voted Hammer of the Year as he saved
the team countless times in the second half of the campaign.
He scored two goals in the FA Cup third-round game against Manchester United
as Joe Cole supplied the crosses for two almost identical headers and
Collins went on strongly from there.
Surely his best display came away at Anfield in the 0-0 draw against
Liverpool. With Luis Suarez up front for the Scousers, it had been believed
that it would be a long day for Collins. But the Welsh defender completely
won the battle in a Man of the Match performance.
Collins received a lot of criticism early in the season but recovered well
and he can look back on the season with pride.
Appearances: League 29; Cup 1
Goals: 2 Bookings: 9
Verdict: A few mistakes early on were more than offset by some superb
defensive displays later.
George McCartney
It was an injury-hit season for McCartney, who came into the season as West
Ham's first-choice left back. A pre-season injury saw him miss one game and
then struggle to reclaim his place back in the side as Joey O'Brien
performed well.
With O'Brien getting injured, McCartney was recalled for the home game
against Arsenal and started the following six league games, with the away
defeat at Tottenham in November being the last time he started. Injury kept
him out for most of the rest of the season, although he did come on as a
78th-minute substitute against West Brom in March before getting hurt again.
McCartney has served the club well in both spells there. Although he signed
a two-year contract last summer, the signing of Razvan Rat and Joey O'Brien
proving more than capable in that position, there's a feeling that George's
future probably now lies away from Upton Park.
Appearances: League 12 (3 as sub); Cup 1
Bookings: 2
Verdict: A popular player, but George has probably reached the end of his
career at Upton Park.
Daniel Potts
Having not signed another natural left back in the summer and with only
McCartney as the senior player in that position, many fans thought that
Potts would see more time than he actually did.
Potts was in the starting lineup for half the preseason games, but it was
Joey O'Brien who got the nod all season long. Potts was shipped out on loan
in November to League One side Colchester United, where he looked quietly
impressive in a struggling side. He was recalled back to the Boleyn in
January.
Potts did have a three-game stint which saw him start against Manchester
United in the FA Cup twice and Sunderland in the league, but it was clear
after those games that Allardyce thought Potts was not yet ready to be
thrown in on a permanent basis.
Potts suffered a heavy collision away at Arsenal in a 5-1 defeat, which
Allardyce used as a smokescreen to take the heat off a big loss. With this
injury, Allardyce brought in Emanuel Pogatetz on loan as cover and Potts was
not included in another squad the rest of the season.
In the FA Cup home tie with Manchester United, many fans were happy with his
display yet, inevitably with limited experience, Danny was targeted as a
weak link in the side despite putting in a brave performance. But in a
shocking away performance by the whole team at Sunderland, Potts looked poor
and was badly at fault for the second goal.
Having just turned 19 in April, it is too early to write him off. Under
other circumstances, it's likely that Potts could have a future at the club.
However, Allardyce has shown himself to be quite unforgiving with younger
players -- something even the strongest Sam supporter sometimes finds
difficult to defend - and the best bet would seem to be a loan move to a
Championship club, where he could grow in confidence and, hopefully, provide
West Ham with another home-grown star to applaud. If Danny was to become
half as solid, dependable and popular at the club as his father Steve, then
it is surely worth trying.
Appearances: League 2 (1 as sub); Cup 4
Verdict: A promising youngster who needs some vital experience.
Emanuel Pogatetz
At the end of January, Pogatetz was signed on loan from German side
Wolfsburg for the rest of the season as cover due to defensive injuries.
He made his debut against Swansea City at Upton Park, when he came on as a
substitute in the 90th minute. He made his first and only start in the
following game away at Aston Villa, where West Ham put in a horrible
performance. But Pogatetz, despite looking a bit nervy, was far from the
worst of the Hammers that day.
It was the next game in which Pogatetz defined his brief West Ham career,
coming on at home to Tottenham as a 72nd minute sub, replacing Demel. The
moment the Austrian came on, West Ham fell apart and the formerly anonymous
Aaron Lennon became a main part of the Spurs revival as they just focused on
Pogatetz and, frankly, tore him apart.
It was such a noticeable performance against dreaded local rivals the
defender instantly became disliked and a subject of much abuse every other
time supporters saw he was about to come on. Thankfully, it was only as a
substitute on three more occasions.
Pogatetz's loan was terminated before the season was ended and the only
footnote the player is likely to provide to the West Ham history books is
when supporters gather together on internet forums and laugh about joke
signings. Nevertheless, the appearances do indicate a disturbing trait of
Sam's as it's difficult to imagine -- apart from ill-advised 'experience' --
what Pog was likely to bring to the party that someone such as Spence or
Potts couldn't.
Appearances: League 6 (5 as sub)
Bookings: 2
Verdict: At least he didn't slam the door on the way out.
Joey O'Brien
O'Brien had a remarkable campaign, playing a big part in West Ham's season
and starting a remarkable 32 league games. Most fans would have been very
surprised had they been told that not only would O'Brien figure as often as
he did, but it would be from a relatively comfortable position at left-back.
It is difficult to dislike O'Brien, who puts everything into his
performances. Although common sense suggests the Irish defender isn't
anything particularly special, the fact remains that he is seldom left
wanting, not only filling in where required but also doing it supremely
well.
For a player who was a centre midfielder in his early career before being
used at right back for most of last season, O'Brien has adapted well to the
left back position he filled for the majority of the campaign. He likes to
get forward too, and scored two goals against Stoke and Norwich at Upton
Park.
To move forward as a club, supporters will always want better players than
the likes of O'Brien. But it is also important to have players such as him
in the squad who can play in a number of positions and very rarely let you
down when he is called upon.
For a team that has based most of their success on defence, O'Brien can look
back and know that he was part of a unit that did very well this season.
Appearances: League 33 (1 as sub); Cup 1
Goals: 2 Bookings: 6
Verdict: Solid and dependable all season long, a player who will surely be
in or around the first team next season.
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Ex Hammers Set For A Return To West Ham?
Date: 1st June 2013 at 12:46 pm
Written by: Emily Pulham |
Forever WestHam
The question I most often ask my football buddies is what former West Ham
players they'd love to see return for another round of playing for us. Now
that the transfer mill is up and churning out some real winners, I'm
wondering whether or not any of my former favorites will be chasing a return
to East London this summer.
It's fun to answer this question in regards to West Ham, as we've actually
got a decent chance of the players coming back. In recent years messers
McCartney, Collins, (Joe) Cole, and, briefly, Benayoun, have all returned
for a second stint in claret and blue after departing the club. There have
even been murmurs of Rio Ferdinand seeing out his last few years of football
at the club (something I would love to see.)
With that in mind, here are 3 players who have left recently that I would
love to see come back to Upton Park: Carlos Tevez, Scott Parker and –
controversial, I know – Craig Bellamy.
Carlos Tevez needs no explanation. The man is a brilliant player, who scored
16 goals for Man City this past season, and has always made it clear that he
still feels fondly towards West Ham; he crosses his arms over his chest at
Upton Park, and still refuses to celebrate scoring against us (a gesture I
greatly appreciate.) Imagine him playing up front with Carroll- deadly.
But will he come back?
No, if he does I could see it being to see out the end of his career, but
not any time soon. There's too much money at Manchester City. Having said
that, they are reportedly stalling on his new contract, so watch this space.
Scotty Parker is a more recent departure I'd take back in a second. His
incredible hard work ethic was greatly appreciated, as were his graceful,
black swan-esque turns on the ball, and general consistent midfield skill
and talent.
But will he spin his way back into our hearts?
Well, it might not be a bad idea. Parker left Upton Park as he wanted
Premier League football, which we are now comfortably playing. During his
time at West Ham he scored 12 goals; he's scored zero at Spurs and, although
injured, hasn't contributed as strongly as he did in his first season.
Whispers are starting to surface that he may be out of favour at Spurs, and
may head off to QPR- and who in their right mind would want to go off there,
eh Rob Green?
And what of Craig Bellamy? The man is such a mouthy little so and so, but
lethal up front. He helped Cardiff City win promotion, but didn't have very
high goals per games ratio in his most recent season.
But will he be getting carded for dissent while playing for us next season?
Nah. Although Bellamy has said (in 2011) that the happiest time in his
career was when he played for us, and we reportedly tried to get him back on
loan in 2010, he has since done well for Cardiff. He'll want to carry on
with them in the Premier League.
There's also, of course, another side to the comeback question. As much as
I'd like any of the above players back, there's also a few people, who, if
they ever stepped foot on the pitch again in claret and blue I would burn my
season ticket before you could say 'pretty bubbles in the air;' particularly
Jermaine Defoe, Nigel Mediocore, and of course, the big 'un – literally –
Frank Lampard.
But those three aside, a lot of excellent players have graced our hallowed
turf and left on remarkably good terms, and I'd love to see them play with
our current manager. To see how much Sam Allardyce has gotten from our
players that previous managers were unable to get out of them (Winston Reid
when Grant was managing, I'm looking at you) makes me think that a lot of
previous 'good' players could be great players whilst working under Big Sam,
and I'd love to get them back again.
Plus, if James Collins is anything to go by, a second chance at claret and
blue can be a very good thing indeed.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United skipper goes under the spotlight in our Season in
Seconds feature
01.06.2013
West Ham United captain Kevin Nolan is the latest player to sum up the
2012/13 campaign in Season in Seconds.
Kevin, how would you sum up the season in a few words?
KN - "Fantastic, especially when two years ago we were relegated. I'm
delighted, it's been successful and well deserved."
What was your highlight?
KN - "There's been a few, I must admit. The first game of the season, being
back in the Premier League scoring goals, that was a good day. But I just
think the whole season throughout, the way we've handled it, has been
fantastic."
What are your plans for the summer?
KN - "I've got a couple of weddings to go to in the summer. Ones in Aruba,
so I'm looking forward to that. Then I'll go away with the kids, and one
with all my boys from back in Liverpool. I'm going to enjoy it because it's
been a good season and I'll be ready and raring to go for next year when we
come back in on 1 July."
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On this day - 2 June
WHUFC.com
Former Hammer of the Year Sebastien Schemmel celebrates his birthday today
02.06.2013
Anniversary (1)
Sebastien Schemmel
Born: 2 June 1975, Nancy, France
Clubs: Nancy, Metz, West Ham United, Portsmouth, Le Havre
Honours: Hammer of the Year (2002)
French right-back Sebastien Schemmel was something of an unknown when he
joined West Ham United from French side Nancy for £765,000 in January 2001.
However, it would not be long before the Hammers' supporters realised why
manager Harry Redknapp had brought the marauding defender to the Club, as
Schemmel's second appearance in claret and blue saw West Ham defeat
Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford in the FA Cup third round. The
following season, 2001/02, Schemmel made 35 Premier League appearances as
West Ham finished a creditable seventh in the Premier League table. He was
rewarded for his consistent performances by being voted Hammer of the Year
by the Club's supporters. Schemmel remained at the Boleyn Ground for a
further six months before leaving east London for Portsmouth in January
2003, where he was reunited with former Hammers boss Redknapp. He had made
73 appearances for West Ham, scoring once. The defender spent 18 months with
Portsmouth before being released and, after one season back in France with
Le Havre, he retired in 2005.
Anniversary (2)
England 1-0 Romania
FIFA World Cup finals, Group C
Tuesday 2 June 1970, Estádio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico
West Ham United's 1966 FIFA World Cup-winning trio of Bobby Moore, Geoff
Hurst and Martin Peters were in England's starting XI as they began their
defence of the trophy in Mexico four years later. England had been drawn in
Group C alongside fellow Europeans Romania, Czechoslovakia and South
Americans Brazil. Sir Alf Ramsey's side began their challenge by facing
Romania in front of 50,560 supporters at the Estadio Jalisco in Guadalajara
on Tuesday 2 June 1970.
Just as he had done three times at Wembley in the 1966 final, Hurst was on
target again, converting a cross from fellow World Cup winner Alan Ball with
25 minutes remaining. England would go on to be edged out 1-0 by Brazil in
their second match, despite Moore's outstanding individual display, and beat
Czechoslovakia by the same scoreline to reach the quarter-finals. There,
despite Peters scoring and England taking a 2-0 lead, they were beaten 3-2
by West Germany after extra-time.
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Waiting for Andy to Make a Decision?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
The predominant view in the various media sources is that West Ham are
awaiting a decision from Andy Carroll on whether he intends to join the
club. It has also been reported that the club have asked for a decision next
week, so that its transfer plans are not unduly adversely impacted upon if
the answer is in the negative. Is it true, who knows? The websites are full
of conjuncture about a £15m deal being struck with Liverpool, Andy Carroll
reserving his position to see what his other options are and Liverpool being
keen to move the player out and re-invest the fee in their own summer squad
building. Of course, for a long time the narrative tended to focus squarely
on Carroll's alternative options, namely whether he could stay and fight for
his place at Anfield or return to St James Park. These possibilities were
seen as far more likely than a permanent deal at Upton Park.
The latest conjecture is that Liverpool wish to sell, but are reluctant to
sell him back to Newcastle Utd at such a hugely reduced fee. Alternatively,
perhaps the obstacle to a deal with them is the fact that Newcastle Utd
cannot/do not wish to meet Liverpool's £15m valuation and, consequently,
they have now turned their attentions elsewhere (reportedly to Wilfred
Bony). So, if this is a true assessment of the current situation, it would
appear that the player currently has just one viable option, to move to West
Ham. There is talk of overseas interest and maybe another club making a move
(i.e. Spurs)? Arguably, a move abroad is not the ideal option at this stage
of Carroll's career, so the best move would seem to be to commit to West
Ham. He fits in well at the club, he will play regularly and West Ham is a
good stage upon which to further develop his career. Moreover, with the move
to the Olympic Stadium, it is a club where he can progress and ultimately
realise his ambitions. Carroll is only 24 years of age and at the end of a
new three year contract, all things being equal, he would be at the peak of
his career and able to reassess his options at that point in time. This all
assumes, of course, that West Ham pull out all of the stops and offer
acceptable contract terms.
We must wait and see if a decision is made next week? Whatever happens with
that deal, it is inevitable that there are going to be wholesale changes in
the striker positions. As we know, Carlton Cole has been released and there
is a huge question mark over Maiga's future at the club. So, if Carroll does
not join, we could be looking at trying to sign up to three new strikers
this summer. That would be a challenge, because as we know it is difficult
task to secure one top class striker, let alone three! Personally, I would
give Maiga another chance next season. It is extraordinary how decisive
Maiga's contributions have been in his relatively few appearances this
season, capped by that great assist for Nolan's third goal against Reading.
The rumour is that Sam Allardyce is not happy with Maiga's application and
work rate, but surely this needs to be balanced against what he delivers in
the final third and that key aspect of his game has been consistently good.
Another piece of recent conjecture is that Maiga allegedly fell out of
favour when, against all previous indications, he opted to attend
international duty at the January African Cup of Nations tournament. The
latest news is that Maiga could return to French football in a cut price
£2.5m deal. If that proves to be the case, it will be a great shame
considering his undoubted potential.
Even if Carroll signs and Maiga stays next season, we still need at least
one more striker. And two frequently mentioned names have been Wilfred Bony
and Romelu Lukaku. The probability is that a fee in the region of £14m will
be necessary to capture Bony's signature. Are West Ham realistically going
to sign both Carroll and Bony? That is unlikely, unless they are really
determined to 'push the boat out' in the summer transfer window. However,
the loan signing of Lukaku would make perfect sense as a supplement to
Carroll. And Lukaku also brings other qualities to the strike force, such as
pace and the ability to consistently hit the target at PL level (based on
last season). The possibility of signing him is inevitably down to Chelsea
and their assessment of the player's future. They could, of course, put him
out on loan again, retain him in their squad next season or cash in on him.
And, in the latter case, Dortmund are known to be interested. So, again, we
wait to see what will occur. But make no mistake, if we can secure a loan
deal, Lukaku would be a massive signing for the club.
It is very quiet on the transfer front at the moment, but no doubt much
effort is being expounded behind the scenes. There are key targets in other
positions, such the need to secure a new keeper, but one gets the impression
that our success in securing our striker targets will be crucial to us
strengthening the squad and progressing next season. Our top scorer is Kevin
Nolan with 10 goals for the season, followed by Andy Carroll on 7 goals. And
that speaks volumes about the need to sign a striker that can hit the target
c.15 plus times a season. Get that right and, hopefully, the rest will
follow to facilitate us improving on our top 10 finish and having a cup run
next season.
SJ. Chandos.
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West Ham line up Betis ace
Date: 2nd June 2013 at 2:45 am
Written by Brad Pinard | Comments (0)
Football Fancast
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is set to continue his summer spending by
bringing Real Betis goalkeeper Adrian to East London, according to the Daily
Mail.
Despite current number one Jussi Jaaskelainen recently signing a one year
contract extension, Allardyce is keen to add competition to that area of the
pitch after the former Bolton stopper blew hot and cold on his first season
at Upton Park. Adrian has become one of the top goalkeepers in Spain and La
Liga clubs Espanyol and Getafe are also tracking his progress ahead of
making summer bids. West Ham scouts travelled to Levante to scout the
stopper for the final time ahead of making their own bid which could be
significantly less than expected due to Betis' woeful financial state.
Allardyce has back up options in the goalkeeping market though as Besiktas'
Alan McGregor and Aston Villa's Shay Given are both available and on his
radar.
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Season Review Part 2: Defenders
Posted by Peter Thorne and Vinny Ryan
ESPN
This is the second installment of a close look at West Ham's 2012-13 season,
and the players who played an important part in getting the Hammers into the
top half of the Premiership (We looked at the goalkeepers in Part 1).
Compiled with a considerable amount of input from my blog colleague, Vinny
Ryan, we are looking at how the players performed over the campaign and
highlight what we hope we can expect to see at the Boleyn next season. As
ever, we look forward to input from West Ham fans around the globe on who
you want to see at Upton Park and where you think things can be improved.
Looking at the Hammers' 2012-13 defenders:
Guy Demel
West Ham's Guy Demel, left, held his own against players such as Wigan's
Callum McManaman. Having suffered an injury-ravaged season in 2011-12, Demel
was an important member of the West Ham defence throughout the season. He
played 32 games in all competitions, 31 in the Premiership. At the back end
of the previous season, the Ivorian full-back had done well enough, but a
couple of mistakes in the promotion playoff final did have some questioning
whether he could step up and compete in the top division.
In fact, Demel was sort of unsung hero throughout the campaign and is
probably one of the least talked about players in the Hammers' squad despite
being a mainstay at right back for much of it. Arguably, Demel was the most
consistent player of the entire season. While he isn't a player you come
away from the game saying "Wasn't he great?", you can surmise that the lack
of opinion on his performance can usually be seen as a positive, and it was
a rare occasion when you would think he had been really poor or was given a
roasting by the winger.
In fact, most fans recognise Demel and his ilk for what he is, the type of
player required by every club -- perhaps even every business! -- someone
who, without fuss or favour, just gets on with doing the job in hand.
Dependable and honest, you could even be charged with damning him with faint
praise, as at times when going forward he offered great support and showed
quite a bit of skill. Even through the Hammers' poor run of form after New
Year, he wasn't a player anyone looked to as a weak link or a problem.
His contract was extended to 2015, so we can expect Guy Demel to be one of
the first names on the team sheet again next season.
Appearances: League 31 (3 as sub); Cup 1.
Bookings: 2
Verdict: Solid throughout the season; it is testament to Demel's
performances that right back is not a position Sam Allardyce needs to
urgently look at.
Jordan Spence
Having made his debut in the penultimate game of the 2010-11 season which
saw West Ham relegated at Wigan, many fans believed Spence would get a
chance to play the following season in the Championship. Instead he was sent
out on loan to Bristol City, where he didn't always even play.
With Allardyce not using him at all, it seemed unlikely he would make an
impact following the club's promotion but during preseason, he found himself
playing quite a bit. In fact, he started the first six preseason games.
Spence was not included in any of the squads for the first few Premiership
games, but made his full West Ham debut in the League Cup game at home to
Crewe and also started in the 4-1 home defeat in the same competition to
Wigan.
These two displays were average and Spence found himself dropped from the
next two squads. But he was recalled due to injuries and was on the bench
against Southampton at Upton Park, where he was brought on in the 86th
minute and played on the right wing where he looked impressive, despite not
being on for long.
He found himself on the bench a few more times. But as injuries mounted in
defence, Allardyce showed no faith in him, preferring to move other players
from their normal positions.
Then, inexplicably, Spence was handed a place in the starting eleven against
Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Cup replay, where he acquitted
himself well enough but was unfortunate to give away a penalty (missed by
Wayne Rooney).
After that game, rather than think that Spence had clearly caught the eye of
Allardyce in training, it was clear that the reason Spence was starting was
more for Allardyce's contempt for cup competitions and, given that this was
a replay at Old Trafford and the chance to get through to the next round had
probably ended when the Irons conceded a last-minute goal in the first game,
Sam thought he'd give the player a run-out.
After that game, Spence was not included in one squad. It seems clear
Allardyce is not convinced by the 22-year-old and it is likely Jordan will
be moved on in the summer.
Appearances: League 4 (all as sub); Cup 3.
Bookings: 2
Verdict: For reasons best known to Sam, it doesn't look as if Spence figures
in his plans. The defender may resurrect his career with a Championship
move.
Winston Reid
Winston Reid was Hammer of the Year, and for good reason.
When Reid made his debut as a right back against Aston Villa in 2010, he had
a nightmare. Cut to three years later, and he has just been named Hammer of
the Year and there are few who would disagree with the accolade.
Having cemented his place in the side last season, it seems the chance to
play in the Championship did nothing but good for Reid as he has become a
stronger and more aware centre half. Credit has to go to Allardyce for his
improvement, because under his guidance Reid has turned into an excellent
defender.
The 24-year-old scored his only goal of the season in the 3-0 home win
against Fulham, where he met a Matthew Taylor corner with a thumping header.
The only criticism that could possibly be made is Reid doesn't get on the
end of a few more corners as he generally attacks headers well (something it
seems he has learned from James Collins).
His distribution of the ball has gotten better and is improving all the
time, but his greatest attribute is probably the last-ditch recovery tackle
which he seems to make on a number of occasions. He seems to always be there
to make that decisive challenge or interception and supporters can feel
confident with him at the back.
Reid is the epitome of someone who can go through tough times at a club, but
under the right management and guidance can knuckle down, improve and go on
to be one of the best players. A credit to youngsters everywhere.
Appearances: League 36; Cup 1
Goals: 1 Bookings: 8
Verdict: Hammer of the Year. 'Nuff said.
James Tomkins
It was a very odd season for Tomkins and one not he nor most of the fans
would have expected given his wonderful season in 2011-12.
Tomkins was immaculate during the Championship campaign and the talk of the
central defender becoming another Alvin Martin didn't seem so wide of the
mark. It was expected Tomkins would be one of the first names on the team
sheet coming into the Premier League season with the returning Collins vying
with Reid for the partnership nod.
But Tomkins began on the bench and he was always third-choice throughout the
entire season, although with injuries and suspensions, he still took part in
a number of games, starting 18 Premiership matches and coming off the bench
eight times.
Having been picked for the Great Britain Olympic team in the summer,
everything seemed to be on the up for this West Ham boy. But his displays at
the Olympics were criticised and he did not get a full preseason with the
rest of the Hammers' squad, which did him no favours.
His first start came in the second match against Swansea where Tomkins was
deployed in the centre midfield role. But when things were going badly, he
was taken off at half time. He would have to wait until the League Cup game
at home to Wigan for another start and he had a bit of a nightmare, looking
extremely rusty and lacking match fitness.
Tomkins would get another chance when Reid was taken off after 22 minutes
away at QPR where he slotted in well and settled as the game progressed.
Tomkins was again in the team for the home match against Southampton, but
this time at right back as West Ham battled injury problems.
This was really the story of his season in that he was there just to fill
in. West Ham do not have many centre halves in the squad (just three), so
while he was never able to displace Collins and Reid without one of them
being injured or suspended, he was still required to play a role.
As the season moved into December, Tomkins began to get more games and
played a few at right back and then moved into the centre. Unfortunately
though, his inclusion coincided with the club's poor run of form as injury
to Collins at Sunderland meant Tomkins was going to be needed during the
next month.
Looking back on it, the moment he began to play regularly West Ham began to
concede goals. Although you cannot blame Tomkins entirely, it is clear that
Reid and Collins formed a defensive partnership that worked, while the
player who has come through the Academy never got to grips with the quality
the Premiership has to offer. This was odd as Tomkins was one of the few
players who hadn't looked poor during the 2010-11 relegation season.
There were rumours Newcastle were keen to take Tomkins during the winter
transfer window. But a new four-year deal was signed so fans can only hope
that Sam is able to weave the same magic on Tomkins as he has on Reid. I
firmly believe that not only is he an excellent defender but, with the right
opportunities, the Basildon-born player can go right to the very top.
2013-14 is a very important season for James Tomkins.
Appearances: League 26 (8 as a sub); Cup 3
Goals: 1 Bookings: 5
Verdict: Needs to recapture the form he produced in the Championship.
James Collins
A popular figure in his first spell at the club, James Collins was signed in
the summer to boost the Hammers' defensive options having been surplus to
requirements at Aston Villa.
While his debut against his former club was solid enough the next game away
at Swansea saw him make a catastrophic error as his back pass was
intercepted and Swansea scored. The concerns about his ability were
vehemently talked about amongst the supporters especially as he was keeping
out Tomkins.
Collins has a certain style of defending which took a bit of getting used to
due to its rugged nature, and composure is not a word that you would use
when describing him.
The early-season form was a little concerning with another mistake at home
to Sunderland leading to a goal being conceded. But he got better and the
form improved. There was another blip against Reading at the Madjeski when
his back pass again led to a goal. But after that mistake, I doubt Collins
made another all season. If Reid had not been consistent for the majority of
the season Collins could well have been voted Hammer of the Year as he saved
the team countless times in the second half of the campaign.
He scored two goals in the FA Cup third-round game against Manchester United
as Joe Cole supplied the crosses for two almost identical headers and
Collins went on strongly from there.
Surely his best display came away at Anfield in the 0-0 draw against
Liverpool. With Luis Suarez up front for the Scousers, it had been believed
that it would be a long day for Collins. But the Welsh defender completely
won the battle in a Man of the Match performance.
Collins received a lot of criticism early in the season but recovered well
and he can look back on the season with pride.
Appearances: League 29; Cup 1
Goals: 2 Bookings: 9
Verdict: A few mistakes early on were more than offset by some superb
defensive displays later.
George McCartney
It was an injury-hit season for McCartney, who came into the season as West
Ham's first-choice left back. A pre-season injury saw him miss one game and
then struggle to reclaim his place back in the side as Joey O'Brien
performed well.
With O'Brien getting injured, McCartney was recalled for the home game
against Arsenal and started the following six league games, with the away
defeat at Tottenham in November being the last time he started. Injury kept
him out for most of the rest of the season, although he did come on as a
78th-minute substitute against West Brom in March before getting hurt again.
McCartney has served the club well in both spells there. Although he signed
a two-year contract last summer, the signing of Razvan Rat and Joey O'Brien
proving more than capable in that position, there's a feeling that George's
future probably now lies away from Upton Park.
Appearances: League 12 (3 as sub); Cup 1
Bookings: 2
Verdict: A popular player, but George has probably reached the end of his
career at Upton Park.
Daniel Potts
Having not signed another natural left back in the summer and with only
McCartney as the senior player in that position, many fans thought that
Potts would see more time than he actually did.
Potts was in the starting lineup for half the preseason games, but it was
Joey O'Brien who got the nod all season long. Potts was shipped out on loan
in November to League One side Colchester United, where he looked quietly
impressive in a struggling side. He was recalled back to the Boleyn in
January.
Potts did have a three-game stint which saw him start against Manchester
United in the FA Cup twice and Sunderland in the league, but it was clear
after those games that Allardyce thought Potts was not yet ready to be
thrown in on a permanent basis.
Potts suffered a heavy collision away at Arsenal in a 5-1 defeat, which
Allardyce used as a smokescreen to take the heat off a big loss. With this
injury, Allardyce brought in Emanuel Pogatetz on loan as cover and Potts was
not included in another squad the rest of the season.
In the FA Cup home tie with Manchester United, many fans were happy with his
display yet, inevitably with limited experience, Danny was targeted as a
weak link in the side despite putting in a brave performance. But in a
shocking away performance by the whole team at Sunderland, Potts looked poor
and was badly at fault for the second goal.
Having just turned 19 in April, it is too early to write him off. Under
other circumstances, it's likely that Potts could have a future at the club.
However, Allardyce has shown himself to be quite unforgiving with younger
players -- something even the strongest Sam supporter sometimes finds
difficult to defend - and the best bet would seem to be a loan move to a
Championship club, where he could grow in confidence and, hopefully, provide
West Ham with another home-grown star to applaud. If Danny was to become
half as solid, dependable and popular at the club as his father Steve, then
it is surely worth trying.
Appearances: League 2 (1 as sub); Cup 4
Verdict: A promising youngster who needs some vital experience.
Emanuel Pogatetz
At the end of January, Pogatetz was signed on loan from German side
Wolfsburg for the rest of the season as cover due to defensive injuries.
He made his debut against Swansea City at Upton Park, when he came on as a
substitute in the 90th minute. He made his first and only start in the
following game away at Aston Villa, where West Ham put in a horrible
performance. But Pogatetz, despite looking a bit nervy, was far from the
worst of the Hammers that day.
It was the next game in which Pogatetz defined his brief West Ham career,
coming on at home to Tottenham as a 72nd minute sub, replacing Demel. The
moment the Austrian came on, West Ham fell apart and the formerly anonymous
Aaron Lennon became a main part of the Spurs revival as they just focused on
Pogatetz and, frankly, tore him apart.
It was such a noticeable performance against dreaded local rivals the
defender instantly became disliked and a subject of much abuse every other
time supporters saw he was about to come on. Thankfully, it was only as a
substitute on three more occasions.
Pogatetz's loan was terminated before the season was ended and the only
footnote the player is likely to provide to the West Ham history books is
when supporters gather together on internet forums and laugh about joke
signings. Nevertheless, the appearances do indicate a disturbing trait of
Sam's as it's difficult to imagine -- apart from ill-advised 'experience' --
what Pog was likely to bring to the party that someone such as Spence or
Potts couldn't.
Appearances: League 6 (5 as sub)
Bookings: 2
Verdict: At least he didn't slam the door on the way out.
Joey O'Brien
O'Brien had a remarkable campaign, playing a big part in West Ham's season
and starting a remarkable 32 league games. Most fans would have been very
surprised had they been told that not only would O'Brien figure as often as
he did, but it would be from a relatively comfortable position at left-back.
It is difficult to dislike O'Brien, who puts everything into his
performances. Although common sense suggests the Irish defender isn't
anything particularly special, the fact remains that he is seldom left
wanting, not only filling in where required but also doing it supremely
well.
For a player who was a centre midfielder in his early career before being
used at right back for most of last season, O'Brien has adapted well to the
left back position he filled for the majority of the campaign. He likes to
get forward too, and scored two goals against Stoke and Norwich at Upton
Park.
To move forward as a club, supporters will always want better players than
the likes of O'Brien. But it is also important to have players such as him
in the squad who can play in a number of positions and very rarely let you
down when he is called upon.
For a team that has based most of their success on defence, O'Brien can look
back and know that he was part of a unit that did very well this season.
Appearances: League 33 (1 as sub); Cup 1
Goals: 2 Bookings: 6
Verdict: Solid and dependable all season long, a player who will surely be
in or around the first team next season.
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Ex Hammers Set For A Return To West Ham?
Date: 1st June 2013 at 12:46 pm
Written by: Emily Pulham |
Forever WestHam
The question I most often ask my football buddies is what former West Ham
players they'd love to see return for another round of playing for us. Now
that the transfer mill is up and churning out some real winners, I'm
wondering whether or not any of my former favorites will be chasing a return
to East London this summer.
It's fun to answer this question in regards to West Ham, as we've actually
got a decent chance of the players coming back. In recent years messers
McCartney, Collins, (Joe) Cole, and, briefly, Benayoun, have all returned
for a second stint in claret and blue after departing the club. There have
even been murmurs of Rio Ferdinand seeing out his last few years of football
at the club (something I would love to see.)
With that in mind, here are 3 players who have left recently that I would
love to see come back to Upton Park: Carlos Tevez, Scott Parker and –
controversial, I know – Craig Bellamy.
Carlos Tevez needs no explanation. The man is a brilliant player, who scored
16 goals for Man City this past season, and has always made it clear that he
still feels fondly towards West Ham; he crosses his arms over his chest at
Upton Park, and still refuses to celebrate scoring against us (a gesture I
greatly appreciate.) Imagine him playing up front with Carroll- deadly.
But will he come back?
No, if he does I could see it being to see out the end of his career, but
not any time soon. There's too much money at Manchester City. Having said
that, they are reportedly stalling on his new contract, so watch this space.
Scotty Parker is a more recent departure I'd take back in a second. His
incredible hard work ethic was greatly appreciated, as were his graceful,
black swan-esque turns on the ball, and general consistent midfield skill
and talent.
But will he spin his way back into our hearts?
Well, it might not be a bad idea. Parker left Upton Park as he wanted
Premier League football, which we are now comfortably playing. During his
time at West Ham he scored 12 goals; he's scored zero at Spurs and, although
injured, hasn't contributed as strongly as he did in his first season.
Whispers are starting to surface that he may be out of favour at Spurs, and
may head off to QPR- and who in their right mind would want to go off there,
eh Rob Green?
And what of Craig Bellamy? The man is such a mouthy little so and so, but
lethal up front. He helped Cardiff City win promotion, but didn't have very
high goals per games ratio in his most recent season.
But will he be getting carded for dissent while playing for us next season?
Nah. Although Bellamy has said (in 2011) that the happiest time in his
career was when he played for us, and we reportedly tried to get him back on
loan in 2010, he has since done well for Cardiff. He'll want to carry on
with them in the Premier League.
There's also, of course, another side to the comeback question. As much as
I'd like any of the above players back, there's also a few people, who, if
they ever stepped foot on the pitch again in claret and blue I would burn my
season ticket before you could say 'pretty bubbles in the air;' particularly
Jermaine Defoe, Nigel Mediocore, and of course, the big 'un – literally –
Frank Lampard.
But those three aside, a lot of excellent players have graced our hallowed
turf and left on remarkably good terms, and I'd love to see them play with
our current manager. To see how much Sam Allardyce has gotten from our
players that previous managers were unable to get out of them (Winston Reid
when Grant was managing, I'm looking at you) makes me think that a lot of
previous 'good' players could be great players whilst working under Big Sam,
and I'd love to get them back again.
Plus, if James Collins is anything to go by, a second chance at claret and
blue can be a very good thing indeed.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Saturday, June 1
Daily WHUFC News - 1st June 2013
On this day - 1 June
WHUFC.com
West Ham United reached the inaugural Football League War Cup final on this
day in 1940
01.06.2013
Classic Match
Fulham 3-4 West Ham United
Football League War Cup semi-final
Saturday 1 June 1940, Stamford Bridge
The 1939/40 Football League season was suspended after just three matches
following the outbreak of the Second World War. Into its place came the
regional War League, designed to save on travelling and resources at a time
when the war effort meant everything. The FA Cup competition for that season
was also cancelled, with the national Football League War Cup taking its
place. Played in a condensed period between April and June 1940, the War Cup
proved to be a hugely successful tournament for West Ham United. The Hammers
overcame Chelsea 5-2 on aggregate in the first round before defeating
Leicester City 4-1 over two legs in the second round. Charlie Paynter's team
then drew 3-3 at Huddersfield Town before winning the replay 3-1. A 4-2 home
win over Birmingham City set up a London derby semi-final at Fulham played
on this date in 1940. The Hammers had been defeated 2-1 by the same
opponents just five days previously in the War League, but they would not be
denied in the knockout competition. The match was set for a 6.40pm kick-off
to allow war workers to attend and the 33,000 who turned out were treated to
a thrilling 90 minutes. An own-goal from Brown put West Ham in front before
Len Goulden (pictured) doubled the lead before half-time with a well-placed
shot. Joseph Stanley Foxall made it 3-0 shortly after the break before Sam
Small added a fourth.
It seemed the game was over, but Fulham roared back to score three goals in
the space of 25 minutes through Woodward and then Rooke, who scored twice to
make the score 4-3. West Ham held on, though, and would face Blackburn
Rovers in the final at Wembley on Saturday 8 June 1940.
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Season in Seconds: Gary O'Neil
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United midfielder goes under the microscope in our Season in
Seconds feature
31.05.2013
Gary O'Neil is the latest player to feature in our Season in Seconds
feature. You can watch the full interview with Gary on West Ham TV by
clicking here.
Gary, how would you sum up the season?
GO - "I'd say fairly successful. It's been pretty stress-free staying away
from the relegation zone for all of it."
What was your personal highlight?
GO - "Probably the last ten or eleven weeks for me, getting a decent run in
the side. The West Brom game was good, scoring, setting up Andy and getting
a
big three points all on the same day. That was nice."
What was your funniest moment of the season?
GO - "Mulumbu kicking the ball at me and getting sent off - that was quite
amusing."
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Reid wins Belfast Hammers award
WHUFC.com
West Ham United defender Winston Reid collected another prize for his
outstanding 2012/13 season
31.05.2013
Winston Reid's trophy cabinet welcomed another new addition recently when
the Belfast Hammers selected him as their Player of the Year. Already the
recipient of the Hammer of the Year award, Players' Player of the Year.and
Swedish Hammers Player of the Year, the central defender collected yet
another prize for his fantastic season from the Belfast Hammers. The group
made the journey over the Irish Sea to be at West Ham United's final game of
the season against Reading and were delighted to be able to hand Reid the
trophy.
It also turned out to be an excellent match to make the trip for - West Ham
ran out 4-2 winners and secured a top-ten finish in the Barclays Premier
League.
Belfast Hammers chairman Ronan Muldoon explained why Reid had won the award
and said the members had enjoyed their most-recent trip to east London in an
exclusive interview with West Ham TV. He said: "It was a very tightly
contested competition between Winston and a few others and at the end of the
day the decision came down to a very close divide. "Winston Reid was the
successful nomination and I think he's had a very good season. He's matured
greatly this season through his efforts as an individual and a team player.
"About a dozen of us made the trip over and we were fortunate enough to have
the winner of the competition for designing the Belfast Hammers' new crest
with us. "We come over as a club two to three times a season, and there are
a number of individuals who make more trips than that. In the current
climate it's a big commitment and a lot to ask, but West Ham are very
accommodating in what we do, through their support of the official Belfast
Hammers Club and long may it continue. "We're looking forward to turning out
in our numbers for the pre-season game at Cork now!"
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West Ham's new Adidas kits unveiled?
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 31st May 2013
By: Staff Writer
Pictures purporting to be West Ham United's new Adidas home and away kits
for 2013/14 have been revealed on Twitter. At circa 10pm on Friday night,
Twitter member @djleon1983 posted images of what are said to be the club's
first designs by the German corporation, who recently agreed a two-year kit
sponsorship deal with West Ham. As can be seen below, the home shirt
featured a far lighter blue than that to which we have become accustomed in
recent years, whilst the away kit closely resembles that produced by Adidas
for West Ham in the 1984/85 season. Further images - including a potential
third kit plus leisure wear as modelled by a series of players - may be seen
by viewing twitter.com/djleon1983. Just how the images (which appear to
have been taken at the club's Chadwell Heath training centre) were obtained
has not been disclosed. West Ham previously wore Adidas kits between 1980
and 1987.
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All calm on the West Ham front... for a change
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 31st May 2013
By: Paul Walker
I don't know about you lot, but I've had a brilliant couple of weeks, no
tension, no high blood pressure, no sleepless nights. Not even a mild
nervous breakdown.
Yes, I know, it's so unlike the usual end of season for a West Ham fan. And
it's all because our Sam and the boys finished in a remarkable tenth place,
without any hint of featuring in Sky's 'let's search for a sobbing fan'
final day TV torture.
It's hard to believe that it is two weeks since our last day victory over
Reading, a hugely entertaining day that went totally to plan before we all
drifted happily off into the sunset without a care in the world.
The previous season we were still to endure the draining play-off Final. The
previous season we were left to contemplate the horrors of relegation and
the season before that we had just about limped over the line to safety.
It was quite fun watching Crystal Palace beat Watford at Wembley to claim
their place back in the top flight. Seeing such anguish underlined what it
must have been like to watch us at the same venue a year earlier.
The right side won, too. Palace deserved to win, even though some of our
number wanted to see Gianfranco Zola back into the top flight. I've nothing
against Zola, but I have plenty against Scott Duxbury, who caused so many of
our own problems over the Tevez fiasco. To see him back in the Premier
League at the administrative helm of Watford would have been too much to
bear.
Anyway, I was delighted for Danny Gabbidon. He served us well over the years
and struggled to overcome some shocking injuries that almost ended his
career. Once our Hammer of the Year, he was always a honest, tireless
competitor in our colours.
Forced to play out of position so often, it was nice to see him at the heart
of Palace's defence and doing so well. I do hope he gets a good reception
when he returns to the Boleyn with Palace next season.
The reason, of course, for me being able to feel so happy for a potential
rival is the calm state of mind that follows our more than decent season.
Although I don't go along with Sam's ability to re-write history and claim
we were never in the relegation dogfight. Four points off the bottom three
with a couple of weeks of the season left felt like a dogfight to me, and
it's easy in hindsight to just trot out that we were never lower than 14th.
But tenth place is a real credit to our team. And the statistics make
enlightening reading. In what John Hellier's book rightly called the Elite
Years, basically from 1958-59 when we won promotion from the old Second
Division to now, we have finished above tenth place just 16 times.
And if you want to massage a fact with a little journalistic licence, you
can go back to our first season in the Football League (1919-20) and the
figure is just 18 times above tenth place in 95 years. The war years, and
the fact that we were in the Second Division from 1932 to 1959, does make
that statistic a little dramatic. But you take my point.
What our team and manager achieved in the recently ended season was very,
very impressive, so I was determined to savour the moment for a couple of
weeks before launching into the usual silly summer season of transfer
rumours.
We've not been disappointed. A quick flick through the more lunatic fringes
off football websites and blogs has thrown up 17 names already, probably
more that I have missed or just dismissed as ludicrous.
From Dynamo Moscow midfielder Balas Dzsudzsak to a Serbian born, Albanian
heritage striker Atdhe Huhiu (who plays for Austria) and is on loan to
Eskisehirspor in Turkey. These are just some of the growing list of players
being linked with Sam.
Finishing tenth at least gives us a better quality of rumour, like
Manchester City wanting to sign Ravel Morrison!
AC Milan veteran Massimo Ambrosini's name keeps cropping up; I'm not too
sure about that one, at 36 surely he is too old?
Bordeaux defender Ludovic Sane seems a good shout, mainly because we will
have to sing a new Ludo song! I cannot see Jose Mourinho letting Romelu
Lukaku back out on loan again, while Barcelona reserve defender Marc Bartra
would be interesting, just to see how he handles Sam's defensive and
attacking set-piece set ups after all those years playing the beautiful game
at the Nou Camp.
Razvan Rat seems a decent signing, he's played high quality stuff for years
and will help solve our pressing left-back problem. George McCartney does
seem injury prone and I don't believe Danny Potts is strong enough yet. So
we need experience there and that allows Joey O'Brien and Guy Demel to
contest the right-back slot.
But the real one we are all waiting to hear about is Andy Carroll's future.
And it should not be long, I feel we all made it pretty clear to the lad
during the Reading game that he would be more than welcome back, and it's
all down to his career ambitions now.
But if he thinks he is going to get another crack at Liverpool, I believe he
is seriously deluded. Brendan Rodgers has not changed his mind from last
summer, and must surely have made it plain to Carroll that he is well down
the pecking order.
The main reason everyone was so keen to get him out on loan last summer -
and Rodgers did tell the lad to join us - is that Liverpool's American
owners were not prepared to have a very expensive asset just sitting on the
bench. At £35m and £80,000 a week, that was just not cost effective and
would not be tolerated. I doubt anything has changed.
On a smaller scale, that sort of accounting had a lot to do with Carlton
Cole's departure from the Boleyn. Allardyce was only ever going to use Cole
from the bench, and he was on around £50,000, money that could be spent on
the Carroll deal or bringing in sensibly priced cover up front.
I wish Cole well, he did a good, loyal job for us and he will get one last
decent pay-day at somewhere like Hull or Palace. Or even in the States where
deadbeats like Freddie Piquionne and Nigel Reo-Coker can make a lucrative
living. Good luck Carlton, and thanks for everything.
The Carroll situation is being masterminded, of course, by Mark Curtis, the
agent for Sam and the player. I still don't understand how football can
tolerate what seems a clear conflict of interest, but then what do I know.
Andy has been away on holiday while Curtis makes Liverpool sweat. They
desperately need their wage bill slashed and the money to fund Rodgers'
rebuilding. He has to make his own money and sell before buying, so he needs
cash from the Carroll deal.
And seemingly without any other big offers for Carroll, the lad would be
wise to join a club like ourselves who really want him. And to go somewhere
that his private life is not all over the papers every day.
That is what it was like in Newcastle, just Google his name to find out the
long list of former girlfriends, an ex-fiancee, children plus the usual
array of burnt-out cars and bar room problems. Has anyone heard anything
about Carroll off the pitch while he has been in London? I certainly
haven't, and I doubt little will have changed for him in Geordieland.
Newcastle really is a very small city where he just cannot blend quietly
into the background like he seems to have done in London.
He is desperate to be in the England World Cup squad in Brazil, and he won't
do that without playing a full season in the top flight. And that won't
happen at Anfield for him.
Even if Luis Suarez leaves, and that seems likely, and Daniel Sturridge's
ankle injury is worse than feared, Rodgers will still see Fabio Borini ahead
of Carroll while he is about to spend £7m on Celta Vigo's forward Iago
Aspas. So Andy, come to a club where you are wanted and will play every
week.
As for the rest, I will be interested to see what Sam decides to do about
Alou Diarra and Gary O'Neil. While decisions will need to be taken about the
futures of Rob Hall, Blair Turgott and Elliot Lee, all youngsters who need
to progress.
But just for now, I'm off for more calm on holiday, the only concern is
whether I will like the new Adidas kit enough to finally buy one at my age!
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West Ham fans in court after Sunderland match-day brawl
Sunderlandecho.com
01 June 2013
TEN men have appeared in court after it is alleged they took part in a mass
brawl in Sunderland city centre between warring football fans. The West Ham
supporters, aged between 18 and 28, are said to be have fought with SAFC
fans before their teams clashed on January 12. They have all been charged
with violent disorder, following the confrontation outside Revolution bar in
Low Row. Matthew Dobberson, 18, of Padnall Court, Essex; Andrew Siedlaczek,
23, of Fortinbras, Chelmsford, Hertfordshire; Jack Stephen Sam Donovan, 18,
of Mashiters Walk, Romford, Essex; Craig Defew, 21, of Layhill Close, Bury
St Edmonds, Suffolk; Charlie Adoldh, 21, of Gibbons Close, St Albans,
Hertfordshire; Christopher Robert Draddy, 24, of Cheriton Close, St Albans,
Herts; Ryan Evans, 18, of Cumberland Close, Hornchurch, Essex and Jamie
Daniel David Hume, 28, of Clayburn Road, Hampton Centre, Peterborough, all
withheld their pleas to the charge. Harry Saunders, 19, of Martindale
Avenue, Basildon, Essex, and Danny Brooker, 23, of Priory Avenue, Harefield,
Middlesex, entered not guilty pleas. Magistrates declined jurisdiction and
the case will be heard at Newcastle Crown Court on June 13. All the men were
granted conditional bail, with orders to reside at their home addresses and
not to go within two miles of any football stadium where a Premiership or
international match is due to take place.
l Seventeen SAFC fans appeared before magistrates last month over their
alleged part in the brawl. The six youths and 11 men, aged between 16 and
51, all withheld their pleas to a joint charge of violent disorder. The
adult defendants will be committed to Newcastle Crown Court. Sunderland
Youth Court will hear the cases against the teenagers later this month
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Big Sam looking to raid financial strugglers Betis to land Adrian for West
Ham
By SIMON JONES
PUBLISHED: 22:31, 31 May 2013 | UPDATED: 22:31, 31 May 2013
Daily Mail
West Ham are bidding for Real Betis goalkeeper Adrian. Club scouts are
expected to watch the 26-year-old again this weekend as Betis take on
Levante. Spanish sides Espanyol and Getafe have also shown interest in the
keeper, who has even appeared as an outfield La Liga substitute. Although
his performances were initially indifferent, he has developed throughout the
season and was man of the match against Real Madrid earlier this year.
West Ham have watched him a couple of times recently and can strike a good
deal as Betis are struggling financially. Allardyce has been weighing up
several options, given the glut of goalkeepers this summer. He has been
linked with Allan McGregor, 31, of Besiktas and Aston Villa's Shay Given,
37. However, both are on the list of Hull manager Steve Bruce, who has also
bid for Leicester's Kasper Schmeichel, 26.
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Brooking responds to Ferdinand blast over youth coaching
London24
Friday, May 31, 2013
8:03 PM
Sir Trevor Brooking has admitted that the quality of England's youth players
is not high enough and claims Premier League clubs need to splash some of
their new wealth on paying decent salaries for full-time coaches. Brooking,
the FA's director of football development, responded to Rio Ferdinand's
comments that England's youngsters were technically backward by saying a
strategy was in place - but that it would be nine years before the benefits
would be seen.
A new academy system, the EPPP has been launched, but Brooking said clubs
still needed to employ better coaches on a full-time basis and good
salaries.
Brooking told Press Association Sport: "On the clubs we want them focusing
on making the 16-year-old English players better than they have been. "We
believe you need full-time coaches. At the moment there is an issue in that
those full-time places are being offered at pretty low salaries, around
15-16 grand, and they need to be recognised for the quality and getting
£40,000 to £50,000." Brooking believes top-flight clubs should have at least
two full-time coaches in the 12-16 age group and two in the 5-11 group, at a
cost of £160,000 to £200,000 per year. "In the scheme of things that's not
asking too much to invest in quality coaches in those age groups so that the
16-year-olds are going to be much better than they are at the moment," he
added. "That's going to be our next big challenge. "The salaries are
definitely too low and we need to recognise coaching in the young age groups
as a proper career for a full-time role. "In those lower age groups most of
them are part time and they are not really being supported as they should
be."
Brooking said there is too much focus on results in youth football, and said
that Germany was an example for English football to follow. The German
federation developed a new youth plan after a disasters European
Championships in 2000, and since then the number of German players in the
Bundesliga has increased to 60 per cent, compared to fewer than 40 per cent
of domestic players in the Premier League. Germany did it about 10 years ago
and spent about 50million euros on it," said Brooking. "I was at a workshop
last August when [Germany head coach] Joachim Low was talking about it and I
said to Roy 'that's where we need to be in 10 years' time. "We need to get
18-, 19-, 20-year-olds breaking into first teams of the Premier League. "It
has got to be on merit, I'm not one of those who believes in quotas, and
until we get proper full-time coaches into those age groups we're not going
to do it. "They have actually increased the number of German players in the
Bundesliga and that's because they changed the system. "With the extra
[television] money and the EPPP if we can get that change in coaches we can
start to progress."
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SIX West Ham Youngsters That Deserve A Chance
Date: 31st May 2013 at 5:52 pm
Written by: Jake Letchford | Forever West Ham
The one that stands out for me is Ravel Morrison. He was loaned out to
Birmingham City last season but since he has been there, he's been one of
their best players, if not the best. He received 14 'Man of the Match'
awards out of 25 games that he played. I personally believe that he is ready
to play in the Premier League and although there have been rumours of him
leaving or Birmingham getting him back on loan, I really think West Ham
should have a think about what they do regarding Morrison because he
certainly deserves a chance next season.
Rob Hall was another player that we loaned to Birmingham City last season
and like Morrison, has also done very well whilst he was there. Lee Clark,
the Birmingham City manager was constantly praising Hall on his contribution
to the games, which he played. Hall has got very good pace and a great
delivery on him, which would benefit Carroll (If we sign him) a lot.
Elliot Lee has really impressed this season in the Development Squad and has
scored a lot of goals. He's quick and is good with the ball at his feet. His
only problem is that he's small so it probably won't suit our main style of
play but I think he would be great playing off of Carroll. It's something
that I could see working.
Next we have Jordan Spence. There have been some rumours that we are willing
to let Spence leave but I really can't see why that is. I remember watching
him in the FA Cup game against Manchester United at Old Trafford and I
thought that he completely held his own. Looked good on the ball and didn't
struggle at all when he had players running at him. Spence also has pace,
which is something we lack at right back and left back. Plus he can also
play at centre back if we were ever short on players.
Now, I haven't seen much of him myself but, from what I've heard, George
Moncur good player. I know someone who went to watch the West Ham U21s play
Liverpool's U21s and he said that Moncur ran the game in the middle of the
park. I certainly think he is someone that West Ham should think about
playing a few games next season.
The final player that I believe deserves a chance is Dan Potts. He has
played a few times and has done well. I also remember watching him against
Manchester United in the FA Cup and he looked like he had matured more as a
player. The singing of Razvan Rat probably shows that he isn't going to get
much of a looking but I think that he deserves a chance next season.
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West Ham want to hijack Hull's bid for former Rangers star
By talkSPORT | Friday, May 31, 2013
West Ham could make a late move to hijack Hull's attempts to sign former
Rangers keeper Allan McGregor. Manager Sam Allardyce is looking to
strengthen the goalkeeping area as Jussi Jaaskelainen turned 38-years-old
last month and uncertainty surrounds the future of second string keeper
Stephen Henderson.
Henderson was sent out on loan to Ipswich last season and the West Ham boss
is not sure if he will be happy being second choice once again next season.
McGregor joined Besiktas last summer, but has already been linked with a
move back home after reports suggested that Hull had agreed a fee with
Besiktas for the Scottish keeper Allardyce has wasted no time strengthening
his squad with the signing of Romanian captain Razvan Rat and could now
follow that up with a move for the 31-year-old keeper. McGregor has a wealth
of experience and would relish the chance to play in the Premier League.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United reached the inaugural Football League War Cup final on this
day in 1940
01.06.2013
Classic Match
Fulham 3-4 West Ham United
Football League War Cup semi-final
Saturday 1 June 1940, Stamford Bridge
The 1939/40 Football League season was suspended after just three matches
following the outbreak of the Second World War. Into its place came the
regional War League, designed to save on travelling and resources at a time
when the war effort meant everything. The FA Cup competition for that season
was also cancelled, with the national Football League War Cup taking its
place. Played in a condensed period between April and June 1940, the War Cup
proved to be a hugely successful tournament for West Ham United. The Hammers
overcame Chelsea 5-2 on aggregate in the first round before defeating
Leicester City 4-1 over two legs in the second round. Charlie Paynter's team
then drew 3-3 at Huddersfield Town before winning the replay 3-1. A 4-2 home
win over Birmingham City set up a London derby semi-final at Fulham played
on this date in 1940. The Hammers had been defeated 2-1 by the same
opponents just five days previously in the War League, but they would not be
denied in the knockout competition. The match was set for a 6.40pm kick-off
to allow war workers to attend and the 33,000 who turned out were treated to
a thrilling 90 minutes. An own-goal from Brown put West Ham in front before
Len Goulden (pictured) doubled the lead before half-time with a well-placed
shot. Joseph Stanley Foxall made it 3-0 shortly after the break before Sam
Small added a fourth.
It seemed the game was over, but Fulham roared back to score three goals in
the space of 25 minutes through Woodward and then Rooke, who scored twice to
make the score 4-3. West Ham held on, though, and would face Blackburn
Rovers in the final at Wembley on Saturday 8 June 1940.
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Season in Seconds: Gary O'Neil
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United midfielder goes under the microscope in our Season in
Seconds feature
31.05.2013
Gary O'Neil is the latest player to feature in our Season in Seconds
feature. You can watch the full interview with Gary on West Ham TV by
clicking here.
Gary, how would you sum up the season?
GO - "I'd say fairly successful. It's been pretty stress-free staying away
from the relegation zone for all of it."
What was your personal highlight?
GO - "Probably the last ten or eleven weeks for me, getting a decent run in
the side. The West Brom game was good, scoring, setting up Andy and getting
a
big three points all on the same day. That was nice."
What was your funniest moment of the season?
GO - "Mulumbu kicking the ball at me and getting sent off - that was quite
amusing."
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Reid wins Belfast Hammers award
WHUFC.com
West Ham United defender Winston Reid collected another prize for his
outstanding 2012/13 season
31.05.2013
Winston Reid's trophy cabinet welcomed another new addition recently when
the Belfast Hammers selected him as their Player of the Year. Already the
recipient of the Hammer of the Year award, Players' Player of the Year.and
Swedish Hammers Player of the Year, the central defender collected yet
another prize for his fantastic season from the Belfast Hammers. The group
made the journey over the Irish Sea to be at West Ham United's final game of
the season against Reading and were delighted to be able to hand Reid the
trophy.
It also turned out to be an excellent match to make the trip for - West Ham
ran out 4-2 winners and secured a top-ten finish in the Barclays Premier
League.
Belfast Hammers chairman Ronan Muldoon explained why Reid had won the award
and said the members had enjoyed their most-recent trip to east London in an
exclusive interview with West Ham TV. He said: "It was a very tightly
contested competition between Winston and a few others and at the end of the
day the decision came down to a very close divide. "Winston Reid was the
successful nomination and I think he's had a very good season. He's matured
greatly this season through his efforts as an individual and a team player.
"About a dozen of us made the trip over and we were fortunate enough to have
the winner of the competition for designing the Belfast Hammers' new crest
with us. "We come over as a club two to three times a season, and there are
a number of individuals who make more trips than that. In the current
climate it's a big commitment and a lot to ask, but West Ham are very
accommodating in what we do, through their support of the official Belfast
Hammers Club and long may it continue. "We're looking forward to turning out
in our numbers for the pre-season game at Cork now!"
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West Ham's new Adidas kits unveiled?
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 31st May 2013
By: Staff Writer
Pictures purporting to be West Ham United's new Adidas home and away kits
for 2013/14 have been revealed on Twitter. At circa 10pm on Friday night,
Twitter member @djleon1983 posted images of what are said to be the club's
first designs by the German corporation, who recently agreed a two-year kit
sponsorship deal with West Ham. As can be seen below, the home shirt
featured a far lighter blue than that to which we have become accustomed in
recent years, whilst the away kit closely resembles that produced by Adidas
for West Ham in the 1984/85 season. Further images - including a potential
third kit plus leisure wear as modelled by a series of players - may be seen
by viewing twitter.com/djleon1983. Just how the images (which appear to
have been taken at the club's Chadwell Heath training centre) were obtained
has not been disclosed. West Ham previously wore Adidas kits between 1980
and 1987.
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All calm on the West Ham front... for a change
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 31st May 2013
By: Paul Walker
I don't know about you lot, but I've had a brilliant couple of weeks, no
tension, no high blood pressure, no sleepless nights. Not even a mild
nervous breakdown.
Yes, I know, it's so unlike the usual end of season for a West Ham fan. And
it's all because our Sam and the boys finished in a remarkable tenth place,
without any hint of featuring in Sky's 'let's search for a sobbing fan'
final day TV torture.
It's hard to believe that it is two weeks since our last day victory over
Reading, a hugely entertaining day that went totally to plan before we all
drifted happily off into the sunset without a care in the world.
The previous season we were still to endure the draining play-off Final. The
previous season we were left to contemplate the horrors of relegation and
the season before that we had just about limped over the line to safety.
It was quite fun watching Crystal Palace beat Watford at Wembley to claim
their place back in the top flight. Seeing such anguish underlined what it
must have been like to watch us at the same venue a year earlier.
The right side won, too. Palace deserved to win, even though some of our
number wanted to see Gianfranco Zola back into the top flight. I've nothing
against Zola, but I have plenty against Scott Duxbury, who caused so many of
our own problems over the Tevez fiasco. To see him back in the Premier
League at the administrative helm of Watford would have been too much to
bear.
Anyway, I was delighted for Danny Gabbidon. He served us well over the years
and struggled to overcome some shocking injuries that almost ended his
career. Once our Hammer of the Year, he was always a honest, tireless
competitor in our colours.
Forced to play out of position so often, it was nice to see him at the heart
of Palace's defence and doing so well. I do hope he gets a good reception
when he returns to the Boleyn with Palace next season.
The reason, of course, for me being able to feel so happy for a potential
rival is the calm state of mind that follows our more than decent season.
Although I don't go along with Sam's ability to re-write history and claim
we were never in the relegation dogfight. Four points off the bottom three
with a couple of weeks of the season left felt like a dogfight to me, and
it's easy in hindsight to just trot out that we were never lower than 14th.
But tenth place is a real credit to our team. And the statistics make
enlightening reading. In what John Hellier's book rightly called the Elite
Years, basically from 1958-59 when we won promotion from the old Second
Division to now, we have finished above tenth place just 16 times.
And if you want to massage a fact with a little journalistic licence, you
can go back to our first season in the Football League (1919-20) and the
figure is just 18 times above tenth place in 95 years. The war years, and
the fact that we were in the Second Division from 1932 to 1959, does make
that statistic a little dramatic. But you take my point.
What our team and manager achieved in the recently ended season was very,
very impressive, so I was determined to savour the moment for a couple of
weeks before launching into the usual silly summer season of transfer
rumours.
We've not been disappointed. A quick flick through the more lunatic fringes
off football websites and blogs has thrown up 17 names already, probably
more that I have missed or just dismissed as ludicrous.
From Dynamo Moscow midfielder Balas Dzsudzsak to a Serbian born, Albanian
heritage striker Atdhe Huhiu (who plays for Austria) and is on loan to
Eskisehirspor in Turkey. These are just some of the growing list of players
being linked with Sam.
Finishing tenth at least gives us a better quality of rumour, like
Manchester City wanting to sign Ravel Morrison!
AC Milan veteran Massimo Ambrosini's name keeps cropping up; I'm not too
sure about that one, at 36 surely he is too old?
Bordeaux defender Ludovic Sane seems a good shout, mainly because we will
have to sing a new Ludo song! I cannot see Jose Mourinho letting Romelu
Lukaku back out on loan again, while Barcelona reserve defender Marc Bartra
would be interesting, just to see how he handles Sam's defensive and
attacking set-piece set ups after all those years playing the beautiful game
at the Nou Camp.
Razvan Rat seems a decent signing, he's played high quality stuff for years
and will help solve our pressing left-back problem. George McCartney does
seem injury prone and I don't believe Danny Potts is strong enough yet. So
we need experience there and that allows Joey O'Brien and Guy Demel to
contest the right-back slot.
But the real one we are all waiting to hear about is Andy Carroll's future.
And it should not be long, I feel we all made it pretty clear to the lad
during the Reading game that he would be more than welcome back, and it's
all down to his career ambitions now.
But if he thinks he is going to get another crack at Liverpool, I believe he
is seriously deluded. Brendan Rodgers has not changed his mind from last
summer, and must surely have made it plain to Carroll that he is well down
the pecking order.
The main reason everyone was so keen to get him out on loan last summer -
and Rodgers did tell the lad to join us - is that Liverpool's American
owners were not prepared to have a very expensive asset just sitting on the
bench. At £35m and £80,000 a week, that was just not cost effective and
would not be tolerated. I doubt anything has changed.
On a smaller scale, that sort of accounting had a lot to do with Carlton
Cole's departure from the Boleyn. Allardyce was only ever going to use Cole
from the bench, and he was on around £50,000, money that could be spent on
the Carroll deal or bringing in sensibly priced cover up front.
I wish Cole well, he did a good, loyal job for us and he will get one last
decent pay-day at somewhere like Hull or Palace. Or even in the States where
deadbeats like Freddie Piquionne and Nigel Reo-Coker can make a lucrative
living. Good luck Carlton, and thanks for everything.
The Carroll situation is being masterminded, of course, by Mark Curtis, the
agent for Sam and the player. I still don't understand how football can
tolerate what seems a clear conflict of interest, but then what do I know.
Andy has been away on holiday while Curtis makes Liverpool sweat. They
desperately need their wage bill slashed and the money to fund Rodgers'
rebuilding. He has to make his own money and sell before buying, so he needs
cash from the Carroll deal.
And seemingly without any other big offers for Carroll, the lad would be
wise to join a club like ourselves who really want him. And to go somewhere
that his private life is not all over the papers every day.
That is what it was like in Newcastle, just Google his name to find out the
long list of former girlfriends, an ex-fiancee, children plus the usual
array of burnt-out cars and bar room problems. Has anyone heard anything
about Carroll off the pitch while he has been in London? I certainly
haven't, and I doubt little will have changed for him in Geordieland.
Newcastle really is a very small city where he just cannot blend quietly
into the background like he seems to have done in London.
He is desperate to be in the England World Cup squad in Brazil, and he won't
do that without playing a full season in the top flight. And that won't
happen at Anfield for him.
Even if Luis Suarez leaves, and that seems likely, and Daniel Sturridge's
ankle injury is worse than feared, Rodgers will still see Fabio Borini ahead
of Carroll while he is about to spend £7m on Celta Vigo's forward Iago
Aspas. So Andy, come to a club where you are wanted and will play every
week.
As for the rest, I will be interested to see what Sam decides to do about
Alou Diarra and Gary O'Neil. While decisions will need to be taken about the
futures of Rob Hall, Blair Turgott and Elliot Lee, all youngsters who need
to progress.
But just for now, I'm off for more calm on holiday, the only concern is
whether I will like the new Adidas kit enough to finally buy one at my age!
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West Ham fans in court after Sunderland match-day brawl
Sunderlandecho.com
01 June 2013
TEN men have appeared in court after it is alleged they took part in a mass
brawl in Sunderland city centre between warring football fans. The West Ham
supporters, aged between 18 and 28, are said to be have fought with SAFC
fans before their teams clashed on January 12. They have all been charged
with violent disorder, following the confrontation outside Revolution bar in
Low Row. Matthew Dobberson, 18, of Padnall Court, Essex; Andrew Siedlaczek,
23, of Fortinbras, Chelmsford, Hertfordshire; Jack Stephen Sam Donovan, 18,
of Mashiters Walk, Romford, Essex; Craig Defew, 21, of Layhill Close, Bury
St Edmonds, Suffolk; Charlie Adoldh, 21, of Gibbons Close, St Albans,
Hertfordshire; Christopher Robert Draddy, 24, of Cheriton Close, St Albans,
Herts; Ryan Evans, 18, of Cumberland Close, Hornchurch, Essex and Jamie
Daniel David Hume, 28, of Clayburn Road, Hampton Centre, Peterborough, all
withheld their pleas to the charge. Harry Saunders, 19, of Martindale
Avenue, Basildon, Essex, and Danny Brooker, 23, of Priory Avenue, Harefield,
Middlesex, entered not guilty pleas. Magistrates declined jurisdiction and
the case will be heard at Newcastle Crown Court on June 13. All the men were
granted conditional bail, with orders to reside at their home addresses and
not to go within two miles of any football stadium where a Premiership or
international match is due to take place.
l Seventeen SAFC fans appeared before magistrates last month over their
alleged part in the brawl. The six youths and 11 men, aged between 16 and
51, all withheld their pleas to a joint charge of violent disorder. The
adult defendants will be committed to Newcastle Crown Court. Sunderland
Youth Court will hear the cases against the teenagers later this month
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Big Sam looking to raid financial strugglers Betis to land Adrian for West
Ham
By SIMON JONES
PUBLISHED: 22:31, 31 May 2013 | UPDATED: 22:31, 31 May 2013
Daily Mail
West Ham are bidding for Real Betis goalkeeper Adrian. Club scouts are
expected to watch the 26-year-old again this weekend as Betis take on
Levante. Spanish sides Espanyol and Getafe have also shown interest in the
keeper, who has even appeared as an outfield La Liga substitute. Although
his performances were initially indifferent, he has developed throughout the
season and was man of the match against Real Madrid earlier this year.
West Ham have watched him a couple of times recently and can strike a good
deal as Betis are struggling financially. Allardyce has been weighing up
several options, given the glut of goalkeepers this summer. He has been
linked with Allan McGregor, 31, of Besiktas and Aston Villa's Shay Given,
37. However, both are on the list of Hull manager Steve Bruce, who has also
bid for Leicester's Kasper Schmeichel, 26.
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Brooking responds to Ferdinand blast over youth coaching
London24
Friday, May 31, 2013
8:03 PM
Sir Trevor Brooking has admitted that the quality of England's youth players
is not high enough and claims Premier League clubs need to splash some of
their new wealth on paying decent salaries for full-time coaches. Brooking,
the FA's director of football development, responded to Rio Ferdinand's
comments that England's youngsters were technically backward by saying a
strategy was in place - but that it would be nine years before the benefits
would be seen.
A new academy system, the EPPP has been launched, but Brooking said clubs
still needed to employ better coaches on a full-time basis and good
salaries.
Brooking told Press Association Sport: "On the clubs we want them focusing
on making the 16-year-old English players better than they have been. "We
believe you need full-time coaches. At the moment there is an issue in that
those full-time places are being offered at pretty low salaries, around
15-16 grand, and they need to be recognised for the quality and getting
£40,000 to £50,000." Brooking believes top-flight clubs should have at least
two full-time coaches in the 12-16 age group and two in the 5-11 group, at a
cost of £160,000 to £200,000 per year. "In the scheme of things that's not
asking too much to invest in quality coaches in those age groups so that the
16-year-olds are going to be much better than they are at the moment," he
added. "That's going to be our next big challenge. "The salaries are
definitely too low and we need to recognise coaching in the young age groups
as a proper career for a full-time role. "In those lower age groups most of
them are part time and they are not really being supported as they should
be."
Brooking said there is too much focus on results in youth football, and said
that Germany was an example for English football to follow. The German
federation developed a new youth plan after a disasters European
Championships in 2000, and since then the number of German players in the
Bundesliga has increased to 60 per cent, compared to fewer than 40 per cent
of domestic players in the Premier League. Germany did it about 10 years ago
and spent about 50million euros on it," said Brooking. "I was at a workshop
last August when [Germany head coach] Joachim Low was talking about it and I
said to Roy 'that's where we need to be in 10 years' time. "We need to get
18-, 19-, 20-year-olds breaking into first teams of the Premier League. "It
has got to be on merit, I'm not one of those who believes in quotas, and
until we get proper full-time coaches into those age groups we're not going
to do it. "They have actually increased the number of German players in the
Bundesliga and that's because they changed the system. "With the extra
[television] money and the EPPP if we can get that change in coaches we can
start to progress."
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SIX West Ham Youngsters That Deserve A Chance
Date: 31st May 2013 at 5:52 pm
Written by: Jake Letchford | Forever West Ham
The one that stands out for me is Ravel Morrison. He was loaned out to
Birmingham City last season but since he has been there, he's been one of
their best players, if not the best. He received 14 'Man of the Match'
awards out of 25 games that he played. I personally believe that he is ready
to play in the Premier League and although there have been rumours of him
leaving or Birmingham getting him back on loan, I really think West Ham
should have a think about what they do regarding Morrison because he
certainly deserves a chance next season.
Rob Hall was another player that we loaned to Birmingham City last season
and like Morrison, has also done very well whilst he was there. Lee Clark,
the Birmingham City manager was constantly praising Hall on his contribution
to the games, which he played. Hall has got very good pace and a great
delivery on him, which would benefit Carroll (If we sign him) a lot.
Elliot Lee has really impressed this season in the Development Squad and has
scored a lot of goals. He's quick and is good with the ball at his feet. His
only problem is that he's small so it probably won't suit our main style of
play but I think he would be great playing off of Carroll. It's something
that I could see working.
Next we have Jordan Spence. There have been some rumours that we are willing
to let Spence leave but I really can't see why that is. I remember watching
him in the FA Cup game against Manchester United at Old Trafford and I
thought that he completely held his own. Looked good on the ball and didn't
struggle at all when he had players running at him. Spence also has pace,
which is something we lack at right back and left back. Plus he can also
play at centre back if we were ever short on players.
Now, I haven't seen much of him myself but, from what I've heard, George
Moncur good player. I know someone who went to watch the West Ham U21s play
Liverpool's U21s and he said that Moncur ran the game in the middle of the
park. I certainly think he is someone that West Ham should think about
playing a few games next season.
The final player that I believe deserves a chance is Dan Potts. He has
played a few times and has done well. I also remember watching him against
Manchester United in the FA Cup and he looked like he had matured more as a
player. The singing of Razvan Rat probably shows that he isn't going to get
much of a looking but I think that he deserves a chance next season.
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West Ham want to hijack Hull's bid for former Rangers star
By talkSPORT | Friday, May 31, 2013
West Ham could make a late move to hijack Hull's attempts to sign former
Rangers keeper Allan McGregor. Manager Sam Allardyce is looking to
strengthen the goalkeeping area as Jussi Jaaskelainen turned 38-years-old
last month and uncertainty surrounds the future of second string keeper
Stephen Henderson.
Henderson was sent out on loan to Ipswich last season and the West Ham boss
is not sure if he will be happy being second choice once again next season.
McGregor joined Besiktas last summer, but has already been linked with a
move back home after reports suggested that Hull had agreed a fee with
Besiktas for the Scottish keeper Allardyce has wasted no time strengthening
his squad with the signing of Romanian captain Razvan Rat and could now
follow that up with a move for the 31-year-old keeper. McGregor has a wealth
of experience and would relish the chance to play in the Premier League.
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