Jarvo eyeing Swansea success
WHUFC.com
Matt Jarvis wants to win his place back and help West Ham United to victory
at Swansea City
26.10.2013
Fourteen months ago, club-record signing Matt Jarvis made his West Ham
United debut at Swansea City. The Hammers' first away game following their
return to the Premier League did not go to plan for Jarvis and his new
team-mates, however, as defensive errors and wasteful finishing saw the
Swans run out 3-0 winners. On Sunday, Jarvis and company will return to the
Liberty Stadium planning to make a better fist of things second time around.
"It was definitely a tough time there last season but obviously this season
we're going to be going there with a slightly different and hopefully
stronger squad, so hopefully we'll be able to build on our performance and
result at Tottenham," the No7 told West Ham TV. "Swansea are a very good
passing team and that all work well together. They inter-link and everybody
moves around the pitch to create space for others, so they are really
well-drilled and we'll have to be on our game."
Following Sunday's trip to South Wales, West Ham will return to action 52
hours later at Turf Moor, where they will take on Sky Bet Championship
leaders Burnley in the Capital One Cup fourth round. The Clarets have been
in outstanding form this term, winning 12 of their 15 matches in all
competitions, including the last seven, and losing just once - at Brighton
and Hove Albion back on 24 August. Jarvis played alongside no fewer than
four Burnley players at former club Wolverhampton Wanderers - centre-back
and captain Jason Shackell, midfielder David Jones, winger Michael Kightly
and striker Sam Vokes - and the winger is looking forward to facing them on
Tuesday evening. "It's not going to be easy at all, and it's a tough place
to go," Jarvis conceded. "I've played there a few times and I know a few of
their players as well and they really have started well, so it will be a
tough game. "Their two strikers [Vokes and Danny Ings] are scoring goals,
which always helps the team and that's why they are at the top of the
league. "It's quite a testing schedule playing Sunday and Tuesday, but we
have to do that and we have got a great squad, so if the manager wants to
change it up, then whoever plays will be good enough to go and get a win."
Looking further forward, West Ham host Aston Villa in the Barclays Premier
League on Saturday 2 November, continuing a run of games that Jarvis and his
team-mates will believe they can win. After the Kids for a Quid visit of
Villa, the Hammers host Chelsea, Fulham and Sunderland before Christmas,
while they also travel to Norwich City and Crystal Palace ahead of the
festive season. "We have to get back to winning ways at home in front of our
crowd, so hopefully the Villa game can be one where we can do that," said
Jarvis. "We'll be aiming to pick up points from those games to make up for
the ones we missed out on during the first eight games. "We'll be taking it
step by step but we have got a run of games we really hope we can make the
most of and that will be starting at Swansea."
On a personal level, Jarvis has been among the substitutes for the previous
two league games, having started the first six. He is naturally determined
to win his place back in Sam Allardyce's starting XI. "Of course, you always
want to play every week," he stated. "When you are out of the side, you want
to be in it and when you are in it, you want to stay in it. It's one of
those times when, if you get a chance you have to take it. "Hopefully I can
contribute to the way we are playing, because that is what I can do for the
team, getting in behind teams and using my pace to counter-attack. If I am
involved, then hopefully that's what I'll be able to do."
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Football turns 150!
WHUFC.com
Football as we know it celebrates its 150th birthday today!
26.10.2013
The year 2013 has seen The Football Association celebrating 150 years since
the eight Founding Fathers of the football met to create the game as we know
it today. The range of special events to mark the anniversary have included
everything from showcase England games against the likes of Brazil and
Scotland at an elite level, through to the Sir Bobby Robson National
Football Day and the honouring of 150 of footballs volunteers at an event
hosted by HRH The Duke of Cambridge at a grassroots level. On 26 October,
The FA will host a Gala Dinner at the Grand Connaught Rooms to mark exactly
150 years to the day since the first meeting took place which formed the
nation's favourite game.
How It All Began
In 1863, Ebenezer Cobb Morley (pictured), a solicitor and sportsman living
in Barnes in south-west London, but originally from Hull, thought that
football should have a set of rules in the same way that the MCC had them
for cricket. So, the captains, secretaries and other representatives of a
dozen London and suburban clubs met at the Freemasons Tavern in Great Queen
Street, near to where Holborn tube station is today. Their purpose was to
form an Association with the object of establishing a code of rules for the
regulation of football. The clubs represented at the first meeting were:
Barnes, Civil Service (War Office), Crusaders, Forest (Leytonstone), No
Names (Kilburn), Crystal Palace, Blackheath, Kensington School, Perceval
House (Blackheath), Surbiton, Blackheath Proprietary School and
Charterhouse. The intention of those original meetings was to standardise
the rules and to iron out differences in the forms currently being played,
not to create a new game. Morley became The FA's first secretary, later its
president, and he drafted modern football's first rules at his Thames-side
home in Barnes.
It took six meetings for The FA to finally approve those rules. The first
match under them was played at Limes Field, a couple of minutes' walk from
Morley's home, on Saturday 19 December 1863. Barnes and Richmond drew 0-0.
The Freemasons' Tavern was extended and remodelled from 1905 and was renamed
the 'Connaught Rooms' in honour of the Grand Master, the Duke of Connaught.
At around the same time, Limes Field was built on with housing that is now
in 'Limes Field Road'. Before The FA was formed, football was in a hybrid
state. Today it spans a world that is caught up in its magic. To those men
of a clear vision and high resolve who first gathered together at the
Tavern, The FA, and all football fans, owes a great debt
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Swansea City v West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 26th October 2013
By: Preview Percy
It's an international special from Peview Percy, this week. Ok it's not
particularly special but it does involve going to Wales.....
For our next match we go on a European tour as we visit the Principality
(geo-political term for area that thinks it's a proper country) of Wales
where our hosts will be Swansea City. The match is on Sunday thanks to them
playing in the Europa League, qualifying by virtue of their actually having
won a trophy, as opposed to being given a place as a consolation prize for
not being nearly as good as your deluded fans thought you were, like some
other clubs I could mention. Kick-off is at 4.00pm.
Travel news is that, whilst there are trains running between Paddington and
Swansea, there are engineering works in the Severn Tunnel which means that
you'll be diverted around other parts of Mr Brunel's network en route.
Expect it to take about four hours each way if you're lucky.
Our hosts currently lie in 11th spot with 10 points from the 8 matches
played so far this season, winning three, drawing one and losing four in the
process. Their last six have seen them beat West Brom away (2-0), draw with
Liverpool (2-2 in a match that will forever be remembered as "the Jonjo
Shelvey match), beat Palace away (2-0), lose at home to Arsenal (1-2), lose
at Southampton (2-0) and win last weekend at home to Sunderland (4-0). Last
weekend's win was therefore their first at home of the season, somewhat
surprisingly. In between all that, their defence of the League Cup they
lifted last season came to an end with a 3-1 defeat at Birmingham.
On Thursday they played host in the Thursday Night League to Kuban
Krasnodar. Can't help feeling that the good people at Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
have missed a "rebranding" opportunity there. Swansea were held to a 1-1
draw by the Russians at home, a result that contrasts sharply with their
earlier 3-0 win in Valencia, a result admittedly assisted by the Spaniards
having a player sent off inn the early stages of the match.
After a relatively quiet start to the transfer window, during which manager
Michael Laudrup's agent was spouting out complaints that his client wasn't
getting backed in the transfer market, they suddenly found themselves making
a beeline for the European player tuck shop in the manner of a schoolboy
whose postal order from Gran has finally turned up after being deayed for a
week or two while the postman counted his profits from the Royal Mail share
issue.
They broke their club transfer record in bringing in striker William Bony in
from Vitesse Arnhem for £12m. Bony was one of the strikers we were supposed
to have spoken with during the window. In fact there were few we didn't
speak with or try to sign in that period. Except Darren Bent of course. When
his name came up there was a shuffle, a cough and an awkward silence, before
someone piped up "let's have another look at that 4-6-0 idea again". Bony is
their top scorer at the moment having netted on four occasions. Two of those
have come in the league, including a spot-kick in last week's stroll against
the Mackems. He was top scorer in the Dutch league last term and also picked
up the Dutch "Player Of The Year" award.
Jonjo Shelvey arrived from Liverpool for a relatively modest £5m. In the
match against his former club he ventured from good to 'mare in the blink of
an eye, having as he did a hand in all four goals in the 2-2 game. He
probably had one eye over his shoulder looking for Harry Potter (this
reference has been inserted at the insistence of the Avram Grant Olympic
Rest Home For The Bewildered's zero-hours work experience herbert, who
informs me that he saw it in a film once).
If Swansea (the City rather than the club) didn't have some sort of Latin
quarter it jolly well does now. They signed another three Spanish players in
the form of Alejandro Pozuelo (from Real Betis), Jose Canas (also from Real
Betis) and Jordie Amat (who would have signed from Real Betis but for the
fact that he played for Espanyol). With striker Alvaro Vazquez also on loan
from Getafe I make that seven Spaniards in the Swansea squad at the moment.
I bet you don't find too many Seat Ibizas in the club car park though.
One player they allegedy missed out on during the window was a certain
Ricardo Vaz Te. There was a bt of a tussle with Crystal Palace for the
plyer's services, all of which became a bit academic once our failure to
pick up forward before the window shut meant RVT was going nowhere.
One of the Iberian signings from last season, Michu, recently made his full
international debut for Spain. An absolute steal at £2m from Rayo Vallecano,
he scored highly in last season's "signing of the season" sections of those
end of term reports the papers like to do. He has been quoted as saying that
he has no intention of leaving Swansea, though if rumours are to be believed
the Scousers are set to test that resolve with a £22m bid when the window
next opens. Actually, being Liverpool they are probably already trying to
open "unofficial" (for that read "illegal") lines of communication as we
speak. Michu also found time to become the 13th ruler of the Korean state of
Silla during the first century, and if you're out that way, you can still
see his tomb to this day in Gyeongju. Another tomb that you will soon be
able to visit is that of the Avram Grant Olympic Rest Home For The
Bewildered's work experience herbert who did the research this week.
On the injury front the big miss for them will be the absence of skipper
Ashley Williams. Williams is held in high regard by the Swansea support –
there had been talk of him going to Liverpool so when the news came out that
the scousesrs tapping up had been unsuccessful there were murmurs of
approval all round. Only in Welsh. Williams has a dodgy ankle at the time of
writing and has been out for 5 matches. Definitely out is Williams' fellow
defender Ben Davies who also has an ankle problem, Obviously it's
contagious.
One ought to mention the ex-Hammer in their squad. Leon Britton never made
te grade at the Boleyn – his own comment on his spell with us was that he
"wasn't good enough" - a degree of honesty unheard of in football. Britton
has played in all four divisions for the Swans and is so well regarded the
local town of Briton Ferry is actually named after him, though they were
short of letter "T"s for the roadsigns. I expect.
Us? Well last week proved that going into matches strikerless will work
against lesser teams but when you come up against a half decent side it may
be a different story. Having said that, there was no shame in losing to a
City side for whom both Aguero and Silva were a bit good.
The main injury concern is likely to be Guy Demel, who missed the closing
exchanges of last weekend's match with a "dead leg". Should he not be
available, expect Joey O'B to start on the right hand side of the defence.
Collins is still out with a hamstring problem so the central pairing will
remain unchanged.
The big question is whether or not we will be fielding a striker. The
manager was quoted as saying that Carlton Cole is "miles away" from full
fitness, even though he got through another development squad 90 minutes in
midweek. Should Carlton's fitness level turn out to be closer to that
assessed by his manager than the levels he himself thinks he's at, this
would leave us with Petric or Maiga as the two options should we actually
play a forward. Which means I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if we
saw 4-6-0 again.
Prediction? Well Swansea are better than Spurs and probably not as good as
Man City. Which points me in the direction of parity. Like us they lack
consistency this season. Whilst there's usually an advantage to be gained
from playing a team 72 hours or so after they've had a European tie, I'd
have fancied us a wee bit more had they just been travelling back from
Russia rather than been simply recovering from a home tie. I'll therefore be
putting the AGORFTB fund to hire Harry Redknapp his own work experience
herbert to work as a fact-checker (£2.50) on a 1-1 draw.
Enjoy the game!
When Last We Met At The Liberty Stadium – Lost 0-3 A bit of a wake up call
after a win on the previous opening week of the season. We had our chances
but failing to take them cost us dear.
Referee: Phil Dowd – Not as portly as he once was referee, whose biased
performance at Old Trafford last term cost us three points and Sam £8,000
after the manager pointed out the obvious.
Danger Men: William Bony – I have a feeling our failure to sign him might
come back to bite us in the proverbial.
Daft Fact Of The Week: Last year Swansea University felt the need to put up
posters, complete with diagrams mind, with instructions for students on,
wait for it, how to sit properly on a toilet seat. A university spokeswoman
told the BBC: 'Swansea University is a multi-cultural campus community and
the informational posters were produced, for use in both male and female
facilities, to help address cultural differences that were unfortunately
causing damage and hygiene issues.' That's what happens when you make
A-levels so easy even Spurs supporters can get to University.
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Matt Jarvis hoping West Ham form keeps World Cup dream alive
Last Updated: October 26, 2013 1:48pm
SSN
Matt Jarvis hopes his domestic form at West Ham United will put him in
contention for a place in England's World Cup squad. The tricky winger has
been capped on one previous occasion by his country, during his time at
Wolves. He has seen others edge ahead of him in the creative pecking order
since then, with Tottenham Hotspur's Andros Townsend the latest to shine on
the international stage. Jarvis is refusing to throw in the towel, though,
and believes eye-catching outings for the Hammers will help to put him in
Roy Hodgson's plans for Brazil 2014. The 27-year-old told The Sun: "I want
to play as well if not better than last season - score more goals and add
assists. "And if I can do that, I'll try to get in the England squad. Of
course Andros has given me hope. You can always use that belief that he's
done it, so why can't I?"
Jarvis also believes that Upton Park team-mate Ravel Morrison will come
under consideration next summer following a hugely impressive start to the
season for the Hammers and the England U21s. He added: "I don't see any
reason why Ravel can't make that England squad. He is a fantastic talent.
"He's had a fantastic start to the season and if he can keep playing well
week in, week out he can go very far. "I joined last season and he was out
on loan so I've only really seen him this season. But from what I have seen,
he's been as good as gold."
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Joe Cole back West Ham team-mate Ravel Morrison as future England star
Last Updated: October 26, 2013 11:06pm
SSN
West Ham midfielder Joe Cole believes team-mate Ravel Morrison has all the
attributes to become a future star for England. Morrison has made an
impressive start to the campaign, earning his first England U21 caps and
scoring twice in the recent 5-0 victory over Lithuania at Portman Road.
Cole, during his first spell with the Hammers, and Arsenal winger Theo
Walcott both earned their full international debuts as teenagers. And the
31-year-old is confident Morrison is developing well with the World Cup in
mind, and England manager Roy Hodgson keen to promote youngsters. "He's 20
now," said Cole. "That's young but I think Theo went at 17 and I was 19.
"He's got a chance. I think any English players will be thinking they have a
chance. Certainly the young ones because Roy has come out and said he's
going to go with youth over experience. "His attitude is spot-on. He loves
football, which I look for in a player the most. He loves his football. You
can see the joy when he's playing. "You can see him listening when you're
talking to him. He's got a great attitude and that's why he is where he is."
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Sam Allardyce hoping to take advantage of Swansea's Euro exertions
Last Updated: October 26, 2013 1:57pm
SSN
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is hoping his team can take advantage of
Swansea's European exertions on Sunday. Michael Laudrup's side drew 1-1
against Russian outfit Kuban Krasnodar in their Europa League group match in
south Wales on Thursday evening, with a last-minute penalty preventing the
Capital One Cup holders from making it three wins out of three in the
competition. A 2-0 defeat at Southampton followed their last Europa League
outing and Hammers boss Allardyce is hoping fatigue may be a factor.
"There's a chance it can, there's no doubt about that," he said. "Having
experienced the same situation myself when I was at Bolton the most
difficult game to win was always the one after we'd played in Europe.
"Michael Laudrup did make a lot of changes, six changes to the side that
beat Sunderland so we'll have to wait and see. "If there is any advantage we
might be able to take with a few of their players having a bit of fatigue
then hopefully we can capitalise on that. "It's really about our players
going and playing as well as they know they can and that's line has been set
by the performance at Tottenham and I'll be looking for the players to
achieve that at Swansea. If we can achieve that type of performance then
we'll give them a hell of a game."
Allardyce has examined Swansea's 4-0 victory over Sunderland last week -
their first in the Premier League since March - and was impressed. "I think
prior to the Sunderland game I would have talked to the players about any
nervous frailties they (Swansea) might have suffered because of the time
they have gone without winning at home," he said. "I suppose it sounds a lot
longer than it really was, because there was a break when this record was
calculated from last season into this season. "They'll have taken a lot of
confidence from the fact they ended up breaking down Sunderland and getting
four goals so that fear might now have left them. "It's always a difficult
game. They've had a terrific amount of progress over a few years and haven't
looked back for many, many years and they have some really good players.
"Michael will be expecting them to try and turn home games into another
victory and our format is to go and play like we did against Tottenham and
see if we can win the game. "Certainly we need to get some points out of it
because we're way down on the points total I expected after the first eight
games. It's a big game for us to make sure we play our best and get some
points out of."
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18 YEAR WEST HAM FAN BANNED FOR USING A UNDER 16 TICKET
By Sean Whetstone 26 Oct 2013 at 16:47
West Ham Till I Die
Following the discounted community ticket debate of this week there has been
much talk on twitter and West Ham forums about a 18 Year West Ham fan
allegedly fined £1,100 and banned for Life from West ham for using an under
16 ticket.
I often find although there is an element of truth in these internet rumours
some of the facts are wrong or misleading. I have spoken to a source close
to the club and the fan in question himself to get to the bottom of this
story. I understand the 18 year old fan was arrested in the East Stand
during the Manchester City game last weekend.
As there is an ongoing police investigation it wouldn't be fair to name the
fan or discuss any details to prejudice that investigation.
The price of East Stand renewal of Season Ticket (Band 2) for a young adult
(under 22) is £410 this season while the Under 16 season ticket is £255.
That works out a short fall of £155 per season. If you multiple this by two
seasons than you get £310 plus the difference of a large number of away
games which takes it up to the £1100 talked about in tweets and forums.
However this is not a fine imposed by the club. This is what they are asking
for back in lost revenue.
I understand the club has written to the fan this week and suspended his
season ticket card and banned him from the ground until the £1100 is paid
back. Not exactly the life ban that some have suggested unless the debt
remains unpaid for life.
We all know this is wrong but but I can't help feel sorry for this fan who
made a mistake as a young adult and is now paying the price.
Many will point to the high prices of season tickets for a 18 year but the
price of Band 2 ticket rises from Under 16 £255 to £410 for a Young Adult
until they reach the age of 22. That is a 50% discount on the full £820
price for an adult season ticket which many pay over the age of 22.
Some West Ham fans have pointed to a David Gold quote "back to those early
years in the East End. Back then, with no money, there was one thing I could
do. I could bunk into West Ham Football Club at half-time for free"
I suppose It all goes to prove we all do silly things when we are younger.
How much sympathy the police give to this young man remains to be seen.
Hopefully he may get a second chance in life but I don't think that is in
the hands of the club.
Amanda Jacks from the Football Supporters Federation recently blogged about
the right of appeal for Club bans. She says…
"Clubs have the legal right to ban whoever they like (so long as they don't
break equality laws). But surely there must be adequate appeals processes in
place for fans who feel they've been unfairly treated? Not always, and
different clubs handle things in very different ways. It's rare for a
football club to operate any type of "due process" when banning supporters
from their ground. We've heard from fans banned for all manner of reasons
and, in our experience, it can take considerable time to get their bans
lifted. We recognise that clubs have every right to refuse admission to
supporters but feel such a drastic step should only be taken after both
sides have been heard – a transparent banning process that gives a supporter
the chance to have their say. Even when a Football Banning Order has not
been handed out, or a fan has been acquitted by the courts, clubs sometimes
choose to ban fans from their stadium. Is this reasonable? The majority of
clubs offer no processes or procedures acting as judge, jury and
executioner, which leaves fans at the whim of the club Safety Officer who is
often behind such decisions. Thanks to ticket Terms & Conditions supporters
have no right to a refund for games missed if they are season ticket holders
meaning, effectively, clubs are imposing a financial penalty as well as
depriving the supporter of the ability to support his or her team"
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Ravel Morrison backed for England's World Cup squad by West Ham teammate Joe
Cole
26 Oct 2013 22:30
The Mirror
Joe Cole has given a telling insight into the pressures that surround
talented young players such as his West Ham team-mate Ravel Morrison. Cole -
who is 32 next week, and now back at the club where he launched his career -
believes Morrison has the ability to be part of the England squad that goes
to the World Cup finals in Brazil next summer. But Cole can warn the
exciting 20-year-old of the pitfalls of sudden fame. Cole was hailed as the
best of his generation when he burst on the scene with the Hammers as a
teenager - but it was fame at a price. He admitted: "This has been an
amazing journey for me, but it was very daunting at first."
He recalled how he was suddenly the victim of jealousy when there were
reports that, as a 15-year-old, he was earning more than the Prime Minister.
Cole added: "It was a ridiculous story. I was not earning anything at the
time. "The only money I got was £30 a-week pocket money from my mum. "And
when I signed my first contract as an apprentice, it was only £45 a-week.
"It was a harsh lesson. I remember going to school and everybody changed
towards me. It was my first taste of fame and it was not pleasant."
He also feels Morrison will benefit from the advice given at West Ham. Cole
added: "It's a case keep doing what you are doing. You have to keep level
and improve gradually. Ravel has got good experience coming from Manchester
United. "Maybe he wasn't around their first team enough, but he is very much
part of our team. "As for England, it is not premature to talk about that
with Ravel. "He's been outstanding. His attitude is spot on. He loves
football and you see the joy in him when he is playing. "Of course he has a
World Cup chance."
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Sunday, October 27
Saturday, October 26
Daily WHUFC News - 26th October 2013
Swansea City match preview
WHUFC.com
All the need-to-know information ahead of Sunday's match against Swansea
City
25.10.2013
SWANSEA CITY v WEST HAM UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SUNDAY 27 OCTOBER 2013
KICK-OFF: 4PM
REFEREE: PHIL DOWD
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
iPHONE APP I TWITTER I FACEBOOK I PODCAST
Introduction
· West Ham United travel to the Liberty Stadium on Sunday looking to make it
two consecutive away wins in the Barclays Premier League.
· A 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on 6 October was the
club's last away outing and their first win on their travels this season.
· In their last match the Hammers suffered a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City
at the Boleyn Ground.
· The Hammers have conceded only once away from home this season with that
goal coming via Robbie Brady, who converted a penalty in a 1-0 defeat at the
KC Stadium.
· The players will sport t-shirts celebrating the 150th anniversary of the
FA during the pre-match warm-up.
· In this fixture last year Swansea ran out 3-0 winners at the Liberty
Stadium in Michael Laudrup's second game in charge.
· The Dane has steered his team to tenth place after eight league games,
five places above the Hammers although a West Ham win will see them overtake
the Swans.
· Last time out Swansea recorded a 4-0 home win over Sunderland to record
their first home win of the season.
· The Swans have been inconsistent so far and from their last four games
have two wins and a pair of defeats.
Team news
Swansea City
· Full-back Ben Davies and captain Ashley Williams will miss the game with
ankle injuries.
· Pablo Hernandez may well return after missing the last nine games.
West Ham United
· Alou Diarra, Stephen Henderson and Andy Carroll are definitely out whilst
James Collins may be fit enough to return having missed the Manchester City
game.
· Jack Collison (Bournemouth), Elliot Lee (Colchester), Paul McCallum
(Torquay) and Jordan Spence (MK Dons) are all out on loan.
Background
· West Ham United and Swansea City have met 55 times over a period of 90
years, the Hammers have won 26, Swansea have won 17 and 12 have ended in a
draw.
· The first meeting between the two sides came on 7 January 1922 in the FA
Cup and ended in a 0-0 draw. The replay on 11 January also ended 0-0, and
the two sides met for the third time in nine days on 16 January when Swansea
won 1-0 to progress.
· Joe Cole made his first West Ham debut as a substitute in the 1-1 FA Cup
third-round draw against Swansea City on 2 January 1999.
· The highest scoring game between the two produced nine goals with Swansea
edging it 5-4 at Vetch Field on 2 March 1935.
Last time out
Swansea City 1-1 Kuban Krasnador
UEFA Europa League
24 October 2013
Swansea City: Tremmel, Tiendalli (Rangel), Taylor, Canas, Chico, Amat, Dyer
(Lamah), Shelvey, Bony (Alvaro), Michu, Pozuelo
Subs not used: Vorm, Britton, Monk, De Guzman
Goals: Michu 68
West Ham United 1-3 Manchester City
Barclays Premier League
19 October 2013
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel (O'Brien 65), Reid, Tomkins, Rat, Nolan
(Petric 83), Noble, Morrison, Diame, Downing, Vaz Te (Jarvis 65)
Subs not used: Adrian, Taylor, C Cole, J Cole
Goals: Vaz Te 58
Previous meeting
Andy Carroll inspired West Ham to victory over Swansea City on his return to
the starting line-up. The big striker netted the only goal of the game after
77 minutes to delight the home crowd and move the Hammers up to eleventh
place.
West Ham United 1-0 Swansea City
Barclays Premier League
2 February 2013
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien, Tomkins, Reid, Taylor, Noble, Diame
(O'Neil), Vaz Te, Nolan (Pogatetz), Jarvis (J Cole), Carroll
Subs not used: Spiegel, C Cole, Collison, Chamakh
Goals: Carroll 77
Swansea City: Tremmel, Rangel, Chico, Williams, Davies, De Guzman, Britton
(Moore), Ki, Hernandez, Michu, Routledge (Dyer)
Subs not used: Cornell, Lamah, Monk, Schecter, Tiendalli,
Head to head
Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)
2 February 2013 West Ham United 1-0 Swansea City
25 August 2012 Swansea City 3-0 West Ham United
13 January 1999 Swansea City 1-0 West Ham United (FA Cup Third Round Replay)
02 January 1999 West Ham United 1-1 Swansea City (FA Cup Third Round)
07 October 1985 Swansea City 2-3 West Ham United (League Cup Second Round
Second Leg)
24 September 1985 West Ham United 3-0 Swansea City (League Cup Second Round
First Leg)
Overall record v Swansea City (all competitions) W 26 D 12 L 17
Ten-year record
West Ham United
2012/13 Premier League 10th (46 points)
2011/12 Championship 3rd (86 points - promoted via Play-Offs)
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points)
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted via Play-Offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Championship)
Swansea City
2012/13 Premier League 9th (46 points)
2011/12 Premier League 11th (47 points)
2010/11 Championship 3rd (80 points)
2009/10 Championship 7th (69 points)
2008/09 Championship 8th (68 points)
2007/08 League One 1st (92 points)
2006/07 League One 7th (72 points)
2005/06 League One 6th (71 points)
2004/05 League Two 3rd (80 points)
2003/04 League Two 10th (59 points)
2002/03 League Two 21st (49 points)
Referee
· The referee for Sunday's game will be Phil Dowd.
· Dowd has already taken charge of the Hammers this season, presiding over a
0-0 draw when West Ham played Newcastle at St James Park.
· Dowd is in his 13h season as a Select Group official, having initially
been promoted to the Barclays Premier League list of referees in 2001.
· Dowd began refereeing in local leagues in 1984, officiating in the
Staffordshire Senior League and Midland Football Alliance. He was appointed
to the Football League list of assistant referees in 1992, before joining
the League's full list of referees in 1997, aged 34.
· The 49-year-old is commonly considered to be one of England's best match
officials, an opinion backed by his appointments as the referee for the 2012
FA Cup and 2010 Football League Cup finals.
· Previously, Dowd was the fourth official at the 2006 FA Cup final between
West Ham United and Liverpool at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
· The man in the middle will be assisted by Richard West and Marc Perry, and
his fourth official will be Roger East.
General information
· Tickets for this fixture are now sold out.
·The weather forecast for Sunday afternoon is cloudy with a maximum
temperature of 14C.
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Big Sam on: Swansea City
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce attended his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's trip
to Wales
25.10.2013
Sam Allardyce has faced the media ahead of Sunday's trip to the Liberty
Stadium to face Swansea City in the Barclays Premier League. The West Ham
United manager was quizzed on the latest team news, Mark Noble's chances of
an England call-up and Sir Alex Ferguson's book.
Morning Sam, what's the team news ahead of Sunday's game?
SA: "Our injury news is not too bad. We've got no new injuries from what we
had last week. We've still got Alou Diarra, James Collins and George
McCartney out with injury and of course Andy Carroll who everyone knows is
our long term injury. We could do with those players back as quickly as we
can as we're a little light on numbers. Jack Collison will come back from a
loan at the end of this weekend to join back with us after a few very
valuable first team games at Bournemouth as we've got a heavy week. We've
got games Sunday, Tuesday and Saturday so we've got a big week ahead of us.
The players that are available are in good spirits but we could do with the
other players being back fit as quick as possible."
How's Andy Carroll coming along? Reports are surfacing that he's finished
his treatment in Belgium - is that right?
SA: "No, it's not true as he's still got a while to go yet. We'd hope that
he'd be back with us in the next two to three weeks and hopefully that would
be a shout that he could start full training when he does come back. It's
always been a week-by-week assessment, we send one of our physiotherapists
out there every week to monitor his progress on a weekly basis."
How's his morale, as I'm sure it must be a difficult period for him?
SA: "He's frustrated of course. I think he's desperate to play football
again which is what he loves doing most of all. And of course we'll be only
too pleased to get him back in amongst the squad when we get the chance.
Carlton Cole played another game in the Under-21s which they won again last
Monday. Our Under-21s are top of the league which is great news from the
younger end of the football club developing and we've let a few of the
younger players go out on loan this week on the basis of their performances
in the Under-21s. Things are alright apart from we haven't got as many
points on the board as we should have."
You've been persisting without and out-and-out striker, are you likely to
continue that on Sunday?
SA: "I wouldn't say I've persisted because it's only been two games out of
eight. It worked very, very well in the first game and didn't work quite so
well in the second so it'll be our choice in the next two days on whether we
do change the system we play or we don't."
Do you think Carlton Cole is ready to be involved?
SA: "He's ready to be involved in the squad but I don't think he's ready to
start from a match fitness point of view. Carlton's experience, if needed
off the subs bench, could be invaluable at the moment so he'll be in the
squad for Sunday."
Sir Alex Ferguson's book has been in the news as well this week, were you
featured in it originally?
SA: "Yes, I think I got left out! I'm looking forward to getting my free
copy as he said he forgot to put me in it so I'm looking forward to reading
it when it comes out. I'll be trotting down to the launch on 1 November to
see him more than anything else."
Swansea played in the Europa League last night, might that aid you on
Sunday?
SA: "There's a chance it can there's no doubt about that. Having experienced
the same situation myself when I was at Bolton the most difficult game to
win was always the one after we'd played in Europe. He did make a lot of
changes, six changes to the side that beat Sunderland so we'll have to wait
and see.
"If there is any advantage we might be able to take with a few of their
players having a bit of fatigue then hopefully we can capitalise on that.
It's really about our players going and playing as well as they know they
can and that's line has been set by the performance at Tottenham and I'll be
looking for the players to achieve that at Swansea. If we can achieve that
type of performance then we'll give them a hell of a game."
Swansea haven't had a great home record up until they beat Sunderland 4-0 in
their last match. Do you focus on their last game or consider that they're
relatively weak at home?
SA: "Well I think prior to the Sunderland game I would have talked to the
players about any nervous frailties they might have suffered because of the
time they have gone without winning at home. I suppose it sounds a lot
longer than it really was, because there was a break when this record was
calculated from last season into this season. They'll have taken a lot of
confidence from the fact they ended up breaking down Sunderland and getting
four goals so that fear might now have left them. "It's always a difficult
game. They've had a terrific amount of progress over a few years and haven't
looked back for many, many years and they have some really good players.
Michael [Laudrup] will be expecting them to try and turn home games into
another victory and our format is to go and play like we did against
Tottenham and see if we can win the game. Certainly we need to get some
points out of it because we're way down on the points total I expected after
the first eight games. It's a big game for us to make sure we play our best
and get some points out of."
How much better were you hoping to have done by this stage of the season?
SA: "Well I couldn't knock the performances too much but I think we're about
four points short of what we should have achieved. My huge concern is the
fact that we've lost three home games on the trot, that never happened last
season, we only lost four all season at home. That's my biggest worry, our
away performances have been very good but our results haven't matched the
performances. We should of beat Newcastle, we certainly shouldn't have lost
against Hull City we had a good draw at Southampton and a great win against
Tottenham. We've got to make sure we give our all in the Premier League
because we're a 100 per cent team and we need to play at 100 per cent to win
a game of football in the Premier League."
Is it as simple as taking the opportunity of having more shots on target as
you only had two against Manchester City?
SA: "There's no doubt about that. We had 17 attempts and only two on target
and that tells you the story of our incapacity to turn opportunities,
certainly at the end, to put the goalkeeper under pressure. It's well
documented that Joe Hart has recently made a few errors that he doesn't
normally make and my message to the players was try and test him as much as
we possibly can. You can only do that with your attempts being on target and
that may cause the goalkeeper to make a mistake again but we didn't do that
sufficiently enough."
Mark Noble has said this week that he believes he has the ability and the
maturity to play for England, do you agree with that?
SA: "Yes, I don't disagree with that. He's got to continue to perform at a
consistent level and of course between now and next summer his performances
will have to be consistently of the highest quality to attract the attention
of Roy Hodgson. If he thinks he can do that then he's put a huge amount of
pressure on himself to make sure he performs at his highest level which has
always been very good for us."
In general do you think West Ham players are overlooked when it comes to
England selection?
SA: "No I don't. If we had 12 points now instead of eight those players
would be talked about an awful lot more. At the end of the day people talk
about performances and how to play the game of football but ultimately if
you achieve the results at the end of those performances that's where the
attention comes from. If you don't get the points that's when the
performances are quickly and easily forgotten. In the end performances have
to produce results which produces attention in the right way and it gets
people looking to come and watch your players do what they're doing,
certainly at international level."
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Chadwell Chatter
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid on clocking up the air miles, Swansea City and New Zealand's
FIFA World Cup Play-Off
25.10.2013
Hello everyone,
I've had a busy few weeks with West Ham United and New Zealand. I've got
used to all the travelling with my national team now, as I've been away a
lot of times. It can be physically and mentally demanding spending hours at
airports and on planes, but it is all part of the job of being a national
team player and, in my case, captain. Obviously it would be best for the
Club if I stayed here and it is tough, but you have to go away and come back
and be professional and I've got no excuses for my performance against
Manchester City because I was OK.
During the international break, we played a training match in Los Angeles,
then travelled to Trinidad and Tobago for a friendly international. While we
were there, we found out we would be playing Mexico next month in a
two-legged Intercontinental Play-Off, with the winners going to next year's
World Cup.
It's going to be difficult against Mexico because they've been to a lot of
World Cups and we have only been to two, so it's not going to be easy. We're
going to go there for the first leg and hopefully we can get a result, then
take them back to New Zealand and do the business there.
Obviously Mexico will not be the same as they were before, but they are
still going to be a good side and we're going to have to be up for it, give
110 per cent and see how far it takes us. We play them at the Azteca
Stadium, which is going to be good and exciting to play there, but the most
important thing is for us to get to the World Cup. We play the first leg
away from home, but we'll have to wait and see if that's an advantage.
Either way, it's going to be tough. My travel itinerary is pretty
interesting! I fly from London to Los Angeles, then Los Angeles to Mexico
City, back to Los Angeles, then to Auckland for the second leg in
Wellington. On the way back, it's the reverse, flying from Auckland to Los
Angeles and then on to London. I'll definitely get some Air Miles for all
that!
Before that, we go to Swansea City on Sunday and they have got a good team
and finished well last year. We've got to do better than we did against
Manchester City and up our levels.
Looking back at last weekend, at the end of the day Manchester City were a
better side than we were and we didn't play up to the same level as we did
at Tottenham. They were simply better than us. Every away game is tough but,
to be fair, I think the boys have done well away from home this season and
if we can keep those sort of performances up, we can take something away
from Swansea. It will be tough, though, because they're a good side. Swansea
did really well to win the Capital One Cup last season and qualify for
Europe, so credit to them. For us, we want to climb the league because our
start hasn't been the best. Hopefully we can kick on in the next couple of
games.
Swansea's manager Michael Laudrup is a legend back in Denmark, where I grew
up. He's the biggest player they have ever had and he played for a lot of
big clubs - Juventus, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Ajax - and did well for the
national team as well, particularly at the 1986 World Cup. He is always
going to be a legend and there are a lot of Danes who follow Swansea because
of him. I never tried to be him in the school playground, though, as I
always stayed at the back as a defender!
I wish a safe and successful journey to the Hammers fans travelling to
Swansea on Sunday and hope all of you have a great weekend.
Come on you Irons!
Reidy
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U18 duo ready for Teesside trip
WHUFC.com
Kieran Bywater and Kyle Knoyle are hoping the Under-18s can continue their
winning run on Saturday
25.10.2013
West Ham United make the long journey up to Middlesbrough this weekend
looking to extend their Barclays U18 Premier League winning run to five
games.
Steve Potts' side have won four consecutive games to shake off a slow start
to the season which saw them win just once in their opening six matches.
Ten goals in ten games from Kieran Bywater have played a major role in
reversing the team's fortunes and the midfielder cannot quite believe his
rich vein of scoring form.
Bywater told West Ham TV: "I would have taken the ten goals at the start of
the season for the whole season! "Obviously I have to keep working hard and
keep helping the team. The goals aren't just all my own work obviously all
the other players have been setting up goals. "I've just been fortunate
enough to get a few good goals myself."
While the captain's run of six goals in his last four games has stolen the
headlines other players in the squad have received recognition of a
different kind.
Right-back Kyle Knoyle represented England U18s earlier this month when he
played the full 90 minutes of a 4-0 friendly win over Hungary. Knoyle was
joined in the squad by Hammers centre-back Reece Burke and he was
justifiably pleased with his selection. "It was an honour to represent
England and hopefully I can get some more caps. The experience itself was a
once in a lifetime opportunity."
With both players seemingly thriving under the guidance of Steve Potts, Mark
Phillips and Tony Carr, the team is going from strength to strength. While
four wins on the bounce have kick-started their season, both players feel as
though they were not getting the results their performances deserved during
their first few games. "We lost 1-0 to Sunderland and we played some great
football and should have come away with a result" explained Knoyle. "From
there we've kept going from the Liverpool game [which we won 5-0] and just
kept cracking on. There's a great atmosphere at the moment and everyone's
really pleased.
"We thought we should be getting the results but now that they've been
coming we just need to crack on from here and keep the atmosphere as it is."
Bywater echoed the thoughts of his team-mate and is hopeful the team will
return to east London with three points from their trip to Teesside. He
said: "We were unfortunate with some of the games at the beginning of the
season. "The performances were there but maybe it was just the finishing or
a little bit of class missing that we didn't quite have but it's clicked in
recent weeks. "We've got four wins on the bounce and hopefully we can make
it five on the weekend."
*West Ham TV will show exclusive highlights from Saturday's Barclays U18
Premier League trip to Middlesbrough on Monday.
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Swansea v West Ham
KO 16:00
25 October 2013
Last updated at 14:50
By Steve Bower
BBC Match of the Day commentator
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Liberty Stadium Date: Sunday, 27 October
Swansea manager Michael Laudrup must decide whether to play Ashley Williams,
who has missed the last five weeks with an ankle injury. Pablo Hernadez
finally looks set to play after a hamstring problem but Ben Davies (ankle)
is out.
West Ham could be unchanged from the side that was beaten by Manchester City
last weekend. Carlton Cole is not yet match fit, while Andy Carroll, James
Collins, Alou Diarra and George McCartney remain out.
MATCH PREVIEW
With just five league wins between them this fixture offers an opportunity
for both sides to claim a significant victory. For Swansea it would be
back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time in 2013, while having
lost four of their last six, it would be a welcome return to winning ways
for West Ham. Swansea's 4-0 win over Sunderland last weekend was their first
home Premier League win in nine attempts. They have remained unbeaten and
indeed impressed in their Europa League campaign yet it could be argued it
is affecting domestic matters. "The problem for Hammers boss Sam Allardyce
is getting his team to pose a goal threat. They were superb in their win
over Tottenham but were lacking up front in their defeat by Manchester City
last time out."
Ever since their arrival in the top flight, the Liberty Stadium has been a
destination where any team has had to play well to get a result, and Michael
Laudrup will know that reputation and foundation has to remain in place to
get close to last season's ninth-placed league position. The four goals
against Sunderland were a lift too, having scored only six in the previous
seven league matches as record signing Wilfred Bony and Michu still work on
their understanding.
Either man would be welcomed by Sam Allardyce at the moment in the continued
absence of Andy Carroll. The progress on his record signing's fitness must
be top of the West Ham manager's weekly questions.
So far this season Maiga, Vaz Te and Petric have tried unsuccessfully to
fill the void, with the return of Carlton Cole an added option. It makes the
3-0 win at Tottenham in their last away game an even more outstanding
result. I watched them previously in defeat at Hull, where they were
unlucky, but had they been more clinical in front of goal could have been
out of sight. The consistent emergence of Ravel Morrison has been a huge
positive, as has the recent return to fitness of Stewart Downing. Swansea
face their third game in eight days and if the Hammers can rediscover that
White Hart Lane formula they will move above the Swans in the table.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Swansea beat West Ham 3-0 in their first home game of last season with Michu
scoring his first goal at the Liberty Stadium.
The Hammers have only won four of their 22 league trips to Swansea (D4,
L14).
This fixture has traditionally produced goals; an average of 3.5 goals per
game have been scored across the previous 44 league meetings.
Swansea
Swansea are looking to win back-to-back league games for the first time
since December last year.
All three league wins by Michael Laudrup's side this season have come when
they have kept clean sheets.
There have been more goals scored at the Liberty Stadium this season (16)
than at any other Premier League ground.
The Swans have drawn only once this season - only games involving Palace
(none) have resulted in fewer draws.
West Ham
West Ham are looking to win successive away matches in the Premier League
for the first time since December 2007.
The Hammers have conceded just one away goal in four league matches -Robbie
Brady's controversial penalty at Hull.
Sam Allardyce's side are six points down on this stage of last season when
they had 14 points from their opening eight games.
West Ham have the worst shooting accuracy in the Premier League this season
(29.6%).
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West Ham's Andy Carroll back training in 'two to three weeks'
BBC.co.uk
Sam Allardyce says West Ham striker Andy Carroll could be back training
within a fortnight. The 24-year-old has yet to feature for the Hammers this
season because of a heel injury, which has required treatment both in Europe
and the USA. "We hope he'll be back with us in the next two to three weeks,"
said the West Ham manager. "Hopefully that would be a shout that he could
start full training when he does come back."
Allardyce added: "He is frustrated of course and is desperate to be playing
football again. It's what he loves doing most. I will only be too pleased to
get him back in the squad." The England international, who picked up the
injury during the final game of last season, started 22 Premier League games
for the Hammers during the 2012-13 campaign, while on loan from Liverpool,
scoring seven times. He sealed a £15m permanent move from the Reds during
the summer.
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Swansea take on West Ham at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday
Last Updated: October 25, 2013 1:26pm
SSN
West Ham travel to Swansea on Sunday looking for a win to leapfrog their
opponents in the Premier League table. Sam Allardyce's side currently sit in
15th in the table with eight points from their opening eight league games.
The Hammers go into the game on the back of a 3-1 home defeat by Manchester
City last time but will take confidence from their last match on the road -
a 3-0 win at previously unbeaten Tottenham. But it will be tough against a
Swans side who are unbeaten in three games in all competitions at home. That
run began with a 1-0 win over St Gallen in the Europa League and Michael
Laudrup's side followed up with a 4-0 thrashing of Sunderland in the Premier
League and Thursday's last-gasp 1-1 Europa League draw against Kuban
Krasnodar. The Swans climbed to 11th in the table with the mauling of the
Black Cats - with ten points from their opening eight games - and Laudrup
will be eyeing another three points at home.
Paul Merson's prediction
West Ham have had an up-and-down period. They had a great win at Tottenham,
but got beat by Man City and I think Swansea will win on Sunday. They may be
a little light at the back if Ashley Williams and Ben Davies are out, but
Sam Allardyce doesn't really play with forwards so that might not be much of
a problem. It's got to be a home win this one.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0
Swansea Badge Swansea
Last 6
Kuban (h)1-1
Sunderland (h)4-0
Southampton (a)2-0
St Gallen (h)1-0
Arsenal (h)1-2
3-1
Swansea boss Michael Laudrup must decide whether to risk Ashley Williams in
Sunday's clash with West Ham. The Wales defender has been sidelined for
almost five weeks due to an ankle ligament problem, but took part in
training earlier this week with Laudrup hoping to give his captain some
match action before the south Wales derby against Cardiff. Left-back Ben
Davies remains out until after the international break with a badly sprained
ankle. But on a more positive note, Pablo Hernandez could finally get back
on the pitch after a hamstring problem.
West Ham Badge West Ham
Last 6
Man City (h)1-3
Tottenham (a)0-3
Hull City (a)1-0
Cardiff (h)3-2
Everton (h)2-3
Southampton (a)0-0
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has confirmed the club have got no new injuries
from last week. He said: "We've still got Alou Diarra, James Collins and
George McCartney out with injury and of course Andy Carroll who everyone
knows is our long-term injury. "We could do with those players back as
quickly as we can as we're a little light on numbers." To bolster numbers
going forward, Jack Collison will come back from a loan spell at Bournemouth
at the end of this weekend.
Opta Facts
Swansea City will be looking to win successive Barclays Premier League games
for the first time since December 1st 2012.
West Ham have not won back-to-back Barclays Premier League away games since
December 2007
The last three competitive meetings between Swansea and West Ham have seen
the home side win whilst keeping a clean sheet
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Rumours of Andy Carroll's immninent return not true according to Sam
Allardyce
Last Updated: October 25, 2013 5:48pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce has played down reports Andy Carroll could be back in his West
Ham plans as early as next week. The England striker is yet to feature for
the Hammers this season after suffering a problem with his foot which has
needed treatment from some of the top specialists Europe and the United
States can offer. Reports suggested Carroll could return to training after
their clash with Swansea on Sunday but Allardyce was quick to quash any
rumours. "The stories that Andy Carroll is returning to us this week are not
true," the West Ham boss said. "There is still a while to go there. He'll be
back we hope in the next two to three weeks. Hopefully he can start full
training when he does come back. It's always been a week-by-week assessment.
"He is frustrated of course and is desperate to be playing football again,
it's what he loves doing most. I will only be too pleased to get him back in
the squad."
West Ham's other forwards have struggled for goals in Carroll's absence and
Allardyce played without a recognised striker in their last two games, a 3-0
win over Spurs and a 3-1 defeat at home to Manchester City. "It's worked
very well in the first game, not so well in second," he said. "It will be
our choice in the next few days about whether we change the system. "Carlton
Cole played another under-21 game last Monday. Our under-21s are top of the
league, that's great news from the younger end. "I don't think Cole is ready
to start from a match fitness point of view but his experience from the
bench is invaluable at the moment."
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Swansea boss Michael Laudrup respects Sam Allardyce's style of play ahead of
Hammers clash
25 Oct 2013 22:30
The Mirror
Michael Laudrup has revealed his admiration for the way Sam Allardyce sticks
to his his principles in the cut-throat industry of management. West Ham
boss Allardyce is often associated with a direct style of play. But stylish
Laudrup believes the Hammers boss deserves respect for his beliefs on the
game. Laudrup said: "I like managers and teams who are very clear about what
they want. I always respect that. There is not one truth in football. "But
there are some managers who say one thing and do another. Sam Allardyce is
very honest about what he wants and what he asks from his players. "You can
see what he wants and they are a strong, physical side." Swansea face West
Ham for the club's third home game in a week and aim to be unbeaten
following a win over Sunderland and a midweek Europa League draw against
Russian outfit Kuban Krasnodar. But Laudrup is wary of the Londoners on the
road following their previous away-day success at Tottenham. He added: "We
want a positive result on Sunday as West Ham are in 'our league' and we're
at home. It is a big chance to get points if we can. "But it will be a tough
one. They are strong and they showed that in the last game they played away
at Tottenham."
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WHUFC.com
All the need-to-know information ahead of Sunday's match against Swansea
City
25.10.2013
SWANSEA CITY v WEST HAM UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SUNDAY 27 OCTOBER 2013
KICK-OFF: 4PM
REFEREE: PHIL DOWD
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
iPHONE APP I TWITTER I FACEBOOK I PODCAST
Introduction
· West Ham United travel to the Liberty Stadium on Sunday looking to make it
two consecutive away wins in the Barclays Premier League.
· A 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on 6 October was the
club's last away outing and their first win on their travels this season.
· In their last match the Hammers suffered a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City
at the Boleyn Ground.
· The Hammers have conceded only once away from home this season with that
goal coming via Robbie Brady, who converted a penalty in a 1-0 defeat at the
KC Stadium.
· The players will sport t-shirts celebrating the 150th anniversary of the
FA during the pre-match warm-up.
· In this fixture last year Swansea ran out 3-0 winners at the Liberty
Stadium in Michael Laudrup's second game in charge.
· The Dane has steered his team to tenth place after eight league games,
five places above the Hammers although a West Ham win will see them overtake
the Swans.
· Last time out Swansea recorded a 4-0 home win over Sunderland to record
their first home win of the season.
· The Swans have been inconsistent so far and from their last four games
have two wins and a pair of defeats.
Team news
Swansea City
· Full-back Ben Davies and captain Ashley Williams will miss the game with
ankle injuries.
· Pablo Hernandez may well return after missing the last nine games.
West Ham United
· Alou Diarra, Stephen Henderson and Andy Carroll are definitely out whilst
James Collins may be fit enough to return having missed the Manchester City
game.
· Jack Collison (Bournemouth), Elliot Lee (Colchester), Paul McCallum
(Torquay) and Jordan Spence (MK Dons) are all out on loan.
Background
· West Ham United and Swansea City have met 55 times over a period of 90
years, the Hammers have won 26, Swansea have won 17 and 12 have ended in a
draw.
· The first meeting between the two sides came on 7 January 1922 in the FA
Cup and ended in a 0-0 draw. The replay on 11 January also ended 0-0, and
the two sides met for the third time in nine days on 16 January when Swansea
won 1-0 to progress.
· Joe Cole made his first West Ham debut as a substitute in the 1-1 FA Cup
third-round draw against Swansea City on 2 January 1999.
· The highest scoring game between the two produced nine goals with Swansea
edging it 5-4 at Vetch Field on 2 March 1935.
Last time out
Swansea City 1-1 Kuban Krasnador
UEFA Europa League
24 October 2013
Swansea City: Tremmel, Tiendalli (Rangel), Taylor, Canas, Chico, Amat, Dyer
(Lamah), Shelvey, Bony (Alvaro), Michu, Pozuelo
Subs not used: Vorm, Britton, Monk, De Guzman
Goals: Michu 68
West Ham United 1-3 Manchester City
Barclays Premier League
19 October 2013
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel (O'Brien 65), Reid, Tomkins, Rat, Nolan
(Petric 83), Noble, Morrison, Diame, Downing, Vaz Te (Jarvis 65)
Subs not used: Adrian, Taylor, C Cole, J Cole
Goals: Vaz Te 58
Previous meeting
Andy Carroll inspired West Ham to victory over Swansea City on his return to
the starting line-up. The big striker netted the only goal of the game after
77 minutes to delight the home crowd and move the Hammers up to eleventh
place.
West Ham United 1-0 Swansea City
Barclays Premier League
2 February 2013
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien, Tomkins, Reid, Taylor, Noble, Diame
(O'Neil), Vaz Te, Nolan (Pogatetz), Jarvis (J Cole), Carroll
Subs not used: Spiegel, C Cole, Collison, Chamakh
Goals: Carroll 77
Swansea City: Tremmel, Rangel, Chico, Williams, Davies, De Guzman, Britton
(Moore), Ki, Hernandez, Michu, Routledge (Dyer)
Subs not used: Cornell, Lamah, Monk, Schecter, Tiendalli,
Head to head
Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)
2 February 2013 West Ham United 1-0 Swansea City
25 August 2012 Swansea City 3-0 West Ham United
13 January 1999 Swansea City 1-0 West Ham United (FA Cup Third Round Replay)
02 January 1999 West Ham United 1-1 Swansea City (FA Cup Third Round)
07 October 1985 Swansea City 2-3 West Ham United (League Cup Second Round
Second Leg)
24 September 1985 West Ham United 3-0 Swansea City (League Cup Second Round
First Leg)
Overall record v Swansea City (all competitions) W 26 D 12 L 17
Ten-year record
West Ham United
2012/13 Premier League 10th (46 points)
2011/12 Championship 3rd (86 points - promoted via Play-Offs)
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points)
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted via Play-Offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Championship)
Swansea City
2012/13 Premier League 9th (46 points)
2011/12 Premier League 11th (47 points)
2010/11 Championship 3rd (80 points)
2009/10 Championship 7th (69 points)
2008/09 Championship 8th (68 points)
2007/08 League One 1st (92 points)
2006/07 League One 7th (72 points)
2005/06 League One 6th (71 points)
2004/05 League Two 3rd (80 points)
2003/04 League Two 10th (59 points)
2002/03 League Two 21st (49 points)
Referee
· The referee for Sunday's game will be Phil Dowd.
· Dowd has already taken charge of the Hammers this season, presiding over a
0-0 draw when West Ham played Newcastle at St James Park.
· Dowd is in his 13h season as a Select Group official, having initially
been promoted to the Barclays Premier League list of referees in 2001.
· Dowd began refereeing in local leagues in 1984, officiating in the
Staffordshire Senior League and Midland Football Alliance. He was appointed
to the Football League list of assistant referees in 1992, before joining
the League's full list of referees in 1997, aged 34.
· The 49-year-old is commonly considered to be one of England's best match
officials, an opinion backed by his appointments as the referee for the 2012
FA Cup and 2010 Football League Cup finals.
· Previously, Dowd was the fourth official at the 2006 FA Cup final between
West Ham United and Liverpool at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
· The man in the middle will be assisted by Richard West and Marc Perry, and
his fourth official will be Roger East.
General information
· Tickets for this fixture are now sold out.
·The weather forecast for Sunday afternoon is cloudy with a maximum
temperature of 14C.
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Big Sam on: Swansea City
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce attended his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's trip
to Wales
25.10.2013
Sam Allardyce has faced the media ahead of Sunday's trip to the Liberty
Stadium to face Swansea City in the Barclays Premier League. The West Ham
United manager was quizzed on the latest team news, Mark Noble's chances of
an England call-up and Sir Alex Ferguson's book.
Morning Sam, what's the team news ahead of Sunday's game?
SA: "Our injury news is not too bad. We've got no new injuries from what we
had last week. We've still got Alou Diarra, James Collins and George
McCartney out with injury and of course Andy Carroll who everyone knows is
our long term injury. We could do with those players back as quickly as we
can as we're a little light on numbers. Jack Collison will come back from a
loan at the end of this weekend to join back with us after a few very
valuable first team games at Bournemouth as we've got a heavy week. We've
got games Sunday, Tuesday and Saturday so we've got a big week ahead of us.
The players that are available are in good spirits but we could do with the
other players being back fit as quick as possible."
How's Andy Carroll coming along? Reports are surfacing that he's finished
his treatment in Belgium - is that right?
SA: "No, it's not true as he's still got a while to go yet. We'd hope that
he'd be back with us in the next two to three weeks and hopefully that would
be a shout that he could start full training when he does come back. It's
always been a week-by-week assessment, we send one of our physiotherapists
out there every week to monitor his progress on a weekly basis."
How's his morale, as I'm sure it must be a difficult period for him?
SA: "He's frustrated of course. I think he's desperate to play football
again which is what he loves doing most of all. And of course we'll be only
too pleased to get him back in amongst the squad when we get the chance.
Carlton Cole played another game in the Under-21s which they won again last
Monday. Our Under-21s are top of the league which is great news from the
younger end of the football club developing and we've let a few of the
younger players go out on loan this week on the basis of their performances
in the Under-21s. Things are alright apart from we haven't got as many
points on the board as we should have."
You've been persisting without and out-and-out striker, are you likely to
continue that on Sunday?
SA: "I wouldn't say I've persisted because it's only been two games out of
eight. It worked very, very well in the first game and didn't work quite so
well in the second so it'll be our choice in the next two days on whether we
do change the system we play or we don't."
Do you think Carlton Cole is ready to be involved?
SA: "He's ready to be involved in the squad but I don't think he's ready to
start from a match fitness point of view. Carlton's experience, if needed
off the subs bench, could be invaluable at the moment so he'll be in the
squad for Sunday."
Sir Alex Ferguson's book has been in the news as well this week, were you
featured in it originally?
SA: "Yes, I think I got left out! I'm looking forward to getting my free
copy as he said he forgot to put me in it so I'm looking forward to reading
it when it comes out. I'll be trotting down to the launch on 1 November to
see him more than anything else."
Swansea played in the Europa League last night, might that aid you on
Sunday?
SA: "There's a chance it can there's no doubt about that. Having experienced
the same situation myself when I was at Bolton the most difficult game to
win was always the one after we'd played in Europe. He did make a lot of
changes, six changes to the side that beat Sunderland so we'll have to wait
and see.
"If there is any advantage we might be able to take with a few of their
players having a bit of fatigue then hopefully we can capitalise on that.
It's really about our players going and playing as well as they know they
can and that's line has been set by the performance at Tottenham and I'll be
looking for the players to achieve that at Swansea. If we can achieve that
type of performance then we'll give them a hell of a game."
Swansea haven't had a great home record up until they beat Sunderland 4-0 in
their last match. Do you focus on their last game or consider that they're
relatively weak at home?
SA: "Well I think prior to the Sunderland game I would have talked to the
players about any nervous frailties they might have suffered because of the
time they have gone without winning at home. I suppose it sounds a lot
longer than it really was, because there was a break when this record was
calculated from last season into this season. They'll have taken a lot of
confidence from the fact they ended up breaking down Sunderland and getting
four goals so that fear might now have left them. "It's always a difficult
game. They've had a terrific amount of progress over a few years and haven't
looked back for many, many years and they have some really good players.
Michael [Laudrup] will be expecting them to try and turn home games into
another victory and our format is to go and play like we did against
Tottenham and see if we can win the game. Certainly we need to get some
points out of it because we're way down on the points total I expected after
the first eight games. It's a big game for us to make sure we play our best
and get some points out of."
How much better were you hoping to have done by this stage of the season?
SA: "Well I couldn't knock the performances too much but I think we're about
four points short of what we should have achieved. My huge concern is the
fact that we've lost three home games on the trot, that never happened last
season, we only lost four all season at home. That's my biggest worry, our
away performances have been very good but our results haven't matched the
performances. We should of beat Newcastle, we certainly shouldn't have lost
against Hull City we had a good draw at Southampton and a great win against
Tottenham. We've got to make sure we give our all in the Premier League
because we're a 100 per cent team and we need to play at 100 per cent to win
a game of football in the Premier League."
Is it as simple as taking the opportunity of having more shots on target as
you only had two against Manchester City?
SA: "There's no doubt about that. We had 17 attempts and only two on target
and that tells you the story of our incapacity to turn opportunities,
certainly at the end, to put the goalkeeper under pressure. It's well
documented that Joe Hart has recently made a few errors that he doesn't
normally make and my message to the players was try and test him as much as
we possibly can. You can only do that with your attempts being on target and
that may cause the goalkeeper to make a mistake again but we didn't do that
sufficiently enough."
Mark Noble has said this week that he believes he has the ability and the
maturity to play for England, do you agree with that?
SA: "Yes, I don't disagree with that. He's got to continue to perform at a
consistent level and of course between now and next summer his performances
will have to be consistently of the highest quality to attract the attention
of Roy Hodgson. If he thinks he can do that then he's put a huge amount of
pressure on himself to make sure he performs at his highest level which has
always been very good for us."
In general do you think West Ham players are overlooked when it comes to
England selection?
SA: "No I don't. If we had 12 points now instead of eight those players
would be talked about an awful lot more. At the end of the day people talk
about performances and how to play the game of football but ultimately if
you achieve the results at the end of those performances that's where the
attention comes from. If you don't get the points that's when the
performances are quickly and easily forgotten. In the end performances have
to produce results which produces attention in the right way and it gets
people looking to come and watch your players do what they're doing,
certainly at international level."
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Chadwell Chatter
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid on clocking up the air miles, Swansea City and New Zealand's
FIFA World Cup Play-Off
25.10.2013
Hello everyone,
I've had a busy few weeks with West Ham United and New Zealand. I've got
used to all the travelling with my national team now, as I've been away a
lot of times. It can be physically and mentally demanding spending hours at
airports and on planes, but it is all part of the job of being a national
team player and, in my case, captain. Obviously it would be best for the
Club if I stayed here and it is tough, but you have to go away and come back
and be professional and I've got no excuses for my performance against
Manchester City because I was OK.
During the international break, we played a training match in Los Angeles,
then travelled to Trinidad and Tobago for a friendly international. While we
were there, we found out we would be playing Mexico next month in a
two-legged Intercontinental Play-Off, with the winners going to next year's
World Cup.
It's going to be difficult against Mexico because they've been to a lot of
World Cups and we have only been to two, so it's not going to be easy. We're
going to go there for the first leg and hopefully we can get a result, then
take them back to New Zealand and do the business there.
Obviously Mexico will not be the same as they were before, but they are
still going to be a good side and we're going to have to be up for it, give
110 per cent and see how far it takes us. We play them at the Azteca
Stadium, which is going to be good and exciting to play there, but the most
important thing is for us to get to the World Cup. We play the first leg
away from home, but we'll have to wait and see if that's an advantage.
Either way, it's going to be tough. My travel itinerary is pretty
interesting! I fly from London to Los Angeles, then Los Angeles to Mexico
City, back to Los Angeles, then to Auckland for the second leg in
Wellington. On the way back, it's the reverse, flying from Auckland to Los
Angeles and then on to London. I'll definitely get some Air Miles for all
that!
Before that, we go to Swansea City on Sunday and they have got a good team
and finished well last year. We've got to do better than we did against
Manchester City and up our levels.
Looking back at last weekend, at the end of the day Manchester City were a
better side than we were and we didn't play up to the same level as we did
at Tottenham. They were simply better than us. Every away game is tough but,
to be fair, I think the boys have done well away from home this season and
if we can keep those sort of performances up, we can take something away
from Swansea. It will be tough, though, because they're a good side. Swansea
did really well to win the Capital One Cup last season and qualify for
Europe, so credit to them. For us, we want to climb the league because our
start hasn't been the best. Hopefully we can kick on in the next couple of
games.
Swansea's manager Michael Laudrup is a legend back in Denmark, where I grew
up. He's the biggest player they have ever had and he played for a lot of
big clubs - Juventus, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Ajax - and did well for the
national team as well, particularly at the 1986 World Cup. He is always
going to be a legend and there are a lot of Danes who follow Swansea because
of him. I never tried to be him in the school playground, though, as I
always stayed at the back as a defender!
I wish a safe and successful journey to the Hammers fans travelling to
Swansea on Sunday and hope all of you have a great weekend.
Come on you Irons!
Reidy
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U18 duo ready for Teesside trip
WHUFC.com
Kieran Bywater and Kyle Knoyle are hoping the Under-18s can continue their
winning run on Saturday
25.10.2013
West Ham United make the long journey up to Middlesbrough this weekend
looking to extend their Barclays U18 Premier League winning run to five
games.
Steve Potts' side have won four consecutive games to shake off a slow start
to the season which saw them win just once in their opening six matches.
Ten goals in ten games from Kieran Bywater have played a major role in
reversing the team's fortunes and the midfielder cannot quite believe his
rich vein of scoring form.
Bywater told West Ham TV: "I would have taken the ten goals at the start of
the season for the whole season! "Obviously I have to keep working hard and
keep helping the team. The goals aren't just all my own work obviously all
the other players have been setting up goals. "I've just been fortunate
enough to get a few good goals myself."
While the captain's run of six goals in his last four games has stolen the
headlines other players in the squad have received recognition of a
different kind.
Right-back Kyle Knoyle represented England U18s earlier this month when he
played the full 90 minutes of a 4-0 friendly win over Hungary. Knoyle was
joined in the squad by Hammers centre-back Reece Burke and he was
justifiably pleased with his selection. "It was an honour to represent
England and hopefully I can get some more caps. The experience itself was a
once in a lifetime opportunity."
With both players seemingly thriving under the guidance of Steve Potts, Mark
Phillips and Tony Carr, the team is going from strength to strength. While
four wins on the bounce have kick-started their season, both players feel as
though they were not getting the results their performances deserved during
their first few games. "We lost 1-0 to Sunderland and we played some great
football and should have come away with a result" explained Knoyle. "From
there we've kept going from the Liverpool game [which we won 5-0] and just
kept cracking on. There's a great atmosphere at the moment and everyone's
really pleased.
"We thought we should be getting the results but now that they've been
coming we just need to crack on from here and keep the atmosphere as it is."
Bywater echoed the thoughts of his team-mate and is hopeful the team will
return to east London with three points from their trip to Teesside. He
said: "We were unfortunate with some of the games at the beginning of the
season. "The performances were there but maybe it was just the finishing or
a little bit of class missing that we didn't quite have but it's clicked in
recent weeks. "We've got four wins on the bounce and hopefully we can make
it five on the weekend."
*West Ham TV will show exclusive highlights from Saturday's Barclays U18
Premier League trip to Middlesbrough on Monday.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Swansea v West Ham
KO 16:00
25 October 2013
Last updated at 14:50
By Steve Bower
BBC Match of the Day commentator
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Liberty Stadium Date: Sunday, 27 October
Swansea manager Michael Laudrup must decide whether to play Ashley Williams,
who has missed the last five weeks with an ankle injury. Pablo Hernadez
finally looks set to play after a hamstring problem but Ben Davies (ankle)
is out.
West Ham could be unchanged from the side that was beaten by Manchester City
last weekend. Carlton Cole is not yet match fit, while Andy Carroll, James
Collins, Alou Diarra and George McCartney remain out.
MATCH PREVIEW
With just five league wins between them this fixture offers an opportunity
for both sides to claim a significant victory. For Swansea it would be
back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time in 2013, while having
lost four of their last six, it would be a welcome return to winning ways
for West Ham. Swansea's 4-0 win over Sunderland last weekend was their first
home Premier League win in nine attempts. They have remained unbeaten and
indeed impressed in their Europa League campaign yet it could be argued it
is affecting domestic matters. "The problem for Hammers boss Sam Allardyce
is getting his team to pose a goal threat. They were superb in their win
over Tottenham but were lacking up front in their defeat by Manchester City
last time out."
Ever since their arrival in the top flight, the Liberty Stadium has been a
destination where any team has had to play well to get a result, and Michael
Laudrup will know that reputation and foundation has to remain in place to
get close to last season's ninth-placed league position. The four goals
against Sunderland were a lift too, having scored only six in the previous
seven league matches as record signing Wilfred Bony and Michu still work on
their understanding.
Either man would be welcomed by Sam Allardyce at the moment in the continued
absence of Andy Carroll. The progress on his record signing's fitness must
be top of the West Ham manager's weekly questions.
So far this season Maiga, Vaz Te and Petric have tried unsuccessfully to
fill the void, with the return of Carlton Cole an added option. It makes the
3-0 win at Tottenham in their last away game an even more outstanding
result. I watched them previously in defeat at Hull, where they were
unlucky, but had they been more clinical in front of goal could have been
out of sight. The consistent emergence of Ravel Morrison has been a huge
positive, as has the recent return to fitness of Stewart Downing. Swansea
face their third game in eight days and if the Hammers can rediscover that
White Hart Lane formula they will move above the Swans in the table.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Swansea beat West Ham 3-0 in their first home game of last season with Michu
scoring his first goal at the Liberty Stadium.
The Hammers have only won four of their 22 league trips to Swansea (D4,
L14).
This fixture has traditionally produced goals; an average of 3.5 goals per
game have been scored across the previous 44 league meetings.
Swansea
Swansea are looking to win back-to-back league games for the first time
since December last year.
All three league wins by Michael Laudrup's side this season have come when
they have kept clean sheets.
There have been more goals scored at the Liberty Stadium this season (16)
than at any other Premier League ground.
The Swans have drawn only once this season - only games involving Palace
(none) have resulted in fewer draws.
West Ham
West Ham are looking to win successive away matches in the Premier League
for the first time since December 2007.
The Hammers have conceded just one away goal in four league matches -Robbie
Brady's controversial penalty at Hull.
Sam Allardyce's side are six points down on this stage of last season when
they had 14 points from their opening eight games.
West Ham have the worst shooting accuracy in the Premier League this season
(29.6%).
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West Ham's Andy Carroll back training in 'two to three weeks'
BBC.co.uk
Sam Allardyce says West Ham striker Andy Carroll could be back training
within a fortnight. The 24-year-old has yet to feature for the Hammers this
season because of a heel injury, which has required treatment both in Europe
and the USA. "We hope he'll be back with us in the next two to three weeks,"
said the West Ham manager. "Hopefully that would be a shout that he could
start full training when he does come back."
Allardyce added: "He is frustrated of course and is desperate to be playing
football again. It's what he loves doing most. I will only be too pleased to
get him back in the squad." The England international, who picked up the
injury during the final game of last season, started 22 Premier League games
for the Hammers during the 2012-13 campaign, while on loan from Liverpool,
scoring seven times. He sealed a £15m permanent move from the Reds during
the summer.
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Swansea take on West Ham at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday
Last Updated: October 25, 2013 1:26pm
SSN
West Ham travel to Swansea on Sunday looking for a win to leapfrog their
opponents in the Premier League table. Sam Allardyce's side currently sit in
15th in the table with eight points from their opening eight league games.
The Hammers go into the game on the back of a 3-1 home defeat by Manchester
City last time but will take confidence from their last match on the road -
a 3-0 win at previously unbeaten Tottenham. But it will be tough against a
Swans side who are unbeaten in three games in all competitions at home. That
run began with a 1-0 win over St Gallen in the Europa League and Michael
Laudrup's side followed up with a 4-0 thrashing of Sunderland in the Premier
League and Thursday's last-gasp 1-1 Europa League draw against Kuban
Krasnodar. The Swans climbed to 11th in the table with the mauling of the
Black Cats - with ten points from their opening eight games - and Laudrup
will be eyeing another three points at home.
Paul Merson's prediction
West Ham have had an up-and-down period. They had a great win at Tottenham,
but got beat by Man City and I think Swansea will win on Sunday. They may be
a little light at the back if Ashley Williams and Ben Davies are out, but
Sam Allardyce doesn't really play with forwards so that might not be much of
a problem. It's got to be a home win this one.
PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0
Swansea Badge Swansea
Last 6
Kuban (h)1-1
Sunderland (h)4-0
Southampton (a)2-0
St Gallen (h)1-0
Arsenal (h)1-2
3-1
Swansea boss Michael Laudrup must decide whether to risk Ashley Williams in
Sunday's clash with West Ham. The Wales defender has been sidelined for
almost five weeks due to an ankle ligament problem, but took part in
training earlier this week with Laudrup hoping to give his captain some
match action before the south Wales derby against Cardiff. Left-back Ben
Davies remains out until after the international break with a badly sprained
ankle. But on a more positive note, Pablo Hernandez could finally get back
on the pitch after a hamstring problem.
West Ham Badge West Ham
Last 6
Man City (h)1-3
Tottenham (a)0-3
Hull City (a)1-0
Cardiff (h)3-2
Everton (h)2-3
Southampton (a)0-0
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has confirmed the club have got no new injuries
from last week. He said: "We've still got Alou Diarra, James Collins and
George McCartney out with injury and of course Andy Carroll who everyone
knows is our long-term injury. "We could do with those players back as
quickly as we can as we're a little light on numbers." To bolster numbers
going forward, Jack Collison will come back from a loan spell at Bournemouth
at the end of this weekend.
Opta Facts
Swansea City will be looking to win successive Barclays Premier League games
for the first time since December 1st 2012.
West Ham have not won back-to-back Barclays Premier League away games since
December 2007
The last three competitive meetings between Swansea and West Ham have seen
the home side win whilst keeping a clean sheet
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Rumours of Andy Carroll's immninent return not true according to Sam
Allardyce
Last Updated: October 25, 2013 5:48pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce has played down reports Andy Carroll could be back in his West
Ham plans as early as next week. The England striker is yet to feature for
the Hammers this season after suffering a problem with his foot which has
needed treatment from some of the top specialists Europe and the United
States can offer. Reports suggested Carroll could return to training after
their clash with Swansea on Sunday but Allardyce was quick to quash any
rumours. "The stories that Andy Carroll is returning to us this week are not
true," the West Ham boss said. "There is still a while to go there. He'll be
back we hope in the next two to three weeks. Hopefully he can start full
training when he does come back. It's always been a week-by-week assessment.
"He is frustrated of course and is desperate to be playing football again,
it's what he loves doing most. I will only be too pleased to get him back in
the squad."
West Ham's other forwards have struggled for goals in Carroll's absence and
Allardyce played without a recognised striker in their last two games, a 3-0
win over Spurs and a 3-1 defeat at home to Manchester City. "It's worked
very well in the first game, not so well in second," he said. "It will be
our choice in the next few days about whether we change the system. "Carlton
Cole played another under-21 game last Monday. Our under-21s are top of the
league, that's great news from the younger end. "I don't think Cole is ready
to start from a match fitness point of view but his experience from the
bench is invaluable at the moment."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Swansea boss Michael Laudrup respects Sam Allardyce's style of play ahead of
Hammers clash
25 Oct 2013 22:30
The Mirror
Michael Laudrup has revealed his admiration for the way Sam Allardyce sticks
to his his principles in the cut-throat industry of management. West Ham
boss Allardyce is often associated with a direct style of play. But stylish
Laudrup believes the Hammers boss deserves respect for his beliefs on the
game. Laudrup said: "I like managers and teams who are very clear about what
they want. I always respect that. There is not one truth in football. "But
there are some managers who say one thing and do another. Sam Allardyce is
very honest about what he wants and what he asks from his players. "You can
see what he wants and they are a strong, physical side." Swansea face West
Ham for the club's third home game in a week and aim to be unbeaten
following a win over Sunderland and a midweek Europa League draw against
Russian outfit Kuban Krasnodar. But Laudrup is wary of the Londoners on the
road following their previous away-day success at Tottenham. He added: "We
want a positive result on Sunday as West Ham are in 'our league' and we're
at home. It is a big chance to get points if we can. "But it will be a tough
one. They are strong and they showed that in the last game they played away
at Tottenham."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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Friday, October 25
Daily WHUFC News - 25th October 2013
Noble enjoying central role
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble has relished his important role at the hub of West Ham United's 4-6-0 formation
24.10.2013
Mark Noble is enjoying his central role in West Ham United's Barclays Premier League season. The No16 has been deployed as a deep-lying midfielder in Sam Allardyce's new 4-6-0 formation, helping the Hammers to halt the opposition and launch dangerous counter-attacks. The system appears to have got the best out of Noble, who was outstanding in the 3-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur and voted Man of the Match in Saturday's 3-1 home defeat by Manchester City. "I am over the moon really with the way things are going for me," he told West Ham TV. "I just love going out there and playing. "Obviously it is always a little bit special against the top teams because you want to show how good you are and compete and I feel like I have been doing that and I am just enjoying playing football at the minute."
Unfortunately, despite Noble's best efforts, West Ham have lost their last three home league matches and need to make up those points on their travels - starting at Swansea City on Sunday. The Swans host Russian Premier League side Kuban Krasnodar on Thursday evening and the Hammers will hope their UEFA Europa League exploits leave them vulnerable - just as Spurs appeared following a mid-week trip to Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala a three weekends ago. "Yes [our home form hasn't been great], but hopefully we can now win a few more away games and even it out like that," said the Canning Town native.
"We lost against Everton, I got sent-off and [Leighton] Baines put two into the top corner and that doesn't happen every week, against Stoke we were poor but probably should have got a point, but [Jermaine] Pennant bends one in the top corner. "We came off the back off a great result against Spurs and though we lost to City, we can still go into the Swansea game confident. We have been playing well in all the games this season apart from Stoke where we wasn't good.
"We are going to go in all week and train like we always do. We have got a great bunch of lads who enjoy each other's company and we will all work hard for each other and try to get three points on Sunday."
Looking further into the future, Noble was also asked about his own international ambitions. With journalists, pundits and supporters already picking their England squads for 2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil, the likes of Ravel Morrison and Andy Carroll have seen their names crop up. However, former England U21 captain Noble is still hopeful he can make a case for his own inclusion in Roy Hodgson's 23-man group. "I'm not going around shouting that I should be in the squad and all that because I am not that sort of person," he said. "I have obviously played in the Premier League week-in, week-out, since I was about 19 and played at a good level. If it happens, it happens, but I am just going to keep on enjoying my football, getting on the ball, enjoying passing and creating stuff and if it happens, it happens."
"I believe I am good enough. I have seen the players we have had here who have been in the England set-up and I believe that if I made that step up, I would be able to mentally and physically cope with it."
Mark Noble
Mark Noble has been a consistent performer for West Ham United this season and it came as little surprise to see the 26-year-old awarded a WhoScored.com rating of 8 in the weekend meeting with Manchester City. That figure was the highest for the Hammers at the Boleyn Ground, Noble has started every Premier League game for Sam Allardyce's side this season and continues to provide the passionate displays that supporters have grown to expect. In the heart of the midfield, Noble was charged with breaking up the play and disrupting the rhythm of the City attack, evidenced in that he made the most tackles (5) in the encounter. This facet of his game is what he is known for, further reinforced in his statistically calculated WhoScored.com strength of 'tackling'.
Only Mohamed Diamé (25) has made more tackles for the Hammers over the course of the season than Noble (21), who is performing in a deep-lying midfield role, securing an average WhoScored.com rating of 7.33 after eight games; only Winston Reid (7.48) has scored higher of every West Ham player thus far.
His reading of the game is also what stands him in high stead for the club and this aspect was noticeable at the weekend, making four interceptions in the encounter; only Reid and Diamé (5) made more than the tough tackling midfielder. Tasked with stifling the City midfield, Noble clearly performed in the middle of the park as his defensive stats suggest, while looking to drive the team on having completed four successful dribbles.
As the season wears on, Noble will be crucial to the Hammers building on their tenth-place finish from last season. His defensive ability will allow the more attack-minded players in the West Ham squad to push on and hurt the opposition, much like they did in the 3-0 win at Tottenham earlier this month.
WhoScored.com is a website and one of the fastest growing in the sports industry, specialising in the in-depth analysis of detailed football data. Follow @WhoScored on Twitter.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Spence loaned to MK Dons
WHUFC.com
Jordan Spence has joined Sky Bet League One side MK Dons on loan until Saturday 23 November
24.10.2013
Jordan Spence has joined Sky Bet League One side Milton Keynes Dons on a month-long emergency loan. The West Ham United defender will remain with Karl Robinson's Play-Off challengers until Saturday 23 November. Spence, 23, recently returned from a loan spell at Championship club Sheffield Wednesday, where he made four league appearances. The versatile right-back or centre-back could make his MK Dons debut at Tranmere Rovers on Saturday, with the visitors hoping to improve on a run of three defeats in their last four league matches. Spence could also feature in home games against Walsall and Bradford City and an away fixture at Oldham Athletic, where he could face fellow Academy graduate and Latics forward Cristian Montano. The defender will join former Hammers winger Luke Chadwick in the squad at MK Dons, where the first-choice goalkeeper is David Martin, son of West Ham great Alvin Martin. The one-time Chigwell School pupil has totalled 68 first-team appearances for West Ham, Leyton Orient, Scunthorpe United and Bristol City, including ten for the Hammers. Spence is one of several West Ham players out on loan alongside Jack Collison and Stephen Henderson (both AFC Bournemouth), Elliot Lee (Colchester United) and Paul McCallum (Torquay United).
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Local doctor a cheap ticket recipient
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 24th October 2013
By: Staff Writer
It has been revealed that at least one of the local residents to benefit from West Ham United's £5 ticket offer was a full-time doctor.
The Club came under fire earlier this week after it was confirmed they had distributed several hundred cheap tickets to local community groups, despite thousands of long-term supporters having been priced out of attending in recent seasons.
However that mild annoyance turned to anger for some after it was revealed that several of those to receive the cheap tickets were fully employed adults - few, if any of whom support West Ham United.
One such beneficiary was a local doctor known only as Aamir, who was visiting the Boleyn Ground for the first time ever last weekend. "I share the fans' frustration [about ticket pricing]," he said. "I did not ask for tickets at that reduced rate, it simply was too good to turn down.
"I am sorry that I only paid £5 [for a ticket], and many did not.
"I would love to sit down, have a civil chat, and explain that I was there to support West Ham and did not expect any favours because I am Muslim. Dialogue is important. I hope it brings understanding."
West Ham United are understood to be reviewing their ticketing policy in the wake of Saturday evening's problems. The Club have already committed to give away up to 100,000 tickets per season to local residents when moving to the Olympic Stadium in 2016.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Oops! Redknapp Q&A goes wrong
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 24th October 2013
By: Staff Writer
A live Twitter Q&A by Harry Redknapp went catastrophically wrong as the QPR manager was forced to faced a barrage of criticism on the social network.
Twitter users were asked to submit questions to Redknapp using the #askharry hashtag this afternoon. However there were red faces all round as instead of being flooded by questions on the Championship club, Rangers' Twitter team were largely inundated instead with comments criticising the former West Ham boss.
Whilst some were witty - as in the punter who asked Redknapp: "How crushing is it to know that Hodgson got the England job as he was the younger, more photogenic candidate?" - others referred to Redknapp's recent acquittal from his tax trial, such as the wag who asked: "Please can you help train my dog? I can't get him to sit, or beg, yet you got yours to open an off-shore bank account."
Meanwhile many more criticised Redknapp over his recently-published comments on Billy Bonds, which the West Ham legend dismissed as "nonsense" in an exclusive KUMB.com podcast earlier his week.
Read on to see the best - and the worst of the #askharry entries... To view the latest entries, which are still coming in, visit Twitter.
Whose idea was it to #AskHarry?
PK @khakipillowslip: How does your dog remember it's PIN?
Paul Taylor @nottmtails: I've dropped a load of pins. I don't want to tread on them. Can I ask about tacks avoidance?
Paul Browne @Brownosleftfoot: Have you ever told the truth? Even once?
Mike Oxbig @oxbig80: Would you ever sign someone who was none of the following: T'riffic lad; top, top player; real family man; a fantastic professional?
Disco Stu 68 @Discostu68: Do you think Pompey will ever get out of the mess they've been in since you left?
cheese mouse @_cheesemouse_: Is it coincidence the building you owned in Southsea burnt down after you were denied planning permission to turn it into luxury flats?
Peter Rainey @Raineyballs: How can you relegate three different clubs from the Premier League and still be classed as a good manager?
Christopher Dalton @CDalton2012: Was this Q&A session a better or worse idea than paying 12million for Chris Samba?
Alex J Beekmeyer @Alexjbeekmeyer: Can you explain the difference between tax evasion and tax avoidance?
©@®L @pSyLOnsBoy: Is it true you've done more damage on the south coast than Hitler ever could?
Andy @dddyhx: My mate constantly refers to you as a "Wheeler Dealer". What does he mean by that?
Jon Giles @JonnyGilesFav: Have you sacked your public relations officer yet?
On Billy Bonds
upthehammers @reid7919: Why did you stab Billy Bonds in the back? #BackStabber
Allan Van Leer ⚒ @vanman0: How does it feel to be publicly bitch slapped by West Ham legend & ex-mate Billy Bonds?
Charlie @CharlieSteelWHU: Are you scared that one day Billy Bonds is gonna turn up to your gaff and just give you the one bang?
Michael @SantoDomingos86: Are you gonna set your dogs on to Billy Bonds?
Chris Jose @CJv3: I need a good instrument to cut a steak. Can you recommend a good knife, like, where did you buy the one you stabbed Bonzo with?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham midfielder Mark Noble targets England World Cup squad
Last Updated: October 24, 2013 2:57pm
SSN
West Ham United midfielder Mark Noble believes he can break into Roy Hodgson's England World Cup squad. Noble, who captained the Under-21 side, has yet to win a senior cap but is refusing to give up hope of gatecrashing Hodgson's party for next summer's finals in Brazil. The 26-year-old has been a consistent performer for West Ham and he believes he could make the step up for England if he got a call. "I believe I am good enough," Noble told the London Evening Standard. "I have seen the players we have had here who have been in the England set-up and I believe that if I made that step up, I would be able to mentally and physically cope with it. "I'm not going around shouting that I should be in the squad and all that because I am not that sort of person. "I have obviously played in the Premier League week in, week out, since I was about 19 and played at a good level. "If it happens, it happens, but I am just going to keep on enjoying my football, getting on the ball, enjoying passing and creating stuff and if it happens, it happens."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WEST HAM COMMUNITY DISCOUNT TICKET OFFER
By Sean Whetstone 24 Oct 2013 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
There has been much coverage of the discounted local community tickets at the West ham v Man City match last.It has also brought some unwelcome press in the Daily Express, Star and Mail.
I understand there is much mis-information on this subject.
The first thing to explain is this discounting of tickets for the local community is nothing new for West Ham. The discounted community trust offer started at Wigan home match last season and was featured on BBC Match of the Day. I understand around 400 tickets were discounted during that first match.
There was another community discount ticket offer at the Stoke home match for another 80 people from one particular community project.
There have been allegations that between 2,000 and 2,500 discounted tickets were sold. I understand the true number to be around 1,500.
West Ham say they have nothing to hide and are proud of their close links the Community. The West Ham United Community Sports Trust website clearly states that affordable match day tickets are available for pupils in Schools in East London and Essex are priced at £5, Tickets for Junior Football clubs with accompanying parents are available for £5 for the child with the adult going free of charge and Tickets for Troops can bought tickets for £10 www.community.whufc.com/
Possibly the biggest difference for this match was it was category A match and every previous community related match had been category B.
I understand the community partners can request discounted tickets for any match. It just so happens there were tickets left for the Man City match and the decision was made to extend this offer to the Man City category A game as the match was unlikely to sell out. This fact appears to have been confirmed by Jack Sullivan when he tweeted "The 5 pound ticket were [Sic] a one off to the local community to fill empty seats for a TV game"
Stories that locals were given free tickets or that 2,500 tickets were given to Newham council to distribute are wide of the mark.
The main community partners for this match were: Premier League Kicks, Premier League 4 Sport and the Tower Hamlets' Stifford Centre
West Ham confirmed on Monday in a WHUFC.com article that "As per the terms of the contracts with said partners, the tickets were offered at a discounted rate, but absolutely no tickets were provided free of charge and fans from all locations, background, race and religion were included"
Although the media have highlighted a facebook video of a small number of members of the local community praying just before half time I understand no complaints of racism or harassment was made to the club by these local community members. The media seem to going for sensational headlines without any real substance.
I am sure the club has learnt from this experience and need to be much more transparent and up front about these community offers to dispel any ill feeling from season ticket holders/supporters and negative headlines.
There were also reports that members of the local community celebrated Man City goals. I was sitting in the Sir Trevor Brooking lower close to where these tickets were situated and didn't see that happening. I also know no-one else who did. Many of the local community who came to West ham for the first time were wearing West Ham tops so that accusation doesn't hold much water for me.
Many of us live and/or work in one of most of the diverse City's in the world and we are one West Ham Family.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble has relished his important role at the hub of West Ham United's 4-6-0 formation
24.10.2013
Mark Noble is enjoying his central role in West Ham United's Barclays Premier League season. The No16 has been deployed as a deep-lying midfielder in Sam Allardyce's new 4-6-0 formation, helping the Hammers to halt the opposition and launch dangerous counter-attacks. The system appears to have got the best out of Noble, who was outstanding in the 3-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur and voted Man of the Match in Saturday's 3-1 home defeat by Manchester City. "I am over the moon really with the way things are going for me," he told West Ham TV. "I just love going out there and playing. "Obviously it is always a little bit special against the top teams because you want to show how good you are and compete and I feel like I have been doing that and I am just enjoying playing football at the minute."
Unfortunately, despite Noble's best efforts, West Ham have lost their last three home league matches and need to make up those points on their travels - starting at Swansea City on Sunday. The Swans host Russian Premier League side Kuban Krasnodar on Thursday evening and the Hammers will hope their UEFA Europa League exploits leave them vulnerable - just as Spurs appeared following a mid-week trip to Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala a three weekends ago. "Yes [our home form hasn't been great], but hopefully we can now win a few more away games and even it out like that," said the Canning Town native.
"We lost against Everton, I got sent-off and [Leighton] Baines put two into the top corner and that doesn't happen every week, against Stoke we were poor but probably should have got a point, but [Jermaine] Pennant bends one in the top corner. "We came off the back off a great result against Spurs and though we lost to City, we can still go into the Swansea game confident. We have been playing well in all the games this season apart from Stoke where we wasn't good.
"We are going to go in all week and train like we always do. We have got a great bunch of lads who enjoy each other's company and we will all work hard for each other and try to get three points on Sunday."
Looking further into the future, Noble was also asked about his own international ambitions. With journalists, pundits and supporters already picking their England squads for 2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil, the likes of Ravel Morrison and Andy Carroll have seen their names crop up. However, former England U21 captain Noble is still hopeful he can make a case for his own inclusion in Roy Hodgson's 23-man group. "I'm not going around shouting that I should be in the squad and all that because I am not that sort of person," he said. "I have obviously played in the Premier League week-in, week-out, since I was about 19 and played at a good level. If it happens, it happens, but I am just going to keep on enjoying my football, getting on the ball, enjoying passing and creating stuff and if it happens, it happens."
"I believe I am good enough. I have seen the players we have had here who have been in the England set-up and I believe that if I made that step up, I would be able to mentally and physically cope with it."
Mark Noble
Mark Noble has been a consistent performer for West Ham United this season and it came as little surprise to see the 26-year-old awarded a WhoScored.com rating of 8 in the weekend meeting with Manchester City. That figure was the highest for the Hammers at the Boleyn Ground, Noble has started every Premier League game for Sam Allardyce's side this season and continues to provide the passionate displays that supporters have grown to expect. In the heart of the midfield, Noble was charged with breaking up the play and disrupting the rhythm of the City attack, evidenced in that he made the most tackles (5) in the encounter. This facet of his game is what he is known for, further reinforced in his statistically calculated WhoScored.com strength of 'tackling'.
Only Mohamed Diamé (25) has made more tackles for the Hammers over the course of the season than Noble (21), who is performing in a deep-lying midfield role, securing an average WhoScored.com rating of 7.33 after eight games; only Winston Reid (7.48) has scored higher of every West Ham player thus far.
His reading of the game is also what stands him in high stead for the club and this aspect was noticeable at the weekend, making four interceptions in the encounter; only Reid and Diamé (5) made more than the tough tackling midfielder. Tasked with stifling the City midfield, Noble clearly performed in the middle of the park as his defensive stats suggest, while looking to drive the team on having completed four successful dribbles.
As the season wears on, Noble will be crucial to the Hammers building on their tenth-place finish from last season. His defensive ability will allow the more attack-minded players in the West Ham squad to push on and hurt the opposition, much like they did in the 3-0 win at Tottenham earlier this month.
WhoScored.com is a website and one of the fastest growing in the sports industry, specialising in the in-depth analysis of detailed football data. Follow @WhoScored on Twitter.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Spence loaned to MK Dons
WHUFC.com
Jordan Spence has joined Sky Bet League One side MK Dons on loan until Saturday 23 November
24.10.2013
Jordan Spence has joined Sky Bet League One side Milton Keynes Dons on a month-long emergency loan. The West Ham United defender will remain with Karl Robinson's Play-Off challengers until Saturday 23 November. Spence, 23, recently returned from a loan spell at Championship club Sheffield Wednesday, where he made four league appearances. The versatile right-back or centre-back could make his MK Dons debut at Tranmere Rovers on Saturday, with the visitors hoping to improve on a run of three defeats in their last four league matches. Spence could also feature in home games against Walsall and Bradford City and an away fixture at Oldham Athletic, where he could face fellow Academy graduate and Latics forward Cristian Montano. The defender will join former Hammers winger Luke Chadwick in the squad at MK Dons, where the first-choice goalkeeper is David Martin, son of West Ham great Alvin Martin. The one-time Chigwell School pupil has totalled 68 first-team appearances for West Ham, Leyton Orient, Scunthorpe United and Bristol City, including ten for the Hammers. Spence is one of several West Ham players out on loan alongside Jack Collison and Stephen Henderson (both AFC Bournemouth), Elliot Lee (Colchester United) and Paul McCallum (Torquay United).
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Local doctor a cheap ticket recipient
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 24th October 2013
By: Staff Writer
It has been revealed that at least one of the local residents to benefit from West Ham United's £5 ticket offer was a full-time doctor.
The Club came under fire earlier this week after it was confirmed they had distributed several hundred cheap tickets to local community groups, despite thousands of long-term supporters having been priced out of attending in recent seasons.
However that mild annoyance turned to anger for some after it was revealed that several of those to receive the cheap tickets were fully employed adults - few, if any of whom support West Ham United.
One such beneficiary was a local doctor known only as Aamir, who was visiting the Boleyn Ground for the first time ever last weekend. "I share the fans' frustration [about ticket pricing]," he said. "I did not ask for tickets at that reduced rate, it simply was too good to turn down.
"I am sorry that I only paid £5 [for a ticket], and many did not.
"I would love to sit down, have a civil chat, and explain that I was there to support West Ham and did not expect any favours because I am Muslim. Dialogue is important. I hope it brings understanding."
West Ham United are understood to be reviewing their ticketing policy in the wake of Saturday evening's problems. The Club have already committed to give away up to 100,000 tickets per season to local residents when moving to the Olympic Stadium in 2016.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Oops! Redknapp Q&A goes wrong
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 24th October 2013
By: Staff Writer
A live Twitter Q&A by Harry Redknapp went catastrophically wrong as the QPR manager was forced to faced a barrage of criticism on the social network.
Twitter users were asked to submit questions to Redknapp using the #askharry hashtag this afternoon. However there were red faces all round as instead of being flooded by questions on the Championship club, Rangers' Twitter team were largely inundated instead with comments criticising the former West Ham boss.
Whilst some were witty - as in the punter who asked Redknapp: "How crushing is it to know that Hodgson got the England job as he was the younger, more photogenic candidate?" - others referred to Redknapp's recent acquittal from his tax trial, such as the wag who asked: "Please can you help train my dog? I can't get him to sit, or beg, yet you got yours to open an off-shore bank account."
Meanwhile many more criticised Redknapp over his recently-published comments on Billy Bonds, which the West Ham legend dismissed as "nonsense" in an exclusive KUMB.com podcast earlier his week.
Read on to see the best - and the worst of the #askharry entries... To view the latest entries, which are still coming in, visit Twitter.
Whose idea was it to #AskHarry?
PK @khakipillowslip: How does your dog remember it's PIN?
Paul Taylor @nottmtails: I've dropped a load of pins. I don't want to tread on them. Can I ask about tacks avoidance?
Paul Browne @Brownosleftfoot: Have you ever told the truth? Even once?
Mike Oxbig @oxbig80: Would you ever sign someone who was none of the following: T'riffic lad; top, top player; real family man; a fantastic professional?
Disco Stu 68 @Discostu68: Do you think Pompey will ever get out of the mess they've been in since you left?
cheese mouse @_cheesemouse_: Is it coincidence the building you owned in Southsea burnt down after you were denied planning permission to turn it into luxury flats?
Peter Rainey @Raineyballs: How can you relegate three different clubs from the Premier League and still be classed as a good manager?
Christopher Dalton @CDalton2012: Was this Q&A session a better or worse idea than paying 12million for Chris Samba?
Alex J Beekmeyer @Alexjbeekmeyer: Can you explain the difference between tax evasion and tax avoidance?
©@®L @pSyLOnsBoy: Is it true you've done more damage on the south coast than Hitler ever could?
Andy @dddyhx: My mate constantly refers to you as a "Wheeler Dealer". What does he mean by that?
Jon Giles @JonnyGilesFav: Have you sacked your public relations officer yet?
On Billy Bonds
upthehammers @reid7919: Why did you stab Billy Bonds in the back? #BackStabber
Allan Van Leer ⚒ @vanman0: How does it feel to be publicly bitch slapped by West Ham legend & ex-mate Billy Bonds?
Charlie @CharlieSteelWHU: Are you scared that one day Billy Bonds is gonna turn up to your gaff and just give you the one bang?
Michael @SantoDomingos86: Are you gonna set your dogs on to Billy Bonds?
Chris Jose @CJv3: I need a good instrument to cut a steak. Can you recommend a good knife, like, where did you buy the one you stabbed Bonzo with?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham midfielder Mark Noble targets England World Cup squad
Last Updated: October 24, 2013 2:57pm
SSN
West Ham United midfielder Mark Noble believes he can break into Roy Hodgson's England World Cup squad. Noble, who captained the Under-21 side, has yet to win a senior cap but is refusing to give up hope of gatecrashing Hodgson's party for next summer's finals in Brazil. The 26-year-old has been a consistent performer for West Ham and he believes he could make the step up for England if he got a call. "I believe I am good enough," Noble told the London Evening Standard. "I have seen the players we have had here who have been in the England set-up and I believe that if I made that step up, I would be able to mentally and physically cope with it. "I'm not going around shouting that I should be in the squad and all that because I am not that sort of person. "I have obviously played in the Premier League week in, week out, since I was about 19 and played at a good level. "If it happens, it happens, but I am just going to keep on enjoying my football, getting on the ball, enjoying passing and creating stuff and if it happens, it happens."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WEST HAM COMMUNITY DISCOUNT TICKET OFFER
By Sean Whetstone 24 Oct 2013 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
There has been much coverage of the discounted local community tickets at the West ham v Man City match last.It has also brought some unwelcome press in the Daily Express, Star and Mail.
I understand there is much mis-information on this subject.
The first thing to explain is this discounting of tickets for the local community is nothing new for West Ham. The discounted community trust offer started at Wigan home match last season and was featured on BBC Match of the Day. I understand around 400 tickets were discounted during that first match.
There was another community discount ticket offer at the Stoke home match for another 80 people from one particular community project.
There have been allegations that between 2,000 and 2,500 discounted tickets were sold. I understand the true number to be around 1,500.
West Ham say they have nothing to hide and are proud of their close links the Community. The West Ham United Community Sports Trust website clearly states that affordable match day tickets are available for pupils in Schools in East London and Essex are priced at £5, Tickets for Junior Football clubs with accompanying parents are available for £5 for the child with the adult going free of charge and Tickets for Troops can bought tickets for £10 www.community.whufc.com/
Possibly the biggest difference for this match was it was category A match and every previous community related match had been category B.
I understand the community partners can request discounted tickets for any match. It just so happens there were tickets left for the Man City match and the decision was made to extend this offer to the Man City category A game as the match was unlikely to sell out. This fact appears to have been confirmed by Jack Sullivan when he tweeted "The 5 pound ticket were [Sic] a one off to the local community to fill empty seats for a TV game"
Stories that locals were given free tickets or that 2,500 tickets were given to Newham council to distribute are wide of the mark.
The main community partners for this match were: Premier League Kicks, Premier League 4 Sport and the Tower Hamlets' Stifford Centre
West Ham confirmed on Monday in a WHUFC.com article that "As per the terms of the contracts with said partners, the tickets were offered at a discounted rate, but absolutely no tickets were provided free of charge and fans from all locations, background, race and religion were included"
Although the media have highlighted a facebook video of a small number of members of the local community praying just before half time I understand no complaints of racism or harassment was made to the club by these local community members. The media seem to going for sensational headlines without any real substance.
I am sure the club has learnt from this experience and need to be much more transparent and up front about these community offers to dispel any ill feeling from season ticket holders/supporters and negative headlines.
There were also reports that members of the local community celebrated Man City goals. I was sitting in the Sir Trevor Brooking lower close to where these tickets were situated and didn't see that happening. I also know no-one else who did. Many of the local community who came to West ham for the first time were wearing West Ham tops so that accusation doesn't hold much water for me.
Many of us live and/or work in one of most of the diverse City's in the world and we are one West Ham Family.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Thursday, October 24
Daily WHUFC News - 24th October 2013
Loanee round-up
WHUFC.com
Elliot Lee and Paul McCallum made debuts for their respective loan clubs on
Tuesday evening
23.10.2013
Young West Ham United forwards Elliot Lee and Paul McCallum made debuts for
their respective loan clubs on Tuesday evening. Lee, 18, played for 73
minutes for Colchester United in their 1-1 Sky Bet League One draw at
Shrewsbury Town, having joined the Essex club on a month's loan earlier in
the day.
It took just eight minutes for Lee to show his threat in front of goal, but
his first effort in Colchester colours flew wide of the post. Former West
Ham team-mate Freddie Sears also went close for the U's before being forced
off with a hamstring injury. After half-time, Lee continued to show his
promise by seeing one shot flash wide, another deflected for a corner and a
third blocked. The teenager was replaced with 17 minutes to go by Jeffrey
Monakana. Colchester fell behind to a Cristian Lopez header on four minutes
but secured a draw through Marcus Bean's low shot just before half-time. Lee
is hoping to have another chance to impress when Colchester welcome
second-place Peterborough United to the Weston Homes Community Stadium on
Saturday. "I'm really looking forward to the challenges ahead and I hope I
can help Colchester with a few goals," said Lee. "It's really good and I'm
really excited about this loan spell.
"The Barclays U21 Premier League is a great league, but you're not getting
challenged at your physical peak [because you are playing against a majority
of younger players], so I hope I can really challenge myself and score some
goals like I have done for the Under-21s. "Playing in the U21s is like
playing with my mates, but this means I've got to meet some new people now,
get on and play well with them and hopefully get some points on the board. I
was buzzing to see Searsy again because he is friends with both myself and
my brother [Olly], so hopefully we can play well together."
Elsewhere, McCallum pulled on a Torquay United shirt for the first time in
their 2-0 Sky Bet League Two defeat at Burton Albion, having signed for the
Gulls on a month's loan earlier in the day. The 20-year-old started the game
on the bench, but was called upon five minutes before half-time when Billy
Bodin was forced off with an injury. The Hammers loanee came close to
marking his debut with the game's opening goal, only to be denied by an
outstanding save by Brewers goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. Burton took
advantage and won the game through goals from Jimmy Phillips and Adam McGurk
in the final 20 minutes. Defeat left Torquay 22nd in the table ahead of
Saturday's home game with Portsmouth, where McCallum could come up against
former Hammers centre-back Bondz N'Gala.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cole eager for first team chance
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole is looking forward to first team involvement after playing for
the Development Squad
23.10.2013
Carlton Cole is eager to return to first team action with West Ham United
after getting some vital minutes under his belt for the Club's Development
Squad.
The striker who began his second spell with the Hammers was substituted in
the final moments of a 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Barclays
Under-21 Premier League on Monday evening. Cole is working hard to regain
match fitness and is hopeful he will soon be appearing for Sam Allardyce's
side once again. He told West Ham TV: "I want to get back into the thick of
things now. I had a taste of the bench on Saturday against Manchester City
and I just wanted to get on so much. "The manager felt it was best not to
throw me in at the deep end so fast, to try and get this game under my belt
and be available for selection in the other first team games."
Big Sam hinted after Saturday's defeat to Manchester City that Cole and
fellow striker Mladen Petric may well be given a chance with Sunday's trip
to Swansea City followed by a Capital One Cup clash at Burnley two days
later. With that in mind, the big forward was sent with Nick Haycock's team
to give the No24 some more playing time ahead of any potential first team
involvement. "Obviously I've come in and played with the young boys who are
developing into Premier League players. I've just wanted to act as a good
influence upon them and at the same time get some minutes under my belt,
which the manager has asked me to do. "I need the minutes under my belt and
I've now played two 90 minutes so, hopefully, I can convince the manager to
get me in the squad, coming on as a sub or even starting a game sometime
soon. Conditions for Cole's first match with the Under-21s were far from
ideal as torrential rain provided a boggy surface and would occasionally
affect the run of the ball. The Hammers coped with the conditions better
than their opponents however and were rewarded with goals from Kieran
Sadlier and Dan Potts. The striker admitted conditions were not ideal but
was pleased with how the team coped with the situation. He said: "It was
difficult for both teams and we had no excuses as both teams had the same
conditions and it came down to who could handle them better. We came in and
dominated the whole game and dealt with the conditions how we were supposed
to."
Cole was also impressed by the talent amongst the Club's youth ranks and
believes they are in good hands. "There are some brilliant, very promising
players. In all positions they're very solid, strong and hopefully they can
go on to be good players for the Club. "That's the main aim, to develop them
in these conditions and Nick's doing a brilliant job with that. The players
just have to listen to him, trust him and he'll make sure they come
through."
After being aided in his quest for match fitness with a strong performance
for the Development Squad, Cole is now keen to make his mark for West Ham
once again. "It looked like I was leaving and now I'm back, so hopefully I
can make a good impression in my time here."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Players turn out for Fans' Forum
WHUFC.com
Joint-Chairman David Gold was joined by three first-team players at the
Club's Disabled Supporters' Forum
23.10.2013
Joint-Chairman David Gold, Stewart Downing, Jussi Jaaskelainen and James
Collins all took part in an entertaining disabled fans' forum at the Boleyn
Ground on Tuesday evening. The Club's loyal supporters were invited to the
special night at the home of the Hammers, where they had the opportunity to
quiz the Joint-Chairman and the first-team stars. Jaaskelainen and Downing,
together with Mr Gold, were involved in a lively question and answer
session, where the fans in attendance asked the pair a range of questions,
from matters on the pitch to the prospective move to Stratford. The trio
amused supporters with all manner of anecdotes, before posing for photos and
signing autographs. Guests were also treated to an Olympic Stadium
presentation from Marketing Director Tara Warren, outlining how they will be
catered for at the Hammers' new home as of 2016. West Ham stopper
Jaaskelainen thoroughly enjoyed his evening spent with the Hammers faithful,
insisting that occasions such as these are opportunities to reward the fans'
exceptional support of the Club.
"It was good to be here to interact with our fans, answer their questions
and hear their opinions on lots of issues," Jaaskelainen told West Ham TV.
"They are a passionate set of fans and they love their Club. "We know how
great their support is for us and in return it is great for us, as players,
to meet with them like this. It is nice to get the chance to let them know
we appreciate their support and I hope they got the same amount of enjoyment
from the event as we did."
Meanwhile, the event was certainly well received by the supporters in
attendance, as they made the most of the opportunity to rub shoulders with
Mr Gold and the players. "It's good, it's great that we can get involved
and have things like this. Come up to the Club, meet the players and David
Gold," said Zak Patmore.
"It feels different, of course, [meeting the players in person]. It's weird
seeing them on TV and then coming here. But it's nice to be invited here and
to talk to them. Those sentiments were echoed by fellow life-long Hammer
Bernie Munro. He said: "My highlight of the evening was obviously meeting
the players and listening to the questions put forward. "There were lots of
funny parts, they had a laugh and a joke, and all that, which was good."
It was a similar story for Hammers winger Stewart Downing, who continues to
be impressed by the Club's supporters since his summer switch from
Liverpool.
"Since I arrived at the Club, they have been brilliant," Downing explained.
"On Saturday, even though we lost, they still gave us a cheer when the game
finished, as they saw that we had given 100 per cent to try and win the
game. "We have an away trip to Swansea this Sunday and we know the support
will follow us and they will be there in big numbers to get behind us.
Events like these bring the Club, us as players and the fans closer together
and that can only be a good thing."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Big Interview - James Tomkins
WHUFC.com
James Tomkins says West Ham United can bounce back strongly at Swansea City
on Sunday
23.10.2013
West Ham United defender James Tomkins refused to be downcast after
Saturday's defeat by Manchester City. The Hammers were beaten 3-1 by Manuel
Pellegrini's men as they went down to a third home loss in a row, but the
centre-back said the performance pointed to brighter results ahead. West Ham
travel to Swansea City next with a point to prove, having suffered an
early-season defeat there last season, and Tomkins is keen to play his part.
James, Saturday was a tough game against a good side, wasn't it?
JT: "It was. They've got quality throughout their side and going 2-0 down
made it tough. It's not a case of doom and gloom, though, and we're looking
forward to trying to get back on track at Swansea.
At 2-1, it looked like you might get back in the game?
JT: "Exactly. We got the goal, the crowd got behind us but there was the
risk that as we were pushing for the second goal we might leave ourselves
open at the back. That's what happened and they punished us. But it could
have been a different scoreline and we were disappointed to lose."
Was it difficult against the movement of the Manchester City strikers -
they're so quick to get into that space, aren't they?
JT: "They've got clever players with good movement and that's why they cost
the money that they do. From our point of view we'll look at it and it's a
good learning curve to play against a team like that, and we'll take from it
what we can."
We certainly weren't outclassed by them on Saturday...
JT: "There were periods of the game in which we were very much on top. We
started a bit slowly, but had a good period in the second half and there
were some good points to take. We didn't get completely outplayed and maybe
3-1 flattered them a little bit. There's nothing to get down about."
On a personal note, you must be delighted to be back starting for West Ham?
JT: "Of course. It can be frustrating at times when you're sitting on the
bench, but I'm growing in confidence with this run of games that I'm
getting. I love playing for West Ham and hopefully I can help us bounce back
at Swansea."
The manager said that you played so well against Cardiff City in the Capital
One Cup, that he had to keep you in the team for the league games, and that
win at Tottenham was magnificent for West Ham...
JT: "It was a while back now when you think about it, but that will
obviously stay in the memory for a while. We wanted to build on that against
Manchester City. That wasn't to be, but there's always Swansea on Sunday."
It didn't go so well for us there last season in our first away game, when
we lost 3-0, but do you feel there are possibilities there to get something
this time around?
JT: "Definitely. We proved against Spurs that we're always confident going
into any game and that we can get a result anywhere. The Premier League is a
funny league this season. There have been a lot of unexpected scores and on
our day we can beat anybody. Swansea are good technically, but if we can
play how we can, then we can get a result."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THE KEVIN NOLAN PROBLEM
By Tony Hanna 23 Oct 2013 at 07:57
West Ham Till I Die
Depending on what you read, Andy Carroll will be back in the first team
within one or two months. With Andy back in the side it will give Big Sam a
selection headache that he won't mind having. Two wingers in Jarvis and
Downing knocking the ball into the area with sharp crosses and a certain Mr
Nolan ready for any scraps that big Andy will provide. All sounds good,
after all, that is why Big Sam bought Downing in the pre-season instead of a
proper back up for the injured Carroll. Now, we don't need to be Einstein to
work out from this scenario that this leaves just two other midfield spots
to be filled unless Sam changes to a highly unlikely three at the back.
Recent form suggests Noble can't be dropped and the power Diame brings to
the side makes dropping him highly improbable as well. But then we have
Ravel and Joe Cole amongst others to consider as well? Now I am sure
injuries and suspensions will at times make Sam's team selection fairly
straight forward, and at least having all players to choose from will allow
him to pick a side to "suit" the opposition or rotate the squad. The past
two games against top drawer teams have seen West Ham play a passing game
with a 4-6-0 formation. Flooding the midfield and using alternate players
from the six to break forward has worked at Spurs but failed at home to
City. One fact that is hard to ignore is that in both games we only secured
around 40% of the possession despite having six midfield players. In other
words we allowed the opposition in both cases to come at us as we tried to
hit them on the break or via a set piece.
In both these games, our captain Kevin Nolan was found wanting in terms of
speed and stamina. Playing off a striker is much more to his liking and with
Andy back he will probably be allowed to do this. However, as we have seen
before, when Sam plays this formation our midfield gets over run far too
often. Kevin just does not have the motor to help the midfield out
efficiently and stay close to Andy when required. We do however, have a
player who can do both and to much greater affect. Ravel. His work rate is
outstanding and he can get forward and score goals. He also adds another
dimension to West Ham's play with his speed and dribbling as we saw at
Spurs. Whilst Nolan top scored with ten last season, three of them came in
the last game of the season against already relegated Reading. Morrison has
already scored four goals with thus far limited games.
If you read about Ravel's rise, at least some part of the players turn
around from problem boy to hero boy can be attributed to Kevin Nolan. The
man has also played a huge part in turning around West Ham's dressing room
since the murky days of Avram Grant. You rarely see West Ham going down
without a fight nowadays and Sam attributes much of this to Nolan's presence
both on and off the field. However, it is not just this season that our
captains on field performances have not measured up. Until the Reading game
last season, his form had been poor since the start of the year. So far Sam
has not even looked like dropping Nolan but will Andy's return force his arm
- or will it cement Nolan's place in the side even further?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Elliot Lee and Paul McCallum made debuts for their respective loan clubs on
Tuesday evening
23.10.2013
Young West Ham United forwards Elliot Lee and Paul McCallum made debuts for
their respective loan clubs on Tuesday evening. Lee, 18, played for 73
minutes for Colchester United in their 1-1 Sky Bet League One draw at
Shrewsbury Town, having joined the Essex club on a month's loan earlier in
the day.
It took just eight minutes for Lee to show his threat in front of goal, but
his first effort in Colchester colours flew wide of the post. Former West
Ham team-mate Freddie Sears also went close for the U's before being forced
off with a hamstring injury. After half-time, Lee continued to show his
promise by seeing one shot flash wide, another deflected for a corner and a
third blocked. The teenager was replaced with 17 minutes to go by Jeffrey
Monakana. Colchester fell behind to a Cristian Lopez header on four minutes
but secured a draw through Marcus Bean's low shot just before half-time. Lee
is hoping to have another chance to impress when Colchester welcome
second-place Peterborough United to the Weston Homes Community Stadium on
Saturday. "I'm really looking forward to the challenges ahead and I hope I
can help Colchester with a few goals," said Lee. "It's really good and I'm
really excited about this loan spell.
"The Barclays U21 Premier League is a great league, but you're not getting
challenged at your physical peak [because you are playing against a majority
of younger players], so I hope I can really challenge myself and score some
goals like I have done for the Under-21s. "Playing in the U21s is like
playing with my mates, but this means I've got to meet some new people now,
get on and play well with them and hopefully get some points on the board. I
was buzzing to see Searsy again because he is friends with both myself and
my brother [Olly], so hopefully we can play well together."
Elsewhere, McCallum pulled on a Torquay United shirt for the first time in
their 2-0 Sky Bet League Two defeat at Burton Albion, having signed for the
Gulls on a month's loan earlier in the day. The 20-year-old started the game
on the bench, but was called upon five minutes before half-time when Billy
Bodin was forced off with an injury. The Hammers loanee came close to
marking his debut with the game's opening goal, only to be denied by an
outstanding save by Brewers goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. Burton took
advantage and won the game through goals from Jimmy Phillips and Adam McGurk
in the final 20 minutes. Defeat left Torquay 22nd in the table ahead of
Saturday's home game with Portsmouth, where McCallum could come up against
former Hammers centre-back Bondz N'Gala.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cole eager for first team chance
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole is looking forward to first team involvement after playing for
the Development Squad
23.10.2013
Carlton Cole is eager to return to first team action with West Ham United
after getting some vital minutes under his belt for the Club's Development
Squad.
The striker who began his second spell with the Hammers was substituted in
the final moments of a 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Barclays
Under-21 Premier League on Monday evening. Cole is working hard to regain
match fitness and is hopeful he will soon be appearing for Sam Allardyce's
side once again. He told West Ham TV: "I want to get back into the thick of
things now. I had a taste of the bench on Saturday against Manchester City
and I just wanted to get on so much. "The manager felt it was best not to
throw me in at the deep end so fast, to try and get this game under my belt
and be available for selection in the other first team games."
Big Sam hinted after Saturday's defeat to Manchester City that Cole and
fellow striker Mladen Petric may well be given a chance with Sunday's trip
to Swansea City followed by a Capital One Cup clash at Burnley two days
later. With that in mind, the big forward was sent with Nick Haycock's team
to give the No24 some more playing time ahead of any potential first team
involvement. "Obviously I've come in and played with the young boys who are
developing into Premier League players. I've just wanted to act as a good
influence upon them and at the same time get some minutes under my belt,
which the manager has asked me to do. "I need the minutes under my belt and
I've now played two 90 minutes so, hopefully, I can convince the manager to
get me in the squad, coming on as a sub or even starting a game sometime
soon. Conditions for Cole's first match with the Under-21s were far from
ideal as torrential rain provided a boggy surface and would occasionally
affect the run of the ball. The Hammers coped with the conditions better
than their opponents however and were rewarded with goals from Kieran
Sadlier and Dan Potts. The striker admitted conditions were not ideal but
was pleased with how the team coped with the situation. He said: "It was
difficult for both teams and we had no excuses as both teams had the same
conditions and it came down to who could handle them better. We came in and
dominated the whole game and dealt with the conditions how we were supposed
to."
Cole was also impressed by the talent amongst the Club's youth ranks and
believes they are in good hands. "There are some brilliant, very promising
players. In all positions they're very solid, strong and hopefully they can
go on to be good players for the Club. "That's the main aim, to develop them
in these conditions and Nick's doing a brilliant job with that. The players
just have to listen to him, trust him and he'll make sure they come
through."
After being aided in his quest for match fitness with a strong performance
for the Development Squad, Cole is now keen to make his mark for West Ham
once again. "It looked like I was leaving and now I'm back, so hopefully I
can make a good impression in my time here."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Players turn out for Fans' Forum
WHUFC.com
Joint-Chairman David Gold was joined by three first-team players at the
Club's Disabled Supporters' Forum
23.10.2013
Joint-Chairman David Gold, Stewart Downing, Jussi Jaaskelainen and James
Collins all took part in an entertaining disabled fans' forum at the Boleyn
Ground on Tuesday evening. The Club's loyal supporters were invited to the
special night at the home of the Hammers, where they had the opportunity to
quiz the Joint-Chairman and the first-team stars. Jaaskelainen and Downing,
together with Mr Gold, were involved in a lively question and answer
session, where the fans in attendance asked the pair a range of questions,
from matters on the pitch to the prospective move to Stratford. The trio
amused supporters with all manner of anecdotes, before posing for photos and
signing autographs. Guests were also treated to an Olympic Stadium
presentation from Marketing Director Tara Warren, outlining how they will be
catered for at the Hammers' new home as of 2016. West Ham stopper
Jaaskelainen thoroughly enjoyed his evening spent with the Hammers faithful,
insisting that occasions such as these are opportunities to reward the fans'
exceptional support of the Club.
"It was good to be here to interact with our fans, answer their questions
and hear their opinions on lots of issues," Jaaskelainen told West Ham TV.
"They are a passionate set of fans and they love their Club. "We know how
great their support is for us and in return it is great for us, as players,
to meet with them like this. It is nice to get the chance to let them know
we appreciate their support and I hope they got the same amount of enjoyment
from the event as we did."
Meanwhile, the event was certainly well received by the supporters in
attendance, as they made the most of the opportunity to rub shoulders with
Mr Gold and the players. "It's good, it's great that we can get involved
and have things like this. Come up to the Club, meet the players and David
Gold," said Zak Patmore.
"It feels different, of course, [meeting the players in person]. It's weird
seeing them on TV and then coming here. But it's nice to be invited here and
to talk to them. Those sentiments were echoed by fellow life-long Hammer
Bernie Munro. He said: "My highlight of the evening was obviously meeting
the players and listening to the questions put forward. "There were lots of
funny parts, they had a laugh and a joke, and all that, which was good."
It was a similar story for Hammers winger Stewart Downing, who continues to
be impressed by the Club's supporters since his summer switch from
Liverpool.
"Since I arrived at the Club, they have been brilliant," Downing explained.
"On Saturday, even though we lost, they still gave us a cheer when the game
finished, as they saw that we had given 100 per cent to try and win the
game. "We have an away trip to Swansea this Sunday and we know the support
will follow us and they will be there in big numbers to get behind us.
Events like these bring the Club, us as players and the fans closer together
and that can only be a good thing."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Big Interview - James Tomkins
WHUFC.com
James Tomkins says West Ham United can bounce back strongly at Swansea City
on Sunday
23.10.2013
West Ham United defender James Tomkins refused to be downcast after
Saturday's defeat by Manchester City. The Hammers were beaten 3-1 by Manuel
Pellegrini's men as they went down to a third home loss in a row, but the
centre-back said the performance pointed to brighter results ahead. West Ham
travel to Swansea City next with a point to prove, having suffered an
early-season defeat there last season, and Tomkins is keen to play his part.
James, Saturday was a tough game against a good side, wasn't it?
JT: "It was. They've got quality throughout their side and going 2-0 down
made it tough. It's not a case of doom and gloom, though, and we're looking
forward to trying to get back on track at Swansea.
At 2-1, it looked like you might get back in the game?
JT: "Exactly. We got the goal, the crowd got behind us but there was the
risk that as we were pushing for the second goal we might leave ourselves
open at the back. That's what happened and they punished us. But it could
have been a different scoreline and we were disappointed to lose."
Was it difficult against the movement of the Manchester City strikers -
they're so quick to get into that space, aren't they?
JT: "They've got clever players with good movement and that's why they cost
the money that they do. From our point of view we'll look at it and it's a
good learning curve to play against a team like that, and we'll take from it
what we can."
We certainly weren't outclassed by them on Saturday...
JT: "There were periods of the game in which we were very much on top. We
started a bit slowly, but had a good period in the second half and there
were some good points to take. We didn't get completely outplayed and maybe
3-1 flattered them a little bit. There's nothing to get down about."
On a personal note, you must be delighted to be back starting for West Ham?
JT: "Of course. It can be frustrating at times when you're sitting on the
bench, but I'm growing in confidence with this run of games that I'm
getting. I love playing for West Ham and hopefully I can help us bounce back
at Swansea."
The manager said that you played so well against Cardiff City in the Capital
One Cup, that he had to keep you in the team for the league games, and that
win at Tottenham was magnificent for West Ham...
JT: "It was a while back now when you think about it, but that will
obviously stay in the memory for a while. We wanted to build on that against
Manchester City. That wasn't to be, but there's always Swansea on Sunday."
It didn't go so well for us there last season in our first away game, when
we lost 3-0, but do you feel there are possibilities there to get something
this time around?
JT: "Definitely. We proved against Spurs that we're always confident going
into any game and that we can get a result anywhere. The Premier League is a
funny league this season. There have been a lot of unexpected scores and on
our day we can beat anybody. Swansea are good technically, but if we can
play how we can, then we can get a result."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THE KEVIN NOLAN PROBLEM
By Tony Hanna 23 Oct 2013 at 07:57
West Ham Till I Die
Depending on what you read, Andy Carroll will be back in the first team
within one or two months. With Andy back in the side it will give Big Sam a
selection headache that he won't mind having. Two wingers in Jarvis and
Downing knocking the ball into the area with sharp crosses and a certain Mr
Nolan ready for any scraps that big Andy will provide. All sounds good,
after all, that is why Big Sam bought Downing in the pre-season instead of a
proper back up for the injured Carroll. Now, we don't need to be Einstein to
work out from this scenario that this leaves just two other midfield spots
to be filled unless Sam changes to a highly unlikely three at the back.
Recent form suggests Noble can't be dropped and the power Diame brings to
the side makes dropping him highly improbable as well. But then we have
Ravel and Joe Cole amongst others to consider as well? Now I am sure
injuries and suspensions will at times make Sam's team selection fairly
straight forward, and at least having all players to choose from will allow
him to pick a side to "suit" the opposition or rotate the squad. The past
two games against top drawer teams have seen West Ham play a passing game
with a 4-6-0 formation. Flooding the midfield and using alternate players
from the six to break forward has worked at Spurs but failed at home to
City. One fact that is hard to ignore is that in both games we only secured
around 40% of the possession despite having six midfield players. In other
words we allowed the opposition in both cases to come at us as we tried to
hit them on the break or via a set piece.
In both these games, our captain Kevin Nolan was found wanting in terms of
speed and stamina. Playing off a striker is much more to his liking and with
Andy back he will probably be allowed to do this. However, as we have seen
before, when Sam plays this formation our midfield gets over run far too
often. Kevin just does not have the motor to help the midfield out
efficiently and stay close to Andy when required. We do however, have a
player who can do both and to much greater affect. Ravel. His work rate is
outstanding and he can get forward and score goals. He also adds another
dimension to West Ham's play with his speed and dribbling as we saw at
Spurs. Whilst Nolan top scored with ten last season, three of them came in
the last game of the season against already relegated Reading. Morrison has
already scored four goals with thus far limited games.
If you read about Ravel's rise, at least some part of the players turn
around from problem boy to hero boy can be attributed to Kevin Nolan. The
man has also played a huge part in turning around West Ham's dressing room
since the murky days of Avram Grant. You rarely see West Ham going down
without a fight nowadays and Sam attributes much of this to Nolan's presence
both on and off the field. However, it is not just this season that our
captains on field performances have not measured up. Until the Reading game
last season, his form had been poor since the start of the year. So far Sam
has not even looked like dropping Nolan but will Andy's return force his arm
- or will it cement Nolan's place in the side even further?
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