Norwich City match preview
WHUFC.com
All the latest news ahead of West Ham United's trip to Carrow Road on
Saturday
07.11.2013
NORWICH CITY v WEST HAM UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 9 NOVEMBER 2013
KICK-OFF: 5.30PM
REFEREE: JONATHAN MOSS
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
Introduction
• West Ham United travel to Carrow Road on Saturday to face Norwich City in
a Barclays Premier League clash that will be televised live on Sky Sports at
5.30pm.
• The Hammers head to Norfolk looking to extend their unbeaten run away from
home to four games in all competitions after a recent draw with Swansea City
and wins over Tottenham Hotspur in the league and Burnley in the Capital One
Cup.
• Sam Allardyce's side have tasted defeat just once on their travels this
season with the sole loss coming at the KC Stadium as Hull City's Robbie
Brady scored the only goal of the game.
• Brady's penalty is the only goal which has been scored against West Ham in
six away league and cup outings so far this season.
• That means Jussi Jasskelainen has conceded only once in over 450 minutes
of the Hammers' away league matches.
• This has contributed to West Ham holding the equal third best defensive
record in the Premier League going into Saturday's game against the team
with the third worst defensive record.
• Norwich City come into the match on the back of a 7-0 defeat away to
Manchester City which left them in 18th position, three places below the
Hammers.
• Chris Hughton's team have conceded 20 goals in ten league matches so far
with 14 of those coming in their last four games.
• They havr also been struggling at the other end where the Canaries have
found the net just six times in the league, the joint worst record.
• Norwich have accumulated one home win from five league matches at Carrow
Road this season and haven't taken three points there since a 1-0 win over
Southampton on 31 August.
Team news
West Ham United
• Andy Carroll remains the Hammers only long-term injury absentee.
• Winston Reid has been ruled out with an ankle injury so James Collins will
make his return from a hamstring injury in place of the New Zealander.
• Matt Taylor and Mladen Petric are both sidelined with calf injuries whilst
George McCartney and Alou Diarra miss out having only recently returned to
training.
Norwich City
• Alexander Tetty is definitely out of Saturday's clash after suffering
ankle ligament damage against Cardiff City.
• Robert Snodgrass may return having missed the trip to Manchester City with
concussion.
• Ricky van Wolfswinkel is also out of Saturday's game.
Background
• West Ham United have faced Norwich City 48 times, winning 18 and losing
15, with 15 matches ending in draws.
• The first meeting between the two sides came on 6 October 1934, with John
James Foreman and Hugh Mills scoring in a 2-1 West Ham United win at Carrow
Road.
• Norwich City have not lost in any of their last 16 league games at home
against West Ham United dating back to 10 February 1973, when Bryan 'Pop'
Robson scored the only goal in a 1-0 Hammers victory.
Last time out
West Ham United 0-0 Aston Villa
Barclays Premier League
2 November 2013
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Reid, Tomkins, Rat (Diame 90),
Collison (C.Cole 63), Noble, Morrison, Jarvis (J.Cole 62), Downing , Nolan
Subs not used: Adrian, O'Brien, Maiga, Potts
Manchester City 7-0 Norwich City
Barclays Premier League
2 November 2013
Norwich City: Ruddy, Martin, Turner, Bassong, Olsson; Whittaker (Murphy 45),
Fer, Johnson, Pilkington; Howson; Hooper (Elmander 45)
Subs not used: Bunn, Hoolahan, Garrido, Becchio, R.Bennett.
Previous meeting
West Ham United 2-1 Norwich City
Barclays Premier League
1 January 2013
West Ham got 2013 off to the best possible start as goals from Mark Noble
and Joey O'Brien secured a win over Norwich City at the Boleyn Ground. Noble
scored from the penalty spot with just three minutes on the clock after
Winston Reid was fouled in the box by Ryan Bennett. O'Brien then poked home
after a Noble cut-back to double the advantage. Russell Martin pulled one
back in the 90th minute but the Hammers held on for victory.
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Reid, Tomkins, O'Brien (O'Neil 71), Demel,
Jarvis (Spence 85), Collison, Taylor, Noble, C.Cole, Vaz Te (Maiga 82)
Subs not used: Spiegel, Diarra, Lletget, Lee
Goals: Noble 3, O'Brien 26
Norwich City: Bunn, Martin, Bassong, Turner, R.Bennett, Snodgrass, Howson
(Fox 83), Pilkington, Hoolahan (E.Bennett 70), Tettey, Kane (Jackson 70)
Subs not used: Rudd, Barnett, Tierney, Smith
Goals: Martin 90
Last six meetings
(Premier League unless stated)
1 January 2013 - West Ham United 2-1 Norwich City
15 September 2012 - Norwich City 0-0 West Ham United
7 January 2006 - Norwich City 1-2 West Ham United (FA Cup)
8 January 2005 - West Ham United 1-0 Norwich City (FA Cup)
21 February 2004 - Norwich City 1-1 West Ham United (Division One)
15 October 2003 - West Ham United 1-1 Norwich City (Division One)
Overall record v Norwich City (all competitions) W 18 D 15 L 15
Ten-year record
West Ham United
2012/13 Premier League 10th (46 points)
2011/12 Championship 3rd (86 points - promoted to Premier League 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 to Premier League via
Play-Offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated)
Norwich City
2012/13 Premier League 11th (44 points)
2011/12 Premier League 12th (47 points)
2010/11 Championship 2nd (84 points - promoted to Premier League)
2009/10 League One 1st (95 points - promoted to Championship)
2008/09 Championship 22nd (46 points - relegated to League One)
2007/08 Championship 17th (55 points)
2006/07 Championship 16th (57 points)
2005/06 Championship 9th (62 points)
2004/05 Premier League 19th (33 points - relegated to Championship)
2003/04 Championship 1st (94 points - promoted to Premier League)
2002/03 Championship 8th (69 points)
Old boys
• Norwich City manager Chris Hughton played for West Ham United 43 times
between 1990 and 1992, winning promotion from the old Division Two in
1990/91.
Referee
• Saturdays referee will be Jonathan Moss.
• Moss was last in charge of the Hammers when West Ham suffered a 1-0 defeat
at the Boleyn Ground to Stoke City earlier this season.
• In all, Moss showed 86 yellow cards; sent-off one player and awarded nine
penalties in the 31 matches he took charge of last season.
• Headteacher Moss was promoted to the Select Group of Referees in June
2011.
• He took charge of the 2005 Conference Play-Off final between Carlisle
United and Stevenage and was then promoted to the National Group of
Referees.
• He will be assisted by Mike Mullarkey and Derek Eaton, while the fourth
official will be Andy D'Urso.
General information
• Tickets for this match are sold out.
• There are several tube services experiencing planned part closures this
weekend, including the District line and DLR. For more information click
here.
• For updates on the Greater Anglia train service click here.
• The weather forecast for Saturday's match is cloudy with showers and the
temperature is likely to be around 6C (43F).
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'We give them the best conditions'
WHUFC.com
Hammers Head of Sport Science & Sports Medicine Andy Rolls takes us through
the away-day prep
07.11.2013
West Ham United hit the road on Saturday when they travel to Norwich City in
the Barclays Premier League. An away-day with the team involves more
planning than just the journey to the stadium and the 90 minutes that
unfolds in front of the watching public's eyes. There are accomodation needs
to consider, as well as all the essentials required for getting the players
in the right shape for the rigours of top-flight football. The Official
Website caught up with the Club's Head of Sports Science and Sports Medicine
Andy Rolls during the recent trip to Burnley to discover the ins and outs of
an away trip. "We travelled to Burnley on the morning of the game, but in
most cases we'll travel the day before," he explained. "The players had
breakfast at home before we flew up to Manchester. When we got to the hotel
they all had lunch together and there was then a medical clinic, which the
players could choose whether they went to. It could be a massage or a
stretch and some have certain routines that we fulfil for them. "We also
have a list of players we want to get on to, so we get them into a certain
room at certain times for a stretch, a rub, different mobilisations and
activations - a few exercises to get them going. "Then they have some free
time, a couple of hours when they'll be encouraged to rest. Some of them
will sleep, some will doze off and others will just watch a film, everyone
is different.
"We'll all come together after that for a pre-match meal, the manager will
do a presentation and we'll jump on the bus to get us to the stadium."
Rolls says the benefit of early travel is plain to see as the players can
maximise their preparation time. He continued: "If we flew up in the
afternoon and went straight to the stadium, you'd have stiff backs and stiff
joints from the journey. The idea to travel early is so they can have a walk
around, they're in their own rooms and they can have a massage. "We can
create the optimum athlete and put them in the best condition as we can for
the game. It also takes some of the stress out of it, because if we
travelled later it only needs one thing to go wrong and you're in trouble.
By getting there early, they can relax, have a day chilling out away from
the hassles of home and concentrate on the game ahead to allow us to arrive
fresh and ready to go."
Having to set up clinics in hotel rooms up and down the country can have its
challenges, but Rolls and his team are more than used to the routine. He
added: "It can be a challenge having to set up wherever we go, but we're
pretty well versed at it now. We have a certain amount of beds, portable
massage beds, and a big box with everything we need from scalpels for
cutting dead skin off players' feet to acupuncture needles and massage oils.
"The Club Doctor also travels with us so we have emergency medical equipment
if needed, although hopefully we never have to use it. "With me at Burnley
was another physio, Fraser Young and two masseurs, so we're all there to
help the players prepare for the game. "The hotels are pretty used to it,
they have a lot of football teams staying there. All we need is a room big
enough for four portable beds, and we're happy!"
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Big Sam on: Norwich City
WHUFC.com
Big Sam spoke to the media ahead of Saturday's trip to Norwich City
07.11.2013
Sam Allardyce has spoken to the media ahead of Saturday's match against
Norwich City at Carrow Road. The West Ham United manager fielded questions
on his team's start to the season, the injury to Winston Reid and the form
of Norwich City.
Morning Sam, we're ten games into the Barclays Premier League season, how do
you assess things?
SA: "We've done alright in performance terms and been very solid and sound
defensively. We've created a huge amount of chances but unfortunately due to
our lack of goals we haven't accumulated the points level we should have
done based on the performances we've given. We're all aware of it but we
just continue to move on and try to improve that one critical and vital
area. "There's nothing else I can ask of the lads other than to try and put
one or two more chances away. The rest of the games they've played they've
been on top of the game and they've been very consistent, playing some
really good football. We've been very resilient and it's just the final
product has not delivered as much as we would have hoped and hence we've
drawn a lot of games that we should have won on the basis of our
performance. We will continue to strive to improve that, starting against
Norwich on Saturday."
How frustrating is it for you as a manager when you look at your defensive
record, which is the third best in the league, but you're just not getting
the goals?
SA: "People point to the fact that we haven't got Andy Carroll or we haven't
played with a front man recently but it's not just that as to why we're down
on our goal count from last year. We're down on all players scoring a few
more last season than they have done this season. The main contribution to
us finishing tenth last season was that most players in our squad actually
scored a goal. Very few players in the squad didn't got a goal. Whether that
was from set-plays or open play it was very, very good from the point of
view that we were in the Premier League for the first season. "That area at
the moment, as well as not having a front man scoring, is down and that's
why we're in the position we are. We've done the first bit right, that's not
conceding a goal, and making life very difficult for the opposition,
particularly Cardiff at home and then of course Tottenham away. We've had
many performances as good as the one against Tottenham this year and we've
had better, like against Newcastle, but we haven't won. We haven't got the
rewards we deserved, we know that and we've got to try and improve on it.
That's the only area that's concerning me and hopefully we'll put that right
on Saturday."
You've only won once in your last six league games, do you put that all down
to not taking your opportunities?
SA: "Yes, there's nothing else. Like I said there's nothing else to concern
me other than that and we've got to start putting it right as quick as we
can. When you're in control of the game or you've made the chances that we
have, we all know that in the Barclays Premier League you've got to make
sure you take them. Our real positive is the fact that we've not over
stretched ourselves and we've not fallen for the sucker punch, which is the
opposition scoring and us ending up with a very disappointing, bitter
defeat. We've ended up putting a point on the board and at the end of the
day points on the board are ok but there's far too many of them at the
moment and we have to convert one of those into a win."
Whilst we're talking about strikers, Andy Carroll, your potential solution
to the problem, how close is he to coming back?
SA: "We don't know at the moment and we're just taking it week-by-week. We
hope he'll be back with us very shortly but that will depend on the guidance
of the people doing the rehabilitation and the specialist who's in control
of Andy at the moment. We're all hoping and keeping our fingers crossed but
in the meantime Carlton Cole is improving, Mladen Petric has an unfortunate
calf injury which has held his match fitness regime up. It's not as if we're
not creating chances, we are, but what we're not doing is converting them
and that's whoever it falls to. We have to believe that if we continue
playing the same way we are it will result in us scoring a goal somewhere.
If we do that then we make sure we don't slip up at the other end and get
the three points that we're looking for."
Norwich are next up on Saturday, what are your thoughts ahead of the game?
SA: "It's a six-pointer I would say already. They played very well in their
last home game against Cardiff. Irrespective of recent results I was
listening to the commentary of that game about how many chances they created
and how many chances they missed. We have to make sure that we frustrate
them in that area again on Saturday. If we can then take the game to them
like we did against Swansea and create the chances that we created, then
this time we have to be clinical and put the ball in the net."
Norwich are below you in the table, would a win against them mean more to
you than beating a team that are higher up?
SA: "It's always been more important to me across the board for many, many
years because these are the games that if you play your best then you've got
a really good chance to win. You can play your best against the big boys,
give all you've got, be very, very good and lose the game because of the
quality and amount of money they've spent. These are the bigger games for
us, these are the games that you have to be at your best because it will
give you a better chance of winning than against the big boys."
We spoke about Andy Carroll, what's the other news with regards to injuries?
SA: "Not very good at the moment apart from that we've got James Collins
back into training. George McCartney played in a Development Squad game with
Alou Diarra but they're a huge amount of time away from joining the first
team squad. Winston Reid's got an unfortunate injury this week which has
added to the recent injuries that we've picked up on a match-to-match basis.
It's a concern for us but something which we can't do anything about other
than get them fit as soon as we possibly can and make sure they stay fit."
Was Norwich's 7-0 defeat last Saturday less about their frailties and more
about what Manchester City are capable of?
SA: "Manchester City are capable of beating anyone. We don't take anything
from the size of Norwich's defeat because last night you saw them
[Manchester City] tear apart a Champions League side. I saw them tear apart
Champions League opponents that they could have won 7 or 8-2 never mind 5-2.
A loss is a loss, never mind if it's a big defeat. At the end of the day
your mentality as a manager is, 'look, it's only three points gone
regardless if you've lost 7-0 or 1-0 so you've only lost three points, let's
have the right reaction and come back fighting'.
"That's what we'll get on Saturday. We'll get a Norwich City team that will
go out and fight for everything they possibly can, particularly on their
home ground. They'll try and get the crowd behind them and look for the
result that we're all doing at the moment. I think we're all finding it
harder, apart from some of the bigger boys, to win at home this season."
In regards to Winston Reid, what's his injury and will he be fit for
Saturday?
SA: "No, he won't be fit for Saturday. Unfortunately he also won't be fit to
travel with New Zealand for their World Cup play-off either. Our Chairman
made a massive gesture this weekend by arranging a private jet for Winston
to fly him straight to his team so he could get there at the time they set.
It was a magnificent gesture which unfortunately won't be needed now. It's a
shame for us and it's a shame for New Zealand because Winston has been one
of our most consistent defenders since we've been back in the Barclays
Premier League. "We have a replacement who is fit again that means the
injury isn't causing me as big a concern as it was when the injury first
happened. James Collins is fit. James Collins was very unfortunate to be
left out at the time because defensively we've been superb this year, so
James being the replacement is a big bonus for us. He and James Tomkins is
the area I can't afford any more injuries to. Everywhere else we're
reasonably coping with, but certainly we need James and James to stay fit
and well over the next period."
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Hammers earn international call-ups
WHUFC.com
Three West Ham United players have received international call-ups for their
respective countries
07.11.2013
Ravel Morrison has been named in the England squad for their UEFA U21
Championship qualifiers against Finland and San Marino later this month.
Gareth Southgate's team are looking to continue their unbeaten start to
their qualification campaign, which has seen them take ten points from their
opening four games. Morrison earned his first call-up to the Under-21s for
their last round of qualifiers, and scored in the 5-0 mauling of Lithuania.
The Young Lions are set to take on Finland at Milton Keynes Dons' stadiummk
on Thursday 14 November, before moving on to Shrewsbury Town's Greenhaus
Stadium for the San Marino clash on Tuesday 19 November.
Fellow Hammer Joey O'Brien is in the Republic of Ireland squad for their
friendly internationals against Latvia in Dublin on Friday 15 November and
Poland in Poznan on Tuesdya 19 November. New Ireland boss Martin O'Neill is
set to take charge of the team for the two friendlies, although caretaker
boss Noel King completed his duties in the role by finalising the 27-man
squad before handing over the reins. O'Brien will be looking to win his
sixth cap for his country, and his first since a September 2012 friendly
against Oman.
Also set to represent his country in this next set of internationals is
Mohamed Diame, who has been named in the Senegal squad for the second leg of
their FIFA World Cup Play-Off against Ivory Coast on Saturday 16 November.
Senegal are 3-1 down following the away leg and will have to play the home
match in Morocco as they are currently serving a suspension from playing
matches in Senegal due to crowd disturbances.
Razvan Rat is expected to be named in Romania's squad for their FIFA World
Cup Play-Off matches against Greece, but Winston Reid will miss New
Zealand's showdown with Mexico due to an ankle injury.
Meanwhile, West Ham schoolboy Jahmal Hector-Ingram will hope to make his
England U16 debut in their Sky Sports Victory Shield clash with Northern
Ireland in Bournemouth on Friday 8 November.
Academy defenders Reece Burke and Kyle Knoyle have been named in the England
U18 squad for a two-day training camp at St George's Park this month.
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Turgott happy with form
WHUFC.com
Blair Turgott is happy with his current form following a goal against Luton
Town
07.11.2013
Wing wizard Blair Turgott is happy with his current form after his Man of
the Match performance in the Development Squad's 2-1 defeat to Luton Town on
Tuesday evening. The pacey wide man pulled a goal back for the Hammers with
51 minutes on the clock after two first half goals from Jim Stevenson put
the Hatters in control. Turgott then had the chance to equalise from the
penalty spot with six minutes left but saw his effort well saved. Despite
the miss the 19-year-old is happy with the progress he is making. He told
West Ham TV: "I think one of my assets is when I get on the ball and try to
make things happen.
"I feel like I'm playing well at the moment but I was disappointed on
Tuesday that I had a couple of chances and on another day I probably should
have done a bit better but it's just one of those things. "I spoke to Nick
the manager and he was saying to me that I have to get some more goals to
add to my assists and that's something I'm trying to do at the moment.
Obviously I would like to take the penalty again but all I can try and do is
affect the game and get some assists and goals."
The right-sided midfielder also played a part when the Development Squad
again lost out by a single goal to the same opposition just under a month
ago.
The match ended in a 1-0 defeat that day but Turgott felt that the outcome
should have been different this time around. "We're all obviously
disappointed with the loss. It was a bit harsh and I don't think we deserved
it as we had a lot of chances in both halves. "We're always disappointed to
come away without a win and even though we lost the game we had a lot of
chances. "Both their goals came against the run of play when we were having
a lot of possession but we've got to look to the next game now and try and
put that right."
Turgott and his teammates now face a long wait until the resumption of their
Barclays Under-21 Premier League campaign when they host Leicester City at
Rush Green on 29 November. Nick Haycock has, however, arranged a number of
friendlies over that period to keep his players fit and firing, but for the
moment Turgott is left to reflect on what might have been against Luton. He
said: "Second half we came out pushing and we obviously got the goal and we
had a spell where if we kept going you felt a goal was going to come. "The
team and I had a lot of chances so it's disappointing that we didn't go onto
win or get the leveller and came off losing."
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'Our hard work is the key'
WHUFC.com
Guy Demel puts defensive solidity down to training ground graft ahead of
Norwich trip
07.11.2013
Hard work has been the secret to West Ham United's defensive success this
season, according to full-back Guy Demel. The 32-year-old defender has
formed part of a solid unit at the back for the Hammers this season, which
has seen them keep six clean sheets in ten Barclays Premier League games.
West Ham have not conceded a goal on their travels with Demel on the pitch
in 2013/14 - a total of 331 minutes spread across four league matches. In
total, West Ham have conceded just three goals in 666 total minutes that
Demel has played across eight league games this term. The No20 will be
hoping to continue that run at Norwich City on Saturday. His bigger focus is
on helping the team collect their first three point haul in four starts,
however, and the Ivorian believes a repeat of recent performances will pave
the way to secure just that. He explained: "From a defensive point of view
it has been really good. It's now six games without conceding any goals and
it's proof that we do a good job as a team. The shape, the work we do as a
team and the good understanding we have as a back four are all key to us
being solid. "I have to say that in Jussi [Jaaskelainen] too, even when he
doesn't have too much to do, when we need him, he's there. He's always
concentrating and there to make the saves when needed. "We work hard as team
during the week, and that shows at the weekends. We're looking now to get
the three points - of course the clean sheets give you satisfaction, but
when you don't capitalise by getting the victories, you feel frustrated in
the end."
West Ham's goalscoring travails have been well documented, but Demel insists
they have the goal-getters in the squad to turn that side of their game
around.
He added: "You just need one goal to win the game with the way we've played
recently. We have to keep working as a team, deliver more balls and keep
believing in our offensive quality, to make sure we force our destiny. "Even
if it's a lucky goal, it doesn't matter what it looks like as long as the
ball goes in the back of the net, we keep a clean sheet and get the three
points on the board. "We're looking forward to Norwich now and trying to
capitalise on our good work defensively."
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Sam Allardyce: Norwich trip is six pointer for West Ham
BBC.co.uk
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce reckons Saturday's Premier League trip to
Norwich is a "six-pointer" despite the season only being 10 games old.Defeat
could see the Hammers drop below Norwich, into the bottom three. "It is a
six-pointer already," he said. "We'll get a Norwich City team that will come
and fight for everything."
Allardyce believes results against sides close to them in the table are more
crucial than other matches - including their 3-0 win at Tottenham. "It has
always been more important for me," said Allardyce. "Those are the games
that if you play your best you have got a really good chance of winning.
"You can play your best against the big boys, give all you've got and be
very, very good but still lose a game of football because of the amount of
talent and the money they have spent. "I always focus on these, they are the
bigger games for us, the games you need to play at your best and give
yourself a chance."
Despite their impressive win at White Hart Lane, West Ham have only won two
games this season while Norwich boss Chris Hughton is under pressure after
taking only one point from their last 12 including a 7-0 thrashing by
Manchester City in their last outing.
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(Still) ain't misbehavin'
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 7th November 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United supporters are STILL the best behaved in the Premier League
- according to the latest Premier League 'Fair Play' table.
Last month KUMB revealed how Hammers fans were topping the BPL 'Fair Play'
table which issues marks based upon the 'behaviour of the public' - since
when matches against Tottenham (a), Man City (h) and Swansea (a) have been
taken into account.
And that remains the case this month with Hammers fans having increased
their advantage over closest rivals, Sunderland - who rise from fourth to
second in the table - to 0.32 of a point.
According to the Premier League's 'Fair Play' rules, each team begins a
match with five points to which an additional five can be added for
(acceptable) verbal support and recognition of good play by opposition
players.
Conversely, a maximum of five points may be deducted for persistent foul and
abusive language, persistent abuse of officials plus aggresive and
threatening conduct towards opposition fans.
The 'Behaviour of the Public' is just one of six factors taken into account
when deciding the overall Fair Play table. The other categories are
'Red/Yellow Cards', 'Positive Play', 'Respect Towards Opponents', 'Respect
Towards the Referee' and 'Behaviour of Team Officials'.
West Ham are currently sixth in the overall Fair Play table with an average
score of 8.42 - just 0.08 of a point behind current leaders Norwich City,
who Sam Allardyce's men face at Carrow Road this weekend.
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Reid out
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 7th November 2013
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce has confirmed that Winston Reid will not make the trip to
Norwich this weekend. The New Zealander sustained a knock to his ankle
during training earlier in the week and will miss both West Ham's trip to
Norwich and his nation's forthcoming international matches - games that West
Ham had agreed to charter a private jet for in order to allow Reid to play
for the Hammers this Sunday. "Our Chairman made a massive gesture this
weekend by arranging a private jet for Winston to fly him straight to his
team so he could get there at the time they set," said Allardyce this
morning. "It was a magnificent gesture which unfortunately won't be needed
now. It's a shame for us and it's a shame for New Zealand because Winston
has been one of our most consistent defenders since we've been back in the
Barclays Premier League."
However Reid's disappointment is good news for Welsh centre half James
Collins, who has been sidelined since the 3-0 win at Tottenham due to the
good form of Reid and defensive partner James Tomkins. "We have a
replacement who is fit again that means the injury isn't causing me as much
concern as it was when it first happened," confirmed Allardyce. "James
Collins was very unfortunate to be left out at the time because defensively
we've been superb this year, so James being the replacement is a big bonus
for us. "He and James Tomkins is the area I can't afford any more injuries
to. Everywhere else we're coping reasonably well with, but certainly we need
James and James to stay fit and well over the next period."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam hails 'six pointer'
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 7th November 2013
By: Staff Writer
It may only be November but Sam Allardyce was happy to heap the pressure on
his players by hailing this weekend's trip to Carrow Road as 'a six
pointer'.
The West Ham boss, speaking to the press ahead of Saturday's trip to Norfolk
admitted that his team need to be "more clinical" if they are to secure a
second away win of the season, to follow on from the recent 3-0 thrashing of
Tottenham at White Hart Lane. Beaten away from home just once so far this
season - and that being the controversial 1-0 defeat at Hull - Allardyce has
plenty to be optimistic about. Meanwhile Norwich are still reeling from a
7-0 humbling at Manchester City last weekend. However Big Sam recognised
that regardless of the opposition, his team need to learn how to find the
net - and quickly. "These are the games that if you play your best then
you've got a really good chance to win," said Allardyce. "These are the
bigger games for us, these are the games that you have to be at your best
because it will give you a better chance of winning than against the big
boys. "We've had many performances as good as the one against Tottenham this
year and we've had better - like against Newcastle - but haven't won. We
haven't got the rewards we deserved, we know that and we've got to try and
improve on it. That's the only area that's concerning me and hopefully we'll
put that right on Saturday.
"We'll get a Norwich City team that will go out and fight for everything
they possibly can, particularly on their home ground. They'll try and get
the crowd behind them and look for the result that we're all doing at the
moment. I think we're all finding it harder, apart from some of the bigger
boys, to win at home this season. "There's nothing else I can ask of the
lads other than to try and put one or two more chances away. We've been very
resilient and it's just the final product has not delivered as much as we
would have hoped, hence we've drawn a lot of games that we should have won."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers ignored - again
KUMb.com
Filed: Thursday, 7th November 2013
By: Staff Writer
The latest England squad has just been announced - and once again, there are
no places for any Hammers. Midfielders Mark Noble and Ravel Morrison were
widely tipped to be involved with Roy Hodgson's squad for the first time
ever - with the in-form James Tomkins also considered to be an outside bet.
However the England manager, who has seen plenty of the young Hammers in
recent weeks has yet again failed to include a single one of Sam Allardyce's
players in his squad for their upcoming friendly with Chile. Tomkins has
been overlooked in favour of more established defenders such as Gary Cahill,
Phil Jagielka and Chris Smalling. However Noble and Morrison - both of whom
have been in excellent form of late - will feel slightly more aggrieved to
have been black-balled given that the likes of Ross Barkley, Tom Cleverley
and Adam Lallana have been included. One player who is included in the full
squad is Tottenham Jermain Defoe, who was linked with a move back to West
Ham this week.
* Two other Hammers have made their respective international squads. Joey
O'Brien has been selected for the Republic of Ireland, who face friendlies
against Latvia and Poland whilst Mo Diame is in the Senegal squad for the
second leg of their World Cup play-off against Ivory Coast next weekend.
Full England Squad
Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster, Joe Hart, John Ruddy.
Defenders: Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Kieran Gibbs, Phil
Jagielka, Glen Johnson, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Kyle Walker.
Midfielders: Ross Barkley, Michael Carrick, Tom Cleverley, Steven Gerrard,
Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, Frank Lampard, James Milner, Andros
Townsend, Jack Wilshere.
Forwards: Jermain Defoe, Rickie Lambert, Jay Rodriguez, Wayne Rooney, Daniel
Sturridge, Daniel Welbeck.
Full Under 21s Squad
Goalkeepers: Jonathan Bond, Jack Butland, George Long.
Defenders: Eric Dier, Carl Jenkinson, Michael Keane, Liam Moore, Jack
Robinson, Luke Shaw, John Stones.
Midfielders: Nathaniel Chalobah, Will Hughes, Ravel Morrison, James
Ward-Prowse, Tom Ince, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Wilfried Zaha.
Forwards: Saido Berahino, Harry Kane, Danny Ings, Nick Powell.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce says West Ham's game at Norwich is a six-pointer
Last Updated: November 7, 2013 11:27am
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has described Saturday's Premier League game
against Norwich as a "six-pointer". The Hammers head to Carrow Road looking
to end a three-match winless run in the league which has seen them slip to
15th place in the table with 10 points. They have also failed to find the
net in their last two games - goalless draws with Swansea and Aston Villa -
and Allardyce sees this as an ideal chance to end their barren streak in
front of goal.
The Canaries are without a win in their last four league fixtures - a run
which has seen them pick up only one point from a 0-0 home draw with Cardiff
- and conceded seven goals in last weekend's thrashing at Manchester City.
Allardyce said: "Norwich is a six-pointer already. They played well in their
last home game against Cardiff and we have to make sure we frustrate them in
that area and be clinical when we get our chances. "We've done alright so
far in performance terms, but unfortunately because of our lack of goals we
haven't accumulated the points. "We've played some good football but the end
product hasn't been there and that's why we've drawn games we should have
won. "There's nothing else to concern me other than not taking our
opportunities but we've got to start doing that as soon as possible."
Allardyce revealed Winston Reid is a doubt for the trip to Norwich although
fellow defender James Collins is now back in training. He added: "It's not
very good injury wise at the moment other than we've got James Collins back
in training. "Winston Reid picked up an unfortunate one this week which adds
to the list."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
HOW MUCH IS A PLAYER LIKE WINSTON REID WORTH?
By Sean Whetstone 7 Nov 2013 at 08:02
West Ham Till I Die
If Winston Reid was up for sale (which he is not) or if West Ham were still
a selling club (which our owners promise us we are not) There still remains
possibility that the player himself has ambition to play in the champions
league and could one day hand in a transfer request. We have to remember
footballers are professionals with career ambitions and not wedded to one
club like fans are. Loyalty with one club is rare these days. Even the
legendary Bobby Moore joined Fulham.
So the question remains is how do you value an in form centre back like
Winston Reid?. If you believe the papers then Arsenal values him at £6m but
this probably just agent talk and a complete under valuation in today's
transfer market.
In a 2011 academic paper called The Valuation of Human Capital in the
Football Player Transfer Market the conclusion in a nutshell was 'Value is
what fools are willing to pay for it'
Never was that quote more true when Liverpool paid £35m for Andy Carroll and
£20m for Stuart Downing only to sell them to West Ham for a fraction of that
price earlier this year.
There are some factors which do determine the price whether the buyers are
fools or not:
1) Squad Status
This player is an indispensable member of the team, This player is an
important first team player
2) Age
The younger the higher value we can affix to a fee from the 21-25 range. The
same for squad status: the higher the status, the higher value the fee.
3) Talent
Opta Statistics to determine whether a player is in the top 10% performers
in their positions
4) League Factor
Like the European Golden Boot we can adjust the above talent for league
factor and affix value of those factors. West Ham may not be so keen to pay
a lot money for a Brazilian forward plying his trade for a small team in the
Dutch league! Proved premier league experience adds further value.
5) Premium Position
Attacking Midfielders, central and wide areas in the final third of the
field and forwards are considered premium. The problem with marginalizing
the full back position or defence is that football is essentially a team
sport and all players should be considered as equal. But that is not the
case as a glance at the top transfer fees by position would suggest the
goalkeeping position and full back positions are not essentially considered
an area of the team where a team should spend plenty. There have been some
anomalies with a handful of significant transfers of central defenders with
Nesta, Ferdinand and Carvalho the more prominent names in the upper echelons
of transfer fees and Dani Alves by far the most expensive full-back, on
average, these positions command a smaller transfer fee than strikers for
instance.
6) Adaptability
Certain nationalities notoriously had problems with adapting to the rigours
of English football. South Americans are widely thought to have trouble
adapting to the British game but it is more a case of the managers doing
their in-depth homework on a player's lifestyle, intelligence, attitude and
personality as a person rather the footballer alone to provide a measure of
cost certainty that their import can succeed.
7) Depreciation
"depreciation" basically amounts to a rental deal. Alex Ferguson paid a
widely reported £10m for two years service of Carlos Tevez at £5m per
season, while also paying his contract, How much would a club accept in
depreciation? Arsene Wenger is probably the shrewdest manager around who is
prepared to sell a player in his late 20s even at the top of his game for a
significant return. Put this way, if Steven Gerrard was under his
management, he'd likely be sold this summer whilst extracting maximum value
for a player at the peak of his career but likely worth much less in 2-3
years as he settles into his 30s. Would he be right to do so? As a fan, NO!
But in the real world, he is doing what the best managers do.
The "salvage" value is the theoretical sell-on fee when his contract expires
(4-5 years) and this should prove an invaluable guide to the player's actual
price. How much "depreciation" would they be prepared to write off? 50%?
10%? What's reasonable? Because a player can walk away from the club at the
expiration of his contract, a club has the player for only a couple of years
before they either make the decision to extend his contract and completely
write off the transfer fee or make the decision to sell. For a two years
rental, a player at the right age would prove no risk or profitable provided
that player shows improvement or sustained performances.
8 ) Image Rights
What a player projects to bring in merchandising sales. This is a tricky
subject as merchandising sales are variable rather then fixed. Clubs would
have to release figures relating to the exact amount each player are thought
to have earned for their clubs in their commercial activities.
Other Factors include: Games played previous season (36 for Reid last
season) Goals scored, Size of buying club (modeled on stadium size) and
participation of buying club in continental club competitions.
One of the highest profile centre backs was also a product of our own West
Ham Academy. In November 2000 we sold Rio Ferdinand to Leeds for £18m who
later sold him to Manchester United for £30m in 2002. Chelsea bought the
Brazilian Centre Back David Luiz for $25 million euros in 2011 but it is
said they slapped a £50m price tag on him when Barcelona wanted him earlier
this year.
I am not suggesting Winston Reid is a David Luiz or Rio Ferdinand but at
their price tags Winston has to be worth at least £15m for any champions
league team desperate for a good centre back. Winston ticks many of the
boxes above to increase his value.
That said let's hope we keep hold of him for a few more years yet. We need
to hold out for a £50m bid from Barcelona ;-)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce remains coy over swoop for Defoe as possible transfer divides
opinion among Hammers fans
By DAVID KENT
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 7 November 2013 | UPDATED: 22:30, 7 November 2013
Daily Mail
Sam Allardyce has refused to rule out a West Ham return for Jermain Defoe.
The England striker has become frustrated at a lack of playing time at
Tottenham and is ready to move on in January. Hammers fans remain divided
over the 31-year-old however. Some have never forgiven him for handing in a
transfer request just hours after West Ham were relegated a decade ago. But
others just want a proven poacher to come in and solve the club's current
goal-scoring problems. Allardyce knows the feelings in both camps and was
careful to leave the door open without committing himself. He said: 'I can't
really comment on that because don't forget if I comment on having an
interest in a player that can be deemed as an approach and they could bring
me up on an FA charge.
'Many a manager has been brought up on that over the years. I was
flabbergasted when that first charge was made, against David O'Leary, if I
remember rightly, saying 'if that player's available I would like to sign
him'. 'I don't want an FA charge. They have already had some of my money
which they shouldn't have had - they are not having any more.' Allardyce was
clearer on the subject of a full England call-up for Ravel Morrison. The
Under 21 star had been considered for the forthcoming friendlies with Chile
and Germany but Roy Hodgson decided to try other options. Allardyce was
relieved. He said: 'It's a bit early.'
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham star Ravel Morrison misses out on full England squad as Gareth
Southgate names him for Under-21s
7 Nov 2013 17:13
The Mirror
West Ham United midfielder Ravel Morrison has missed out on a place in the
senior England squad for the upcoming friendlies against Chile and Germany.
The Hammers youngster has impressed this season - both for his club and the
England Under-21s. However, Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson has omitted him
from the full squad, leaving Gareth Southgate to select him for the Young
Lions. Morrison will now take his place in Southgate's team for their
European Championship qualifiers against Finland and San Marino. Hodgson has
often been receptive to the idea of thrusting young players into his squad,
having selected the likes of Raheem Sterling, Andros Townsend and Ross
Barkley during his time as boss. But 20-year-old Morrison will be forced to
bide his time before he his handed a full international debut. West Bromwich
Albion forward Saido Berahino is another who was tipped to make the senior
squad, but the Baggies man will instead join the Under-21s. Morrison, who
was discarded by Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson following
behavioural problems, has started to rebuild his career this season after a
loan spell with Birmingham City. The attacking midfielder made the rest of
the Premier League sit up and take notice when he scored a sensational solo
strike in the 3-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur on October 7.
The England Under-21 squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland (Stoke City), George Long (Sheffield United),
Jonathan Bond (Watford).
Defenders: Eric Dier (Sporting Lisbon), Carl Jenkinson (Arsenal), Jack
Robinson (Liverpool), Luke Shaw (Southampton), John Stones (Everton),
Michael Keane (Manchester United), Liam Moore (Leicester City).
Midfielders: Nathaniel Chalobah (Chelsea), Will Hughes (Derby County), Ravel
Morrison (West Ham United), Thomas Ince (Blackpool), James Ward-Prowse
(Southampton), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United), Raheem Sterling
(Liverpool), Wilfried Zaha (Manchester United).
Strikers: Saido Berahino (West Bromwich Albion), Nick Powell (Manchester
United), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Danny Ings (Burnley).
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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Friday, November 8
Thursday, November 7
Daily WHUFC News - 7th November 2013
Haycock praises Hatters
WHUFC.com
Nick Haycock was full of praise for Luton Town after the Development Squad
lost out to the Hatters
06.11.2013
Nick Haycock was pleased with the tough examination his side were given
after the Development Squad fought hard in a 2-1 defeat at Luton Town. Two
first half goals won it for the Hatters, who profited from the visitors'
failure to make their chances count despite the best efforts of winger Blair
Turgott, who scored the Hammers' only goal after 51 minutes. It was the
second time Haycock's team have played Skrill Premier side Luton in just
under a month, with both games ending in narrow defeats, but the coach
believes they provide a different type of challenge for his players. He told
West Ham TV: "For me the challenge is far greater than the U21 league and I
still want to keep pressuring the Premier League to let us be part of the
league pyramid and that's what this FA Commission should look at doing.
"That's real, games like this are what the boys are going to experience if
they go and play in the league whether they play in the Conference, League
Two or League One. "I've got a lot of respect for John Still, Terry Harris
and [development coach] Hakan Hayrettin and the work that he does here
because they play organised football. They play off a shape and play fast,
aggressive football and that's something which you've got to deal with and
we don't encounter very often in the U21 league."
Turgott scored in the Hammers' 3-3 draw with Chelsea in their last league
match and had already netted once when he was handed the chance to grab his
team a draw after Pelly Ruddock was sent tumbling in the box by Arnaud
Mendy. He stepped up and struck his penalty low to the keeper's right but
saw it well saved by Elliot Justham. Despite his side's missed
opportunities, Haycock was happy with his team's response to being 2-0 down
at the break.
"Coming out of the game it's not so much about the result because I got the
response I wanted from the players, I didn't think there was too much wrong
first half. I just thought we needed to press more and play higher up the
pitch to threaten their backline a little more. "The Luton fans here will be
delighted but we should have won the game hands down in the second half with
the amount of chances we had, missing a penalty and missing two sort of
one-on-ones. But at the end of the day it was a very pleasing response in
the second half with a very young team out."
Haycock was particularly pleased with right winger Turgott, who ran the
Hatters defence ragged, creating several opportunities for his team-mates.
He said: "I've got a great support staff behind me and we're very detailed
in what we do and the targets we set for the players and Blair's working
towards his at the minute. "I've talked to him a lot about Andros Townsend's
performances for England and about what wide players are. Manchester United
have been the foundations of good football in this country for many, many
years playing with two wingers who are direct, aggressive and go at people
in the final third and I think we're starting to see that from Blair. "He
was unlucky not to come off with a hat-trick and a couple of assists as well
so he can be well pleased with his performance. I thought he deserved to
take the penalty because I thought he was our outstanding player."
The Development Squad do not play in the Barclays U21 Premier League - which
they top - again until Friday 29 November, when they welcome Leicester City
to Rush Green Stadium for a 7pm kick-off. Between now and then, Haycock has
arranged a number of friendly matches to keep his players fit and focused.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Big Interview - Elliot Lee
WHUFC.com
The young striker reflects on his maiden Football League goal for loan club
Colchester United
06.11.2013
Elliot Lee has scored goals wherever he has played. The West Ham United
striker netted 14 goals at U18 and U21 level last season, earning a
first-team debut in the FA Cup third-round replay at Manchester United in
January 2013. This season, Lee scored five times to fire the Hammers to the
top of the Barclays U21 Premier League table, seeing him loaned to Sky Bet
League One club Colchester United late last month. On Saturday, the
18-year-old marked his third U's appearance with a last-gasp equaliser in
the 2-2 draw at Rotherham United. Lee will not be eligible for Saturday's FA
Cup first round visit of Sheffield United to the Weston Homes Community
Stadium, but he told West Ham TV he will be cheering on his new team-mates.
Elliot, fresh from your maiden Football League goal, how are things going at
Colchester?
EL: "Things are going really well. I've played three games and we're
unbeaten so far, so things are going well and hopefully I can keep
progressing and we'll keep moving up the table."
Talk us through your goal at Rotherham. I understand it was a header and
sparked wild celebrations which saw your immaculate hairstyle ruined!
EL: "Everyone is bantering me about my celebration but it was my first
league goal and it was a 96th-minute equaliser so I celebrated as it was one
to remember. Luckily enough, we didn't really deserve a point on the day at
Rotherham, but we stole one and that was really good for the boys. I always
get bantered for my barnet and I don't often score headers, but it just fell
to me in the box and I just nodded it over the 'keeper and it's gone over
the line! That was it, really, and it was really good."
Colchester have achieved some outstanding results since you've been there,
so you must be proud of how things have gone so far?
EL: "Yes, we went to Shrewsbury on my debut and drew one-all and we probably
should have won if we're being honest. Peterborough then came to our place
and got a great result there, beating them one-nil. We went to Rotherham on
Saturday, which isn't an easy place to go, and stole a point, so we need to
keep the momentum going and keep pushing on."
How have you found League football compared to the Barclays U21 Premier
League?
EL: "It's a bit quicker and a lot more physical than the Under-21s, so I'm
just enjoying the challenge of playing competitive senior football week-in,
week-out. I'm really enjoying it."
Freddie Sears injured his hamstring on your debut, but how much did it help
to have a familiar face in the dressing room when you arrived at Colchester?
EL: "I remember getting the shout before the Wolves game [for the U21s] but
I had to get straight on the coach and up to Shrewsbury, so it wasn't the
easiest of things to do, especially having not even had a training session
with them. Knowing Searsy, he introduced me to the boys and everything, so
it definitely helped. Although he is injured, he is still around every day
and it's good having him there."
Has your loan spell given you even more confidence that you can play
regularly at first-team level?
EL: "Yes, 100 per cent, because I am becoming a better player and learning
something different with every training session and game I play. Training
with and playing against these players can only benefit my development and
hopefully I can score a few more goals and impress their manager [Joe Dunne]
and our manager [Sam Allardyce]."
You have the weekend off as West Ham have not given you permission to play,
meaning you can play for us in the third round. With a weekend off, will you
be a Colchester fan?
EL: "Yes I will be a Colchester fan! I'm coming back to Chadwell Heath for
the week because the Gaffer doesn't want me to play for them in the FA Cup,
but I will be supporting Colchester and it should be an interesting
weekend."
Your loan spell ends on 23 November. What can you achieve between now and
then?
EL: "I have two league games before my loan spell ends - Swindon at home and
Preston away - so hopefully I can get myself a few more goals for the team."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Reid injured
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid will be missing for club and country after picking up an ankle
injury in training on Tuesday
06.11.2013
West Ham United can confirm Winston Reid suffered an ankle injury during
training on Tuesday and will miss the fixture against Norwich City on
Saturday.
The injury will also rule the central defender out of both of New Zealand's
FIFA World Cup Play-Off games against Mexico. whufc.com will carry further
updates when they are available.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hartson praises away form
WHUFC.com
John Hartson says the Club's good away form is a big improvement on years
gone by
06.11.2013
Former West Ham United striker John Hartson has paid tribute to the team's
solid away form which has seen them concede just once on their travels all
season. The big Welshman, who starred in a Claret and Blue shirt between
1997 and 1999, believes Sam Allardyce's squad have succeeded where Hammers
sides of the past have fallen down. Speaking after the 0-0 draw with Swansea
City, he told West Ham TV: "West Ham historically haven't been a great side
on the road, even in the days I was there. "Harry [Redknapp] would always
say even in the great days gone by when he played with Bobby Moore, Martin
Peters and all those great, great legends at West Ham they were always a bit
of a soft touch on the road. "The fact that Sam has got them more solid now
will mean they can pick up more points on the road. He's obviously addressed
that, looked at them over the years and by defending really solidly and not
conceding goals you're obviously going to pick up more points on the road."
Allardyce has seen only Hull's Robbie Brady score against his team in five
away outings, which have garnered six of the side's ten points so far this
season.
It's been at the other end of pitch where the Hammers have so far struggled,
scoring only eight Barclays Premier League goals thus far and Hartson feels
they are feeling the absence of a certain Andy Carroll. "He brings that big
presence up front, he's got the big number nine on his back, he's very big
and strong, he's got good feet for a big man and he's aggressive in the air.
"I saw one or two balls go in the box against Swansea and I'm nudging my
little son and I'm thinking if big Andy was on the pitch he gets a one, two,
three and he goes and attacks the ball. "When he's in form he's similar to
Duncan Ferguson in the fact that when he gets a one, two, three on a
defender and gets a run he's very, very difficult to stop. They obviously
miss him, they paid a lot of money for him but he's been very unfortunate
with injuries and there's nothing anybody can do about that."
Hartson is well placed to comment on Carroll as he himself was a fearsome
striker who was as good on the ground as he was in the air. The 38-year-old
also believes that West Ham are handling Carroll's injury well and that the
most important thing is to have him back when he is completely ready. He
said: "It's important that when he comes back he's not carrying any little
niggles because that causes setbacks. I think that's what West Ham are doing
with Andy Carroll at the minute, they want to get him right and get him fit
to go and play. "For me it's important that he is fit when he returns, not
only so that he does well for West Ham but he could even break into the
England set-up before the World Cup."
It may be 14 years since the burly Welshman left east London but he still
remains close to some of the club's supporters and has fond memories of his
time at the Boleyn Ground. "I have a friend who runs the South Wales West
Ham Supporters Club. He asked me if I'd come along to a local little hall up
the road where they were meeting before the game at Swansea. 500 West Ham
fans all came down in their buses and I went to meet them. "I was meant to
be there 20 minutes but I was there two-and-a-half hours having pictures and
autographs but it was nice, they were all reminiscing about one or two
incidents over the years and I haven't got to tell you which ones! "It was
great fun, they're great fans and I had a great two years at West Ham."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A tribe on the move
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 6th November 2013
By: Andre Smith
If you watch footage of football matches from the early 1960s, it really is
another world.
Just about everyone is dressed quite formally. Suits, shirts and ties, hats
and coats, sports jackets, trousers and shiny shoes. It's difficult to find
a clip where everyone isn't cheering, clapping, waving bits of paper and
generally having a good time.
Rosettes, rattles, and loads - absolutely loads of home-made signs and
effigies. Dirty great pieces of card, cut into the shape of cups, covered in
tinfoil. Sticks with signs on top, emblazoned with a player's name on top.
Happy, inventive, committed supporters.
Those were the days. Players were all paid in loose change, cigarettes and
occasionally bought a pint by a fan in the pub after the match.
Despite the popularity of the sport, it wasn't monetised properly. Football
tickets were cheap. And your average top flight footballer in the 60s played
every week, home and away, in all competitions and unaware that by the time
they were 70, they would need ...and more amazingly, be able to get ....new
knees and hips!
Then came the 70s and the 80s. Dark days where we used to take our lives in
our hands every match day, herded like some species of inedible (and
therefore valueless) meat, occasionally given a bash on the head for good
measure by a friendly bobby. If the coppers didn't get you, the hooligans
would give it good go.
Then lives were lost and the whole thing was suddenly rethought. They took
way the option to stand and gave us very uncomfortable, small plastic seats
to sit on.
But what killed it, was the very thing that also thrilled it. Money poured
in to the game, unchecked.
Modern Football Is Rubbish, we were told back in 2008 when Nick Davidson and
Shaun Hunt published their book. Did we heed their warning? Did we heck as
like. Drawn in like moths to a flame, all of us. Compelled like Wiley Coyote
to pursue that damn beeping bird, endlessly we die (albeit just inside a
little bit) as if we have no control over our thoughts or deeds.
But if you want to read a really good book on what is wrong with us, why we
will never stop being fans, look up "The Soccer Tribe" by Desmond Morris.
Don't be put off by the title. Morris is English and a world famous
Zoologist and ethologist. His book "The Naked Ape" is well known, and if you
ask any female friends with children about him, the chances of one of them
having a copy of "Baby Watching" are plausibly high.
So football is tribal. And that's what has us sophisticated primates by the
short and curlies.
The tribe has changed its appearance over the decades, but it has never
changed its colours. They can hit you over the head, they can make you sit
in a seat designed to accommodate a 12 year old, they can charge you
astronomical sums to get in the ground, but seemingly they can't stop you
wanting more.
Recently, Tottenham fans were publicly humiliated when their manager spoke
into a Sky Sports microphone whilst thanking them for being useless. Andre
Villas -Boas said:
"We looked like the away team. We played in a difficult atmosphere with
almost no support. We have a wonderful set of fans but they can do better.
We don't need the negativity of today.
Away from home their support has been amazing; we play with no fear and we
need that atmosphere at White Hart Lane. We didn't have the support we
should have done. There was much anxiety from the stands, the players had to
do it alone.
We spoke about it at half-time. I told the players that we would have to do
it on our own. They had to dig deep and look for the strength within
themselves. They also believed that it's not easy to play in this stadium
when the atmosphere is like this."
Ouch.
But in fairness to Spurs, despite White Hart Lane having considerable form
for being a tough gig, they aren't the only ones suffering.
The Emirates is another venue that frequently finds itself a shrine to
silence. The excuses are endless. The prices, too many corporates, the
burden of expectation, it was a bit rainy... the list is actually endless.
The bottom line is this, do you want to support your team, or have you and
your overblown sense of naked entitlement just turned up to collect some
bragging rights in a doggy bag?
To use typical Karren Brady "The Apprentice" language, West Ham United will
soon be facing some challenging supporter issues. Once they are able to
finally shake off Barry Hearn, they will be faced with the reality of a very
large stadium to fill. One that was not specifically designed with football
in mind.
So far, the indicators are good. The Hammers routinely sell out at The
Boleyn and the Club's commitment to young fans is a credit to them. West
Ham's move to the Olympic Stadium will be exciting. Let's hope that the fans
remember to keep it tribal in there.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Come home Defoe, (almost) all is forgiven
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 6th November 2013
By: Paul Walker
Big Sam should be preparing for the worst and formulating plans for the rest
of the season that assumes Andy Carroll will not be involved.
He should be moving heaven and earth to get Jermain Defoe back, and only
going for Demba Ba as a last resort.
I am sure, like me, you are all sick to the back teeth with the Carroll
saga. Now it seems that there has been another set-back that has halted his
rehab. A virus has wrecked any thoughts that he could be back before new
year.
Allardyce insists that Carroll will need a month to regain full fitness,
which could take us to the end of January. By then we will be two thirds of
the way into the season, with just a dozen or so league matches for Carroll
to play.
By then we could be deep in relegation trouble. So Sam should not be banking
on Carroll's return as our salvation.
I sense that Defoe's return would be welcomed by far more of our fans than
some think. I don't really care about what he did in 2003. The timing was
poor and he was ill-advised, but plenty more players than him have jumped
ship after relegation.
Demba Ba for one. From us. We gave him a lifeline when a string of failed
medicals looked like wrecking his career. But the first hint of folding
stuff from Newcastle, and a release clause David Sullivan admits he should
never have allowed, and Ba was off.
Loyalty is rare in football, but Ba then pushed acceptable standards of
behaviour to the limits by turned over Newcastle and jumped ship for a
massive wage rise at Chelsea. And when he could have come back to the Boleyn
in the summer, he was happy to sit on the bench at Chelsea and draw his mega
bucks wages. As mercenaries go, he is pretty near the top of the list, and
would his cold- blooded attitude improve if he did return to Upton Park? I
doubt it.
Now nothing happens in football these days without a reason. So to see Defoe
praising "the club he still loves" - us - and saying how sorry he is that
things worked out the way they did, suggests he is angling for a move back
to the East End.
The reasons seem obvious. He has been told he can find a new club in
January, and will clearly be only a bit part player at Spurs for the rest of
the season if he doesn't. And with a World Cup coming up, he cannot afford
that.
It could damage his chances of being in the England squad in Brazil. And
fanciful suggestions that he could go to States in January would kill his
international career stone dead. Roy Hodgson would not even consider taking
a player in MLS to Brazil.
So Defoe needs to be playing regularly and to maintain his form. He is
unlikely to get a move to a top six club, so returning to West Ham is now
more appealing. There were rumours he was an Allardyce target in the summer
after a 'chance' meeting in a London restaurant.
Everyone denied the significance of that, and Allardyce said the player's
wages were out of his price range. But you can bet that it was suggested to
Defoe that he needed to make peace with West Ham fans first. Hence this
week's remarkably honest interview. We should bite his hand off.
We are suffering badly for the transfer deadline day shambles with every
minute that passes in our league programme. Really bad mistakes were made to
ruin what had been a pretty impressive summer of business. Carroll, Stewart
Downing and the solid and reliable Razvan Rat were all good signings.
But everyone knew we needed a couple of new strikers, but the board and the
manager failed to make that happen, and we have suffered the consequences
ever since. We ended up with Carlton Cole and Mladen Petric. There are
always reasons why players fail to find new clubs before the window shuts,
and we are all now seeing why because both are way short of full fitness and
are not going to solve our problem any time yet.
That is a shame because we have a goalkeeper playing out of his skin, and a
defence with the third best goals against record in the division plus a
couple of midfielders who have been outstanding in Ravel Morrison and Mark
Noble.
Up front things are very different and many feel we are sleep-walking into a
dangerous situation while the belief still exists that we will be fine once
Carroll is back. Seemingly now, not any day soon.
Hindsight is easy, and the anti-Carroll brigade are in full flow claiming
he's a waste of money. That's nonsense. Remember how we all sang "Andy
Carroll we want you to stay" at the final game of last season, ironically
the match that saw him pick up the heel injury that has sidelined him every
since.
If you want to buy current England players, then you have to pay the going
rate. Trouble is, we could only afford one such player. Spurs and Manchester
City were able to spend more that £100m each, that's the way it is.
And I still think buying Downing was correct, we have seen enough of him to
know that he can supply plenty of ammunition for Carroll from the flanks.
But so far that has not been able to happen, and we are sinking into a
relegation fight. And even if our owners put their hands deep into their
pockets in January, we are still controlled by the new unfair Fair Play
rules which do nothing more that maintain the status quo and stop smaller
clubs from ever challenging the giants of the game.
It makes me realise that we are all being fed a lie when owners outside the
top six talk of one day reaching the Champions League. There was a time when
I felt we had teams capable of winning the title, not now.
The Bobby Moore era had the players of quality if not the consistency and
strength of character. On into the 70s the teams of Trevor Brooking, Alan
Devonshire and Billy Bonds should have done far better than they did. Then
there was the 80s and the boys of '86, who came the closest in our history.
Then the team of '98, including Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Paolo Di Canio,
Frank Lampard and Trevor Sinclair, managed a fifth place finish. But we all
know that it should have been much, much better had these stars not been
systematically sold off.
Bur since then, there has been nothing to even challenge really, just
relegations and financial crisis. It will not get much better in my view, so
I flinch now when I see owners spinning the line that one day the Champions
League is possible. But I am nearly 65 and am beginning realise that I will
not see us ever reaching the world of the big boys.
But that is history, this is now and we are left these days with little more
to hope for that staying in the division and maybe having a cup run. It made
me very angry after the defeat by Manchester City. They were so, so much
better than us and you start feeling just why we bother because genuine
success is just a pipe dream.
But we are all here because we love the club and our history. And owners
know we are all trapped with nowhere else to go. So at least save us from
yet another relegation battle, because we are very close to being hauled
into one.
The season has not started well. Sam reckons we are six points short of what
we should be. Last season after ten games we had 15 points, this time it is
ten from ten.
Even more worrying is the like-for-like statistics. If you compare our
results so far with those against the same teams last term it is becoming
very worrying.
You have to replace results against relegated clubs (Wigan and QPR) in our
opening ten games this season with results against promoted teams (Cardiff
and Hull), and we have taken ten points from those ten games this season,
compared to 17 from ten in the last campaign.
We avoided relegation by ten points last term so we are already seven points
worse off. It's getting too close for comfort, so come home Jermain, all
will be forgiven if you keep us up.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hughton's D-Day
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 6th November 2013
By: Trevor Twohig
The weekend produced another poor result for a West Ham side with so much
promise - but the situation must certainly be worse if you support a number
of other teams in the Premier League.
Crystal Palace look dead and buried already. Barring a minor miracle, it
would appear they are condemned to life back in the Championship. Saying
that, stranger things have happened. But if the regenerating properties of
the bubbly Ian Holloway cannot get the lads to click, it is unlikely any
other manager can make an impact in such a short space of time.
Sunderland also have a mountainous task ahead of them. Gus Poyet will
inevitably get the ball down and ensure the players try and pass their way
out of the relegation zone. Again though, the task looks insurmountable.
With 15 new players arriving in the summer and two players sent off for
appalling challenges at the weekend, they look like a squad in disarray.
This leaves one other team to face the dreaded drop. This period of time up
until Christmas will be vital and mercifully for West Ham United, our run of
fixtures looks somewhat simpler than some of the other teams. Granted we
have Chelsea and Arsenal in our nearish future, plus of course the midweek
trip to White Hart Lane for the quarter final of the Capital One Cup.
Aside from that we host Sunderland, Fulham, and West Bromwich Albion before
the New Year. We travel to Crystal Palace, Norwich, Liverpool and Man United
where, with our formidable defensive away record, even the most cynical of
West Ham fans can see a point or two being picked up on the road.
The Hammers travel to Carrow Road in Saturday's late kick off, in what can
only be last-chance saloon for Canaries' manager, Chris Hughton. There were
calls from a number of the yellow and green faithful for his head after the
capitulation at Manchester City, where they were drubbed a whopping 7-0.
Common sense seems to have prevailed and the footballing gods have deemed
the work Hughton has done, worthy of another chance against West Ham.
It would seem harsh to sack him after losing to a Man City team so full of
talent and due a big result. However, the defensive ineptitude of Norwich's
back four, plus the lack of fight in the dog, has left some fans short of
patience.
They are hugely reliant on the doggedness of Robert Snodgrass and sadly big
signings like Robert Van Wolfswinkel, have failed to produce results as of
yet. This matched with the sale of Grant Holt in the summer has left a
bitter taste in the mouth for a number of Norwich fans.
The sale of Holt was always on the cards, since he lived up north and rented
a flat in Norwich during his time there. But the ease at which this stalwart
at the club was let go has reared its ugly head since results have failed to
go their way. Holt at 32, could have been argued to be the heartbeat of the
club, the man to bring the troops together and rally them in times of
crisis. He is now doing that at Wigan, leaving the Canaries a little short
of natural leadership; the thing they need most at present.
So, is Saturday's game D-Day for Hughton? It could well be. If Norwich City
rally and manage to beat a West Ham team with the fifth best defensive
record in Europe, perhaps there will be a reprieve for the much-maligned
manager. But if West Ham manage to take advantage of a struggling Norwich
defence and put their goal-scoring hoodoo to bed, the yellow and green dream
could be over for him.
As much as I like Hughton and hope he is given time, I can't help feel it is
a make or break game for him. Such is my desperation for West Ham to cure
their net-finding ills, I fear we may be the final nail in the coffin for
the highly-respected young manager. My prediction is 1-0 or 2-1 to West Ham.
Many pundits are talking this game up as a simple home win for Norwich City.
Despite obvious bias, this is too simplistic a way to view the fixture. West
Ham have been good on the road, despite the lack of goals. In a lot of
respects our away form has far surpassed that of last year. Surely with the
quality among the ranks, a goal or two will come our way this Saturday? Not
the thoughts Chris Hughton wants to hear, I am sure.
If he is sacked, it is looking likely there will be a few other good jobs he
can walk into. However, as with so many Premier League sackings, I believe
it will be premature and Hughton should be given more time to get it right.
So, a big game for both sides - with much at stake. I am looking forward to
it and hope whatever the result, no-one at Norwich City is without a job
come Monday morning.
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WHUFC.com
Nick Haycock was full of praise for Luton Town after the Development Squad
lost out to the Hatters
06.11.2013
Nick Haycock was pleased with the tough examination his side were given
after the Development Squad fought hard in a 2-1 defeat at Luton Town. Two
first half goals won it for the Hatters, who profited from the visitors'
failure to make their chances count despite the best efforts of winger Blair
Turgott, who scored the Hammers' only goal after 51 minutes. It was the
second time Haycock's team have played Skrill Premier side Luton in just
under a month, with both games ending in narrow defeats, but the coach
believes they provide a different type of challenge for his players. He told
West Ham TV: "For me the challenge is far greater than the U21 league and I
still want to keep pressuring the Premier League to let us be part of the
league pyramid and that's what this FA Commission should look at doing.
"That's real, games like this are what the boys are going to experience if
they go and play in the league whether they play in the Conference, League
Two or League One. "I've got a lot of respect for John Still, Terry Harris
and [development coach] Hakan Hayrettin and the work that he does here
because they play organised football. They play off a shape and play fast,
aggressive football and that's something which you've got to deal with and
we don't encounter very often in the U21 league."
Turgott scored in the Hammers' 3-3 draw with Chelsea in their last league
match and had already netted once when he was handed the chance to grab his
team a draw after Pelly Ruddock was sent tumbling in the box by Arnaud
Mendy. He stepped up and struck his penalty low to the keeper's right but
saw it well saved by Elliot Justham. Despite his side's missed
opportunities, Haycock was happy with his team's response to being 2-0 down
at the break.
"Coming out of the game it's not so much about the result because I got the
response I wanted from the players, I didn't think there was too much wrong
first half. I just thought we needed to press more and play higher up the
pitch to threaten their backline a little more. "The Luton fans here will be
delighted but we should have won the game hands down in the second half with
the amount of chances we had, missing a penalty and missing two sort of
one-on-ones. But at the end of the day it was a very pleasing response in
the second half with a very young team out."
Haycock was particularly pleased with right winger Turgott, who ran the
Hatters defence ragged, creating several opportunities for his team-mates.
He said: "I've got a great support staff behind me and we're very detailed
in what we do and the targets we set for the players and Blair's working
towards his at the minute. "I've talked to him a lot about Andros Townsend's
performances for England and about what wide players are. Manchester United
have been the foundations of good football in this country for many, many
years playing with two wingers who are direct, aggressive and go at people
in the final third and I think we're starting to see that from Blair. "He
was unlucky not to come off with a hat-trick and a couple of assists as well
so he can be well pleased with his performance. I thought he deserved to
take the penalty because I thought he was our outstanding player."
The Development Squad do not play in the Barclays U21 Premier League - which
they top - again until Friday 29 November, when they welcome Leicester City
to Rush Green Stadium for a 7pm kick-off. Between now and then, Haycock has
arranged a number of friendly matches to keep his players fit and focused.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Big Interview - Elliot Lee
WHUFC.com
The young striker reflects on his maiden Football League goal for loan club
Colchester United
06.11.2013
Elliot Lee has scored goals wherever he has played. The West Ham United
striker netted 14 goals at U18 and U21 level last season, earning a
first-team debut in the FA Cup third-round replay at Manchester United in
January 2013. This season, Lee scored five times to fire the Hammers to the
top of the Barclays U21 Premier League table, seeing him loaned to Sky Bet
League One club Colchester United late last month. On Saturday, the
18-year-old marked his third U's appearance with a last-gasp equaliser in
the 2-2 draw at Rotherham United. Lee will not be eligible for Saturday's FA
Cup first round visit of Sheffield United to the Weston Homes Community
Stadium, but he told West Ham TV he will be cheering on his new team-mates.
Elliot, fresh from your maiden Football League goal, how are things going at
Colchester?
EL: "Things are going really well. I've played three games and we're
unbeaten so far, so things are going well and hopefully I can keep
progressing and we'll keep moving up the table."
Talk us through your goal at Rotherham. I understand it was a header and
sparked wild celebrations which saw your immaculate hairstyle ruined!
EL: "Everyone is bantering me about my celebration but it was my first
league goal and it was a 96th-minute equaliser so I celebrated as it was one
to remember. Luckily enough, we didn't really deserve a point on the day at
Rotherham, but we stole one and that was really good for the boys. I always
get bantered for my barnet and I don't often score headers, but it just fell
to me in the box and I just nodded it over the 'keeper and it's gone over
the line! That was it, really, and it was really good."
Colchester have achieved some outstanding results since you've been there,
so you must be proud of how things have gone so far?
EL: "Yes, we went to Shrewsbury on my debut and drew one-all and we probably
should have won if we're being honest. Peterborough then came to our place
and got a great result there, beating them one-nil. We went to Rotherham on
Saturday, which isn't an easy place to go, and stole a point, so we need to
keep the momentum going and keep pushing on."
How have you found League football compared to the Barclays U21 Premier
League?
EL: "It's a bit quicker and a lot more physical than the Under-21s, so I'm
just enjoying the challenge of playing competitive senior football week-in,
week-out. I'm really enjoying it."
Freddie Sears injured his hamstring on your debut, but how much did it help
to have a familiar face in the dressing room when you arrived at Colchester?
EL: "I remember getting the shout before the Wolves game [for the U21s] but
I had to get straight on the coach and up to Shrewsbury, so it wasn't the
easiest of things to do, especially having not even had a training session
with them. Knowing Searsy, he introduced me to the boys and everything, so
it definitely helped. Although he is injured, he is still around every day
and it's good having him there."
Has your loan spell given you even more confidence that you can play
regularly at first-team level?
EL: "Yes, 100 per cent, because I am becoming a better player and learning
something different with every training session and game I play. Training
with and playing against these players can only benefit my development and
hopefully I can score a few more goals and impress their manager [Joe Dunne]
and our manager [Sam Allardyce]."
You have the weekend off as West Ham have not given you permission to play,
meaning you can play for us in the third round. With a weekend off, will you
be a Colchester fan?
EL: "Yes I will be a Colchester fan! I'm coming back to Chadwell Heath for
the week because the Gaffer doesn't want me to play for them in the FA Cup,
but I will be supporting Colchester and it should be an interesting
weekend."
Your loan spell ends on 23 November. What can you achieve between now and
then?
EL: "I have two league games before my loan spell ends - Swindon at home and
Preston away - so hopefully I can get myself a few more goals for the team."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Reid injured
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid will be missing for club and country after picking up an ankle
injury in training on Tuesday
06.11.2013
West Ham United can confirm Winston Reid suffered an ankle injury during
training on Tuesday and will miss the fixture against Norwich City on
Saturday.
The injury will also rule the central defender out of both of New Zealand's
FIFA World Cup Play-Off games against Mexico. whufc.com will carry further
updates when they are available.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hartson praises away form
WHUFC.com
John Hartson says the Club's good away form is a big improvement on years
gone by
06.11.2013
Former West Ham United striker John Hartson has paid tribute to the team's
solid away form which has seen them concede just once on their travels all
season. The big Welshman, who starred in a Claret and Blue shirt between
1997 and 1999, believes Sam Allardyce's squad have succeeded where Hammers
sides of the past have fallen down. Speaking after the 0-0 draw with Swansea
City, he told West Ham TV: "West Ham historically haven't been a great side
on the road, even in the days I was there. "Harry [Redknapp] would always
say even in the great days gone by when he played with Bobby Moore, Martin
Peters and all those great, great legends at West Ham they were always a bit
of a soft touch on the road. "The fact that Sam has got them more solid now
will mean they can pick up more points on the road. He's obviously addressed
that, looked at them over the years and by defending really solidly and not
conceding goals you're obviously going to pick up more points on the road."
Allardyce has seen only Hull's Robbie Brady score against his team in five
away outings, which have garnered six of the side's ten points so far this
season.
It's been at the other end of pitch where the Hammers have so far struggled,
scoring only eight Barclays Premier League goals thus far and Hartson feels
they are feeling the absence of a certain Andy Carroll. "He brings that big
presence up front, he's got the big number nine on his back, he's very big
and strong, he's got good feet for a big man and he's aggressive in the air.
"I saw one or two balls go in the box against Swansea and I'm nudging my
little son and I'm thinking if big Andy was on the pitch he gets a one, two,
three and he goes and attacks the ball. "When he's in form he's similar to
Duncan Ferguson in the fact that when he gets a one, two, three on a
defender and gets a run he's very, very difficult to stop. They obviously
miss him, they paid a lot of money for him but he's been very unfortunate
with injuries and there's nothing anybody can do about that."
Hartson is well placed to comment on Carroll as he himself was a fearsome
striker who was as good on the ground as he was in the air. The 38-year-old
also believes that West Ham are handling Carroll's injury well and that the
most important thing is to have him back when he is completely ready. He
said: "It's important that when he comes back he's not carrying any little
niggles because that causes setbacks. I think that's what West Ham are doing
with Andy Carroll at the minute, they want to get him right and get him fit
to go and play. "For me it's important that he is fit when he returns, not
only so that he does well for West Ham but he could even break into the
England set-up before the World Cup."
It may be 14 years since the burly Welshman left east London but he still
remains close to some of the club's supporters and has fond memories of his
time at the Boleyn Ground. "I have a friend who runs the South Wales West
Ham Supporters Club. He asked me if I'd come along to a local little hall up
the road where they were meeting before the game at Swansea. 500 West Ham
fans all came down in their buses and I went to meet them. "I was meant to
be there 20 minutes but I was there two-and-a-half hours having pictures and
autographs but it was nice, they were all reminiscing about one or two
incidents over the years and I haven't got to tell you which ones! "It was
great fun, they're great fans and I had a great two years at West Ham."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A tribe on the move
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 6th November 2013
By: Andre Smith
If you watch footage of football matches from the early 1960s, it really is
another world.
Just about everyone is dressed quite formally. Suits, shirts and ties, hats
and coats, sports jackets, trousers and shiny shoes. It's difficult to find
a clip where everyone isn't cheering, clapping, waving bits of paper and
generally having a good time.
Rosettes, rattles, and loads - absolutely loads of home-made signs and
effigies. Dirty great pieces of card, cut into the shape of cups, covered in
tinfoil. Sticks with signs on top, emblazoned with a player's name on top.
Happy, inventive, committed supporters.
Those were the days. Players were all paid in loose change, cigarettes and
occasionally bought a pint by a fan in the pub after the match.
Despite the popularity of the sport, it wasn't monetised properly. Football
tickets were cheap. And your average top flight footballer in the 60s played
every week, home and away, in all competitions and unaware that by the time
they were 70, they would need ...and more amazingly, be able to get ....new
knees and hips!
Then came the 70s and the 80s. Dark days where we used to take our lives in
our hands every match day, herded like some species of inedible (and
therefore valueless) meat, occasionally given a bash on the head for good
measure by a friendly bobby. If the coppers didn't get you, the hooligans
would give it good go.
Then lives were lost and the whole thing was suddenly rethought. They took
way the option to stand and gave us very uncomfortable, small plastic seats
to sit on.
But what killed it, was the very thing that also thrilled it. Money poured
in to the game, unchecked.
Modern Football Is Rubbish, we were told back in 2008 when Nick Davidson and
Shaun Hunt published their book. Did we heed their warning? Did we heck as
like. Drawn in like moths to a flame, all of us. Compelled like Wiley Coyote
to pursue that damn beeping bird, endlessly we die (albeit just inside a
little bit) as if we have no control over our thoughts or deeds.
But if you want to read a really good book on what is wrong with us, why we
will never stop being fans, look up "The Soccer Tribe" by Desmond Morris.
Don't be put off by the title. Morris is English and a world famous
Zoologist and ethologist. His book "The Naked Ape" is well known, and if you
ask any female friends with children about him, the chances of one of them
having a copy of "Baby Watching" are plausibly high.
So football is tribal. And that's what has us sophisticated primates by the
short and curlies.
The tribe has changed its appearance over the decades, but it has never
changed its colours. They can hit you over the head, they can make you sit
in a seat designed to accommodate a 12 year old, they can charge you
astronomical sums to get in the ground, but seemingly they can't stop you
wanting more.
Recently, Tottenham fans were publicly humiliated when their manager spoke
into a Sky Sports microphone whilst thanking them for being useless. Andre
Villas -Boas said:
"We looked like the away team. We played in a difficult atmosphere with
almost no support. We have a wonderful set of fans but they can do better.
We don't need the negativity of today.
Away from home their support has been amazing; we play with no fear and we
need that atmosphere at White Hart Lane. We didn't have the support we
should have done. There was much anxiety from the stands, the players had to
do it alone.
We spoke about it at half-time. I told the players that we would have to do
it on our own. They had to dig deep and look for the strength within
themselves. They also believed that it's not easy to play in this stadium
when the atmosphere is like this."
Ouch.
But in fairness to Spurs, despite White Hart Lane having considerable form
for being a tough gig, they aren't the only ones suffering.
The Emirates is another venue that frequently finds itself a shrine to
silence. The excuses are endless. The prices, too many corporates, the
burden of expectation, it was a bit rainy... the list is actually endless.
The bottom line is this, do you want to support your team, or have you and
your overblown sense of naked entitlement just turned up to collect some
bragging rights in a doggy bag?
To use typical Karren Brady "The Apprentice" language, West Ham United will
soon be facing some challenging supporter issues. Once they are able to
finally shake off Barry Hearn, they will be faced with the reality of a very
large stadium to fill. One that was not specifically designed with football
in mind.
So far, the indicators are good. The Hammers routinely sell out at The
Boleyn and the Club's commitment to young fans is a credit to them. West
Ham's move to the Olympic Stadium will be exciting. Let's hope that the fans
remember to keep it tribal in there.
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Come home Defoe, (almost) all is forgiven
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 6th November 2013
By: Paul Walker
Big Sam should be preparing for the worst and formulating plans for the rest
of the season that assumes Andy Carroll will not be involved.
He should be moving heaven and earth to get Jermain Defoe back, and only
going for Demba Ba as a last resort.
I am sure, like me, you are all sick to the back teeth with the Carroll
saga. Now it seems that there has been another set-back that has halted his
rehab. A virus has wrecked any thoughts that he could be back before new
year.
Allardyce insists that Carroll will need a month to regain full fitness,
which could take us to the end of January. By then we will be two thirds of
the way into the season, with just a dozen or so league matches for Carroll
to play.
By then we could be deep in relegation trouble. So Sam should not be banking
on Carroll's return as our salvation.
I sense that Defoe's return would be welcomed by far more of our fans than
some think. I don't really care about what he did in 2003. The timing was
poor and he was ill-advised, but plenty more players than him have jumped
ship after relegation.
Demba Ba for one. From us. We gave him a lifeline when a string of failed
medicals looked like wrecking his career. But the first hint of folding
stuff from Newcastle, and a release clause David Sullivan admits he should
never have allowed, and Ba was off.
Loyalty is rare in football, but Ba then pushed acceptable standards of
behaviour to the limits by turned over Newcastle and jumped ship for a
massive wage rise at Chelsea. And when he could have come back to the Boleyn
in the summer, he was happy to sit on the bench at Chelsea and draw his mega
bucks wages. As mercenaries go, he is pretty near the top of the list, and
would his cold- blooded attitude improve if he did return to Upton Park? I
doubt it.
Now nothing happens in football these days without a reason. So to see Defoe
praising "the club he still loves" - us - and saying how sorry he is that
things worked out the way they did, suggests he is angling for a move back
to the East End.
The reasons seem obvious. He has been told he can find a new club in
January, and will clearly be only a bit part player at Spurs for the rest of
the season if he doesn't. And with a World Cup coming up, he cannot afford
that.
It could damage his chances of being in the England squad in Brazil. And
fanciful suggestions that he could go to States in January would kill his
international career stone dead. Roy Hodgson would not even consider taking
a player in MLS to Brazil.
So Defoe needs to be playing regularly and to maintain his form. He is
unlikely to get a move to a top six club, so returning to West Ham is now
more appealing. There were rumours he was an Allardyce target in the summer
after a 'chance' meeting in a London restaurant.
Everyone denied the significance of that, and Allardyce said the player's
wages were out of his price range. But you can bet that it was suggested to
Defoe that he needed to make peace with West Ham fans first. Hence this
week's remarkably honest interview. We should bite his hand off.
We are suffering badly for the transfer deadline day shambles with every
minute that passes in our league programme. Really bad mistakes were made to
ruin what had been a pretty impressive summer of business. Carroll, Stewart
Downing and the solid and reliable Razvan Rat were all good signings.
But everyone knew we needed a couple of new strikers, but the board and the
manager failed to make that happen, and we have suffered the consequences
ever since. We ended up with Carlton Cole and Mladen Petric. There are
always reasons why players fail to find new clubs before the window shuts,
and we are all now seeing why because both are way short of full fitness and
are not going to solve our problem any time yet.
That is a shame because we have a goalkeeper playing out of his skin, and a
defence with the third best goals against record in the division plus a
couple of midfielders who have been outstanding in Ravel Morrison and Mark
Noble.
Up front things are very different and many feel we are sleep-walking into a
dangerous situation while the belief still exists that we will be fine once
Carroll is back. Seemingly now, not any day soon.
Hindsight is easy, and the anti-Carroll brigade are in full flow claiming
he's a waste of money. That's nonsense. Remember how we all sang "Andy
Carroll we want you to stay" at the final game of last season, ironically
the match that saw him pick up the heel injury that has sidelined him every
since.
If you want to buy current England players, then you have to pay the going
rate. Trouble is, we could only afford one such player. Spurs and Manchester
City were able to spend more that £100m each, that's the way it is.
And I still think buying Downing was correct, we have seen enough of him to
know that he can supply plenty of ammunition for Carroll from the flanks.
But so far that has not been able to happen, and we are sinking into a
relegation fight. And even if our owners put their hands deep into their
pockets in January, we are still controlled by the new unfair Fair Play
rules which do nothing more that maintain the status quo and stop smaller
clubs from ever challenging the giants of the game.
It makes me realise that we are all being fed a lie when owners outside the
top six talk of one day reaching the Champions League. There was a time when
I felt we had teams capable of winning the title, not now.
The Bobby Moore era had the players of quality if not the consistency and
strength of character. On into the 70s the teams of Trevor Brooking, Alan
Devonshire and Billy Bonds should have done far better than they did. Then
there was the 80s and the boys of '86, who came the closest in our history.
Then the team of '98, including Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Paolo Di Canio,
Frank Lampard and Trevor Sinclair, managed a fifth place finish. But we all
know that it should have been much, much better had these stars not been
systematically sold off.
Bur since then, there has been nothing to even challenge really, just
relegations and financial crisis. It will not get much better in my view, so
I flinch now when I see owners spinning the line that one day the Champions
League is possible. But I am nearly 65 and am beginning realise that I will
not see us ever reaching the world of the big boys.
But that is history, this is now and we are left these days with little more
to hope for that staying in the division and maybe having a cup run. It made
me very angry after the defeat by Manchester City. They were so, so much
better than us and you start feeling just why we bother because genuine
success is just a pipe dream.
But we are all here because we love the club and our history. And owners
know we are all trapped with nowhere else to go. So at least save us from
yet another relegation battle, because we are very close to being hauled
into one.
The season has not started well. Sam reckons we are six points short of what
we should be. Last season after ten games we had 15 points, this time it is
ten from ten.
Even more worrying is the like-for-like statistics. If you compare our
results so far with those against the same teams last term it is becoming
very worrying.
You have to replace results against relegated clubs (Wigan and QPR) in our
opening ten games this season with results against promoted teams (Cardiff
and Hull), and we have taken ten points from those ten games this season,
compared to 17 from ten in the last campaign.
We avoided relegation by ten points last term so we are already seven points
worse off. It's getting too close for comfort, so come home Jermain, all
will be forgiven if you keep us up.
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Hughton's D-Day
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 6th November 2013
By: Trevor Twohig
The weekend produced another poor result for a West Ham side with so much
promise - but the situation must certainly be worse if you support a number
of other teams in the Premier League.
Crystal Palace look dead and buried already. Barring a minor miracle, it
would appear they are condemned to life back in the Championship. Saying
that, stranger things have happened. But if the regenerating properties of
the bubbly Ian Holloway cannot get the lads to click, it is unlikely any
other manager can make an impact in such a short space of time.
Sunderland also have a mountainous task ahead of them. Gus Poyet will
inevitably get the ball down and ensure the players try and pass their way
out of the relegation zone. Again though, the task looks insurmountable.
With 15 new players arriving in the summer and two players sent off for
appalling challenges at the weekend, they look like a squad in disarray.
This leaves one other team to face the dreaded drop. This period of time up
until Christmas will be vital and mercifully for West Ham United, our run of
fixtures looks somewhat simpler than some of the other teams. Granted we
have Chelsea and Arsenal in our nearish future, plus of course the midweek
trip to White Hart Lane for the quarter final of the Capital One Cup.
Aside from that we host Sunderland, Fulham, and West Bromwich Albion before
the New Year. We travel to Crystal Palace, Norwich, Liverpool and Man United
where, with our formidable defensive away record, even the most cynical of
West Ham fans can see a point or two being picked up on the road.
The Hammers travel to Carrow Road in Saturday's late kick off, in what can
only be last-chance saloon for Canaries' manager, Chris Hughton. There were
calls from a number of the yellow and green faithful for his head after the
capitulation at Manchester City, where they were drubbed a whopping 7-0.
Common sense seems to have prevailed and the footballing gods have deemed
the work Hughton has done, worthy of another chance against West Ham.
It would seem harsh to sack him after losing to a Man City team so full of
talent and due a big result. However, the defensive ineptitude of Norwich's
back four, plus the lack of fight in the dog, has left some fans short of
patience.
They are hugely reliant on the doggedness of Robert Snodgrass and sadly big
signings like Robert Van Wolfswinkel, have failed to produce results as of
yet. This matched with the sale of Grant Holt in the summer has left a
bitter taste in the mouth for a number of Norwich fans.
The sale of Holt was always on the cards, since he lived up north and rented
a flat in Norwich during his time there. But the ease at which this stalwart
at the club was let go has reared its ugly head since results have failed to
go their way. Holt at 32, could have been argued to be the heartbeat of the
club, the man to bring the troops together and rally them in times of
crisis. He is now doing that at Wigan, leaving the Canaries a little short
of natural leadership; the thing they need most at present.
So, is Saturday's game D-Day for Hughton? It could well be. If Norwich City
rally and manage to beat a West Ham team with the fifth best defensive
record in Europe, perhaps there will be a reprieve for the much-maligned
manager. But if West Ham manage to take advantage of a struggling Norwich
defence and put their goal-scoring hoodoo to bed, the yellow and green dream
could be over for him.
As much as I like Hughton and hope he is given time, I can't help feel it is
a make or break game for him. Such is my desperation for West Ham to cure
their net-finding ills, I fear we may be the final nail in the coffin for
the highly-respected young manager. My prediction is 1-0 or 2-1 to West Ham.
Many pundits are talking this game up as a simple home win for Norwich City.
Despite obvious bias, this is too simplistic a way to view the fixture. West
Ham have been good on the road, despite the lack of goals. In a lot of
respects our away form has far surpassed that of last year. Surely with the
quality among the ranks, a goal or two will come our way this Saturday? Not
the thoughts Chris Hughton wants to hear, I am sure.
If he is sacked, it is looking likely there will be a few other good jobs he
can walk into. However, as with so many Premier League sackings, I believe
it will be premature and Hughton should be given more time to get it right.
So, a big game for both sides - with much at stake. I am looking forward to
it and hope whatever the result, no-one at Norwich City is without a job
come Monday morning.
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Wednesday, November 6
Daily WHUFC News - 6th November 2013
Luton Town 2-1 Dev Squad - FT
WHUFC.com
Live text commentary of the Development Squad's match against Luton Town
05.11.2013
LUTON TOWN v DEVELOPMENT SQUAD
FRIENDLY MATCH
KENILWORTH ROAD
TUESDAY 5 NOVEMBER 2013
KICK-OFF: 7.00PM
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Full-time: Thats it. The referee blows his whistle and the young Hammers
have suffered a 2-1 defeat against Luton Town. Two first half goals from
Stevenson did the damage before Turgott pulled one back for the visitors.
The winger was in superb form but missed the chance to equalise from the
penalty spot after Ruddock had been felled in the box. They tried their best
but came up just short against a strong Luton Town side.
90 mins: Free-kick on the halfway line. Spiegel takes Ruddock heads but the
flag is up.
89 mins: Last knockings for the Hammers now and it looks like they may just
come up a little short.
87 mins: Spiegel is down smartly to save from Cullen.
86 mins: Turgott didn't deserve to miss that penalty. The winger has been
the game's outstanding player.
84 mins: Ruddock goes down in the box after Mendy's challenge and a penalty
is given. Turgott steps up and strikes low to the keepers right but Justham
is there to make a good save.
83 mins: I've lost count of how many times poor Maguire has been fouled,
this time Taiwo is the offender.
81 mins: Into the last ten minutes with the Hammers still attacking in
search of that elusive equaliser.
79 mins: Bywater comes onto replace Sadlier.
77 mins: Turgott again skins his man and moves into the box but a tame shot
ends up in the keeper's arms.
75 mins: Tombides drags an effort wide after a defensive mix-up. 15 minutes
to go, big effort needed.
73 mins: Uproar in the stands as Sadlier nudges the ball out of throw but
the referee gives the throw West Ham's way.
71 mins: Sadlier should level the scores with a volley after the ball
ricochets to him in the box. Instead he puts his effort wide of the post.
70 mins: Turgott has a strike which keeps low and nearly catches out Justham
but the keeper is able to hold the ball.
68 mins: Stevenson can't continue and is replaced by Mendy.
66 mins: Spiegel does well to hold a low shot from Robinson.
64 mins: Stevenson is on the turf receiving treatment after a big collision
with Ruddock. A collision which would leave most people needing medical
treatment.
63 mins: Luton deliver a dangerous ball in from a corner and that man
Stevenson should be celebrating a hat-trick but somehow manages to miss the
ball.
62 mins: Whitehead, Makasi, Tombides and Knoyle are on for Nasha, Diarra,
Miles and Fanimo.
61 mins: Haycock is preparing some changes on the touchline with four
players stripped and ready to come on.
59 mins: Turgott again beats a couple of players before winning a corner.
Fanimo takes it short but the defence snuffs it out and clears.
57 mins: Sadlier beautifully turns Pisani who charges in and fouls the
winger. Shaw delivers and Maguire works a shot but Justham is able to save
low to his right.
55 mins: Cullen recieves the ball on the edge of the box and turns to set-up
Robinson who side foots over the bar.
53 mins: Pisani delivers a deep cross for Cullen who's header is wide of the
target.
51 mins GOAL: Turgott taps home! Maguire plays in Sadlier whose cross isn't
dealt with and Turgott is there to tap home. Game on!
50 mins: He whips a good looking ball in but Robinson gets up to head clear.
49 mins: Fanimo plays in Turgott who is able to win a corner. Fanimo
delivers, Justham punches back to him, Fanimo wins a corner.
47 mins: Maguire again bought down and wins a free-kick on the right-hand
touchline. The ball whipped in by Fanimo but it's over everyone.
46 mins: We're back underway for the second half with the Hammers needing to
find their shooting boots to turn this one around. Frazer Shaw is on
McCartney for the visitors with Viana on for O'Donell.
Half-time: That close shave was the last action of a very even first half as
Luton take a two goal lead into the break. Stevenson opened the scoring
against the run of play after 16 minutes before he doubled the lead with a
brilliant strike after half an hour. Turgott and Fanimo have been the bright
sparks for the Hammers on a so far disappointing night.
45 mins: Ruddock plays a long ball and Sadlier is in down the line. He gets
to the byline and delivers a cross which is deflected by Parry and onto the
post with Justham just about able to stop the ball crossing the line! Close!
43 mins: Maguire is again the victim of a hefty tackle and wins a free-kick.
Sadlier shoots from miles out and fires it straight into the midrift of a
Luton player. On a cold night like this that's gonna hurt.
42 mins: Fanimo finds space for another attempt from range, he hits it well
but over the top it goes.
40 mins: Turgott wins a corner. Fanimo delivers but scuffs it low and it's
hoofed to safety.
38 mins: Potts has the ball in the net but his header is ruled out for
offside.
37 mins: Fanimo, fresh from an excellent goal against Chelsea last Friday,
tries his luck from distance with a thunderous drive forcing Justham into
evasive action.
35 mins: Luton cannot handle Turgott tonight. The winger has been a great
outlet for his team and they need to find him more often.
34 mins: O'Donnell limps away from a challenge with Nasha as some rowdy fans
appeal for a card. No chance.
32 mins: The Hammers have a corner after Fanimo's free-kick is deflected out
of play. Ball in is a poor one and easily cleared.
30 mins GOAL: From Justham's clearance Robinson controls the ball and feeds
Stevenson who hits a beauty of a shot past Spiegel and into the corner of
the net.
29 mins: Sadlier delivers the resulting free-kick but it's too close to
Justham and he easily collects.
28 mins: Fanimo plays the ball down the left for Maguire who knocks it past
Longden before the full-back brings him down with a hard sliding tackle.
27 mins: The game is turning into a midfield battle with both sides keen to
impress their stamp on the game.
25 mins: Great work by Fanimo as he beats three before trying to play in
Turgott, his pass is intercepted however.
23 mins: Robinson chips the ball over to Cullen who turns and fires his shot
off Diarra and out for a corner. Maduako gets his head to the corner but
Ruddock clears.
21 mins: The corner goes to the near post and appears to hit Sadlier before
hitting the post and going wide. The resulting corner is over-hit and goes
out of play.
20 mins: Miles gives the ball away and Ahoua drives towards the box before a
deflected shot goes wide. Corner.
18 mins: That was the ultimate sucker punch from the home side who've been
on the back foot for most of this game.
16 mins GOAL: A ball over the top isn't dealt with by Ruddock and Robinson
tees up Stevenson who buries a side footed shot past Spiegel from the edge
of the box.
15 mins: Miles feeds Maguire in the left-hand channel. The Irishman turns it
inside to Turgott who fires left-footed over the bar.
14 mins: Cullen has Luton's first attempt, striking first time as the ball
rolled loose. His effort was however straight at Spiegel.
13 mins: Turgott is involved again, this time picking the ball up on the
halfway line, turning his man and gliding past two more before firing a shot
just wide of the post.
11 mins: Fanimo swings the ball out to thr right for Turgott to run onto.
This time his cross finds Sadlier but the winger can only mis-kick the ball.
9 mins: Turgott's looking a threat early on, this time he beats three
players before delivering a low cross from the right which is easily
cleared.
7 mins: Turgott finds himself with a shooting opportunity in the box. He
drives hard from a tight angle but hits it straight at the keeper.
5 mins: Diarra is crowded out in the middle of the park and Stevenson
decides to try his luck but pulls his shot well wide.
4 mins: Indeed Wall is replaced, Ahoua comes striding on in his place.
3 mins: It looks like the home side may be forced into an extremely early
change as Alex Wall pulls up after chasing a loose ball. Looks like the
hamstring.
2 mins: Turgott plays it wide down the right for Miles to chase, he gets
there and delivers a low cross but it's easily cleared.
1 min: The Hammers kick us off and are immediately looking to attack down
the left.
6:57pm: The teams are out on the pitch and the Hammers are sporting their
home shirts with change shorts and socks whilst the Hatters sport orange
tops, blue shorts and white socks.
6:55pm: Around five minutes left until kick-off and it's time for me to
remove my gloves and brace the cold! Nick Haycock also well wrapped up heads
across the pitch and into his dugout.
6:50pm: The teams are back in the changing rooms making their final
preperations for this game on a brisk night at Kenilworth Road.
The Development Squad face Luton Town at Kenilworth Road tonight looking to
hand game time to a mix of players during their break in Barclays Under-21
Premier League fixtures. The team are currently top of the league having won
six of their opening nine matches but are not in action again until the 29
November when they face Leicester City at Rush Green. With that in mind Nick
Haycock will hand valuable minutes to his fringe players as well as welcomng
first teamers George McCartney and Alou Diarra into the team as they step-up
their recovery from injury.
Haycock will also take the opportunity to look at several of Steve Potts'
Under-18s against a team who will provide tough opposition. Luton were the
visitors to Rush Green in a behind closed doors friendly just over a month
ago when they produced a strong performance to win 1-0. Sean Maguire will be
handed a chance to impress as the lone front man whilst U18s Kyle Knoyle,
Amos Nasha, Josh Cullen, Moses Makasi and Kieran Bywater will all be keen to
show they can make the step-up.
West Ham United: Spiegel, Nasha, Ruddock, Potts, McCartney, Diarra, Miles,
Fanimo, Turgott, Sadlier, Maguire
Subs: Knoyle, Howes, Shaw, Tombides, Burke, Bywater, Cullen, Whitehead,
Makasi
Luton Town: Justham, Pisani, Longden, Maduako, Parry, Stevenson, Taiwo,
Cullen, Wall, O'Donell, Robinson
Subs: King, Martin, Viana, Mendy, Ahoua, Mbala
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Reid set for World Cup showdown
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid will captain New Zealand in their World Cup Play-Off later this
month
05.11.2013
Winston Reid has been named in the New Zealand squad for their 2014 FIFA
World Cup Inter-Confederation Play-Off with Mexico. The All Whites take on
the fourth-placed CONCACAF qualifiers for a place in next summer's
tournament in Brazil, with Ricki Herbert's men looking to make a second
successive World Cup finals. They will travel to Mexico City for the first
leg on Wednesday 13 November, with the second leg taking place in Wellington
a week later. New Zealand have made it to this stage by finishing top of the
OFC (Oceania) qualifying phase, while Mexico struggled en route to a fourth
place finish in their North, Central American and Caribbean section. The New
Zealand squad includes two other English-based players in the shape of
Leicester City striker Chris Wood and Ipswich Town defender Tommy Smith. All
Whites skipper Reid said: "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. 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. "Mexico had a tough
time in qualifying, 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."
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Downing looks for killer instinct
WHUFC.com
Stewart Downing admitted the Hammers need to be more ruthless after a 0-0
draw with Aston Villa
05.11.2013
Stewart Downing was left with mixed emotions after West Ham United were held
to a 0-0 draw by Aston Villa at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday. The former
Villa man was pleased with another solid display from the Hammers, yet
disappointed that they could not force the breakthrough at the other end. It
meant that a sixth clean sheet of the season did not yield the full reward
it could have, but Downing is confident Sam Allardyce's men will soon start
to fire. "The good thing is we didn't lose the game, we got another point
out of it and kept a clean sheet," he said. "We got a lot of balls into the
box, but they are good headers of the ball and we didn't get the luck with
how they dropped. "Carlton Cole is getting fully fit, Joe Cole was back on
Saturday, the bodies are coming back in terms of the attacking players.
We're defending well and we just need to put the ball in the back of the
net. "We created chances, but we didn't have that clinical touch in
finishing them. The goals have got to come from around the team, and
hopefully that'll happen for us next week. "We'll keep plugging away - we're
playing well but not getting the rewards."
On a personal note Downing is loving life at the Boleyn Ground and cannot
wait for Saturday's fixture at Norwich City. He added: "I'm really enjoying
my football. There was a little bit of an injury at the start, but I'm happy
and it has been a good move for me. "The manager is great to play for and
the only thing missing is getting a few wins."
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On the right Page
WHUFC.com
U18s left-back Lewis Page says team spirit is playing an important role in
West Ham United's recent success
05.11.2013
West Ham United U18s left-back Lewis Page says a trip to a theme park has
helped end the Hammers' rollercoaster start to the season. The Academy
youngsters enjoyed a day out at Thorpe Park recently - a trip that has
coincided with a six-match unbeaten run culminating in Saturday's 1-1 home
draw with Newcastle United. Page, who has started ten of West Ham's eleven
Barclays U18 Premier League matches so far, said the good relationship
between the players has fostered a positive atmosphere on and off the pitch.
"We have a really good team chemistry at the club," said the 17-year-old.
"We all socialise together. For example we all went to Thorpe Park, which
was a nice group day out. "Around the training ground it's nice to see
everyone get along and that shows on the pitch when we work hard for each
other."
On Saturday, the Hammers continued their unbeaten run by drawing with a
Newcastle side reduced to ten men before half-time. While Page and company
were disappointed not to win, the defender said it was important that they
did not suffer a first defeat since going down 1-0 at Sunderland on 21
September.
"The result [against Newcastle] wasn't bad because, at the end of the day,
we didn't lose. The early sending off killed the game because they just sat
off and made it hard for us to break through. At times we did it well and at
times we didn't. "Perhaps there were a few chances where we could have done
a better job in front of goal and won the game, but overall, I think we were
unlucky to come away with just a draw."
A number of U18s have already tasted Development Squad action this season,
including Saturday's goalscorer Amos Nasha, and Page is hoping to graduate
to the U21s himself. However, with Dan Potts and Frazer Shaw ahead of him,
the left-back may have to be patient. "Personally, I think I've improved
since the start of the season. I've been trying to improve on my attacking
game like crossing and finishing. I'd like to start scoring more goals. I've
already got one this season but I'd like to add to that. "Of course I'm
always looking up at the Development Squad. There are not many players in my
position who are out on loan at the minute, so they are playing really well
here and it's hard to break into the team. I'd love to push on if I can.
"I'm looking towards Christmas or just after that to try and make it onto
the bench or perhaps even come on. It's the whole experience of being part
of the Development Squad, not just how long you play on the pitch."
The U18s will be looking to continue their impressive run of form when they
host Aston Villa at Little Heath on Saturday 9 November, with kick off at
1pm. Parking and admission are both free of charge.
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New 'perks' welcomed by fans
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 5th November 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's announcement of further benefits for Season Ticket Holders
have been welcomed by supporters. Last weekend the Club confirmed that a
string of new benefits were being introduced, including a fans' forum
featuring David Gold, Sam Allardyce and captain Kevin Nolan; a further event
later in the season featuring Andy Carroll, Mark Noble and Joe Cole; an open
training session; significant discounts on in-store goods; a complimentary
DVD of West Ham's recent 3-0 win at Tottenham and an invitation to attend
next season's first team photoshoot.
Not surprisingly these measures have been welcomed by Season Ticket Holders,
one of whom, KUMB member West Ham Tom, said: "It's really good news and a
nice touch" - thoughts echoed by Kialos, who added, "This is good by the
club, it's a step in the right direction."
However one or two more cynical fans believe that the Club have only acted
in response to criticism that Season Ticket Holders have been given a rough
ride in the last two or three years.
" I think this kind of thing is what they should have been doing as a matter
of course," said Denbighhammer - "not a hastily-cobbled together programme
of exclusives in the wake of a couple of quite serious slaps in the face for
Season Ticket Holders recently."
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Why we need independent representation
KUMb.com
Filed: Tuesday, 5th November 2013
By: Ali Worth
I would like to take this opportunity to respond to recent posts on the
KUMB.com forum.
Firstly, I am not a group; just an individual life-long Hammers fan who
happens to write for Over Land and Sea (OLAS), is a Season Ticket Holder
and, also, currently a member of the Supporter Advisory Board (SAB).
I started looking into establishing an Independent Supporter Association at
last year's Annual General Meeting of the Football Supporter's Federation -
of which I am a full member - as all the conversations I was having with
fellow West Ham United fans were the same. They felt increasingly alienated
from our wonderful Club for a multitude of reasons.
One of the main reasons for disillusionment that I kept hearing was that
fans felt they were not being listened to. As an SAB member, I do not feel
they are representative enough of the wider fan base and many feel that
their lack of independence hinders the workings and ultimate effectiveness
of the group.
However, I feel that to ensure ALL fans are given a voice there is
absolutely no conflict in having the two groups co-exist and would hope that
the aims of both groups would correspond; to work for the best interests of
the fans and the Club.
The aims of an ISA should, amongst others, be to represent and campaign on
behalf of its members; to help increase the ways in which WHU FC fans can
express their affiliation to, and support of, the Club and to open and
maintain positive and productive channels of communication with the Board.
Of equal import is giving a voice to those who would otherwise be excluded
from any decision or consultation processes.
At the inaugural meeting on the 28th November in the Supporters Club (7pm
for a 7:30pm start), the fans who attend - or who cannot attend but have
emailed consent - will vote on whether the group is established and what
form the Constitution takes.
The draft copies are now available and I would ask that you all request one
from whisa@btinternet.com if you have not already done so, or download them
from the links below. These are meant as starting points only and have been
drafted with FSF guidance, as well as extremely helpful advice and support
from several other ISA's, including the Arsenal Independent Supporters'
Association).
For WHISA to succeed it HAS to be all inclusive and to cover ALL subjects
that affect us as fans. I would like to state in the strongest possible
terms however that this is NOT an anti-OS campaign, although that will
obviously fall under the group's remit, and the only criteria for joining
should be that you bleed Claret and Blue and have the best interests of our
Club at heart.
I look forward to meeting everyone on the 28th November.
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Defoe's 'massive mistake'
KUMb.com
Filed: Tuesday, 5th November 2013
By: Staff Writer
Jermain Defoe has admitted that leaving West Ham in 2003 was "a massive,
massive mistake". The Tottenham striker, who coincidentally happens to be
searching for a new club having fallen down the pecking order at White Hart
Lane told a TV programme that the manner in which he left the Boleyn Ground
was the result of bad advice from his agent at the time. "It was a massive
mistake. I didn't really want to do it," he told ITV4's Sports Life Stories.
"We're talking about leaving the club I was in love with at the time because
I came through the youth system with my friends, the fans loved me there.
They were brilliant - every game they sang my name. "The person who
represented me at the time said, 'You need to hand in a transfer request and
get in early because all the lads are going to leave.' I remember going in
and I was so nervous. It was (Chief Executive) Paul Aldridge and I gave him
the letter and he said, 'What's this?' I said, 'It's a transfer request'.
And he looked at me as if to say, 'Are you kidding?' "The backlash was
crazy. I felt like I was on my own and people were absolutely abusing me. To
this day I can imagine West Ham fans look at me and think, 'Who does he
think he is? How can you do that? You're a Judas'. And it's quite sad really
because I can honestly say I still love that club."
Defoe's transfer request, which was handed in less than 24 hours after West
Ham were relegated from the Premier League read: "I am very ambitious and
hungry to achieve at the highest levels of the game for both club and
country. "The club staff and especially the fans are very dear to me and
have been unbelievable in the early part of my career. It will always be a
special place for me to play." Defoe previously apologised for the manner in
which he left the club seven years ago, when he stated, 'I was young, badly
advised and made a mistake. I didn't have enough experience to deal with
what I was being told'.
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Brown shells out
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 5th November 2013
By: Staff Writer
Terry Brown has finally sanctioned major financial investment into a
football club - seven years after he made millions from the sale of West Ham
United FC.
Lifelong Hammers fan Brown, who was Chairman of the club for some 15 years
until selling to the Icelandic consortium of Eggert Magnusson and Bjorgolfur
Gudmundsson in 2006 was a figure of hate for many West Ham fans, who blamed
him - amongst other things - for selling the Club's best young players,
increasing his own personal stake via a compulsory 'buy back' share scheme
and consistently failing to invest in the squad.
For those fans, the news that he has lent troubled League One club Sheffield
Wednesday £1.5million will be a case of rubbing salt in the wounds - but
that's precisely what happened last year, according to the club's annual
accounts.
According to Inside Media, Brown's loan is secured over the club's
Hillsborough stadium. It is thought the deal came about as the result of
Brown's friendship with Chairman Milan Mandaric and Paul Aldridge, a
Director at Wednesday who worked under Brown as West Ham's former Managing
Director.
Brown, who still regularly attends West Ham's matches - as he has done week
in, week out for many years - currently holds a position of Honourary Life
President at the Club.
Having initially been granted the role by his Icelandic successors as a
condition of the sale of West Ham, he resigned in February 2007 after it was
revealed that Eggert Magnusson planned to take legal action again him
following the Tevez scandal. In 2010, David Gold and David Sullivan
reinstated Brown as Honourary Life President.
Former MD Paul Aldridge - a rather more popular figure with supporters than
his employer - left West Ham shortly after the Icelandic takeover due, it is
believed, to his close links with Kia Joorabchian who was a main rival to
Eggert Magnusson when West Ham was made available for sale in 2006.
Since then he has been employed by Leicester City (as Chief Executive,
Janury 2008) - alongside Mandaric, who owned Leicester at the time - and
Manchester City (Chief Operating Officer, June 2008) before he teamed up
with Mandaric once again at Wednesday. Aldridge was initially employed as a
consultant to assist in the purchase of the League One club before being
made Chief Executive and Vice Chairman in 2011.
Brown Out! What it took for Terence to go
* The sale of West Ham United (Brown's 36 per cent stake earnt him circa
£30million profit)
* The retention of his £592,000 Chairman's salary for the next three years
* The creation of a new role: Honourary Life President
* Eight seats in the Directors' box (West Stand)
* Eight hospitality spots in the Chairman's suite - for life
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
STRIKER INJURY UPDATE
By Sean Whetstone 5 Nov 2013 at 17:00
West Ham Till I Die
If like me you were wondering what has happened to Mladen Petric, I
understand he has suffered a calf injury while warming up in the West Ham
Development U21 match against Wolves U21 on 21st October. He is unlikely to
return to full fitness until the end of November.
Ricardo Vaz Te is out with a dislocated shoulder he sustained at the Swansea
away match. Although no estimate has been given for his return he suffered
similar injury last season in the home defeat to Arsenal that kept him out
for three months.
The latest news today is Andy Carroll has suffered a new setback with a
stomach virus. It was hoped Carroll would return for the Chelsea home game
on November 23rd but that now looks in doubt as the virus has delayed his
training back to full fitness. I understand he is possibly targeting a
return against his old club on 7th December.
However in more positive injury news Alou Diarra returns from injury by
playing in the Development U21 team this evening at 7pm against Luton U21's
at Kenilworth Road. George McCartney will also playing along side him.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll suffers fresh injury setback in blow for West Ham United
5 Nov 2013 11:21
The Mirror
West Ham United's record signing Andy Carroll has been handed a fresh blow
in his attempts to return to fitness. The England striker has yet to feature
for the Hammers this season, having turned a loan deal into a £15 million
permanent signing during the summer, with successive heel problems keeping
him on the sidelines since May. And the 24-year-old, who was thought to be
targetting a long-awaited comeback against Chelsea later this month for Sam
Allardyce's goal-shy side, has been forced to scale back his rehabilitation
plans after suffering a viral infection in his stomach last week. A club
insider told The Sun: "Andy is very depressed about the whole thing. "He is
improving but he has had stabbing pains in his abdomen for the past four or
five days and an extreme stomach upset. "It's a cruel blow as he had been
making steady progress."
The former Liverpool and Newcastle target-man picked up a knock against
Reading in the final game of last season, though West Ham decided to turn
his loan move permanent anyway. He then went down with a new heel injury
just days away from his supposed comeback in September and has since visited
top specialists in both Holland and Belgium in a bid to speed up his
recovery. In Carroll's absence West Ham have failed to score in six of their
10 Premier League games so far this season.
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WHUFC.com
Live text commentary of the Development Squad's match against Luton Town
05.11.2013
LUTON TOWN v DEVELOPMENT SQUAD
FRIENDLY MATCH
KENILWORTH ROAD
TUESDAY 5 NOVEMBER 2013
KICK-OFF: 7.00PM
iPHONE APP I TWITTER I FACEBOOK I PODCAST I YOUTUBE
Full-time: Thats it. The referee blows his whistle and the young Hammers
have suffered a 2-1 defeat against Luton Town. Two first half goals from
Stevenson did the damage before Turgott pulled one back for the visitors.
The winger was in superb form but missed the chance to equalise from the
penalty spot after Ruddock had been felled in the box. They tried their best
but came up just short against a strong Luton Town side.
90 mins: Free-kick on the halfway line. Spiegel takes Ruddock heads but the
flag is up.
89 mins: Last knockings for the Hammers now and it looks like they may just
come up a little short.
87 mins: Spiegel is down smartly to save from Cullen.
86 mins: Turgott didn't deserve to miss that penalty. The winger has been
the game's outstanding player.
84 mins: Ruddock goes down in the box after Mendy's challenge and a penalty
is given. Turgott steps up and strikes low to the keepers right but Justham
is there to make a good save.
83 mins: I've lost count of how many times poor Maguire has been fouled,
this time Taiwo is the offender.
81 mins: Into the last ten minutes with the Hammers still attacking in
search of that elusive equaliser.
79 mins: Bywater comes onto replace Sadlier.
77 mins: Turgott again skins his man and moves into the box but a tame shot
ends up in the keeper's arms.
75 mins: Tombides drags an effort wide after a defensive mix-up. 15 minutes
to go, big effort needed.
73 mins: Uproar in the stands as Sadlier nudges the ball out of throw but
the referee gives the throw West Ham's way.
71 mins: Sadlier should level the scores with a volley after the ball
ricochets to him in the box. Instead he puts his effort wide of the post.
70 mins: Turgott has a strike which keeps low and nearly catches out Justham
but the keeper is able to hold the ball.
68 mins: Stevenson can't continue and is replaced by Mendy.
66 mins: Spiegel does well to hold a low shot from Robinson.
64 mins: Stevenson is on the turf receiving treatment after a big collision
with Ruddock. A collision which would leave most people needing medical
treatment.
63 mins: Luton deliver a dangerous ball in from a corner and that man
Stevenson should be celebrating a hat-trick but somehow manages to miss the
ball.
62 mins: Whitehead, Makasi, Tombides and Knoyle are on for Nasha, Diarra,
Miles and Fanimo.
61 mins: Haycock is preparing some changes on the touchline with four
players stripped and ready to come on.
59 mins: Turgott again beats a couple of players before winning a corner.
Fanimo takes it short but the defence snuffs it out and clears.
57 mins: Sadlier beautifully turns Pisani who charges in and fouls the
winger. Shaw delivers and Maguire works a shot but Justham is able to save
low to his right.
55 mins: Cullen recieves the ball on the edge of the box and turns to set-up
Robinson who side foots over the bar.
53 mins: Pisani delivers a deep cross for Cullen who's header is wide of the
target.
51 mins GOAL: Turgott taps home! Maguire plays in Sadlier whose cross isn't
dealt with and Turgott is there to tap home. Game on!
50 mins: He whips a good looking ball in but Robinson gets up to head clear.
49 mins: Fanimo plays in Turgott who is able to win a corner. Fanimo
delivers, Justham punches back to him, Fanimo wins a corner.
47 mins: Maguire again bought down and wins a free-kick on the right-hand
touchline. The ball whipped in by Fanimo but it's over everyone.
46 mins: We're back underway for the second half with the Hammers needing to
find their shooting boots to turn this one around. Frazer Shaw is on
McCartney for the visitors with Viana on for O'Donell.
Half-time: That close shave was the last action of a very even first half as
Luton take a two goal lead into the break. Stevenson opened the scoring
against the run of play after 16 minutes before he doubled the lead with a
brilliant strike after half an hour. Turgott and Fanimo have been the bright
sparks for the Hammers on a so far disappointing night.
45 mins: Ruddock plays a long ball and Sadlier is in down the line. He gets
to the byline and delivers a cross which is deflected by Parry and onto the
post with Justham just about able to stop the ball crossing the line! Close!
43 mins: Maguire is again the victim of a hefty tackle and wins a free-kick.
Sadlier shoots from miles out and fires it straight into the midrift of a
Luton player. On a cold night like this that's gonna hurt.
42 mins: Fanimo finds space for another attempt from range, he hits it well
but over the top it goes.
40 mins: Turgott wins a corner. Fanimo delivers but scuffs it low and it's
hoofed to safety.
38 mins: Potts has the ball in the net but his header is ruled out for
offside.
37 mins: Fanimo, fresh from an excellent goal against Chelsea last Friday,
tries his luck from distance with a thunderous drive forcing Justham into
evasive action.
35 mins: Luton cannot handle Turgott tonight. The winger has been a great
outlet for his team and they need to find him more often.
34 mins: O'Donnell limps away from a challenge with Nasha as some rowdy fans
appeal for a card. No chance.
32 mins: The Hammers have a corner after Fanimo's free-kick is deflected out
of play. Ball in is a poor one and easily cleared.
30 mins GOAL: From Justham's clearance Robinson controls the ball and feeds
Stevenson who hits a beauty of a shot past Spiegel and into the corner of
the net.
29 mins: Sadlier delivers the resulting free-kick but it's too close to
Justham and he easily collects.
28 mins: Fanimo plays the ball down the left for Maguire who knocks it past
Longden before the full-back brings him down with a hard sliding tackle.
27 mins: The game is turning into a midfield battle with both sides keen to
impress their stamp on the game.
25 mins: Great work by Fanimo as he beats three before trying to play in
Turgott, his pass is intercepted however.
23 mins: Robinson chips the ball over to Cullen who turns and fires his shot
off Diarra and out for a corner. Maduako gets his head to the corner but
Ruddock clears.
21 mins: The corner goes to the near post and appears to hit Sadlier before
hitting the post and going wide. The resulting corner is over-hit and goes
out of play.
20 mins: Miles gives the ball away and Ahoua drives towards the box before a
deflected shot goes wide. Corner.
18 mins: That was the ultimate sucker punch from the home side who've been
on the back foot for most of this game.
16 mins GOAL: A ball over the top isn't dealt with by Ruddock and Robinson
tees up Stevenson who buries a side footed shot past Spiegel from the edge
of the box.
15 mins: Miles feeds Maguire in the left-hand channel. The Irishman turns it
inside to Turgott who fires left-footed over the bar.
14 mins: Cullen has Luton's first attempt, striking first time as the ball
rolled loose. His effort was however straight at Spiegel.
13 mins: Turgott is involved again, this time picking the ball up on the
halfway line, turning his man and gliding past two more before firing a shot
just wide of the post.
11 mins: Fanimo swings the ball out to thr right for Turgott to run onto.
This time his cross finds Sadlier but the winger can only mis-kick the ball.
9 mins: Turgott's looking a threat early on, this time he beats three
players before delivering a low cross from the right which is easily
cleared.
7 mins: Turgott finds himself with a shooting opportunity in the box. He
drives hard from a tight angle but hits it straight at the keeper.
5 mins: Diarra is crowded out in the middle of the park and Stevenson
decides to try his luck but pulls his shot well wide.
4 mins: Indeed Wall is replaced, Ahoua comes striding on in his place.
3 mins: It looks like the home side may be forced into an extremely early
change as Alex Wall pulls up after chasing a loose ball. Looks like the
hamstring.
2 mins: Turgott plays it wide down the right for Miles to chase, he gets
there and delivers a low cross but it's easily cleared.
1 min: The Hammers kick us off and are immediately looking to attack down
the left.
6:57pm: The teams are out on the pitch and the Hammers are sporting their
home shirts with change shorts and socks whilst the Hatters sport orange
tops, blue shorts and white socks.
6:55pm: Around five minutes left until kick-off and it's time for me to
remove my gloves and brace the cold! Nick Haycock also well wrapped up heads
across the pitch and into his dugout.
6:50pm: The teams are back in the changing rooms making their final
preperations for this game on a brisk night at Kenilworth Road.
The Development Squad face Luton Town at Kenilworth Road tonight looking to
hand game time to a mix of players during their break in Barclays Under-21
Premier League fixtures. The team are currently top of the league having won
six of their opening nine matches but are not in action again until the 29
November when they face Leicester City at Rush Green. With that in mind Nick
Haycock will hand valuable minutes to his fringe players as well as welcomng
first teamers George McCartney and Alou Diarra into the team as they step-up
their recovery from injury.
Haycock will also take the opportunity to look at several of Steve Potts'
Under-18s against a team who will provide tough opposition. Luton were the
visitors to Rush Green in a behind closed doors friendly just over a month
ago when they produced a strong performance to win 1-0. Sean Maguire will be
handed a chance to impress as the lone front man whilst U18s Kyle Knoyle,
Amos Nasha, Josh Cullen, Moses Makasi and Kieran Bywater will all be keen to
show they can make the step-up.
West Ham United: Spiegel, Nasha, Ruddock, Potts, McCartney, Diarra, Miles,
Fanimo, Turgott, Sadlier, Maguire
Subs: Knoyle, Howes, Shaw, Tombides, Burke, Bywater, Cullen, Whitehead,
Makasi
Luton Town: Justham, Pisani, Longden, Maduako, Parry, Stevenson, Taiwo,
Cullen, Wall, O'Donell, Robinson
Subs: King, Martin, Viana, Mendy, Ahoua, Mbala
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Reid set for World Cup showdown
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid will captain New Zealand in their World Cup Play-Off later this
month
05.11.2013
Winston Reid has been named in the New Zealand squad for their 2014 FIFA
World Cup Inter-Confederation Play-Off with Mexico. The All Whites take on
the fourth-placed CONCACAF qualifiers for a place in next summer's
tournament in Brazil, with Ricki Herbert's men looking to make a second
successive World Cup finals. They will travel to Mexico City for the first
leg on Wednesday 13 November, with the second leg taking place in Wellington
a week later. New Zealand have made it to this stage by finishing top of the
OFC (Oceania) qualifying phase, while Mexico struggled en route to a fourth
place finish in their North, Central American and Caribbean section. The New
Zealand squad includes two other English-based players in the shape of
Leicester City striker Chris Wood and Ipswich Town defender Tommy Smith. All
Whites skipper Reid said: "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. 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. "Mexico had a tough
time in qualifying, 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."
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Downing looks for killer instinct
WHUFC.com
Stewart Downing admitted the Hammers need to be more ruthless after a 0-0
draw with Aston Villa
05.11.2013
Stewart Downing was left with mixed emotions after West Ham United were held
to a 0-0 draw by Aston Villa at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday. The former
Villa man was pleased with another solid display from the Hammers, yet
disappointed that they could not force the breakthrough at the other end. It
meant that a sixth clean sheet of the season did not yield the full reward
it could have, but Downing is confident Sam Allardyce's men will soon start
to fire. "The good thing is we didn't lose the game, we got another point
out of it and kept a clean sheet," he said. "We got a lot of balls into the
box, but they are good headers of the ball and we didn't get the luck with
how they dropped. "Carlton Cole is getting fully fit, Joe Cole was back on
Saturday, the bodies are coming back in terms of the attacking players.
We're defending well and we just need to put the ball in the back of the
net. "We created chances, but we didn't have that clinical touch in
finishing them. The goals have got to come from around the team, and
hopefully that'll happen for us next week. "We'll keep plugging away - we're
playing well but not getting the rewards."
On a personal note Downing is loving life at the Boleyn Ground and cannot
wait for Saturday's fixture at Norwich City. He added: "I'm really enjoying
my football. There was a little bit of an injury at the start, but I'm happy
and it has been a good move for me. "The manager is great to play for and
the only thing missing is getting a few wins."
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On the right Page
WHUFC.com
U18s left-back Lewis Page says team spirit is playing an important role in
West Ham United's recent success
05.11.2013
West Ham United U18s left-back Lewis Page says a trip to a theme park has
helped end the Hammers' rollercoaster start to the season. The Academy
youngsters enjoyed a day out at Thorpe Park recently - a trip that has
coincided with a six-match unbeaten run culminating in Saturday's 1-1 home
draw with Newcastle United. Page, who has started ten of West Ham's eleven
Barclays U18 Premier League matches so far, said the good relationship
between the players has fostered a positive atmosphere on and off the pitch.
"We have a really good team chemistry at the club," said the 17-year-old.
"We all socialise together. For example we all went to Thorpe Park, which
was a nice group day out. "Around the training ground it's nice to see
everyone get along and that shows on the pitch when we work hard for each
other."
On Saturday, the Hammers continued their unbeaten run by drawing with a
Newcastle side reduced to ten men before half-time. While Page and company
were disappointed not to win, the defender said it was important that they
did not suffer a first defeat since going down 1-0 at Sunderland on 21
September.
"The result [against Newcastle] wasn't bad because, at the end of the day,
we didn't lose. The early sending off killed the game because they just sat
off and made it hard for us to break through. At times we did it well and at
times we didn't. "Perhaps there were a few chances where we could have done
a better job in front of goal and won the game, but overall, I think we were
unlucky to come away with just a draw."
A number of U18s have already tasted Development Squad action this season,
including Saturday's goalscorer Amos Nasha, and Page is hoping to graduate
to the U21s himself. However, with Dan Potts and Frazer Shaw ahead of him,
the left-back may have to be patient. "Personally, I think I've improved
since the start of the season. I've been trying to improve on my attacking
game like crossing and finishing. I'd like to start scoring more goals. I've
already got one this season but I'd like to add to that. "Of course I'm
always looking up at the Development Squad. There are not many players in my
position who are out on loan at the minute, so they are playing really well
here and it's hard to break into the team. I'd love to push on if I can.
"I'm looking towards Christmas or just after that to try and make it onto
the bench or perhaps even come on. It's the whole experience of being part
of the Development Squad, not just how long you play on the pitch."
The U18s will be looking to continue their impressive run of form when they
host Aston Villa at Little Heath on Saturday 9 November, with kick off at
1pm. Parking and admission are both free of charge.
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New 'perks' welcomed by fans
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 5th November 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's announcement of further benefits for Season Ticket Holders
have been welcomed by supporters. Last weekend the Club confirmed that a
string of new benefits were being introduced, including a fans' forum
featuring David Gold, Sam Allardyce and captain Kevin Nolan; a further event
later in the season featuring Andy Carroll, Mark Noble and Joe Cole; an open
training session; significant discounts on in-store goods; a complimentary
DVD of West Ham's recent 3-0 win at Tottenham and an invitation to attend
next season's first team photoshoot.
Not surprisingly these measures have been welcomed by Season Ticket Holders,
one of whom, KUMB member West Ham Tom, said: "It's really good news and a
nice touch" - thoughts echoed by Kialos, who added, "This is good by the
club, it's a step in the right direction."
However one or two more cynical fans believe that the Club have only acted
in response to criticism that Season Ticket Holders have been given a rough
ride in the last two or three years.
" I think this kind of thing is what they should have been doing as a matter
of course," said Denbighhammer - "not a hastily-cobbled together programme
of exclusives in the wake of a couple of quite serious slaps in the face for
Season Ticket Holders recently."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Why we need independent representation
KUMb.com
Filed: Tuesday, 5th November 2013
By: Ali Worth
I would like to take this opportunity to respond to recent posts on the
KUMB.com forum.
Firstly, I am not a group; just an individual life-long Hammers fan who
happens to write for Over Land and Sea (OLAS), is a Season Ticket Holder
and, also, currently a member of the Supporter Advisory Board (SAB).
I started looking into establishing an Independent Supporter Association at
last year's Annual General Meeting of the Football Supporter's Federation -
of which I am a full member - as all the conversations I was having with
fellow West Ham United fans were the same. They felt increasingly alienated
from our wonderful Club for a multitude of reasons.
One of the main reasons for disillusionment that I kept hearing was that
fans felt they were not being listened to. As an SAB member, I do not feel
they are representative enough of the wider fan base and many feel that
their lack of independence hinders the workings and ultimate effectiveness
of the group.
However, I feel that to ensure ALL fans are given a voice there is
absolutely no conflict in having the two groups co-exist and would hope that
the aims of both groups would correspond; to work for the best interests of
the fans and the Club.
The aims of an ISA should, amongst others, be to represent and campaign on
behalf of its members; to help increase the ways in which WHU FC fans can
express their affiliation to, and support of, the Club and to open and
maintain positive and productive channels of communication with the Board.
Of equal import is giving a voice to those who would otherwise be excluded
from any decision or consultation processes.
At the inaugural meeting on the 28th November in the Supporters Club (7pm
for a 7:30pm start), the fans who attend - or who cannot attend but have
emailed consent - will vote on whether the group is established and what
form the Constitution takes.
The draft copies are now available and I would ask that you all request one
from whisa@btinternet.com if you have not already done so, or download them
from the links below. These are meant as starting points only and have been
drafted with FSF guidance, as well as extremely helpful advice and support
from several other ISA's, including the Arsenal Independent Supporters'
Association).
For WHISA to succeed it HAS to be all inclusive and to cover ALL subjects
that affect us as fans. I would like to state in the strongest possible
terms however that this is NOT an anti-OS campaign, although that will
obviously fall under the group's remit, and the only criteria for joining
should be that you bleed Claret and Blue and have the best interests of our
Club at heart.
I look forward to meeting everyone on the 28th November.
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Defoe's 'massive mistake'
KUMb.com
Filed: Tuesday, 5th November 2013
By: Staff Writer
Jermain Defoe has admitted that leaving West Ham in 2003 was "a massive,
massive mistake". The Tottenham striker, who coincidentally happens to be
searching for a new club having fallen down the pecking order at White Hart
Lane told a TV programme that the manner in which he left the Boleyn Ground
was the result of bad advice from his agent at the time. "It was a massive
mistake. I didn't really want to do it," he told ITV4's Sports Life Stories.
"We're talking about leaving the club I was in love with at the time because
I came through the youth system with my friends, the fans loved me there.
They were brilliant - every game they sang my name. "The person who
represented me at the time said, 'You need to hand in a transfer request and
get in early because all the lads are going to leave.' I remember going in
and I was so nervous. It was (Chief Executive) Paul Aldridge and I gave him
the letter and he said, 'What's this?' I said, 'It's a transfer request'.
And he looked at me as if to say, 'Are you kidding?' "The backlash was
crazy. I felt like I was on my own and people were absolutely abusing me. To
this day I can imagine West Ham fans look at me and think, 'Who does he
think he is? How can you do that? You're a Judas'. And it's quite sad really
because I can honestly say I still love that club."
Defoe's transfer request, which was handed in less than 24 hours after West
Ham were relegated from the Premier League read: "I am very ambitious and
hungry to achieve at the highest levels of the game for both club and
country. "The club staff and especially the fans are very dear to me and
have been unbelievable in the early part of my career. It will always be a
special place for me to play." Defoe previously apologised for the manner in
which he left the club seven years ago, when he stated, 'I was young, badly
advised and made a mistake. I didn't have enough experience to deal with
what I was being told'.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Brown shells out
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 5th November 2013
By: Staff Writer
Terry Brown has finally sanctioned major financial investment into a
football club - seven years after he made millions from the sale of West Ham
United FC.
Lifelong Hammers fan Brown, who was Chairman of the club for some 15 years
until selling to the Icelandic consortium of Eggert Magnusson and Bjorgolfur
Gudmundsson in 2006 was a figure of hate for many West Ham fans, who blamed
him - amongst other things - for selling the Club's best young players,
increasing his own personal stake via a compulsory 'buy back' share scheme
and consistently failing to invest in the squad.
For those fans, the news that he has lent troubled League One club Sheffield
Wednesday £1.5million will be a case of rubbing salt in the wounds - but
that's precisely what happened last year, according to the club's annual
accounts.
According to Inside Media, Brown's loan is secured over the club's
Hillsborough stadium. It is thought the deal came about as the result of
Brown's friendship with Chairman Milan Mandaric and Paul Aldridge, a
Director at Wednesday who worked under Brown as West Ham's former Managing
Director.
Brown, who still regularly attends West Ham's matches - as he has done week
in, week out for many years - currently holds a position of Honourary Life
President at the Club.
Having initially been granted the role by his Icelandic successors as a
condition of the sale of West Ham, he resigned in February 2007 after it was
revealed that Eggert Magnusson planned to take legal action again him
following the Tevez scandal. In 2010, David Gold and David Sullivan
reinstated Brown as Honourary Life President.
Former MD Paul Aldridge - a rather more popular figure with supporters than
his employer - left West Ham shortly after the Icelandic takeover due, it is
believed, to his close links with Kia Joorabchian who was a main rival to
Eggert Magnusson when West Ham was made available for sale in 2006.
Since then he has been employed by Leicester City (as Chief Executive,
Janury 2008) - alongside Mandaric, who owned Leicester at the time - and
Manchester City (Chief Operating Officer, June 2008) before he teamed up
with Mandaric once again at Wednesday. Aldridge was initially employed as a
consultant to assist in the purchase of the League One club before being
made Chief Executive and Vice Chairman in 2011.
Brown Out! What it took for Terence to go
* The sale of West Ham United (Brown's 36 per cent stake earnt him circa
£30million profit)
* The retention of his £592,000 Chairman's salary for the next three years
* The creation of a new role: Honourary Life President
* Eight seats in the Directors' box (West Stand)
* Eight hospitality spots in the Chairman's suite - for life
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
STRIKER INJURY UPDATE
By Sean Whetstone 5 Nov 2013 at 17:00
West Ham Till I Die
If like me you were wondering what has happened to Mladen Petric, I
understand he has suffered a calf injury while warming up in the West Ham
Development U21 match against Wolves U21 on 21st October. He is unlikely to
return to full fitness until the end of November.
Ricardo Vaz Te is out with a dislocated shoulder he sustained at the Swansea
away match. Although no estimate has been given for his return he suffered
similar injury last season in the home defeat to Arsenal that kept him out
for three months.
The latest news today is Andy Carroll has suffered a new setback with a
stomach virus. It was hoped Carroll would return for the Chelsea home game
on November 23rd but that now looks in doubt as the virus has delayed his
training back to full fitness. I understand he is possibly targeting a
return against his old club on 7th December.
However in more positive injury news Alou Diarra returns from injury by
playing in the Development U21 team this evening at 7pm against Luton U21's
at Kenilworth Road. George McCartney will also playing along side him.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll suffers fresh injury setback in blow for West Ham United
5 Nov 2013 11:21
The Mirror
West Ham United's record signing Andy Carroll has been handed a fresh blow
in his attempts to return to fitness. The England striker has yet to feature
for the Hammers this season, having turned a loan deal into a £15 million
permanent signing during the summer, with successive heel problems keeping
him on the sidelines since May. And the 24-year-old, who was thought to be
targetting a long-awaited comeback against Chelsea later this month for Sam
Allardyce's goal-shy side, has been forced to scale back his rehabilitation
plans after suffering a viral infection in his stomach last week. A club
insider told The Sun: "Andy is very depressed about the whole thing. "He is
improving but he has had stabbing pains in his abdomen for the past four or
five days and an extreme stomach upset. "It's a cruel blow as he had been
making steady progress."
The former Liverpool and Newcastle target-man picked up a knock against
Reading in the final game of last season, though West Ham decided to turn
his loan move permanent anyway. He then went down with a new heel injury
just days away from his supposed comeback in September and has since visited
top specialists in both Holland and Belgium in a bid to speed up his
recovery. In Carroll's absence West Ham have failed to score in six of their
10 Premier League games so far this season.
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Tuesday, November 5
Daily WHUFC News - 5th November 2013
Tonka makes case for the defence
WHUFC.com
James Tomkins played his part in a fourth clean sheet in the last seven
outings on Saturday
04.11.2013
James Tomkins is making the most of his first-team opportunity. After having
to watch on for the first five Barclays Premier League games of the season,
the 24-year-old has re-established himself in Sam Allardyce's team with a
string of commanding performances. The Hammers have kept four clean sheets
in the seven games Tomkins has played, and he was happy with another solid
performance against Aston Villa on Saturday. "It's always nice to test
yourselves against players like that and come out on top," he said. "They
hit the bar, but overall we defended well again and kept a clean sheet, so
we were happy with that side of things. "I'm enjoying playing my football -
it's nice to come into the side and hit the ground running. "Now we just
need to get some wins in the bag. We've kept a lot of clean sheets and you
need just one goal to change the game - we're looking for that one goal to
set the season off."
One moment which had Hammers hearts in mouths on Saturday was when Andreas
Weimann went to ground as he threatened to burst clear from Ravel Morrison
in the opening period. Had referee Howard Webb awarded a foul, a red card
for Morrison could well have followed, but Tomkins believed the official to
have made the correct decision. He explained: "I was looking at it from a
distance and couldn't really see it too clearly. I think it was a bit of a
50-50 tussle and Rav showed a bit of strength."
Next up for West Ham is a trip to Norwich City, who will be smarting from
conceding eleven goals to the two Manchester clubs in the past week. Despite
those porous performances, Tomkins is still wary of their threat. He added:
"Man City are a difficult team to play against, they came here the other
week and played really well. "Norwich will be wanting to bounce back
straight away from that, but it's important for us to get the three points
so that will be our focus next week."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Fanimo left with déjà vu
WHUFC.com
Matthias Fanimo had a familiar feeling after a late goal denied them victory
over Chelsea
04.11.2013
Matthias Fanimo was left with a sense of déjà vu after Chelsea equalised in
the last minute to deny the Hammers all three points in the Barclays
Under-21 Premier League on Friday. West Ham were the visitors to Aldershot's
EBB Stadium but received great backing from a large crowd as they built up a
two-goal cushion in the space of three first half minutes. Pelly Ruddock
slotted home the first after 25 minutes before Fanimo scored a screamer just
three minutes later, rounding off a brisk counter-attack with a thunderous
strike. Blair Turgott also got on the scoresheet with a long-range goal of
his own to put the Hammers 3-2 up with ten minutes to play but they couldn't
hold on, leaving Fanimo with the feeling he'd seen it all before. Watch the
Dev Squad take on Luton Town at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday night. Kick-off
is at 7pm and admission is priced at £5 adults and £2 concessions He told
West Ham TV: "It was very disappointing; we worked really hard throughout
the whole game and deserved to win the match. "I've got a feeling of déjà vu
as the same thing happened a few years ago in the FA Youth Cup so it's very
unlucky for us."
The game the wide man was referring to was an FA Youth Cup defeat for West
Ham United U18s against the Blues when the game again ended in a 3-3 draw,
with Nathaniel Chalobah scoring a last minute equaliser as Chelsea went onto
win 5-4 on penalties. Fanimo, whose goal was his first of the season,
believed the Hammers should have also been awarded a penalty moments before
Nathan Ake struck the 94th minute equaliser. Dylan Tombides was through on
goal when a Chelsea defender clearly clipped his heels and sent the striker
tumbling. The referee waved play on, despite the protestations of the
visitors, and moments later Chelsea had the ball in the back of Raphael
Spiegel's net. "Definitely, it was 100 per cent a definite penalty. He
clipped him on the way past and there's no doubt about that. "We deserved to
be in front, their goal wasn't one of their best goals and we were playing
very well at the time so it was important for us to stay in front."
Nick Haycock made five changes as he showed the strength in depth of his
squad which included a league debut for Under-18s centre-back Reece Burke,
and midfield trio Josh Cullen, Moses Makasi and Amos Nasha. Fanimo was
delighted with the impact the young quartet made in the absence of regular
starters Sebastian Lletget, George Moncur and Elliot Lee. He said: "All
three of them [Lletget, Moncur and Lee] were our main starters. They always
bought something to the team every week and tried really hard so they were
definitely missed but the boys who played tonight were excellent. "The young
lads did really well, especially Reece Burke at the back. I thought he dealt
with all their threat really well for a young centre-back and he's doing
really well at the moment."
Whilst Fanimo's stunning strike left most people short of words, the man
himself had two to describe it when asked what he made of his goal. "Wonder
goal" he exclaimed, with the beaming smile of a player who is getting back
to his best after injury delayed his start to the season.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lee nets first senior goal
WHUFC.com
Elliot Lee scored a dramatic late equaliser for Colchester United on
Saturday
04.11.2013
West Ham United youngster Elliot Lee notched his first senior goal in
dramatic circumstances for his loan club Colchester United on Saturday.
Trailing 2-1 to Rotherham United at the New York Stadium as the game reached
the fifth minute of stoppage time, Lee crashed a header against the
underside of the crossbar and in, to rescue a point for the Sky Bet League
One side. Eighteen-year-old striker Lee has notched five goals for the
Development Squad in the Barclays U21 Premier League this term and made his
top-flight debut when he was introduced as a substitute against Stoke City
in August. Now he has taken his goalscoring talents to senior level, with
his goal keeping Colchester 14th in the table.
Also on target at the weekend was Paul McCallum, who notched the first two
goals of his loan spell at Torquay United as Alan Knill's men triumphed 3-1
at Bury in League Two. The Gulls took an early lead at Gigg Lane through
Aaron Downes, but Nathan Cameron soon equalised for the hosts. However,
McCallum then struck twice, heading home from a corner for his first, before
slamming into the net following an Elliot Benyon cut back to seal the three
points. See Elliot Lee's Developement Squad goals on West Ham TV here
Meanwhile, Jordan Spence played the 90 minutes for Milton Keynes Dons as
they recorded a 1-0 win over Walsall in League One. The Dons currently sit
just outside the play-off spots, a point and two positions below Bradford
City in sixth.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll may need shock therapy
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 4th November 2013
By: David Meagher
As Hammers fans wait patiently for the Andy Carroll return, we decided to
get down with the medical evidence and examine what his injury really means
in terms of prognosis for the future. So what exactly is Plantar Fasciitis,
and what does it really mean for our current predicament?
Of course, many fans are worried that we may be dealing with another cruel
Dean Ashton-like injury. In addition, folk are keen to know if this is
likely to be a recurring problem – fans leaving Upton Park yesterday after
another goalless performance by the Hammers will be wanting us to make sure
we have other options from the blunt 4-6-0 formation we have had to endure
in Carroll's absence!
First up, we know that he is suffering from a condition called plantar
fasciitis – an annoying problem that affects as much as 10 per cent of the
population but especially those who engage in activities that place strain
upon the sole of the foot – runners, ballet dancers, basketball players as
well as the overweight and the elderly.
The plantar fascia is a fibrous band that runs along the base of the foot
from the back of the heel to the ball of the foot that serves to provide
stability and support for the arches. Plantar fasciitis classically refers
to inflammation of the band that can involve small 'micro' tears. However,
other studies have highlighted that it is also an overuse injury and
reflects wear of the band that is significant as it is thus likely to pose
recurring problems. Hmmm.
So the condition presents with pain (especially at the heel) and with
problems weight bearing on the arches. This is because the band is at its
thinnest as it passes over the heel and especially prone to wear and tear at
that point. Sufferers typically complain of intense pain through the heel
after periods of rest (e.g. first steps of the day) as well as with
activities that require landing on one's feet - such as jumping for a header
in football.
The prognosis for plantar fasciitis is disturbingly variable – although most
sufferers recover over 6-12 months, with the condition disappearing as
mysteriously as it appeared, a significant number experience chronic
problems. However, perhaps the most worrying aspect is that in addition to
this unpredictability, the evidence for effective treatments is poor.
There is anecdotal evidence for short-term relief from rest, ice, heat, and
massage but these seem best for temporary relief and have clearly not worked
for our Andy. Anti-inflammatory drugs (such as Ibuprofen) can provide some
temporary symptom relief but do not affect the longer term course of the
condition. There is slightly better evidence to support the use of
strengthening exercises with foot orthotics that provide foot support as
well as night splints that stretch the band by pulling the big toe upwards.
A variety of injectable remedies exist ranging from anaesthetic agents,
blood products and botox, but these are experimental and the best evidence
is for steroid injections as a short to medium term remedy but these can
also aggravate the condition and actually weaken the band.
For cases that prove resistant to the above treatments, typically after six
months the options of shock wave therapy (to stimulate blood flow to the
area) or fasciotomy (surgically remove the band) are considered. The former
is still experimental but evidence is encouraging while the latter more
extreme intervention is very effective in relieving pain but can affect the
stability of the foot in the long term and is not readily reversible.
Andy spent much of September and October in the care of Lieven Maesschalck,
director of the Move to Cure clinic in Antwerp, Belgium - a physical
therapist who specialises in this type of injury. The subsequent utterances
from the Boleyn have been cautiously optimistic in suggesting that Andy can
return to action in the near future but without any clear date (read: he's
still having symptoms!)
Unfortunately, the medical evidence is far from reassuring and although this
is entirely different circumstance from the horrific traumatic injury that
Dean Ashton experienced, it clearly is a problem that may pose a recurring
challenge for the Hammers squad to work around and we cannot presume upon
Andy's consistent availability. Sadly, the £15million outlay is not looking
such a wise move at this stage as even if he recovers we find ourselves
having to work around an unpredictable injury.
In addition to being a Hammers fanatic, David Meagher is a doctor and
provides occasional medical cover for Limerick FC in the League of Ireland.
He is patiently waiting for the call up from the medical team at the Boleyn!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Spurs' Jermain Defoe: West Ham fans call me a Judas but I still love that
club
4 Nov 2013 22:30
The Mirror
Jermain Defoe says he still loves West Ham – just eight weeks before the
opening of the January transfer window. The Tottenham striker is desperate
to make the England World Cup squad next summer but has started only one
Premier League game for the north Londoners this season. And the Hammers
will be seeking reinforcements with Andy Carroll out injured. Defoe grew up
not far from Upton Park, in Stratford, and was adored by the Hammers
faithful until he asked for a transfer less than 24 hours after they went
down in 2003. But he admits: "It was a massive mistake. I didn't really want
to do it. "We're talking about leaving the club I was in love with at the
time because I came through the youth system with my friends, the fans loved
me there. They were brilliant - every game they sang my name. "The person
who represented me at the time said, 'You need to hand in a transfer request
and get in early because all the lads are going to leave.'
"I remember going in and I was so nervous. It was (then Hammers chief
executive) Paul Aldridge and I gave him the letter and he said, 'What's
this?' And I said, 'It's a transfer request'. "And he looked at me as if to
say, 'Are you kidding?' "The backlash was crazy. I felt like I was on my own
and people were absolutely abusing me. "To this day I can imagine West Ham
fans look at me and think, 'Who does he think he is? How can you do that?
You're a Judas'. And it's quite sad really because I can honestly say I
still love that club."
The Spurs favourite had posters of Ian Wright in an Arsenal shirt on his
bedroom wall. And he also hero-worshipped Paolo Di Canio. Defoe recalls in
Sports Life Stories on ITV4: "The first thing I noticed about Paolo was how
tight his shorts were. "I am not lying – he had size small. If you go to the
West Ham shop, it is the kiddies' size. "I said, 'Paolo, why is your kit so
tight?' He said it was because when his kit is tight and he gets in certain
situations in the game and players try to pull his shirt, because it is so
tight to him, they cannot pull it and he can get away from people.
"Unbelievable player. Someone who always looked after himself. Always
tanned. Legs always smooth. "Genius. Every game, he was the best player on
the pitch. I am not going to lie. I ordered small shorts."
Defoe was eventually sold to Tottenham in January 2004, then moved on to
Portsmouth in January 2008 so was cup-tied for Pompey's FA Cup triumph – and
missed Spurs winning the League Cup. He has still to win a major trophy, and
reckons his career will be a failure if that does not change. "Yeah, because
I think especially playing for a top club, a club where you should win
trophies it would be disappointing," he admitted. "At the end of your career
you want to sit back and say I won this or I won that because that's what
it's all about. You want to win things and you want to be the best. "Spurs
is a great club with a great history. That is why this year is a big year. I
believe we can win something and I believe that once the first one comes,
more come after that."
Defoe's brother Gavin died in 2009 and last year he lost his father Jimmy to
cancer while his cousin Hannah died in an accident. The tragedy moved him to
set up the Jermain Defoe Foundation to help children back on his
grandparents' island of St Lucia. He admitted: "I'm sitting there thinking,
'am I dreaming? This can't be happening, not again. Is there a jinx on the
family. It doesn't make any sense burying my younger cousin weeks after
burying my dad.' "It changes your mentality completely. The things you think
are important are not. The things you make a big deal about you shouldn't.
You can only play football for so long and I believe there is more to me
than that. "
Defoe at West Ham and Spurs
West Ham Tottenham
Appearances 74 269
Starts 43 180
Subs on 31 89
Subs off 5 69
Minutes played 4450 16922
Goals 18 90
Minutes per goal 247.22 188.02
Yellow cards 3 25
Red cards 0 2
Defoe on... his love life
Jermain Defoe has claimed no-one would bother about his eventful love life
if he worked in Nando's. The England star has been dubbed a love rat after
his romantic liaisons with X Factor winner Alexandra Burke, Celebrity Big
Brother winner Chantelle Houghton and models Danielle Lloyd, Imogen Thomas,
Charlotte Mears and Laura Brown. But Defoe, 31, said: "I know in my heart
I'm not a bad person. I know my family love me. If you go on Google and see
pictures of course you're going to read (things) into pictures. "But at the
same time if I worked in Nando's and I went out with those same girls, for
one, it wouldn't be on Google, and for two, it wouldn't matter because
no-one cares. "You're young, you're successful, you earn a lot of money, you
attract girls. Your life changes. "If someone says they don't like the
attention they're lying. How can you not like the attention from girls? It's
normal. I am a young boy. I'm only human. "I am still the same person who
grew up in East London with his family. If you show me love, I will show
love back."
Defoe on... his debt to mum Sandra
Without the strict upbringing from his mother Sandra, Jermain Defoe reckons
he would never have become a professional footballer. The Tottenham star,
who still goes home for Sunday dinner every week, said: "My mum used to
stress the importance of not being on the streets. Not doing things my mates
were doing really – partying, drinking, smoking. "I was at home in bed, it
is as simple as that. Of course I was tempted to join in – I was a lively
character. There were times when I didn't understand but I trusted my mum
and listened to her and she was right. "If you want to do something special
in life, you can't be doing things like that. You can't be drinking or
smoking at a young age."
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WHUFC.com
James Tomkins played his part in a fourth clean sheet in the last seven
outings on Saturday
04.11.2013
James Tomkins is making the most of his first-team opportunity. After having
to watch on for the first five Barclays Premier League games of the season,
the 24-year-old has re-established himself in Sam Allardyce's team with a
string of commanding performances. The Hammers have kept four clean sheets
in the seven games Tomkins has played, and he was happy with another solid
performance against Aston Villa on Saturday. "It's always nice to test
yourselves against players like that and come out on top," he said. "They
hit the bar, but overall we defended well again and kept a clean sheet, so
we were happy with that side of things. "I'm enjoying playing my football -
it's nice to come into the side and hit the ground running. "Now we just
need to get some wins in the bag. We've kept a lot of clean sheets and you
need just one goal to change the game - we're looking for that one goal to
set the season off."
One moment which had Hammers hearts in mouths on Saturday was when Andreas
Weimann went to ground as he threatened to burst clear from Ravel Morrison
in the opening period. Had referee Howard Webb awarded a foul, a red card
for Morrison could well have followed, but Tomkins believed the official to
have made the correct decision. He explained: "I was looking at it from a
distance and couldn't really see it too clearly. I think it was a bit of a
50-50 tussle and Rav showed a bit of strength."
Next up for West Ham is a trip to Norwich City, who will be smarting from
conceding eleven goals to the two Manchester clubs in the past week. Despite
those porous performances, Tomkins is still wary of their threat. He added:
"Man City are a difficult team to play against, they came here the other
week and played really well. "Norwich will be wanting to bounce back
straight away from that, but it's important for us to get the three points
so that will be our focus next week."
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Fanimo left with déjà vu
WHUFC.com
Matthias Fanimo had a familiar feeling after a late goal denied them victory
over Chelsea
04.11.2013
Matthias Fanimo was left with a sense of déjà vu after Chelsea equalised in
the last minute to deny the Hammers all three points in the Barclays
Under-21 Premier League on Friday. West Ham were the visitors to Aldershot's
EBB Stadium but received great backing from a large crowd as they built up a
two-goal cushion in the space of three first half minutes. Pelly Ruddock
slotted home the first after 25 minutes before Fanimo scored a screamer just
three minutes later, rounding off a brisk counter-attack with a thunderous
strike. Blair Turgott also got on the scoresheet with a long-range goal of
his own to put the Hammers 3-2 up with ten minutes to play but they couldn't
hold on, leaving Fanimo with the feeling he'd seen it all before. Watch the
Dev Squad take on Luton Town at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday night. Kick-off
is at 7pm and admission is priced at £5 adults and £2 concessions He told
West Ham TV: "It was very disappointing; we worked really hard throughout
the whole game and deserved to win the match. "I've got a feeling of déjà vu
as the same thing happened a few years ago in the FA Youth Cup so it's very
unlucky for us."
The game the wide man was referring to was an FA Youth Cup defeat for West
Ham United U18s against the Blues when the game again ended in a 3-3 draw,
with Nathaniel Chalobah scoring a last minute equaliser as Chelsea went onto
win 5-4 on penalties. Fanimo, whose goal was his first of the season,
believed the Hammers should have also been awarded a penalty moments before
Nathan Ake struck the 94th minute equaliser. Dylan Tombides was through on
goal when a Chelsea defender clearly clipped his heels and sent the striker
tumbling. The referee waved play on, despite the protestations of the
visitors, and moments later Chelsea had the ball in the back of Raphael
Spiegel's net. "Definitely, it was 100 per cent a definite penalty. He
clipped him on the way past and there's no doubt about that. "We deserved to
be in front, their goal wasn't one of their best goals and we were playing
very well at the time so it was important for us to stay in front."
Nick Haycock made five changes as he showed the strength in depth of his
squad which included a league debut for Under-18s centre-back Reece Burke,
and midfield trio Josh Cullen, Moses Makasi and Amos Nasha. Fanimo was
delighted with the impact the young quartet made in the absence of regular
starters Sebastian Lletget, George Moncur and Elliot Lee. He said: "All
three of them [Lletget, Moncur and Lee] were our main starters. They always
bought something to the team every week and tried really hard so they were
definitely missed but the boys who played tonight were excellent. "The young
lads did really well, especially Reece Burke at the back. I thought he dealt
with all their threat really well for a young centre-back and he's doing
really well at the moment."
Whilst Fanimo's stunning strike left most people short of words, the man
himself had two to describe it when asked what he made of his goal. "Wonder
goal" he exclaimed, with the beaming smile of a player who is getting back
to his best after injury delayed his start to the season.
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Lee nets first senior goal
WHUFC.com
Elliot Lee scored a dramatic late equaliser for Colchester United on
Saturday
04.11.2013
West Ham United youngster Elliot Lee notched his first senior goal in
dramatic circumstances for his loan club Colchester United on Saturday.
Trailing 2-1 to Rotherham United at the New York Stadium as the game reached
the fifth minute of stoppage time, Lee crashed a header against the
underside of the crossbar and in, to rescue a point for the Sky Bet League
One side. Eighteen-year-old striker Lee has notched five goals for the
Development Squad in the Barclays U21 Premier League this term and made his
top-flight debut when he was introduced as a substitute against Stoke City
in August. Now he has taken his goalscoring talents to senior level, with
his goal keeping Colchester 14th in the table.
Also on target at the weekend was Paul McCallum, who notched the first two
goals of his loan spell at Torquay United as Alan Knill's men triumphed 3-1
at Bury in League Two. The Gulls took an early lead at Gigg Lane through
Aaron Downes, but Nathan Cameron soon equalised for the hosts. However,
McCallum then struck twice, heading home from a corner for his first, before
slamming into the net following an Elliot Benyon cut back to seal the three
points. See Elliot Lee's Developement Squad goals on West Ham TV here
Meanwhile, Jordan Spence played the 90 minutes for Milton Keynes Dons as
they recorded a 1-0 win over Walsall in League One. The Dons currently sit
just outside the play-off spots, a point and two positions below Bradford
City in sixth.
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Andy Carroll may need shock therapy
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 4th November 2013
By: David Meagher
As Hammers fans wait patiently for the Andy Carroll return, we decided to
get down with the medical evidence and examine what his injury really means
in terms of prognosis for the future. So what exactly is Plantar Fasciitis,
and what does it really mean for our current predicament?
Of course, many fans are worried that we may be dealing with another cruel
Dean Ashton-like injury. In addition, folk are keen to know if this is
likely to be a recurring problem – fans leaving Upton Park yesterday after
another goalless performance by the Hammers will be wanting us to make sure
we have other options from the blunt 4-6-0 formation we have had to endure
in Carroll's absence!
First up, we know that he is suffering from a condition called plantar
fasciitis – an annoying problem that affects as much as 10 per cent of the
population but especially those who engage in activities that place strain
upon the sole of the foot – runners, ballet dancers, basketball players as
well as the overweight and the elderly.
The plantar fascia is a fibrous band that runs along the base of the foot
from the back of the heel to the ball of the foot that serves to provide
stability and support for the arches. Plantar fasciitis classically refers
to inflammation of the band that can involve small 'micro' tears. However,
other studies have highlighted that it is also an overuse injury and
reflects wear of the band that is significant as it is thus likely to pose
recurring problems. Hmmm.
So the condition presents with pain (especially at the heel) and with
problems weight bearing on the arches. This is because the band is at its
thinnest as it passes over the heel and especially prone to wear and tear at
that point. Sufferers typically complain of intense pain through the heel
after periods of rest (e.g. first steps of the day) as well as with
activities that require landing on one's feet - such as jumping for a header
in football.
The prognosis for plantar fasciitis is disturbingly variable – although most
sufferers recover over 6-12 months, with the condition disappearing as
mysteriously as it appeared, a significant number experience chronic
problems. However, perhaps the most worrying aspect is that in addition to
this unpredictability, the evidence for effective treatments is poor.
There is anecdotal evidence for short-term relief from rest, ice, heat, and
massage but these seem best for temporary relief and have clearly not worked
for our Andy. Anti-inflammatory drugs (such as Ibuprofen) can provide some
temporary symptom relief but do not affect the longer term course of the
condition. There is slightly better evidence to support the use of
strengthening exercises with foot orthotics that provide foot support as
well as night splints that stretch the band by pulling the big toe upwards.
A variety of injectable remedies exist ranging from anaesthetic agents,
blood products and botox, but these are experimental and the best evidence
is for steroid injections as a short to medium term remedy but these can
also aggravate the condition and actually weaken the band.
For cases that prove resistant to the above treatments, typically after six
months the options of shock wave therapy (to stimulate blood flow to the
area) or fasciotomy (surgically remove the band) are considered. The former
is still experimental but evidence is encouraging while the latter more
extreme intervention is very effective in relieving pain but can affect the
stability of the foot in the long term and is not readily reversible.
Andy spent much of September and October in the care of Lieven Maesschalck,
director of the Move to Cure clinic in Antwerp, Belgium - a physical
therapist who specialises in this type of injury. The subsequent utterances
from the Boleyn have been cautiously optimistic in suggesting that Andy can
return to action in the near future but without any clear date (read: he's
still having symptoms!)
Unfortunately, the medical evidence is far from reassuring and although this
is entirely different circumstance from the horrific traumatic injury that
Dean Ashton experienced, it clearly is a problem that may pose a recurring
challenge for the Hammers squad to work around and we cannot presume upon
Andy's consistent availability. Sadly, the £15million outlay is not looking
such a wise move at this stage as even if he recovers we find ourselves
having to work around an unpredictable injury.
In addition to being a Hammers fanatic, David Meagher is a doctor and
provides occasional medical cover for Limerick FC in the League of Ireland.
He is patiently waiting for the call up from the medical team at the Boleyn!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Spurs' Jermain Defoe: West Ham fans call me a Judas but I still love that
club
4 Nov 2013 22:30
The Mirror
Jermain Defoe says he still loves West Ham – just eight weeks before the
opening of the January transfer window. The Tottenham striker is desperate
to make the England World Cup squad next summer but has started only one
Premier League game for the north Londoners this season. And the Hammers
will be seeking reinforcements with Andy Carroll out injured. Defoe grew up
not far from Upton Park, in Stratford, and was adored by the Hammers
faithful until he asked for a transfer less than 24 hours after they went
down in 2003. But he admits: "It was a massive mistake. I didn't really want
to do it. "We're talking about leaving the club I was in love with at the
time because I came through the youth system with my friends, the fans loved
me there. They were brilliant - every game they sang my name. "The person
who represented me at the time said, 'You need to hand in a transfer request
and get in early because all the lads are going to leave.'
"I remember going in and I was so nervous. It was (then Hammers chief
executive) Paul Aldridge and I gave him the letter and he said, 'What's
this?' And I said, 'It's a transfer request'. "And he looked at me as if to
say, 'Are you kidding?' "The backlash was crazy. I felt like I was on my own
and people were absolutely abusing me. "To this day I can imagine West Ham
fans look at me and think, 'Who does he think he is? How can you do that?
You're a Judas'. And it's quite sad really because I can honestly say I
still love that club."
The Spurs favourite had posters of Ian Wright in an Arsenal shirt on his
bedroom wall. And he also hero-worshipped Paolo Di Canio. Defoe recalls in
Sports Life Stories on ITV4: "The first thing I noticed about Paolo was how
tight his shorts were. "I am not lying – he had size small. If you go to the
West Ham shop, it is the kiddies' size. "I said, 'Paolo, why is your kit so
tight?' He said it was because when his kit is tight and he gets in certain
situations in the game and players try to pull his shirt, because it is so
tight to him, they cannot pull it and he can get away from people.
"Unbelievable player. Someone who always looked after himself. Always
tanned. Legs always smooth. "Genius. Every game, he was the best player on
the pitch. I am not going to lie. I ordered small shorts."
Defoe was eventually sold to Tottenham in January 2004, then moved on to
Portsmouth in January 2008 so was cup-tied for Pompey's FA Cup triumph – and
missed Spurs winning the League Cup. He has still to win a major trophy, and
reckons his career will be a failure if that does not change. "Yeah, because
I think especially playing for a top club, a club where you should win
trophies it would be disappointing," he admitted. "At the end of your career
you want to sit back and say I won this or I won that because that's what
it's all about. You want to win things and you want to be the best. "Spurs
is a great club with a great history. That is why this year is a big year. I
believe we can win something and I believe that once the first one comes,
more come after that."
Defoe's brother Gavin died in 2009 and last year he lost his father Jimmy to
cancer while his cousin Hannah died in an accident. The tragedy moved him to
set up the Jermain Defoe Foundation to help children back on his
grandparents' island of St Lucia. He admitted: "I'm sitting there thinking,
'am I dreaming? This can't be happening, not again. Is there a jinx on the
family. It doesn't make any sense burying my younger cousin weeks after
burying my dad.' "It changes your mentality completely. The things you think
are important are not. The things you make a big deal about you shouldn't.
You can only play football for so long and I believe there is more to me
than that. "
Defoe at West Ham and Spurs
West Ham Tottenham
Appearances 74 269
Starts 43 180
Subs on 31 89
Subs off 5 69
Minutes played 4450 16922
Goals 18 90
Minutes per goal 247.22 188.02
Yellow cards 3 25
Red cards 0 2
Defoe on... his love life
Jermain Defoe has claimed no-one would bother about his eventful love life
if he worked in Nando's. The England star has been dubbed a love rat after
his romantic liaisons with X Factor winner Alexandra Burke, Celebrity Big
Brother winner Chantelle Houghton and models Danielle Lloyd, Imogen Thomas,
Charlotte Mears and Laura Brown. But Defoe, 31, said: "I know in my heart
I'm not a bad person. I know my family love me. If you go on Google and see
pictures of course you're going to read (things) into pictures. "But at the
same time if I worked in Nando's and I went out with those same girls, for
one, it wouldn't be on Google, and for two, it wouldn't matter because
no-one cares. "You're young, you're successful, you earn a lot of money, you
attract girls. Your life changes. "If someone says they don't like the
attention they're lying. How can you not like the attention from girls? It's
normal. I am a young boy. I'm only human. "I am still the same person who
grew up in East London with his family. If you show me love, I will show
love back."
Defoe on... his debt to mum Sandra
Without the strict upbringing from his mother Sandra, Jermain Defoe reckons
he would never have become a professional footballer. The Tottenham star,
who still goes home for Sunday dinner every week, said: "My mum used to
stress the importance of not being on the streets. Not doing things my mates
were doing really – partying, drinking, smoking. "I was at home in bed, it
is as simple as that. Of course I was tempted to join in – I was a lively
character. There were times when I didn't understand but I trusted my mum
and listened to her and she was right. "If you want to do something special
in life, you can't be doing things like that. You can't be drinking or
smoking at a young age."
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Monday, November 4
Daily WHUFC News - 4th November 2013
Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Big Sam discusses his attacking options ahead of Saturday's trip to Norwich
City
04.11.2013
Sam Allardyce is busy pondering his attacking options ahead of this
Saturday's teatime trip to Norwich City. The West Ham United manager saw his
side register their second consecutive 0-0 draw in the Barclays Premier
League against Aston Villa on Saturday, a result that provided an impressive
sixth clean sheet in ten league games at one end, but also one that
frustrated at times at the other. Norwich go into this Saturday's game on
the back of a heavy 7-0 defeat at Manchester City at the weekend and Big Sam
will undoubtedly be hoping to put those striking concerns to bed in the
5.30pm kick-off at Carrow Road.
"We've stopped a three home defeats on the trot run, so we've picked up a
point, we're playing well enough and we've got to believe, like we did last
weekend at Swansea, that we can go and play like that, and make the chances
we made at Swansea and this time score one," Big Sam said. "You've just got
to be composed and clinical when it comes to whoever the chance falls to.
Whether it be Reidy's header, Tomkins' header, Ravel Morrison outside the
box, Mark Noble, Joe Cole coming in off the line, or Stewart Downing.
"They've got to try and make one count and we couldn't get any out of the
players we used on Saturday, so it's ended up with a frustrating 0-0."
Allardyce opted to play his captain Kevin Nolan in the most advanced role
against the Villains and the move bore some fruit through his tenacity and
hard work. Although he too could not find the finishing touch when well
placed in the 72nd minute, his ten goals last season mean his manager is
happy for him help cover for the injured Andy Carroll. "Kevin can hold it
up, he can bring other people into play. We haven't got anybody that can
play up front at the moment that can start a game of football, until we get
them fitter. "In that case, when you've delivered as many opportunities as
we delivered, it's about people getting on the end of it. "Kevin scored a
good goal against Cardiff. In the end, like I said, it's not just about
Kevin, or Andy, it's about all the others taking responsibility to score as
we set out at the start of the season. "If a player scored one last season,
try to score at least one this year and then try to better it. Get the one
as quick as you can and then try to make it two. If you do all that then
instead of finishing tenth, you end up finishing above tenth."
Carlton Cole continued his build-up to full fitness with another lively
substitute display when he came on for Jack Collison in the 62nd minute. The
England international added some extra presence to the Hammers' attack but
sadly no clear-cut chances fell his way. "Carlton Cole got on on Saturday,
and he's played in the Premier League many, many times. Unfortunately, he
couldn't get a chance to score a goal. "Joe Cole got in a couple of good
positions, Kevin got in a couple of good positions on the edge of the box.
Unfortunately, when we hit a shot, or had a header, either the keeper saves
it, it was blocked, or we're just putting it wide at the minute. "At the
moment we're way down on our goal-scoring averages compared to what we
achieved last season. That's why we've only got ten points, instead of at
this stage last season, after eleven games we'd got probably 16 points."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cole keen to make an impression
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole is hoping to offer the Hammers some much-needed firepower in
the coming weeks
03.11.2013
Goalless draws are hardly the currency that Carlton Cole is keen to deal in,
but the fit-again frontman reckons West Ham United are very close to
rediscovering their goalscoring touch. As he did at Swansea City's Liberty
Stadium six days earlier, Cole joined the fray shortly after the hour mark
against Aston Villa on Saturday, with the Hammers drawing a blank for a
second successive Barclays Premier League outing. On reflection, Cole
conceded the stalemate was probably about fair on the day, while insisting
that it is up to him and his colleagues to make more of their possession in
the final third. Read Big Sam's take on Saturday's draw here He told West
Ham TV: "We had so many crosses in the box, we just need a little bit of
presence in there to make things happen. It wasn't to be in the first half,
I think we got something like 18 crosses in the box, a crazy statistic. Then
in the second we had 20, so we're disappointed that we couldn't get the
bodies in the box to finish off the chances or cause a little bit of mayhem.
"The gaffer has addressed that with us, not just blaming those not getting
in the box, but the quality of crosses as well. It goes both ways, but at
least we're overloading those positions and hopefully we can push on from
there. As soon as we notch one or two we'll be alright, because we're
getting in the right positions and doing the right things. It's just about
the quality in the final third, that's all it is. "[Christian] Benteke had a
great, great chance which could have buried us and all our efforts, but we
did OK to hang in there. But we did more than hang in there, because we had
most of the ball, I think. Next time we've just got to finish off the
chances that are presented to us. I didn't see any clear-cut chances against
Villa anyway, so that's why it was a stalemate. I think a draw's a fair
result."
Saturday's appearance from the bench was, curiously, his first at the Boleyn
Ground since 19 January 2013 and Cole was thrilled with his rapturous
reception from the Hammers faithful. "I was buzzing when I came on," he
confirmed. "The fans showed me a lot of love, which I always appreciate. I
just want to reward them and try my best for them to get us higher up the
league as much as possible."
As for his own contribution, the 30-year-old is pragmatic in his assessment
of things, acknowledging that his return has to be carefully managed. Having
missed the entirety of pre-season, Cole is quickly finding his feet once
more, with 120 minutes in his legs in the last week alone. He continued:
"I'm fit now, I think. It's just up to the manager to make a decision. I've
obviously had to do a fast-track training [programme] to get up to match
speed. I'm nearly there now and it's up to the manager to put me in when he
wants. I'm a fit lad anyway, so I adapted quite quickly. I'm raring to go
now. I want to get my head down, progress and get even fitter. "He [Sam
Allardyce] knows his own mind and he thinks I need a little bit more. I've
never really had a hamstring injury or a pull before and I don't want to
start now. You've got to manage your body. The medical team obviously know
me very well, having been here for almost eight years. So they know exactly
how to manage me."
Cole will likely have a part to play at Carrow Road next Saturday, where the
Hammers, ironically, were held to a goalless draw last season. The West Ham
No24 is desperate to buck that trend, not least to reward the Hammers'
outstanding defensive efforts. Norwich City, meanwhile, were on the
receiving end of a 7-0 thumping at Manchester City on Saturday and Cole
wants West Ham to exploit those deficiencies in next weekend's teatime
kick-off. It's six clean sheets in ten, so imagine if we'd just scored one
goal in each of those! We'd be way up the table, but that's how it goes.
Hopefully next time we can do more to just get that one goal and then we can
build from there. "Last year, when we went there, [to Norwich], we played
quite well. Hopefully we can try to take advantage of what Manchester City
have done to them on Saturday and we'll see what happens."
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Lambert on.....West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 3rd November 2013
By: Staff Writer No. 2
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert is happy with his side's point. Here's his
thoughts from the post-match press conference in full.....
You probably had the best two chances of the game?
Yeah I thought so. Andy [Weimann]in the first half the goalkeeper made a
good save. Christian [Benteke]'s header and shot in the second half they're
the three best chances of the game. Another day they go in.
Is it a worry that you've gone so long without a goal?
No no. I can't be too hard. We're creating chances. If we weren't creating
them maybe. Benteke's always been a threat. So has Weimann. To be fair
Jaaskalainen's made a terrific save from that one. On clear-cut chances -
it's a difficult place to come to at the best of times. I've got no worries
about us not taking chances.
The formation they went out with - the 4-6-0 - is that difficult to play
against?
We just play our own way. We have our own philosophy. We set up with a back
three. We went to win the game with two up top. You can't get over-worried
about someone else's way they play. You respect Sam's way of playing. From
our own point of view we went out to win the game.
From your own point of view you're happy that the you're creating chances
despite the lack of goals?
Yeah no worries. None whatsoever.
Was that a sending off in the first half?
I spoke to Howard [Webb]. I respect his view and see where he's coming from.
I just think it's a difficult ball to win if it's safe side. I respect his
decision and the way that he saw it. From my point of view I just thought it
might have been. What he's said to me I have to respect that answer. I've
just aired my view. That's the game - sometimes you get them sometimes you
don't.
You now haven't conceded in your last three away games. Do you draw some
encouragement from that?
Oh no doubt. It was a big performance because we lost a couple of big
players for us during the week. I don't think West Ham had any chances. The
lads at the back put their heads in when it mattered. They blocked things
when it mattered. Along with Brad [Guzan] I thought they were excellent.
This is the sort of game you might not have got something out of last year.
Can you see the progression?
Oh yes absolutely. Huge. The resiliance is a lot stronger. This is a game we
lost last year - we could still be playing that one and not look like
scoring. This year we certainly looked a threat
Thank you.
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Hoffenheim's new signing Jiloan Hamad claims talks with Sunderland and West
Ham
By Kent Hedlundh | Last Updated: November 3, 2013 9:53pm
SSN
Sweden international Jiloan Hamad claims he attracted interest from
Sunderland and West Ham United before agreeing to join Hoffenheim.
Bundesliga club Hoffenheim confirmed earlier this week that winger Hamad
will join the club from Malmo during the winter break. The 22-year-old had
been linked with several clubs across Europe, but he is confident he has
made the right decision to sign for Hoffenheim. "Everything felt right
immediately," Hamad told Fotbollskanalen.se regarding his deal with
Hoffenheim. "It was Hoffenheim who contacted us. They have scouted me
thoroughly, and their coach and sporting director have got big confidence in
me. That feels good. "I have been negotiating with many clubs from Russia,
Italy, France and England. West Ham and Sunderland were among them, but none
of them felt as good as Hoffenheim when their sporting director came. "It
was not a difficult choice, and my agents Nenad and Ferhat have done a
fantastic job."
Hamad is confident he will be suited by Hoffenheim's style of play and he
aims to be a first-team regular before the end of the season. He added: "I
will get the chance when I am ready. "The team plays in a 4-2-3-1 formation,
it is an offensive set-up where they want to recover the ball quickly. That
suits me well and the club also think that. "The target is to be a regular
starter by the summer, if not earlier. "I want to move on in my career, play
for a better team where I get to play tougher and tougher matches at a
higher pace."
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WHUFC.com
Big Sam discusses his attacking options ahead of Saturday's trip to Norwich
City
04.11.2013
Sam Allardyce is busy pondering his attacking options ahead of this
Saturday's teatime trip to Norwich City. The West Ham United manager saw his
side register their second consecutive 0-0 draw in the Barclays Premier
League against Aston Villa on Saturday, a result that provided an impressive
sixth clean sheet in ten league games at one end, but also one that
frustrated at times at the other. Norwich go into this Saturday's game on
the back of a heavy 7-0 defeat at Manchester City at the weekend and Big Sam
will undoubtedly be hoping to put those striking concerns to bed in the
5.30pm kick-off at Carrow Road.
"We've stopped a three home defeats on the trot run, so we've picked up a
point, we're playing well enough and we've got to believe, like we did last
weekend at Swansea, that we can go and play like that, and make the chances
we made at Swansea and this time score one," Big Sam said. "You've just got
to be composed and clinical when it comes to whoever the chance falls to.
Whether it be Reidy's header, Tomkins' header, Ravel Morrison outside the
box, Mark Noble, Joe Cole coming in off the line, or Stewart Downing.
"They've got to try and make one count and we couldn't get any out of the
players we used on Saturday, so it's ended up with a frustrating 0-0."
Allardyce opted to play his captain Kevin Nolan in the most advanced role
against the Villains and the move bore some fruit through his tenacity and
hard work. Although he too could not find the finishing touch when well
placed in the 72nd minute, his ten goals last season mean his manager is
happy for him help cover for the injured Andy Carroll. "Kevin can hold it
up, he can bring other people into play. We haven't got anybody that can
play up front at the moment that can start a game of football, until we get
them fitter. "In that case, when you've delivered as many opportunities as
we delivered, it's about people getting on the end of it. "Kevin scored a
good goal against Cardiff. In the end, like I said, it's not just about
Kevin, or Andy, it's about all the others taking responsibility to score as
we set out at the start of the season. "If a player scored one last season,
try to score at least one this year and then try to better it. Get the one
as quick as you can and then try to make it two. If you do all that then
instead of finishing tenth, you end up finishing above tenth."
Carlton Cole continued his build-up to full fitness with another lively
substitute display when he came on for Jack Collison in the 62nd minute. The
England international added some extra presence to the Hammers' attack but
sadly no clear-cut chances fell his way. "Carlton Cole got on on Saturday,
and he's played in the Premier League many, many times. Unfortunately, he
couldn't get a chance to score a goal. "Joe Cole got in a couple of good
positions, Kevin got in a couple of good positions on the edge of the box.
Unfortunately, when we hit a shot, or had a header, either the keeper saves
it, it was blocked, or we're just putting it wide at the minute. "At the
moment we're way down on our goal-scoring averages compared to what we
achieved last season. That's why we've only got ten points, instead of at
this stage last season, after eleven games we'd got probably 16 points."
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Cole keen to make an impression
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole is hoping to offer the Hammers some much-needed firepower in
the coming weeks
03.11.2013
Goalless draws are hardly the currency that Carlton Cole is keen to deal in,
but the fit-again frontman reckons West Ham United are very close to
rediscovering their goalscoring touch. As he did at Swansea City's Liberty
Stadium six days earlier, Cole joined the fray shortly after the hour mark
against Aston Villa on Saturday, with the Hammers drawing a blank for a
second successive Barclays Premier League outing. On reflection, Cole
conceded the stalemate was probably about fair on the day, while insisting
that it is up to him and his colleagues to make more of their possession in
the final third. Read Big Sam's take on Saturday's draw here He told West
Ham TV: "We had so many crosses in the box, we just need a little bit of
presence in there to make things happen. It wasn't to be in the first half,
I think we got something like 18 crosses in the box, a crazy statistic. Then
in the second we had 20, so we're disappointed that we couldn't get the
bodies in the box to finish off the chances or cause a little bit of mayhem.
"The gaffer has addressed that with us, not just blaming those not getting
in the box, but the quality of crosses as well. It goes both ways, but at
least we're overloading those positions and hopefully we can push on from
there. As soon as we notch one or two we'll be alright, because we're
getting in the right positions and doing the right things. It's just about
the quality in the final third, that's all it is. "[Christian] Benteke had a
great, great chance which could have buried us and all our efforts, but we
did OK to hang in there. But we did more than hang in there, because we had
most of the ball, I think. Next time we've just got to finish off the
chances that are presented to us. I didn't see any clear-cut chances against
Villa anyway, so that's why it was a stalemate. I think a draw's a fair
result."
Saturday's appearance from the bench was, curiously, his first at the Boleyn
Ground since 19 January 2013 and Cole was thrilled with his rapturous
reception from the Hammers faithful. "I was buzzing when I came on," he
confirmed. "The fans showed me a lot of love, which I always appreciate. I
just want to reward them and try my best for them to get us higher up the
league as much as possible."
As for his own contribution, the 30-year-old is pragmatic in his assessment
of things, acknowledging that his return has to be carefully managed. Having
missed the entirety of pre-season, Cole is quickly finding his feet once
more, with 120 minutes in his legs in the last week alone. He continued:
"I'm fit now, I think. It's just up to the manager to make a decision. I've
obviously had to do a fast-track training [programme] to get up to match
speed. I'm nearly there now and it's up to the manager to put me in when he
wants. I'm a fit lad anyway, so I adapted quite quickly. I'm raring to go
now. I want to get my head down, progress and get even fitter. "He [Sam
Allardyce] knows his own mind and he thinks I need a little bit more. I've
never really had a hamstring injury or a pull before and I don't want to
start now. You've got to manage your body. The medical team obviously know
me very well, having been here for almost eight years. So they know exactly
how to manage me."
Cole will likely have a part to play at Carrow Road next Saturday, where the
Hammers, ironically, were held to a goalless draw last season. The West Ham
No24 is desperate to buck that trend, not least to reward the Hammers'
outstanding defensive efforts. Norwich City, meanwhile, were on the
receiving end of a 7-0 thumping at Manchester City on Saturday and Cole
wants West Ham to exploit those deficiencies in next weekend's teatime
kick-off. It's six clean sheets in ten, so imagine if we'd just scored one
goal in each of those! We'd be way up the table, but that's how it goes.
Hopefully next time we can do more to just get that one goal and then we can
build from there. "Last year, when we went there, [to Norwich], we played
quite well. Hopefully we can try to take advantage of what Manchester City
have done to them on Saturday and we'll see what happens."
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Lambert on.....West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 3rd November 2013
By: Staff Writer No. 2
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert is happy with his side's point. Here's his
thoughts from the post-match press conference in full.....
You probably had the best two chances of the game?
Yeah I thought so. Andy [Weimann]in the first half the goalkeeper made a
good save. Christian [Benteke]'s header and shot in the second half they're
the three best chances of the game. Another day they go in.
Is it a worry that you've gone so long without a goal?
No no. I can't be too hard. We're creating chances. If we weren't creating
them maybe. Benteke's always been a threat. So has Weimann. To be fair
Jaaskalainen's made a terrific save from that one. On clear-cut chances -
it's a difficult place to come to at the best of times. I've got no worries
about us not taking chances.
The formation they went out with - the 4-6-0 - is that difficult to play
against?
We just play our own way. We have our own philosophy. We set up with a back
three. We went to win the game with two up top. You can't get over-worried
about someone else's way they play. You respect Sam's way of playing. From
our own point of view we went out to win the game.
From your own point of view you're happy that the you're creating chances
despite the lack of goals?
Yeah no worries. None whatsoever.
Was that a sending off in the first half?
I spoke to Howard [Webb]. I respect his view and see where he's coming from.
I just think it's a difficult ball to win if it's safe side. I respect his
decision and the way that he saw it. From my point of view I just thought it
might have been. What he's said to me I have to respect that answer. I've
just aired my view. That's the game - sometimes you get them sometimes you
don't.
You now haven't conceded in your last three away games. Do you draw some
encouragement from that?
Oh no doubt. It was a big performance because we lost a couple of big
players for us during the week. I don't think West Ham had any chances. The
lads at the back put their heads in when it mattered. They blocked things
when it mattered. Along with Brad [Guzan] I thought they were excellent.
This is the sort of game you might not have got something out of last year.
Can you see the progression?
Oh yes absolutely. Huge. The resiliance is a lot stronger. This is a game we
lost last year - we could still be playing that one and not look like
scoring. This year we certainly looked a threat
Thank you.
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Hoffenheim's new signing Jiloan Hamad claims talks with Sunderland and West
Ham
By Kent Hedlundh | Last Updated: November 3, 2013 9:53pm
SSN
Sweden international Jiloan Hamad claims he attracted interest from
Sunderland and West Ham United before agreeing to join Hoffenheim.
Bundesliga club Hoffenheim confirmed earlier this week that winger Hamad
will join the club from Malmo during the winter break. The 22-year-old had
been linked with several clubs across Europe, but he is confident he has
made the right decision to sign for Hoffenheim. "Everything felt right
immediately," Hamad told Fotbollskanalen.se regarding his deal with
Hoffenheim. "It was Hoffenheim who contacted us. They have scouted me
thoroughly, and their coach and sporting director have got big confidence in
me. That feels good. "I have been negotiating with many clubs from Russia,
Italy, France and England. West Ham and Sunderland were among them, but none
of them felt as good as Hoffenheim when their sporting director came. "It
was not a difficult choice, and my agents Nenad and Ferhat have done a
fantastic job."
Hamad is confident he will be suited by Hoffenheim's style of play and he
aims to be a first-team regular before the end of the season. He added: "I
will get the chance when I am ready. "The team plays in a 4-2-3-1 formation,
it is an offensive set-up where they want to recover the ball quickly. That
suits me well and the club also think that. "The target is to be a regular
starter by the summer, if not earlier. "I want to move on in my career, play
for a better team where I get to play tougher and tougher matches at a
higher pace."
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