Hammers bow out of League Cup
WHUFc.com
Sheffield United prevail on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the Capital One
Cup second round
26.08.2014
Capital One Cup
West Ham United 1-1 Sheffield United, (4-5 on penalties)
West Ham United fell to a shock shootout defeat by Sheffield United in the
Capital One Cup on Tuesday evening, as the Sky Bet League One side prevailed
5-4 from the spot to book their place in the last 32. After the first eight
penalties had all been confidently converted, summer signing Enner Valencia
was denied by the excellent Mark Howard, allowing visiting skipper Michael
Doyle to tuck home the decisive strike from 12 yards. West Ham had looked
to be in control when Diafra Sakho marked his home debut with a maiden goal,
but Winston Reid put through his own net after 12 second half minutes to
force the extra 30 minutes. But there would be no winner in the additional
half hour, leaving Sheffield United to seal victory from the spot.
As expected, manager Sam Allardyce had earlier shuffled his pack, making
nine changes to the side that started in the Barclays Premier League at
Crystal Palace on Saturday. Of the new faces, there were starts for
Valencia, Sakho and Diego Poyet, while Reece Burke was rewarded for his
winning cameo against US Sampdoria with a first competitive outing.
Elsewhere, Ravel Morrison made his first appearance of the new campaign,
having worked his way back from minor groin surgery over the summer.
A new-look West Ham XI took a little while to hit their straps at the Boleyn
Ground and Ricardo Vaz Te's misdirected header, from a Guy Demel centre, was
the best they had to show from the first quarter-of-an-hour.
At the other end, Marc McNulty stole a yard on Reid in the Hammers box, but
then scarcely made contact as he hurriedly slashed at goal. Ben Davies swung
in the resulting corner and full-back Craig Alcock hooked wide of the near
post.
Moments later and Blades 'keeper Mark Howard was forced into a first save,
getting down smartly to gather Valencia's fiercely driven strike from 20
yards. Poyet was next to try his luck, unleashing a dipping volley from the
edge of the D that rose a yard or two over Howard's crossbar.
The chances, now, continued to come. Mohamed Diame set Valencia free, who
was again foiled by an excellent Howard stop, on this occasion at his near
post. And the busy 'keeper was back in action after 35 minutes, flinging
himself to his left to palm a Morrison free-kick around the post. Morrison
jogged across to take the corner in front of the East Stand and watched on
as Burke's goalbound header was, just, forced behind by a scurrying Howard.
But the Blades custodian was finally beaten when Sakho met Reece Burke's
right-wing centre and glanced a perfect header over the Blades keeper to
open the scoring and his Hammers account. Sakho very nearly turned provider
before the half was out, brilliantly bringing the ball under his spell and
squaring for Valencia, who, on the slide, was agonisingly close to applying
a touch.
The second half, much like the first, began quietly and the Blades made the
most of an indifferent start, bagging the equaliser after 57 minutes. A
cross from the left glanced off McNulty's head and Reid, unable to adjust
his feet, inadvertently stabbed goalward and wide of a wrong-footed Jussi
Jaaskelainen.
Now with their tails up, the hosts might have completed the turnaround but
Chris Basham headed well wide of Jaaskelainen's right-hand upright from a
Bob Harris centre.
A first West Ham change followed, as Sakho was replaced by Stewart Downing
and the pendulum almost instantly swung back towards the hosts. West Ham's
No11 firstly crossed for Reid, whose first-time effort flashed beyond the
near post, before a ball to the back post this time was met by an acrobatic
Vaz Te and blocked behind.
With little more than ten minutes to play, Alcock made his presence felt
from another set-piece, heading a ring-wing corner narrowly over the top.
Seconds later and Saturday's hero Mauro Zarate joined the fray in place of
Vaz Te, as the Hammers sought a route into the last 32. And it so nearly
came via Downing's wand of a left foot as he measured one up from 25 yards
and forced Howard, at full stretch, to tip it over the top.
Substitute Zarate then worried Howard, as he spilled the Argentine's drive,
albeit Valencia was unable to make anything of the rebound. Valencia was
presented with an even better chance in the 88th minute, when Demel's
knockdown sat up kindly for the Ecuadorian but a Blades block kept the
visitors in it.
So to extra time and Zarate looked the most likely for the men in Claret and
Blue, as Allardyce made his final switch with the introduction of Mark Noble
for Morrison. Jamal Campbell-Ryce's mazy run ended in a blocked short on the
edge of the box, before Valencia's effort at the other end suffered a
similar fate, flicking off a Sheffield shirt and flying well wide.
A nervous moment for Jaaskelainen followed, as Jay McEveley's bobbler almost
squirmed through the Hammers stopper, with Noble thankfully on hand to hack
clear of harm's way. As the first half of extra time drew to an end, Poyet
chanced his arm from range, only to see his effort nestle safely in the arms
of a well-positioned Howard.
Upon the restart, Noble's deep free-kick nearly deceived Howard, who was
ultimately grateful to claw it beyond the far post. Then, having been teed
up by Poyet, Noble's effort looked a good one, but cannoned into the limbs
of James Wallace.
Valencia blasted a free-kick goalward in the dying minutes and though it
moved in the air, proved no trouble for Howard. That was it for the added
30, with spot-kicks to decide the winners.
As it transpired, the first eight spot-kicks were almost nerveless. Noble
got the ball rolling for the hosts, with Davies doing likewise for the
Sheffield side. Then Downing, Collins, Zarate, McNulty, Poyet and McEveley
were each faultless, handing responsibility to Valencia. The Ecuador man
opted to go down the middle and, having motioned to his right, Howard
comfortably kept it out, before Doyle sent Jaaskelainen the wrong way.
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Reid, Burke, Potts, Poyet, Diame,
Morrison (98), Sakho (Downing 63), Vaz Te (Zarate 80), Valencia
Subs: Spiegel, Oxford, Lee, Page
Goal: Sakho 40
Booked: Morrison
Sheffield United: Howard, Alcock, Harris (McEveley 72), Basham, Flynn
(Campbell-Ryce 84), Doyle, Baxter (Wallace 100), McNulty, Collins, Davies,
McGahey
Subs: Turner, Wallace, Murphy, Higdon, Reed
Goal: Reid o.g. 57
Booked: Doyle
Referee: James Linington
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IT'S DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN
By Iain Dale 26 Aug 2014 at 22:23
West Ham Till I Die
Those of us who are slightly longer in the tooth have experienced nights
like this quite a few times over the years. But even though we think we
might have become immune to it, it's still a total humiliation.
I wasn't there, so maybe I am not the best person to pass comment, but with
a lineup like that, how the hell do we lose to a League Two side? There will
be plenty of people willing to blame Sam Allardyce, but it's the players who
have to accept responsibility. Those who were there can point the finger at
individuals, but from the BBC Sheffield commentary which I listened to it
didn't seem as though we did a lot wrong. They reckoned Enner Valencia
wasn't at the races, but in midfield they reckoned Diame had a stormer, even
if they couldn't pronounce his name (Dee-Am).
So if you were there, tell us what you made of it.
It's a crying shame that we are out of this competition which we nearly made
the final of last year. I hope the riot act is being read in the dressing
room as we speak.
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Sheffield fans stay away in droves
KUMb.com
Filed: Tuesday, 26th August 2014
By: Staff Writer
Sheffield United are understood to have been left with thousands of unsold
tickets for their trip to West Ham this evening. Following the draw for the
second round of the Capital One Cup, which was made on 13 August, Hammers
fans residing in the Trevor Brooking Lower were informed that they would
have to find alternative seating for tonight's game as the entire lower tier
was being reserved for travelling Blades supporters. However that would
appear to have been an unnecessary move in hindsight as away fans have
decided to stay away from the ground en masse, with some citing the
potential for trouble - as a result of the recent animosity between the two
clubs - as the main reason for failing to attend. Sheffield had been
allocated approximately 3,500 tickets for the game, however less than half
of that number are likely to be used when the two teams meet at the Boleyn
Ground this evening.
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Duxbury on Tevez: 'we did absolutely nothing wrong'
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 26th August 2014
By: Staff Writer
Five years ago KUMB.com sat down with Scott Duxbury for an exclusive
interview during which West Ham United's then-CEO revealed the full story
behind the Carlos Tevez case.
Subsequently blamed by many for the events that led to West Ham cutting
their losses and agreeing to a £20million+ out-of-court settlement with
Sheffield United in September 2008 following Lord Griffiths' bizarre
assertion that "West Ham would have secured at least three fewer points ...
if Carlos Tevez had not been playing for the club", Duxbury gave his side of
the story in a no-holds-barred interview - some of which missed the cut when
the original article was published.
On the day that West Ham United meet Sheffield United for the first time
since the acrimonious 'Tevez Affair' split the world of football, we reveal
the story behind the clandestine talks that led to the out-of-court
settlement figure of circa £20million - and the lengths Duxbury went to in
order to keep Carlos Tevez at the club for the final three games of the
2006/07 season.
Following months of legal wrangling and numerous hearings, all of which had
gone in West Ham's favour, a tribunal led by Lord Griffiths decided that the
Hammers should pay massive compensation to the Blades following their
relegation from the Premiership at the end of the 2006/07 season. The
Yorkshire club, who had led West Ham by 10 points just two months earlier
had asked for damages of between £30m-£45m to be considered.
Devastated by the incomprehensible verdict, Duxbury was keen to avoid
returning to court as he knew that to do so could potentially leave West Ham
facing administration. It was, he believed, a genuine possibility following
the previous year's worldwide banking collapse that left the club saddled
with massive debts and him effectively in charge by default, after the hasty
departure of Eggert Magnusson and Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson.
Duxbury persuaded Sheffield United's Kevin McCabe to attend a meeting in
Belgium, where the Blades chairman held business interests. And according to
the man introduced to West Ham by former chairman Terry Brown, proceedings
got off to a dreadful start. "We did it all in Brussels," he told KUMB. "But
the first meeting went really badly. Myself and Nick went to this bar in
Bruges because we thought that's it, we're screwed."
However a second meeting proved to be far more productive after the duo
representing West Ham decided that a more direct approach was necessary -
which ultimately proved successful. "We played hard-ball, and it was
fantastic," said Duxbury. "We said right, fine. Either you're going to put
us into administration or we will put the club into administration and you
won't get a penny. It was real brinkmanship. He [McCabe] wanted the money up
front and that would have made a difference to Sheffield. We staged it over
five years."
It was only last year that the final tranche of some £5million was paid to
the Blades, who have essentially squandered the huge sum of money they
managed to extort from West Ham. Brian Robson and Kevin Blackwell are held
culpable by many Blades followers for wasting sizeable warchests during the
club's Championship years (2007-11), since when they have fallen further
down the league ladder.
Even though the settlement figure nearly crippled West Ham and, combined
with other factors, left the club uncompetitive in the transfer market for
several years, Duxbury believed that the arrangement represented a good deal
for the club - who he maintained could have faced a bill twice the size had
the two parties not reached an agreement.
"It's a stupid amount of money but when you put it over five years it
doesn't hurt us," he insisted. "It's less than what we paid for Freddie
Ljungberg. But it became clear to me we simply couldn't risk an absurd
decision by Lord Griffiths that says the full £40million that Sheffield
United are claiming is payable, and it's payable within seven days - which
would be the award."
Duxbury, who departed West Ham shortly after the arrival of current owners
David Sullivan and David Gold was at the very centre of the entire Tevez
affair from beginning to end. The club's Legal Secretary at the time Tevez
and fellow Argentine Javier Mascherano joined West Ham, he was later accused
of misleading Tevez's representatives in order to keep the striker at the
club until the end of the 2006/07 season.
Famously referred to as 'oral cuddles', it was claimed that Duxbury lied to
Kia Joorbachian's lawyer Graham Shear regarding the player's contractual
status. Whilst the Premier League insisted that a new contract be drawn up
in order to allow Tevez to play the final games of the 2006/07 season
following an enquiry, Duxbury was said to have told Shear that the existing
deal remained in place - albeit now as a verbal agreement only.
They are charges that Duxbury vehemently denied.
"It was just a loan agreement, effectively," he began. "We had to serve
notice to Kia and Tevez, the Premier League insisted. Tevez was in a hotel
in Wigan when we had to serve this notice to him terminating the agreement.
So Tevez was kicking off, wondering what's going on.
"I calmed him down, saying we'd discuss it next week. Kia was saying 'right,
we need to talk because Tevez ain't playing again, you've terminated the
agreement and I'm going to sue you for tens of millions of pounds'. Good.
Nice preparation for the next couple of games...
"So we met with Kia in Eggert's office [following the Wigan game]. Eggert
didn't want to meet him originally, he was saying 'Kia's dangerous, I don't
want him here'. I said if we don't meet, he isn't going to play. Kia's not
bluffing, Tevez just won't play.
"At that point, Tevez was in an oxygen tent with an ankle injury and it
would have been the easiest thing in the world for him to say 'I'm not fit'.
But we met with Kia in his office and I dragged Eggert there.
"I said 'look, you're going to be absolutely destroyed in the world media if
Tevez doesn't play because you're seen as this evil third party. A judgment
goes against you and then Tevez doesn't play? It's absolutely in your
interest that Tevez plays. If he wants to go in the summer he can, but he
must play in these three games. It's absolutely in his interest.'
"At the same time, Lucas Neill was in the oxygen tent with Tevez so I had
Lucas getting into his head saying 'come on, you must play. It's ridiculous,
if you've got your dream move to Man Utd or whoever, you've got to play'.
"So the purpose of those meetings was, as I would do with any player or
agent that's not happy, to convince him to play and to convince his agent to
sort it out in the summer.
"The Premier League were happy with that. But Griffiths, who doesn't
understand football believes that the fact we even met Kia, the fact that we
convinced Tevez to stay was in some way a breach of the rules - which is
absolute nonsense."
It is often forgotten that Carlos Tevez failed to score a single goal in his
first 19 appearances for West Ham. However in his final three matches -
games in which West Ham beat Wigan, Bolton and Manchester United to
miraculously avoid relegation - he scored three times, giving him a total of
seven for the season.
And it was the Argentine's (considerable) influence in those trio of games
alone which led Lord Griffiths to rule in favour of Sheffield United,
leaving West Ham with the prospect of paying a world-record compensation
sum.
That inexplicable ruling followed the world record £5million fine West Ham
had already been hit with by the Premier League as a result of
irregularities regarding Tevez's original contract which, with agent's fees,
wages and other associated costs considered, meant the player ended up
costing the Hammers around £35million - all for just 29 matches.
Yet on reflection, Duxbury - now CEO at Championship club Watford -
maintained that he was content with the manner in which he handled the
affair immediately following the Premier League's insistence that Tevez's
contract be ripped up.
"As an executive of a football club it's exactly what you've got to do," he
argued. "You've just terminated their contract, you've just p*ssed them off
royally, you've got to do what you can to convince the player to play. If
you want to go in the summer - no problem. But it's entirely in your
interest to play now. And the Premier League agreed with this.
"If I had refused to meet Kia, Tevez wouldn't have played and that would
have been negligent. I had to meet Kia and Tevez and say 'look, if you want
to go somewhere else, that is not a problem'. I had the same conversation
with Nigel Reo-Coker in January when he wanted to go.
"It would've been easier for me for, self preservation, not to have met them
and just said 'I'm not getting involved' and Tevez wouldn't have played," he
continued. "But I did, and we did absolutely nothing wrong.
"We met, we got him to play and in the summer it was a huge battle, a
massive battle. We could not have done anything more consistent with
terminating the side agreement because we had legal battles, we were slagged
off in the press and after months of turmoil we eventually reached an
agreement where Tevez could go.
"If we were acting consistently with the side agreement he would have just
gone on 1 July. Griffiths just totally missed it. Quite frankly I think it
was the finest negotiation I've ever done. I'm proud of that, I've done
nothing wrong - and I got Tevez to play."
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Allardyce: Nolan injury a 'massive blow'
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 25th August 2014
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce says that captain Kevin Nolan's injury is a huge loss to West
Ham. As reported here on KUMB at the weekend, Nolan injured a shoulder
during a training session at Chadwell Heath last Thursday and is now facing
a lengthy lay-off. And whilst some supporters sunk as low as to revel in the
captain's injury, Big Sam is under no illusion as to how much Nolan will be
missed both on and off the pitch. "Kevin fractured his shoulder and that's a
massive blow to us, along with all the other players we've got injured,"
said Allardyce. "He will be out for probably six weeks. It isn't a
dislocated shoulder, it's a fractured shoulder, but I don't know just how
long that will keep Kevin out. "We dealt with it brilliantly at Palace and
let's hope we can continue to do that. It didn't affect us at Palace and
maybe that's a sign there's more to come. "We were missing five players who
play a big part in our squad, so to win the game comfortably with as many
injuries as that was extremely pleasing. This might be the best and
strongest squad I've put together at the club; I hope it is."
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Big Sam blunted by Blades
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce said Sheffield United had goalkeeper Mark Howard to thank for
their Capital One Cup victory
26.08.2014
Sam Allardyce said Sheffield United had goalkeeper Mark Howard to thank for
their Capital One Cup second round win over West Ham United. Howard
repeatedly denied the Hammers during both normal and extra-time at the
Boleyn Ground. He saved from Enner Valencia, Ravel Morrison, Reece Burke,
Mauro Zarate, Stewart Downing, Diego Poyet and Mark Noble before winning the
tie for the League One side by saving Ecuador striker Valencia's shootout
penalty.
The 27-year-old was beaten by Diafra Sakho's header five minutes before
half-time, but Winston Reid's second-half own-goal gifted Sheffield United
an equaliser and the Blades defended resolutely to take the game to
penalties. After eight successful spot-kicks, Howard dived right to save
from Valencia before Blades skipper Michael Doyle beat Jussi Jaaskelainen to
settle the tie in the Yorkshire club's favour. "They were fantastic save by
their goalkeeper because time after time we hit the target, and time after
time he pulled off saves well beyond the league he is playing in," said Big
Sam, whose side had 23 shots on goal, nine of which tested Howard. "He has
had one of those inspired nights and, of course, if he plays like that all
season he won't be staying in League One.
"We found a 'keeper in his top form and that has cost us in the end because
he's the one who saved the penalty as well. It's a disappointing night in
the fact that we lost, but the football that we played and the people going
out there and getting the game they needed under their belts gave an
excellent account of themselves. "We didn't score enough goals because a
reflective score would have been three or maybe even four-one. The fact they
scored through an own-goal was very lucky for them when they went through
the entire 120 minutes having just two shots on target. "That showed how
much we dominated. Yet again, we should have got more goals, but we didn't.
"You've got to give Sheffield United credit for the way they defended. When
you decide to not try to go forward, which they did, it's difficult to break
them down. However, we had the quality of player to break them down, but we
didn't and we couldn't find a way past their goalkeeper. "The own-goal realy
knocked us off our stride because it was an average cross which wasn't going
anywhere until it hit Reidy on the knee and went past Jussi. If it hadn't, I
think we'd have won at least won 1-0, if not by more."
Had West Ham added to Sakho's maiden goal in Claret and Blue before
half-time - or even before Reid's unfortunate own-goal - then the manager
was confident his side would have played out the tie comfortably. Instead,
Sheffield United's equaliser gave them something to defend as a team and
they did that well in the second hour of play. "I think a second goal would
have settled it. Two or three-nil at half-time would have been a fairer
score to us, but their goalkeeper kept them in the game, so it wasn't poor
finishing so much as him having a storming game. "Even if he parried it out,
it didn't seem to be our night where it dropped to one of our players. It
went to one of their defenders instead. Then, our goalbound shots seemed to
hit their defenders and get blocked, so I can't complain about the
performance, but I can complain that we have lost on penalties after a very
good performance where we shouldn't have done.
"It's a disappointing night from that point of view, but there were a lot of
positives from the way the players played for most of the game, except
finishing the opposition off."
The manager had warm words for the performances of teenagers Poyet, Burke -
who assisted Sakho's goal - and Dan Potts. "They were very, very good. Three
Under-21 players didn't look out of place and were comfortable, so that's
good for the future of West Ham. Ravel Morrison also had his first game and
Enner had his first game since the World Cup, and he had to play 120
minutes, which was some going and he did a fantastic job. "Sakho took his
goal well and he also got down the right-hand side well during the game. so
that was good."
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Allardyce on... Sheffield United
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 27th August 2014
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce remained upbeat despite having witnessed his team tumble out
of the Capital One Cup on penalties. His full post-match presser here...
Sam: that must be hard to take given the performance, given that you were
winning..?
... Given the fact that we gave an own goal away? Given the fact that
Sheffield United had one shot on target? One shot on target in the first 90
minutes and in the 30 minutes of extra time. At the end of the day it's our
fault, isn't it?
I think it was an inspired performance by the goalkeeper for Sheffield
United. Whatever we threw at him he saved it or blocked it and if it came
off him it seemed to drop to one of the Sheffield United boys.
So from our point of view, it's a frustrating night after a very good
performance by players who have just joined us in their first full games -
[that's Diafra] Sakho and Enner [Valencia]. Considering Enner's not played a
game since the World Cup, that was going to be his first 60 minutes or so -
but Sakho tweaked his back so he's had to play 120 minutes.
It was Rav's first game since 30 minutes at Stevenage, so it's really good
for him. The three young players under 21 were very impressive; Danny Potts,
Diego Poyet and Reece Burke at the back. The rest tried their very best and
played very well up to the fact that we didn't score more goals than
Sheffield United, which we should have done but didn't.
We're very frustrated. Then to lose on penalties as well was even more
frustrating.
Was this a competition in which you wanted to go far again? West Ham do have
the Cup tradition thing.
Well like I just said, there's nowhere else to get members of my 25-man
squad football at a very competitive level. Only the Capital One Cup that
can do that. The rest of the time we can only train them and play amongst
each other because the Under 21 league is not where you play them, because
that's not competitive enough.
It's a disappointment that when you have a 25-man squad - which we're going
to name two days after the [transfer] window shuts - a lot of them are going
to have to keep themselves by training and training alone rather than
getting a game in the Capital One Cup and making a statement to me.
The reason Adrian got the goalkeeping number one slot in the end was because
of his performances in the Capital One Cup last year and a few others. So
it's a disappointing night to go out of the competition.
Before the game started I was concerned by the fact that I already had five
injured players who weren't available today; everybody knows those five
first team players. Then there's players who needed a game or for whom it
was their first game and there's young players that get a game.
To get through to the next round of the competition, and have those players
and some of the players who come back from injury after the international
break play again - like Matt Jarvis, Carl Jenkinson, James Collins plus Andy
[Carroll] and Kevin [Nolan], who are a good way off - would have been
fantastic.
Now we're going to have to find a different way of picking up their match
fitness when they are fit - and keeping the players who played tonight fit
on the training ground for when they're needed in the first team in the
Premier League.
I know it was before your time but the shadow of Carlos Tevez was hanging
over this. Do you appreciate how frustrating it must be for the fans to lose
this?
Well we've lost on penalties at the end of the day and the fans know we
should have won the game. We haven't been outplayed by Sheffield United, we
haven't been under pressure, they've had one shot on target in the entire 90
minutes.
They made life very difficult for us by playing that defensive unit, which
they are well within their right to when they come here. With the quality of
players we had tonight, we opened them up time and time again with patience
and good, quality football. At the end of the day, the end product deserted
us tonight but that was mainly due to their goalkeeper making some top-class
saves.
Young Poyet did well for you tonight?
Well him, Burke and Pottsy did nothing wrong at all. Praise to them, because
they didn't look out of place, they didn't look like young players in that
team tonight. It must have been a fantastic experience for them apart from,
like everybody, losing on a penalty shootout.
I've got to ask - Ravel Morrison started with gloves and then in the second
half, no gloves?
Rav's Rav... [laughs] Thank you.
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West Ham 1-1 Sheffield United AET: Blades exact shoot-out revenge on Hammers
after Tevez affair
Aug 26, 2014 22:49 By Darren Lewis
The League One side took the Hammers to 120 minutes and then beat them from
12 yards despite being outplayed for large spells
The Mirror
Sheffield United exacted sweet revenge as they dumped West Ham out of the
Capital One Cup - seven years after the Carlos Tevez affair. The simmering
League One club have had to bide their time after the Hammers stayed in the
Premier League at their expense back in 2007 amid the Tevez controversy.
But the Blades laughed loudest by the end of this tie after Winston Reid
gifted them an own goal then £12million World Cup star Enner Valencia missed
a penalty in the shoot-out. Midfielder Michael Doyle hit winner to put the
Blades into the next round and end the hopes of last year's semi-finalists.
Blades boss Nigel Clough now believes it is time to bury the hatchet after
burying the ghost of controversial Tevez. "It was an injustice felt by our
supporters and it always will be," he said, "But you can't keep going on
with things like that. How many years ago was it? Seven years? We all move
on and we are now trying to get out of League One."
The night had started so differently for West Ham. who dominated early on
with their new signings gelling impressively. Striker Diafra Sakho, who
netted 20 times for Metz last season, capped the Hammers' first-half
dominance by heading in from Mo Diame's cross five minutes before the break.
As Sam Allardyce's men stroked the ball around confidently, the home fans
taunted their frustrated Bramall Lane rivals with chants of "you're gonna
sue in a minute!"
The jibe was a reference to the legal battle that eventually saw West Ham -
who were not docked points - agree an out-of-court settlement to pay
Sheffield United £25million in compensation for their Premier League exit.
United believe they have lost out on a whopping £260m in Premier League and
TV revenue since that tumble out of the top flight. West Ham, by contrast,
have invested heavily this summer in a bid to improve on the squad that had
flirted with relegation last season. Chairman David Sullivan has been open
about his desire to give the club's supporters a trip to Wembley and the
club's top brass had been confident of improving on last season's heroics in
this competition. They were denied, however, by a string of superb saves
from keeper Mark Howard.
The 27-year-old, who began his career at Arsenal, kept out efforts from
Valencia, Ravel Morrison, debutant Dan Burke and substitutes Mark Noble and
Stewart Downing. Allardyce said later: "They had one shot on goal in the
entire 90 minutes. But at the end of the day its our fault. It was an
inspired performance from their goalkeeper. "Whatever we hit at him he
seemed to save it. It was a frustrating night after a very good performance
from some of our new players.
"To lose on penalties is even more frustrating. The fans will be
disappointed in me but we should not have lost the game. We have not been
outplayed. They had one shot on goal in the first 90 minutes and another
shot on goal in extra time."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers in clear on Friedel claims
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 26, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Sam Allardyce's decision to leave the grass at a particular length for the
visit of Spurs on opening day was approved by Premier League officials.
Former player Don Hutchison had revealed in his newspaper column that Brad
Friedel had claimed the grass had been left six inches long. The inference
was that the Hammers manager had wanted to slow the Spurs passing game. We
reported the story earlier today on ClaretandHugh and a Hammers source has
since contacted us saying: "The grass was checked by Premier League
officials and was found to be fine." There was never any suggestion of
wrongdoing anyway but we're pleased to report the manager's plan didn't
impinge on Premier League rules.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham plot Carlton Cole transfer after summer swoops for strikers
Valencia, Zarate and Sakho
Aug 25, 2014 22:30 By Neil McLeman
Hammers are ready to ditch the big striker for the second time in 13 months
in a £1million deal with Championship side Bournemouth
The Mirror
West Ham are ready to sell Carlton Cole to Bournemouth for £1million – but
the striker is reluctant to move to the Championship. The 30-year-old former
England star has started both Premier League games for the Hammers this
season and scored at Crystal Palace, but is set to drop down the pecking
order with the signings of Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho. He was released
by West Ham in July 2013, then rejoined last season after Andy Carroll's
heel injury and was rewarded with an 18-month deal in January. It is
understood Cole is also reluctant to accept a cut in his £25,000-a-week
wages. The Cherries have funds after pocketing £5m from Adam Lallana's
sell-on clause when he went from Southampton to Liverpool.
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Wednesday, August 27
Tuesday, August 26
Daily WHUFC News - 26th August 2014
Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce is hoping for big things from his new recruits after
Saturday's showing at Crystal Palace
25.08.2014
Sam Allardyce believes his new signings can continue their impressive start
to life in the Barclays Premier League when Southampton visit the Boleyn
Ground on Saturday. The West Ham United manager proudly explained that he
has never witnessed three new signings take to the UK's top flight so
quickly after watching Aaron Cresswell, Cheik Kouyate and Mauro Zarate play
an influential role in last Saturday's 3-1 win at Crystal Palace. Creswell
and Kouyate were equally impressive in the Hammers' first game against
Tottenham Hotspur and Big Sam is tipping them to take West Ham to new levels
this season. "It's the best I've seen three players adjust to the Premier
League in my eleven or 12 years in this league," Allardyce said. "All three
were good. I've seen one or two hit the ground running, but all three of
them have. It was a really good comeback from last week's loss to Spurs.
"Kouyate has got the modern-day midfield player written all over him. He's
high-energy, two-footed, great box to box, competes in the air and tackles.
It's also great to see a player who comes in with a big smile on his face
every day. He's living his dream by coming to play in the Premier League. "I
think Mauro has grown up and matured. I remember him from his spell at
Birmingham, but he's been to Italy since then and back to Argentina and
scored some goals. He looks a mature player with a lot of qualities in the
final third, something different to what we had. He's taken his opportunity
brilliantly. Hopefully he can continue to grow and improve. "The whole team
played well to start with, but with Mauro's goal, Kouyate in midfield and
Aaron, who has also just joined us, it was an all-round great performance.
It was an outstanding day for us after the bitter disappointment of last
weekend."
Like they did for much of the game against Spurs on the opening day, the
Hammers dominated their London opponents, but this time they made sure they
took their chances when presented. They could have been three up and out of
sight had James Tomkins' early first-half header hit the back of the net and
not the bar, but other than that it was a fine example of striking while the
Irons were hot. "The quality of our finishing was superb as opening the
opposition up is very difficult. You could see that by the quality of goal
we had to score to beat them. "The first one from Zarate was a fantastic
finish, and a fantastic run and finish for the second from Downing. Crystal
Palace couldn't complain."
Big Sam joked that his new attacking coach, Teddy Sheringham, would want to
take all of the credit, but added more seriously that he feels the former
England international is making a big difference on the training pitch with
his strikers. "I'm sure Teddy would say it's probably all down to him! He
can do little things in the groups but the only problem we have is the
sports scientists saying he's out there too long with them! "I don't mind
him taking all the credit for it if we continue to show the quality of
finishes we did on Saturday."
Before the Saints game at the weekend, the Hammers host Sheffield United in
an eagerly awaited Capital One Cup tie at the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday and,
given the strength in depth he currently has available, Big Sam may opt to
shuffle his pack. Aware of the importance of winning the game, though, it is
likely he will still field a strong team with the likes of Diego Poyet,
Ravel Morrison, Mo Diame, Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho all expected to
start.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Preview - Sheffield United
WHUFC.com
All the key information ahead of Tuesday's game against Sheffield United
25.08.2014
WEST HAM UNITED v SHEFFIELD UNITED
CAPITAL ONE CUP SECOND ROUND
BOLEYN GROUND
TUESDAY 26 AUGUST 2014
KICK-OFF: 7.45PM
REFEREE: JAMES LININGTON
In brief
West Ham United's Capital One Cup campaign gets underway on Tuesday evening
with the second round visit of Sky Bet League One side Sheffield United.
The Blades defeated Mansfield Town by a 2-1 scoreline to advance to this
stage of the competition, which the Hammers enter at Round Two. Last year,
West Ham reached the semi-finals after defeating Cheltenham Town, Cardiff
City, Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur, but came up short against eventual
champions Manchester City over two legs.
Sam Allardcye's men gained their first points of the season with a 3-1
victory at Crystal Palace on Saturday, while Sheffield United have six
points from their four games to date, and beat Crawley Town 1-0 at rhe
weekend.
Who are they?
Sheffield United were founded in 1889 as an offshoot of Sheffield United
Cricket Club and quickly enjoyed success, becoming champions of England in
1897/98 and FA Cup winners in 1899, 1902, 1915 and 1925. However, they have
not won a major trophy since that early heyday. Their darkest days came
between 1975-1981, when they fell all the way from the top flight to the
Fourth Division, although they subsequently recovered to become founder
members of the FA Premier League in 1992. Following relegation in 1994, they
have enjoyed one season at the top table since - 2006/07 - but have again
suffered recently, currently playing in the third tier. Last season did
bring a successful FA Cup run, though, as Nigel Clough's men made it to a
Wembley semi-final before losing out to Hull City.
Team news
West Ham United
Several of the Hammers' summer signings could be given their first starts
when Big Sam's men welcome Sheffield United to the Boleyn Ground. Diafra
Sakho and Enner Valencia could feature in attack, while Diego Poyet will be
hoping to be selected in midfield. James Collins returns following
suspension, but Kevin Nolan is out after suffering a shoulder injury last
week.
Sheffield United
Blades midfielder James Wallace could miss out with a groin problem, while
fellow midfielder Stefan Scougall has also been absent in recent weeks.
Sheffield United boss Nigel Clough has insisted that his team will approach
the game with all guns blazing as they look to embark on another famous cup
run.
Referee
Tuesday's referee will be James Linington. Linington was appointed to the
Select Group of assistant referees in 2006, but has yet to be promoted to
the Select Group of referees who officiate in the Barclays Premier League.
Linington has taken charge of a West Ham United first-team fixture twice
before in his career, having previously controlled the Hammers' 1-0 Carling
Cup victory over Oxford United in August 2010 and the 3-2 win over Leicester
City in the Championship in October 2011. After giving up playing football
at the age of 15, Linington moved into refereeing and originally specialised
in being an assistant referee through his career in the professional game.
After running the line in the 2006 League One play-off final at Cardiff's
Millennium Stadium, the official took charge of the 2010 League Two play-off
final between Dagenham & Redbridge and Rotherham United at Wembley in May
2010, having joined the National Group as a referee in 2008. He will be
assisted by John Busby and Ian Fissenden, while the fourth official will be
Gavin Ward.
One to watch
West Ham United
Senegalese forward Diafra Sakho could be given his first start in a Hammers
shirt when they take on the Blades at the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday. Sakho,
24, joined the Hammers on the eve of the new campaign from FC Metz in
France, where his goals helped win successive promotions to the top flight.
He came off the bench in Saturday's 3-1 win over Crystal Palace and will be
looking to maintain his fine goalscoring form from France, which brought 39
league strikes over the last two campaigns.
Sheffield United
Sheffield United's Jose Baxter scored the only goal of the game as his side
defeated Crawley Town on Saturday. 22-year-old Baxter started his career at
Everton and was capped at U17 level by England before dropping down to
Oldham Athletic in 2012 to gain more first team football. After a year at
Boundary Park, which saw him notch 15 league goals, he moved on to Sheffield
United, where eight goals in 45 games followed last term. An attacking
midfielder, Baxter clearly has an eye for goal and the Hammers will have to
wary over his talents on Tuesday.
Tickets
Tickets purchased in advance are priced at just £10 Adults and £5 Under-16s.
Tickets purchased on matchday rise in price by £5 for both categories. Buy
tickets now here.
Travel
No planned closures will affect the District, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee or
Central lines on matchday.
Weather
Another wet day is on the cards for Tuesday, although the rain is predicted
to clear up by the time the game kicks-off. Sunny intervals are forecast for
late evening, with temperatures of 16C (61F)
Last meeting
The Hammers last met Sheffield United towards the end of the 2006/07 season
with both sides fighting for Premier League survival. The Blades won
comfortably on that occasion, but it was the Hammers who celebrated come the
season's end as their great escape left Sheffield United back in the
Championship.
Sheffield United 3-0 West Ham United
14 April 2007
Sheffield United: Kenny, Geary, Jagielka, Armstrong, Davis (Morgan 56),
Gillespie, Montgomery, Tonge, Stead, Nade (Quinn 61), Kazim-Richards (Webber
83)
Subs: Kozluk, Shelton
Goals: Tonge 39, Jagielka 68, Stead 78
West Ham United: Green, Neill, Ferdinand, McCartney, Collins, Noble (Blanco
73), Reo-Coker, Etherington (Boa Morte 65), Bowyer (Mullins 65), Zamora,
Tevez
Subs: Walker, Spector
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham v Sheff Utd
KO 19:45
25 August 2014
Last updated at 11:54
CAPITAL ONE CUP SECOND ROUND
Venue: Upton Park Date: Tuesday, 26 August
Coverage: Text commentary online, with highlights on The League Cup Show on
Wednesday 27 August at 23:05 BST (BBC1 and BBC1 Scotland) or 23:35 (BBC 1
Wales) or on Thursday 28 August at 00:05 BST (BBC1 Northern Ireland)
TEAM NEWS
West Ham will again be without captain Kevin Nolan, who sat out Saturday's
win at Crystal Palace because of a fractured shoulder. James Collins is back
after a ban and Matt Jarvis could return following a thigh problem but Carl
Jenkinson (hamstring) is unlikely to be risked
Sheffield United boss Nigel Clough has no new fitness concerns. He may be
tempted to rotate his squad, so Jamal-Campbell-Ryce, Mark McNulty and Bob
Harris will hope for recalls.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Sheffield United have lost only one of their last five games against West
Ham in all competitions (W2, D2).
The Hammers have won the two previous League Cup meetings, in 1971 and 1991.
They scored a total of seven unanswered goals in those two cup ties.
West Ham United
The Hammers reached the final four of the League Cup last season.
However, their 9-0 aggregate defeat to Manchester City was the biggest
losing margin in a semi-final in the competition's history.
West Ham's last League Cup defeat against lower league opposition came in
August 2011, when they were beaten 2-1 by Aldershot Town in the first round.
The Hammers have won nine of their last 12 League Cup matches at home,
losing the other three.
Sheffield United
The Blades have not reached the third round of the League Cup since 2008.
Their win over Mansfield in the opening round was their first in eight
matches (D2, L5) in this competition.
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Bournemouth want Cole
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 25th August 2014
By: Staff Writer
Carlton Cole looks set to be the first casualty of West Ham's recent
recruitment programme. The 30-year-old striker scored his first goal of the
season in the 3-1 win at Crystal Palace at the weekend but could be on the
verge of leaving West Ham some eight years after moving to the club from
Chelsea. According to reports from various sources, Championship side
Bournemouth are poised to enter talks with the former England international
after a fee was agreed between the two clubs for the transfer of Cole, whose
latest deal with West Ham expires at the end of the current campaign. Eddie
Howe's side are currently 11th in the Championship with six points from
their opening four matches. Cole has made more than 250 appearances for West
Ham since Alan Pardew signed him for £2million.
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Mauro Zarate aiming to emulate Carlos Tevez at West Ham
Last Updated: 25/08/14 11:01am
SSN
Mauro Zarate is hoping to emulate fellow Argentine Carlos Tevez and become a
fans' favourite at West Ham United. Zarate has arrived at Upton Park eight
years after his countryman completed a shock switch to England and helped to
fire West Ham to Premier League survival. He lasted less than a season with
the Hammers, but did enough during his brief spell to earn cult hero status.
Zarate has some way to go before he can claim to sit alongside Tevez, but
the 27-year-old is determined to enjoy similar success. He is back in the
Premier League for a second spell, having spent time on loan at Birmingham
City in 2008, and believes he returns better equipped to handle the
challenges which lie ahead. Zarate said after netting in a 3-1 victory over
Crystal Palace on Saturday: "I don't know if I am a better player than I was
then. But I am more experienced. That is very important in football. "I
spoke with other Argentine players before I came back here. I speak with
Sergio Aguero, sometimes we have dinner together. I always wanted to come
back to England. He said West Ham was a good move for me. "Carlos Tevez is a
star. He won everything – the Champions League with Manchester United,
everything with Manchester City. Now he is with Juventus. "I am different. I
know he was very popular with West Ham fans. I hope I can have the same
impact."
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is convinced that Zarate can make a positive
impression, with the former Lazio and Inter Milan frontman offering
something different to the other strikers on his books. He said: "He is a
different kind of player. He likes to find spaces. None of our other players
are like that. "He has some strengths that other players at our club don't
have, and he showed that. He has the quality to break down tight defences."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stewart Downing impressed with West Ham's signings
Last Updated: 25/08/14 4:28pm
SSN
Stewart Downing believes West Ham's new recruits have already shown that
manager Sam Allardyce has spent wisely during the summer. Aaron Cresswell,
Cheikhou Kouyate and Mauro Zarate were among seven of Allardyce's signings
and the trio played their part in Saturday's 3-1 win over Crystal Palace.
Zarate opened the scoring with a spectacular volley, while further goals
from Downing and Carlton Cole secured a first Premier League victory of the
season at Selhurst Park. A mid-season injury crisis hampered the Hammers
last season, but Downing believes there is much more strength in depth and
has been impressed by recent additions. I think all the new signings have
settled in well and those who have played have made good starts," said the
winger. "We have a bit of a stronger squad this season which I think helps
the manager. Last season the team had to literally pick itself at times
because of injuries. "We have a lot more options now and can change it
around a bit if needed."
The 30-year-old has slipped out of England contention, but gave a reminder
of his attacking threat with a curling shot past Julian Speroni in the first
half.
He admits that Allardyce has urged him to shoulder some of the goalscoring
burden during this campaign. "Obviously I am eager as is the manager for me
to get more goals this season," he said. "To get off the mark second game
in, is nice. I want to shoot more, get in the positions I need to be in.
With the goal, I had it in my head what I wanted to do and hit it where I
wanted to and it worked."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Capital One Cup team news: West Ham v Sheff United preview
Last Updated: 25/08/14 3:48pm
SSN
West Ham will be without captain Kevin Nolan for Tuesday's Capital One Cup
second-round tie against Sheffield United. The midfielder has been ruled out
for six weeks with a fractured shoulder and manager Sam Allardyce must now
decide if Mauro Zarate will keep his place in the side after replacing Nolan
for Saturday's win at Crystal Palace. Matt Jarvis could return following a
thigh problem but Carl Jenkinson (hamstring) is unlikely to be risked. New
strikers Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho could make their full debuts while
youngsters Dan Potts, Reece Burke, Diego Poyet and Danny Whitehead will all
hope to be involved.
Sheffield United manager Nigel Clough is expected to make one or two changes
for his side's Capital One Cup clash at West Ham. Clough, who has no new
major injury or suspension worries, could be tempted to utilise his squad
with the likes of winger Jamal Campbell-Ryce, striker Mark McNulty, defender
Bob Harris and teenage midfielder Louis Reed pushing for recalls. Striker
Michael Higdon was rested for the recent win at Peterborough and could start
on the bench again, while winger Ryan Flynn is another who could return to
the starting line-up. The Blades are chasing a third straight victory after
successive league wins.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
AFC BOURNEMOUTH WANT CARLTON COLE
By Sean Whetstone 25 Aug 2014 at 12:16
West Ham Till I Die
Carlton Cole representatives are in talks with AFC Bournemouth for a
possible move to the Championship club. Cherries Manager Eddie Howe is a big
fan of the Hammers striker and is keen to sign the player before the
transfer window finishes. Whether Carlton Cole who scored the Hammers third
goal yesterday afternoon will personal terms remains to be seen. There
remains a question whether Bournemouth can afford his wages. The Cherries
are thought to be prepared to pay West Ham a £1m transfer fee. When Enner
Valencia and Diafro Sakho are fully match fit and Andy Carroll hopefully
returns in two months time Cole must realise he is likely to drop down the
striker pecking order significantly. Carlton Cole signed a 18 month contract
with West Ham in January 2014 which will take him up to the end of this
season after he was previously released in May 2013. He is believed to have
taken a pay cut to re-join the hammers from the £30,000 per week he
previously enjoyed. Cole admitted he once took a 50% pay cut when the
Hammers dropped down the championship and has remained a loyal servant to
the club since joining from Chelsea in 2006. In 2011 West Ham agreed to sell
Cole to Stoke but Carlton failed to agree personal terms and the deal
collapsed.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THE PRICE OF PREMIER LEAGUE SURVIVAL
By Sean Whetstone 25 Aug 2014 at 08:24
West Ham Till I Die
West Ham are believed to have paid about £24.5m in initial transfer fees
this summer transfer window for the seven signings but that amount could
rise to £37m based on certain conditions such as appearances, goals and the
Hammers final league position this season. Add to this a massive £49m wages
and national insurance we have committed to over the next four to five years
for the new recruits, agents fees are thought to add another £4m to the
total bill.
The annual budget for players wages is thought to have now reached £57m
leaving just £1m before the Premier League Financial Fair Play limit is
reached for this season.
Although West Ham received over £73m from TV income last season and are
likely to pass £110m turnover when figures are released next January for
last season there is likely to be a short fall with the recent huge
investment in signings. I wouldn't be surprised if David Sullivan and David
Gold injected more money to help balance the books this season after already
loaning £45.7m in the form of share holder loans plus another £25.5m for
shares from the Icelandics on the condition they loaned the money back to
the club.
The cost of staying in the Premier League have never be higher but the
consequences of relegation before we move to the Olympic Stadium would be
catastrophic at this stage.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carlos Tevez affair still cuts deep as Sheffield United face West Ham
• Mutual loathing as Bramall Lane club return in League Cup
• Relegation after Argentinian signed for West Ham still festers
John Ashdown
The Guardian, Monday 25 August 2014 19.58 BST
Carlos Tevez scored the only goal against Manchester United to relegate
Sheffield United in 2007. Carlos Tevez, who scored the only goal against
Manchester United at Old Trafford, to relegate Sheffield United in 2007.
Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian The second round of the League Cup
is not usually associated with vitriol, venom and downright loathing but
there will be an abundance of all three at Upton Park on Tuesday evening
when West Ham welcome Sheffield United for the first time since the clubs
had an ever so minor disagreement over a certain Argentinian.
The memory of Carlos Tevez and the court cases that saw West Ham pay £20m in
compensation to Sheffield United remains an incendiary issue between the
clubs and one that infuses this fixture like lighter fluid. Resentment has
festered.
Tevez's arrival with Javier Mascherano at West Ham on transfer deadline day
in August 2006 sowed the seeds of a problem. The discovery of the
third-party agreements concerning the players that came to light in January
2007 provided the soil in which they could grow. The independent Premier
League commission's decision to impose a record £5.5m fine rather than a
points deduction did all the watering and weeding required for the issue to
come into full bloom. West Ham opted not to appeal. Kevin McCabe, the
Sheffield United chairman, felt the decision "invited anarchy".
On the final day of the season West Ham went to Old Trafford to face
Manchester United and got the win they needed, with, of course, Tevez
scoring the only goal of the game. At Bramall Lane Neil Warnock's side
needed only a draw to relegate their opponents Wigan Athletic, who would
then very likely have taken United's place in what was to come, but lost 2-1
thanks to a David Unsworth penalty.
United lost an initial appeal against their relegation in the summer of
2007, despite an arbitration panel admitting that it "would in all
probability have reached a different conclusion and deducted points from
West Ham". A year after relegation an independent FA tribunal found in their
favour, with the chair, Lord Griffiths, judging that: "We have no doubt that
West Ham would have secured at least three fewer points over the 2006-07
season if Carlos Tevez had not been playing for the club."
Sheffield United had wanted compensation of up to £45m in lost income but in
the end came to an out-of-court settlement with West Ham that saw the
Hammers pay almost £20m. The West Ham chief executive, Scott Duxbury, said
he was pleased to "draw a line under this whole episode", McCabe was "happy
and satisfied" with the settlement that had been reached in discussions that
were "friendly, co-operative and in the best of spirit". The final payment
was delivered in the summer of 2013. The boardrooms and moneymen may have
been able to bury the hatchet but football fans have longer memories than
those that run their clubs.
Sheffield United's trajectory since 2007 has hardly helped. Thanks to that
original £5.5m fine, the Premier League itself has been the target of much
of the supporters' ire and the club have spent the intervening years getting
as far away from it as possible. The financial boon of the final settlement
should have helped Sheffield United bounce back towards the top flight but
the parachute payments and money received from West Ham were squandered and
the club are beginning their fourth successive season in the third tier.
All but a handful of the original players in the drama have moved on – Chris
Morgan, now first-team coach, is the only member of the playing staff from
2006-07 still at Bramall Lane. Carlton Cole, James Collins and Mark Noble,
one of whom is likely to start on Tuesday evening, are the only West Ham
players at the club who were team-mates of Tevez. The No32 shirt worn by
Tevez is now on the back of 17-year-old Reece Burke, who was 10 years old
when West Ham performed their great escape at Old Trafford.
Both sets of fans seem convinced that the other is far more bothered about
the tie than they are. In truth, both desperately want a modicum of revenge.
"It's about me making sure that they [the fans] go home happy because they
feel aggrieved about what Sheffield United did," said the West Ham manager,
Sam Allardyce. "So if I can do that for them it will be great."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stewart Downing insists West Ham have the squad to go far in the cup AND
survive
Stewart Downing insists West Ham have a stronger squad this season
Sam Allardyce's side won their first game of the campaign against Crystal
Palace on Saturday, with Downing scoring
West Ham reached the semi-final of the Capital One Cup last season
They face Sheffield United in the second round on Tuesday evening
By MARK BRYANS, PRESS ASSOCIATION
PUBLISHED: 18:41, 25 August 2014 | UPDATED: 18:41, 25 August 2014
Daily Mail
Stewart Downing believes West Ham have a stronger squad this season as the
challenge of juggling league and cup football beckons. Sam Allardyce's side
reached the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup last season and start their
tilt at the trophy with a home game against Sheffield United on Tuesday
evening.
The Hammers were in the midst of a mid-season injury crisis as they lost 9-0
on aggregate to the eventual winners Manchester City in January - with
Barclays Premier League survival the main concern. With a number of
first-team players missing at the time, Allardyce was forced to field an
inexperienced side in both legs - but Downing, who scored his first goal of
the season in Saturday's 3-1 win at Crystal Palace, reckons the summer
recruit drive at Upton Park will help significantly on that front. 'I think
all the new signings have settled in well and those who have played have
made good starts,' said the England winger. 'We have a bit of a stronger
squad this season which I think helps the manager. Last season the team had
to literally pick itself at times because of injuries.
'We have a lot more options now and can change it around a bit if needed.'
Of the seven new acquisitions, Aaron Cresswell, Cheikhou Kouyate and Mauro
Zarate have made an instant impact - with the latter opening the scoring at
Selhurst Park with a spectacular volley.
Strikers Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho are still working on their fitness,
while Carl Jenkinson is injured and young midfielder Diego Poyet has played
just eight minutes. With a deeper squad at his disposal, Allardyce is likely
to give Poyet - as well as Valencia and Sakho - a chance to work their way
into his thinking against the Blades. Downing will also want to be involved
against the Sky Bet League One side as he looks to add to his goal on
Saturday, which equalled the solitary strike he managed throughout the whole
of last season. 'Obviously I am eager as is the manager for me to get more
goals this season,' he added. 'To get off the mark second game in, is nice.
I want to shoot more, get in the positions I need to be in. With the goal, I
had it in my head what I wanted to do and hit it where I wanted to and it
worked.' It will be the first meeting of the two sides since West Ham agreed
an out-of-court settlement for a fee reported to be in excess of £20million
to be paid as compensation to the Blades.
The argument stemmed following Sheffield United's relegation from the
Barclays Premier League in 2007 - with West Ham surviving thanks largely to
the goals of Carlos Tevez. It was later discovered that Tevez, as well as
fellow Argentina international Javier Mascherano, were partially owned by
Media Sports Investment, a company run by Kia Joorabchian. The Premier
League fined West Ham £5.5million and, after United unsuccessfully appealed
to be reinstated to the league with West Ham relegated instead, a two-year
legal wrangle ended with the settlement. With plenty of ill-feeling between
the two sets of fans, Allardyce insisted on Saturday he would do his utmost
to appease West Ham's supporters by winning the fixture. 'I think the
reaction is to get a team out there that wins,' he said. 'I'm not so sure
how guilty Sheffield United were on it but that's nothing do with me. It's
about making sure the fans are happy when I go on Tuesday because they feel
aggrieved at what Sheffield United did and if I can do that for them, then
great.'
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers agree Cole fee with Cherries
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 25, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham have agreed a fee of around £1m with Bournemouth for Carlton Cole
but the player has yet to agree to the move. The striker is currently in
talks with The Cherries and there is no problem over the fee with the
Championship outfit's owners. A well placed Irons insider told ClaretandHugh
this morning that a fee of around £1 million had been agreed between the two
clubs and that it was now down to the player . A Hammers source said: "The
fee is around that sort of figure but we are not sure whether they can
afford Carlton's wages. The ball is in his court." However, The Cherries are
well placed financially and recently landed a £5 million plus cash windfall
from the sale of Adam Lallana who was poached from their academy as a
youngster. The Cherries had a 25 per cent of any sell on clause put in which
has now given them a welcome addition to their finances. A Bournemouth
source told us: "Everybody here is hoping it happens – Carlton is exactly
what we need at the moment.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll on the mend
Posted by Sean Whetstone on August 25, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Andy Carroll had his protective boot removed last week and is now working
hard in the gym to recover from his ankle operation in an attempt to return
to the Hammers team before Christmas. Carroll had his operation by a world
specilaist in America in late July after being sent home from the New
Zealand tour early and was not expected to return until the New Year but now
it seems Christmas period is the new target. His specialist has given to
green light for him to resume strengthening and fitness work in the gym.
Whether Carroll will automatically regain his slot up front as the lone
striker will depend how Zarate, Valencia and Sakho do between now and
December. One or both of the new strikers are expected to play some part in
tomorrow's cup match against Sheffield United.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers likely line-up for Blades
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 25, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Sam Allardyce has this evening given a very strong indication of the type of
team he will be selecting for the Second Round Capital One Cup clash against
Sheffield United. In a separate story on this site he says that he can
blood Sakho, Valencia, get Ravel [Morrison] back, Mo Diame in there, Diego
Poyet, Guy Demel and Jussi Jasskelainen. "That's the kind of side I'm going
to pick with a couple of young ones in."
Here's the team ClaretandHugh believes the manager will put out tomorrow
evening: Jaaskalainen, Demel, Collins, Burke, Potts; Sakho, Poyet, Diame,
Vaz Te, Morrison, Valencia.
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Cole deal collapses
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 25, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Carlton Cole will be staying at Upton Park after his talks aimed at securing
a move to Bournemouth collapsed earlier this evening. Sources inside the
Boleyn were staying tight lipped over the reasons but some reports claim
that manager Sam Allardyce had a late change of heart and wants to keep the
club loyalist.
However, we understand the terms on offer from the Championship club were
also short of Cole's expectations. And it now seems possible that the Irons
will be offering the big fella a new deal at the end of his present deal. A
primary ClaretandHugh source simply said: "It's a non runner. It definitely
won't happen. Things have changed. Carlton's staying. "It looked for a long
time as though it would go through but there are good reasons why it didn't
happen."
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WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce is hoping for big things from his new recruits after
Saturday's showing at Crystal Palace
25.08.2014
Sam Allardyce believes his new signings can continue their impressive start
to life in the Barclays Premier League when Southampton visit the Boleyn
Ground on Saturday. The West Ham United manager proudly explained that he
has never witnessed three new signings take to the UK's top flight so
quickly after watching Aaron Cresswell, Cheik Kouyate and Mauro Zarate play
an influential role in last Saturday's 3-1 win at Crystal Palace. Creswell
and Kouyate were equally impressive in the Hammers' first game against
Tottenham Hotspur and Big Sam is tipping them to take West Ham to new levels
this season. "It's the best I've seen three players adjust to the Premier
League in my eleven or 12 years in this league," Allardyce said. "All three
were good. I've seen one or two hit the ground running, but all three of
them have. It was a really good comeback from last week's loss to Spurs.
"Kouyate has got the modern-day midfield player written all over him. He's
high-energy, two-footed, great box to box, competes in the air and tackles.
It's also great to see a player who comes in with a big smile on his face
every day. He's living his dream by coming to play in the Premier League. "I
think Mauro has grown up and matured. I remember him from his spell at
Birmingham, but he's been to Italy since then and back to Argentina and
scored some goals. He looks a mature player with a lot of qualities in the
final third, something different to what we had. He's taken his opportunity
brilliantly. Hopefully he can continue to grow and improve. "The whole team
played well to start with, but with Mauro's goal, Kouyate in midfield and
Aaron, who has also just joined us, it was an all-round great performance.
It was an outstanding day for us after the bitter disappointment of last
weekend."
Like they did for much of the game against Spurs on the opening day, the
Hammers dominated their London opponents, but this time they made sure they
took their chances when presented. They could have been three up and out of
sight had James Tomkins' early first-half header hit the back of the net and
not the bar, but other than that it was a fine example of striking while the
Irons were hot. "The quality of our finishing was superb as opening the
opposition up is very difficult. You could see that by the quality of goal
we had to score to beat them. "The first one from Zarate was a fantastic
finish, and a fantastic run and finish for the second from Downing. Crystal
Palace couldn't complain."
Big Sam joked that his new attacking coach, Teddy Sheringham, would want to
take all of the credit, but added more seriously that he feels the former
England international is making a big difference on the training pitch with
his strikers. "I'm sure Teddy would say it's probably all down to him! He
can do little things in the groups but the only problem we have is the
sports scientists saying he's out there too long with them! "I don't mind
him taking all the credit for it if we continue to show the quality of
finishes we did on Saturday."
Before the Saints game at the weekend, the Hammers host Sheffield United in
an eagerly awaited Capital One Cup tie at the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday and,
given the strength in depth he currently has available, Big Sam may opt to
shuffle his pack. Aware of the importance of winning the game, though, it is
likely he will still field a strong team with the likes of Diego Poyet,
Ravel Morrison, Mo Diame, Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho all expected to
start.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Preview - Sheffield United
WHUFC.com
All the key information ahead of Tuesday's game against Sheffield United
25.08.2014
WEST HAM UNITED v SHEFFIELD UNITED
CAPITAL ONE CUP SECOND ROUND
BOLEYN GROUND
TUESDAY 26 AUGUST 2014
KICK-OFF: 7.45PM
REFEREE: JAMES LININGTON
In brief
West Ham United's Capital One Cup campaign gets underway on Tuesday evening
with the second round visit of Sky Bet League One side Sheffield United.
The Blades defeated Mansfield Town by a 2-1 scoreline to advance to this
stage of the competition, which the Hammers enter at Round Two. Last year,
West Ham reached the semi-finals after defeating Cheltenham Town, Cardiff
City, Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur, but came up short against eventual
champions Manchester City over two legs.
Sam Allardcye's men gained their first points of the season with a 3-1
victory at Crystal Palace on Saturday, while Sheffield United have six
points from their four games to date, and beat Crawley Town 1-0 at rhe
weekend.
Who are they?
Sheffield United were founded in 1889 as an offshoot of Sheffield United
Cricket Club and quickly enjoyed success, becoming champions of England in
1897/98 and FA Cup winners in 1899, 1902, 1915 and 1925. However, they have
not won a major trophy since that early heyday. Their darkest days came
between 1975-1981, when they fell all the way from the top flight to the
Fourth Division, although they subsequently recovered to become founder
members of the FA Premier League in 1992. Following relegation in 1994, they
have enjoyed one season at the top table since - 2006/07 - but have again
suffered recently, currently playing in the third tier. Last season did
bring a successful FA Cup run, though, as Nigel Clough's men made it to a
Wembley semi-final before losing out to Hull City.
Team news
West Ham United
Several of the Hammers' summer signings could be given their first starts
when Big Sam's men welcome Sheffield United to the Boleyn Ground. Diafra
Sakho and Enner Valencia could feature in attack, while Diego Poyet will be
hoping to be selected in midfield. James Collins returns following
suspension, but Kevin Nolan is out after suffering a shoulder injury last
week.
Sheffield United
Blades midfielder James Wallace could miss out with a groin problem, while
fellow midfielder Stefan Scougall has also been absent in recent weeks.
Sheffield United boss Nigel Clough has insisted that his team will approach
the game with all guns blazing as they look to embark on another famous cup
run.
Referee
Tuesday's referee will be James Linington. Linington was appointed to the
Select Group of assistant referees in 2006, but has yet to be promoted to
the Select Group of referees who officiate in the Barclays Premier League.
Linington has taken charge of a West Ham United first-team fixture twice
before in his career, having previously controlled the Hammers' 1-0 Carling
Cup victory over Oxford United in August 2010 and the 3-2 win over Leicester
City in the Championship in October 2011. After giving up playing football
at the age of 15, Linington moved into refereeing and originally specialised
in being an assistant referee through his career in the professional game.
After running the line in the 2006 League One play-off final at Cardiff's
Millennium Stadium, the official took charge of the 2010 League Two play-off
final between Dagenham & Redbridge and Rotherham United at Wembley in May
2010, having joined the National Group as a referee in 2008. He will be
assisted by John Busby and Ian Fissenden, while the fourth official will be
Gavin Ward.
One to watch
West Ham United
Senegalese forward Diafra Sakho could be given his first start in a Hammers
shirt when they take on the Blades at the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday. Sakho,
24, joined the Hammers on the eve of the new campaign from FC Metz in
France, where his goals helped win successive promotions to the top flight.
He came off the bench in Saturday's 3-1 win over Crystal Palace and will be
looking to maintain his fine goalscoring form from France, which brought 39
league strikes over the last two campaigns.
Sheffield United
Sheffield United's Jose Baxter scored the only goal of the game as his side
defeated Crawley Town on Saturday. 22-year-old Baxter started his career at
Everton and was capped at U17 level by England before dropping down to
Oldham Athletic in 2012 to gain more first team football. After a year at
Boundary Park, which saw him notch 15 league goals, he moved on to Sheffield
United, where eight goals in 45 games followed last term. An attacking
midfielder, Baxter clearly has an eye for goal and the Hammers will have to
wary over his talents on Tuesday.
Tickets
Tickets purchased in advance are priced at just £10 Adults and £5 Under-16s.
Tickets purchased on matchday rise in price by £5 for both categories. Buy
tickets now here.
Travel
No planned closures will affect the District, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee or
Central lines on matchday.
Weather
Another wet day is on the cards for Tuesday, although the rain is predicted
to clear up by the time the game kicks-off. Sunny intervals are forecast for
late evening, with temperatures of 16C (61F)
Last meeting
The Hammers last met Sheffield United towards the end of the 2006/07 season
with both sides fighting for Premier League survival. The Blades won
comfortably on that occasion, but it was the Hammers who celebrated come the
season's end as their great escape left Sheffield United back in the
Championship.
Sheffield United 3-0 West Ham United
14 April 2007
Sheffield United: Kenny, Geary, Jagielka, Armstrong, Davis (Morgan 56),
Gillespie, Montgomery, Tonge, Stead, Nade (Quinn 61), Kazim-Richards (Webber
83)
Subs: Kozluk, Shelton
Goals: Tonge 39, Jagielka 68, Stead 78
West Ham United: Green, Neill, Ferdinand, McCartney, Collins, Noble (Blanco
73), Reo-Coker, Etherington (Boa Morte 65), Bowyer (Mullins 65), Zamora,
Tevez
Subs: Walker, Spector
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham v Sheff Utd
KO 19:45
25 August 2014
Last updated at 11:54
CAPITAL ONE CUP SECOND ROUND
Venue: Upton Park Date: Tuesday, 26 August
Coverage: Text commentary online, with highlights on The League Cup Show on
Wednesday 27 August at 23:05 BST (BBC1 and BBC1 Scotland) or 23:35 (BBC 1
Wales) or on Thursday 28 August at 00:05 BST (BBC1 Northern Ireland)
TEAM NEWS
West Ham will again be without captain Kevin Nolan, who sat out Saturday's
win at Crystal Palace because of a fractured shoulder. James Collins is back
after a ban and Matt Jarvis could return following a thigh problem but Carl
Jenkinson (hamstring) is unlikely to be risked
Sheffield United boss Nigel Clough has no new fitness concerns. He may be
tempted to rotate his squad, so Jamal-Campbell-Ryce, Mark McNulty and Bob
Harris will hope for recalls.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Sheffield United have lost only one of their last five games against West
Ham in all competitions (W2, D2).
The Hammers have won the two previous League Cup meetings, in 1971 and 1991.
They scored a total of seven unanswered goals in those two cup ties.
West Ham United
The Hammers reached the final four of the League Cup last season.
However, their 9-0 aggregate defeat to Manchester City was the biggest
losing margin in a semi-final in the competition's history.
West Ham's last League Cup defeat against lower league opposition came in
August 2011, when they were beaten 2-1 by Aldershot Town in the first round.
The Hammers have won nine of their last 12 League Cup matches at home,
losing the other three.
Sheffield United
The Blades have not reached the third round of the League Cup since 2008.
Their win over Mansfield in the opening round was their first in eight
matches (D2, L5) in this competition.
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Bournemouth want Cole
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 25th August 2014
By: Staff Writer
Carlton Cole looks set to be the first casualty of West Ham's recent
recruitment programme. The 30-year-old striker scored his first goal of the
season in the 3-1 win at Crystal Palace at the weekend but could be on the
verge of leaving West Ham some eight years after moving to the club from
Chelsea. According to reports from various sources, Championship side
Bournemouth are poised to enter talks with the former England international
after a fee was agreed between the two clubs for the transfer of Cole, whose
latest deal with West Ham expires at the end of the current campaign. Eddie
Howe's side are currently 11th in the Championship with six points from
their opening four matches. Cole has made more than 250 appearances for West
Ham since Alan Pardew signed him for £2million.
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Mauro Zarate aiming to emulate Carlos Tevez at West Ham
Last Updated: 25/08/14 11:01am
SSN
Mauro Zarate is hoping to emulate fellow Argentine Carlos Tevez and become a
fans' favourite at West Ham United. Zarate has arrived at Upton Park eight
years after his countryman completed a shock switch to England and helped to
fire West Ham to Premier League survival. He lasted less than a season with
the Hammers, but did enough during his brief spell to earn cult hero status.
Zarate has some way to go before he can claim to sit alongside Tevez, but
the 27-year-old is determined to enjoy similar success. He is back in the
Premier League for a second spell, having spent time on loan at Birmingham
City in 2008, and believes he returns better equipped to handle the
challenges which lie ahead. Zarate said after netting in a 3-1 victory over
Crystal Palace on Saturday: "I don't know if I am a better player than I was
then. But I am more experienced. That is very important in football. "I
spoke with other Argentine players before I came back here. I speak with
Sergio Aguero, sometimes we have dinner together. I always wanted to come
back to England. He said West Ham was a good move for me. "Carlos Tevez is a
star. He won everything – the Champions League with Manchester United,
everything with Manchester City. Now he is with Juventus. "I am different. I
know he was very popular with West Ham fans. I hope I can have the same
impact."
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is convinced that Zarate can make a positive
impression, with the former Lazio and Inter Milan frontman offering
something different to the other strikers on his books. He said: "He is a
different kind of player. He likes to find spaces. None of our other players
are like that. "He has some strengths that other players at our club don't
have, and he showed that. He has the quality to break down tight defences."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stewart Downing impressed with West Ham's signings
Last Updated: 25/08/14 4:28pm
SSN
Stewart Downing believes West Ham's new recruits have already shown that
manager Sam Allardyce has spent wisely during the summer. Aaron Cresswell,
Cheikhou Kouyate and Mauro Zarate were among seven of Allardyce's signings
and the trio played their part in Saturday's 3-1 win over Crystal Palace.
Zarate opened the scoring with a spectacular volley, while further goals
from Downing and Carlton Cole secured a first Premier League victory of the
season at Selhurst Park. A mid-season injury crisis hampered the Hammers
last season, but Downing believes there is much more strength in depth and
has been impressed by recent additions. I think all the new signings have
settled in well and those who have played have made good starts," said the
winger. "We have a bit of a stronger squad this season which I think helps
the manager. Last season the team had to literally pick itself at times
because of injuries. "We have a lot more options now and can change it
around a bit if needed."
The 30-year-old has slipped out of England contention, but gave a reminder
of his attacking threat with a curling shot past Julian Speroni in the first
half.
He admits that Allardyce has urged him to shoulder some of the goalscoring
burden during this campaign. "Obviously I am eager as is the manager for me
to get more goals this season," he said. "To get off the mark second game
in, is nice. I want to shoot more, get in the positions I need to be in.
With the goal, I had it in my head what I wanted to do and hit it where I
wanted to and it worked."
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Capital One Cup team news: West Ham v Sheff United preview
Last Updated: 25/08/14 3:48pm
SSN
West Ham will be without captain Kevin Nolan for Tuesday's Capital One Cup
second-round tie against Sheffield United. The midfielder has been ruled out
for six weeks with a fractured shoulder and manager Sam Allardyce must now
decide if Mauro Zarate will keep his place in the side after replacing Nolan
for Saturday's win at Crystal Palace. Matt Jarvis could return following a
thigh problem but Carl Jenkinson (hamstring) is unlikely to be risked. New
strikers Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho could make their full debuts while
youngsters Dan Potts, Reece Burke, Diego Poyet and Danny Whitehead will all
hope to be involved.
Sheffield United manager Nigel Clough is expected to make one or two changes
for his side's Capital One Cup clash at West Ham. Clough, who has no new
major injury or suspension worries, could be tempted to utilise his squad
with the likes of winger Jamal Campbell-Ryce, striker Mark McNulty, defender
Bob Harris and teenage midfielder Louis Reed pushing for recalls. Striker
Michael Higdon was rested for the recent win at Peterborough and could start
on the bench again, while winger Ryan Flynn is another who could return to
the starting line-up. The Blades are chasing a third straight victory after
successive league wins.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
AFC BOURNEMOUTH WANT CARLTON COLE
By Sean Whetstone 25 Aug 2014 at 12:16
West Ham Till I Die
Carlton Cole representatives are in talks with AFC Bournemouth for a
possible move to the Championship club. Cherries Manager Eddie Howe is a big
fan of the Hammers striker and is keen to sign the player before the
transfer window finishes. Whether Carlton Cole who scored the Hammers third
goal yesterday afternoon will personal terms remains to be seen. There
remains a question whether Bournemouth can afford his wages. The Cherries
are thought to be prepared to pay West Ham a £1m transfer fee. When Enner
Valencia and Diafro Sakho are fully match fit and Andy Carroll hopefully
returns in two months time Cole must realise he is likely to drop down the
striker pecking order significantly. Carlton Cole signed a 18 month contract
with West Ham in January 2014 which will take him up to the end of this
season after he was previously released in May 2013. He is believed to have
taken a pay cut to re-join the hammers from the £30,000 per week he
previously enjoyed. Cole admitted he once took a 50% pay cut when the
Hammers dropped down the championship and has remained a loyal servant to
the club since joining from Chelsea in 2006. In 2011 West Ham agreed to sell
Cole to Stoke but Carlton failed to agree personal terms and the deal
collapsed.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THE PRICE OF PREMIER LEAGUE SURVIVAL
By Sean Whetstone 25 Aug 2014 at 08:24
West Ham Till I Die
West Ham are believed to have paid about £24.5m in initial transfer fees
this summer transfer window for the seven signings but that amount could
rise to £37m based on certain conditions such as appearances, goals and the
Hammers final league position this season. Add to this a massive £49m wages
and national insurance we have committed to over the next four to five years
for the new recruits, agents fees are thought to add another £4m to the
total bill.
The annual budget for players wages is thought to have now reached £57m
leaving just £1m before the Premier League Financial Fair Play limit is
reached for this season.
Although West Ham received over £73m from TV income last season and are
likely to pass £110m turnover when figures are released next January for
last season there is likely to be a short fall with the recent huge
investment in signings. I wouldn't be surprised if David Sullivan and David
Gold injected more money to help balance the books this season after already
loaning £45.7m in the form of share holder loans plus another £25.5m for
shares from the Icelandics on the condition they loaned the money back to
the club.
The cost of staying in the Premier League have never be higher but the
consequences of relegation before we move to the Olympic Stadium would be
catastrophic at this stage.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carlos Tevez affair still cuts deep as Sheffield United face West Ham
• Mutual loathing as Bramall Lane club return in League Cup
• Relegation after Argentinian signed for West Ham still festers
John Ashdown
The Guardian, Monday 25 August 2014 19.58 BST
Carlos Tevez scored the only goal against Manchester United to relegate
Sheffield United in 2007. Carlos Tevez, who scored the only goal against
Manchester United at Old Trafford, to relegate Sheffield United in 2007.
Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian The second round of the League Cup
is not usually associated with vitriol, venom and downright loathing but
there will be an abundance of all three at Upton Park on Tuesday evening
when West Ham welcome Sheffield United for the first time since the clubs
had an ever so minor disagreement over a certain Argentinian.
The memory of Carlos Tevez and the court cases that saw West Ham pay £20m in
compensation to Sheffield United remains an incendiary issue between the
clubs and one that infuses this fixture like lighter fluid. Resentment has
festered.
Tevez's arrival with Javier Mascherano at West Ham on transfer deadline day
in August 2006 sowed the seeds of a problem. The discovery of the
third-party agreements concerning the players that came to light in January
2007 provided the soil in which they could grow. The independent Premier
League commission's decision to impose a record £5.5m fine rather than a
points deduction did all the watering and weeding required for the issue to
come into full bloom. West Ham opted not to appeal. Kevin McCabe, the
Sheffield United chairman, felt the decision "invited anarchy".
On the final day of the season West Ham went to Old Trafford to face
Manchester United and got the win they needed, with, of course, Tevez
scoring the only goal of the game. At Bramall Lane Neil Warnock's side
needed only a draw to relegate their opponents Wigan Athletic, who would
then very likely have taken United's place in what was to come, but lost 2-1
thanks to a David Unsworth penalty.
United lost an initial appeal against their relegation in the summer of
2007, despite an arbitration panel admitting that it "would in all
probability have reached a different conclusion and deducted points from
West Ham". A year after relegation an independent FA tribunal found in their
favour, with the chair, Lord Griffiths, judging that: "We have no doubt that
West Ham would have secured at least three fewer points over the 2006-07
season if Carlos Tevez had not been playing for the club."
Sheffield United had wanted compensation of up to £45m in lost income but in
the end came to an out-of-court settlement with West Ham that saw the
Hammers pay almost £20m. The West Ham chief executive, Scott Duxbury, said
he was pleased to "draw a line under this whole episode", McCabe was "happy
and satisfied" with the settlement that had been reached in discussions that
were "friendly, co-operative and in the best of spirit". The final payment
was delivered in the summer of 2013. The boardrooms and moneymen may have
been able to bury the hatchet but football fans have longer memories than
those that run their clubs.
Sheffield United's trajectory since 2007 has hardly helped. Thanks to that
original £5.5m fine, the Premier League itself has been the target of much
of the supporters' ire and the club have spent the intervening years getting
as far away from it as possible. The financial boon of the final settlement
should have helped Sheffield United bounce back towards the top flight but
the parachute payments and money received from West Ham were squandered and
the club are beginning their fourth successive season in the third tier.
All but a handful of the original players in the drama have moved on – Chris
Morgan, now first-team coach, is the only member of the playing staff from
2006-07 still at Bramall Lane. Carlton Cole, James Collins and Mark Noble,
one of whom is likely to start on Tuesday evening, are the only West Ham
players at the club who were team-mates of Tevez. The No32 shirt worn by
Tevez is now on the back of 17-year-old Reece Burke, who was 10 years old
when West Ham performed their great escape at Old Trafford.
Both sets of fans seem convinced that the other is far more bothered about
the tie than they are. In truth, both desperately want a modicum of revenge.
"It's about me making sure that they [the fans] go home happy because they
feel aggrieved about what Sheffield United did," said the West Ham manager,
Sam Allardyce. "So if I can do that for them it will be great."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stewart Downing insists West Ham have the squad to go far in the cup AND
survive
Stewart Downing insists West Ham have a stronger squad this season
Sam Allardyce's side won their first game of the campaign against Crystal
Palace on Saturday, with Downing scoring
West Ham reached the semi-final of the Capital One Cup last season
They face Sheffield United in the second round on Tuesday evening
By MARK BRYANS, PRESS ASSOCIATION
PUBLISHED: 18:41, 25 August 2014 | UPDATED: 18:41, 25 August 2014
Daily Mail
Stewart Downing believes West Ham have a stronger squad this season as the
challenge of juggling league and cup football beckons. Sam Allardyce's side
reached the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup last season and start their
tilt at the trophy with a home game against Sheffield United on Tuesday
evening.
The Hammers were in the midst of a mid-season injury crisis as they lost 9-0
on aggregate to the eventual winners Manchester City in January - with
Barclays Premier League survival the main concern. With a number of
first-team players missing at the time, Allardyce was forced to field an
inexperienced side in both legs - but Downing, who scored his first goal of
the season in Saturday's 3-1 win at Crystal Palace, reckons the summer
recruit drive at Upton Park will help significantly on that front. 'I think
all the new signings have settled in well and those who have played have
made good starts,' said the England winger. 'We have a bit of a stronger
squad this season which I think helps the manager. Last season the team had
to literally pick itself at times because of injuries.
'We have a lot more options now and can change it around a bit if needed.'
Of the seven new acquisitions, Aaron Cresswell, Cheikhou Kouyate and Mauro
Zarate have made an instant impact - with the latter opening the scoring at
Selhurst Park with a spectacular volley.
Strikers Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho are still working on their fitness,
while Carl Jenkinson is injured and young midfielder Diego Poyet has played
just eight minutes. With a deeper squad at his disposal, Allardyce is likely
to give Poyet - as well as Valencia and Sakho - a chance to work their way
into his thinking against the Blades. Downing will also want to be involved
against the Sky Bet League One side as he looks to add to his goal on
Saturday, which equalled the solitary strike he managed throughout the whole
of last season. 'Obviously I am eager as is the manager for me to get more
goals this season,' he added. 'To get off the mark second game in, is nice.
I want to shoot more, get in the positions I need to be in. With the goal, I
had it in my head what I wanted to do and hit it where I wanted to and it
worked.' It will be the first meeting of the two sides since West Ham agreed
an out-of-court settlement for a fee reported to be in excess of £20million
to be paid as compensation to the Blades.
The argument stemmed following Sheffield United's relegation from the
Barclays Premier League in 2007 - with West Ham surviving thanks largely to
the goals of Carlos Tevez. It was later discovered that Tevez, as well as
fellow Argentina international Javier Mascherano, were partially owned by
Media Sports Investment, a company run by Kia Joorabchian. The Premier
League fined West Ham £5.5million and, after United unsuccessfully appealed
to be reinstated to the league with West Ham relegated instead, a two-year
legal wrangle ended with the settlement. With plenty of ill-feeling between
the two sets of fans, Allardyce insisted on Saturday he would do his utmost
to appease West Ham's supporters by winning the fixture. 'I think the
reaction is to get a team out there that wins,' he said. 'I'm not so sure
how guilty Sheffield United were on it but that's nothing do with me. It's
about making sure the fans are happy when I go on Tuesday because they feel
aggrieved at what Sheffield United did and if I can do that for them, then
great.'
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers agree Cole fee with Cherries
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 25, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham have agreed a fee of around £1m with Bournemouth for Carlton Cole
but the player has yet to agree to the move. The striker is currently in
talks with The Cherries and there is no problem over the fee with the
Championship outfit's owners. A well placed Irons insider told ClaretandHugh
this morning that a fee of around £1 million had been agreed between the two
clubs and that it was now down to the player . A Hammers source said: "The
fee is around that sort of figure but we are not sure whether they can
afford Carlton's wages. The ball is in his court." However, The Cherries are
well placed financially and recently landed a £5 million plus cash windfall
from the sale of Adam Lallana who was poached from their academy as a
youngster. The Cherries had a 25 per cent of any sell on clause put in which
has now given them a welcome addition to their finances. A Bournemouth
source told us: "Everybody here is hoping it happens – Carlton is exactly
what we need at the moment.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll on the mend
Posted by Sean Whetstone on August 25, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Andy Carroll had his protective boot removed last week and is now working
hard in the gym to recover from his ankle operation in an attempt to return
to the Hammers team before Christmas. Carroll had his operation by a world
specilaist in America in late July after being sent home from the New
Zealand tour early and was not expected to return until the New Year but now
it seems Christmas period is the new target. His specialist has given to
green light for him to resume strengthening and fitness work in the gym.
Whether Carroll will automatically regain his slot up front as the lone
striker will depend how Zarate, Valencia and Sakho do between now and
December. One or both of the new strikers are expected to play some part in
tomorrow's cup match against Sheffield United.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers likely line-up for Blades
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 25, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Sam Allardyce has this evening given a very strong indication of the type of
team he will be selecting for the Second Round Capital One Cup clash against
Sheffield United. In a separate story on this site he says that he can
blood Sakho, Valencia, get Ravel [Morrison] back, Mo Diame in there, Diego
Poyet, Guy Demel and Jussi Jasskelainen. "That's the kind of side I'm going
to pick with a couple of young ones in."
Here's the team ClaretandHugh believes the manager will put out tomorrow
evening: Jaaskalainen, Demel, Collins, Burke, Potts; Sakho, Poyet, Diame,
Vaz Te, Morrison, Valencia.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cole deal collapses
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 25, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Carlton Cole will be staying at Upton Park after his talks aimed at securing
a move to Bournemouth collapsed earlier this evening. Sources inside the
Boleyn were staying tight lipped over the reasons but some reports claim
that manager Sam Allardyce had a late change of heart and wants to keep the
club loyalist.
However, we understand the terms on offer from the Championship club were
also short of Cole's expectations. And it now seems possible that the Irons
will be offering the big fella a new deal at the end of his present deal. A
primary ClaretandHugh source simply said: "It's a non runner. It definitely
won't happen. Things have changed. Carlton's staying. "It looked for a long
time as though it would go through but there are good reasons why it didn't
happen."
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Monday, August 25
Daily WHUFC News - 25th August 2014
Downing delighted with Palace victory
WHUFC.com
Stewart Downing was thrilled to get on the scoresheet at Crystal Palace
24.08.2014
A beaming Stewart Downing emerged from the dressing room to explain why
Saturday's victory at Crystal Palace was an immensely satiasfying one. The
Hammers midfielder had extra reason to smile as he notched his first
Barclays Premier League goal of the season, which along with Mauro Zarate's
opener and Carlton Cole's second half finish saw West Ham deservedly get all
three points against the Eagles. Despite Maurouane Chamakh pulling a goal
back for the home side early after the break, the Hammers took the victory
in an entertaining game on the road. "It was really pleasing, a good
performance by us and I of course was delighted to score. I think we managed
to contain them well - it was their first home match of the season and this
is always a difficult place to come, but we had lots of momentum. "Last
season we came here, didn't make our chances count and we lost and that
happened to us last week against Tottenham, even though we had played well.
On Saturday we knew we were playing well enough to keep control of the game
and had the edge, so when we did concede which although was disappointing,
we held on well and came through that bit of pressure to get another goal
and wrap up the win."
For Downing himself, he was pleased to make his mark on the scoresheet.
After opening up space for himself with some clever play, the Hammers No11
stroked the ball into the bottom left hand corner from 20 yards for the
second goal. "Obviously I am eager as is the manager for me to get more
goals this season, so to get off the mark second game in, is nice. I want to
shoot more, get in the positions I need to be in. With the goal, I had it in
my head what I wanted to do and hit it where I wanted to and it worked."
Downing said a second bustling London derby was always going to be tricky.
"You don't tend to think too much about the managerial situation [Crystal
Palace] because they can be flat or galvanised by what is happening. This is
a hard place to come and play and we played really well in this game, we
passed it well, played some good football and scored some good goals. The
pleasing thing is we finished our chances which I am sure our manager is
very happy about."
Downing had praise for his team-mates across the park and said it had been a
very positive start to the season for several of West Ham's new additions.
"Mauro scored a tremendous goal. The manager has been easing him into
everything, making sure he was up to speed on his fitness. He's a clever
player and if he can get more goals like today, than that is going to be a
great help for the team. "He showed some nice touches and linked up well.
Cheik [Kouyate] got a lot of the ball, he has been very good, he likes to
help break up play and gets forward. He has had an excellent start for us
and if he can keep that up as much as he can, he'll prove to be a very good
signing for us. "I think all the new signings have settled in well and those
who have played have made good starts. We have a bit of a stronger squad
this season which I think helps the manager. Last season the team had to
literally pick itself at times because of injuries but we have a lot more
options now and can change it around a bit if needed. "We got the second
goal at a good time and the manager stressed that when we had the ball to
keep it as we were penetrating them well on attack. The only disappointing
thing for us was letting them back in a bit when Chamakh scored putting
ourselves under a bit of pressure. But apart from that, thought it was a
really good performance and a good win for us. "We might have even played
better in parts last week [against Tottenham] but we lost. We played really
well here against Palace and took our chances and won well and got the first
of what we hope are many more points to come."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kevin Nolan set to miss six weeks with shoulder injury
BBC.co.uk
West Ham captain Kevin Nolan is set to be out of action for six weeks with a
fractured shoulder, according to manager Sam Allardyce. Nolan damaged his
shoulder in training on Thursday, missing the Hammers' 3-1 win at Crystal
Palace on Saturday. Allardyce backed "the best and strongest squad I've put
together at the club" to handle the absence. "It didn't affect us at Palace
and maybe that's a sign there's more to come," he said. Mauro Zarate's
volleyed debut goal set West Ham en route to victory at Selhurst Park, with
Stewart Downing and Carlton Cole also on target.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce is pleased with Cheikhou Kouyate and Mauro Zarate so far
Last Updated: 24/08/14 1:46pm
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce says he thinks new arrivals Cheikhou Kouyate
and Mauro Zarate will prove key performers for his side this season. The duo
both started against Crystal Palace on Saturday, and Zarate scored a fine
opening goal in the 3-1 victory at Selhurst Park. The Argentinian forward
had a fine campaign for Velez Sarsfield in his homeland last season after a
turbulent four years with Lazio, and Allardyce thinks the 27-year-old is
beginning to fully realise his potential. "The lad has grown up and
matured," said Allardyce. "I remember his loan spell at Birmingham six years
or so ago. He's been to Italy and back to Argentina since then, and scored
some goals. "I think he looks, at his age, a mature player with a lot of
quality in the final third, which is something different from what we have."
The 24-year-old Kouyate has also impressed his new manager. "I think he's
got the modern-day midfield player written all over him," said Allardyce.
"The one thing maybe he might be missing is a goal or two, I don't know yet,
but certainly he gets in that area a few times. "He's high-energy,
two-footed, great box-to-box, committed in the air, and he tackles. "I think
it's great to see a player that comes in with a big smile on his face every
day. He's living his dream by playing in the Premier League."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Fractured shoulder sidelines West Ham captain Kevin Nolan
Last Updated: 24/08/14 11:13pm
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has revealed that Kevin Nolan has fractured
his shoulder and will be out of action for up to six weeks. Allardyce said
club captain Nolan suffered the injury during training on Thursday and was
forced to miss the Hammers' 3-1 Premier League win at Crystal Palace on
Saturday.
The West Ham boss admitted Nolan's influence will be missed, but backed "the
best and strongest squad I've put together at the club" to handle his
absence.
"Kevin fractured his shoulder and that's a massive blow to us, along with
all the other players we've got injured," said Allardyce. "He will be out
for probably six weeks I would think. "It isn't a dislocated shoulder, it's
a fractured shoulder, but I don't know just how long that will keep Kevin
out. "We dealt with it brilliantly at Palace and let's hope we can continue
to do that. "It didn't affect us at Palace and maybe that's a sign there's
more to come."
Allardyce believes the comfortable victory over Palace indicates his squad
has decent strength in depth. The Hammers boss added: "We were missing five
players who play a big part in our squad, so to win the game comfortably
with as many injuries as that was extremely pleasing. "So perhaps this might
be the best and strongest squad I've put together at the club - I hope it
is."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
KEVIN NOLAN OUT UNTIL NOVEMBER
By Iain Dale 24 Aug 2014 at 21:14
West Ham Till I Die
In the last hour several sources are reporting that Kevin Nolan's shoulder
injury is worse than feared and that he will be out for around two months.
The injury curse that has afflicted Upton Park for some time now shows no
sign of being lifted.
I have little doubt that some people will greet this news as a silver
lining, but I am not sure they should be so pleased. Whatever his faults,
Nolan delivers goals from midfield and has done so consistently throughout
his career. I thought he had a decent game against Spurs as well.
However, having said that I think that after Zarate's performance yesterday
there would have been a revolution if Nolan were to return in place of
Zarate next weekend. We are well served in midfield at the moment and have
plenty of cover, and it's not often you can say that about West Ham. Apart
from Zarate we also have Ravel Morrison and Mo Diame who can fit into that
role.
CARLTON'S FUTURE UNCERTAIN
In other news Carlton Cole is reportedly interesting Bournemouth who are
said to be weighing up a £1 million bid. Although we have quite a few
strikers on our books at the moment, and he will inevitably drop down the
pecking order, I wonder whether he would really be interested in dropping
down to play for a club which is unlikely ever to seriously challenge for
promotion to the Premier League. I suppose stranger things have happened.
But I for one would be sad to see him go.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
LET'S RECOGNISE THE LOYALTY OF CARLTON COLE
By Iain Dale 24 Aug 2014 at 17:27
West Ham Till I Die
I saw this post on the Stop! Hammertime! Facebook Page and thought it
deserved a wider audience. It's by Jim Dean Dolan, who wants to applaud the
loyalty of Carlton Cole.
You hear the question "Where's the loyalty in football nowadays?" and with
good reason. The season we were relegated, Scott Parker was the pride of the
East End. He was every West Ham fan's hero and could do no wrong. I'd wager
he could ask for the shirt off of any fan's back and get it within seconds.
We loved him and we thought he'd forever be a legend to us. However, he was
given an easy way out of the Championship as well as European football with
Spurs and was gone in a flash.
"Where's the loyalty in football nowadays?" we'd ask ourselves again.
Conversely, Carlton Cole was offered £60k a week to transfer to Stoke. He
turned it down flat stating "It was us, the players, who got us into this
mess so it's down to the players to get us out of it." Little did we know
but not only did he turn down a pay rise to leave but he also took a 50% pay
cut to stay and fight the good fight.
In that season in the Championship he scored 15 goals. Correct me if I'm
wrong but that made him joint top goal scorer with Nolan. Those goals –
including one in the playoff final – ensured an immediate return to the
Premier League.
On our return to the top flight he found himself playing second
fiddle…actually probably fourth fiddle, but he stayed. He stayed to be with
the club he loves as much as you and I do. Eventually he was released but,
as soon as our new, improved and upgraded striker was injured he was
recalled back into the fold and returned gladly – although a little out of
shape.
And so it has been that whenever the most recent flavour of the month falls
off a barstool or twists their ankle on the way out of a kebab shop, Carlton
is there to step up.
Last year in the limited chances he had, he had the eighth best
goals:minutes ratio in the entire Premier League. Whenever we've needed him
most, he's stepped up.
Consider the above. Consider the comments about Cole on this page. And
consider: Where's the loyalty in football nowadays?
Is he frustratingly inconsistent? Yes! Do we wish he'd score more
frequently? Yes! Do we wish he'd learn to control a ball? F*** yes!
But does he also deserve a lot more respect than some give him? Yes. Yes he
does. I don't think he's a world beater. I don't think the history books are
going to have volumes on the great Carlton Cole. But he plays for us and
he's ONE of us! When we've needed him, he's been there. So before wishing
him off for the next mercenary, please take a moment to remember that.
Where is the loyalty in football nowadays?
Quite. There aren't many Carltons left in top flight football nowadays.
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West Ham forward Mauro Zarate hoping to emulate Premier League exploits of
Carlos Tevez
Aug 24, 2014 22:30 By Neil McLeman
The new summer recruit says he wants to follow in Tevez's footsteps and
reveals how Sergio Aguero told him to go to Upton Park
The Mirror
He is an Argentine No.10 who wants to be West Ham's next Carlos Tevez after
seeking advice from Sergio Aguero. But Mauro Zarate's super strike on his
return to the Premier League was definitely made in England. Sam Allardyce
has been given orders to entertain – and, in Teddy Sheringham, a new
attacking coach. Former Birmingham forward Zarate revealed additional
sessions with the ex-Three Lions star were the key to his volley which sent
West Ham on their way to a stylish win. "He has really helped me," said the
Argentine. "We have been practicing volleys like that in training. From the
edge of the box – the same.
P "He was very happy and celebrated the goal, too. I am very happy because
I scored. That is my job."
Former football commentator Barry Davies – briefly out of retirement to
celebrate Match of the Day's 50th anniversary – certainly enjoyed the
striker's sublime volley. 'Oh, Mauro Zarate', shouted the 76-year-old as the
ball struck the back of the net 11 minutes before the break. Zarate played
on loan at St Andrew's in 2008 and then went to Lazio and Inter Milan before
returning to his first club Velez Sarsfield last year. He was top scorer as
they won the Supercopa Argentina but Zarate, 27, had unfinished business
here. "I really like the Premier League so I wanted to come back," said
Zarate, who escaped after a nasty challenge on Stuart O'Keefe. "I speak with
Aguero and sometimes we have dinner together. Always I told him that I
wanted to come back to England. He said: 'Come, come'. He said West Ham was
a good move for me."
Jamie McDonaldSergio Aguero celebrates after scoring the second goalCareer
advisor: Sergio Aguero told Zarate to move to West Ham
The Hammers have only just finished paying off the £20million compensation
to Sheffield Unted for the illegal third-party ownership of another
Argentine in 2007. o in the week they host the Blades in the Capital One
Cup, have they found the next Tevez? "He is a star, he won everything,"
Zarate said. "The Champions League with Manchester United, everything with
Manchester City. Now he is with Juventus. I am very different. "Thank you
for comparing me with him. I know he was very popular with West Ham fans. I
hope I can have the same impact. "He scored some very important goals for
West Ham but I am another person, another player, so I want to go step by
step."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Blades aiming to nail Hammers
Sheffield United manager Nigel Clough
by James Shield
Published on the 24 August
SheffieldTelegraph.co.uk
Nigel Clough has vowed Sheffield United will enter tomorrow's grudge match
at West Ham with all guns blazing after rubbishing claims his team is
prepared to sacrifice a place in the Capital One Cup to enhance its
promotion credentials. The second round tie, which marks the first meeting
between these two clubs since the Carlos Tevez Affair seven years ago, pits
United against opponents who reached the semi-finals of the competition last
season before being crushed 9-0 on aggregate by Manchester City. Clough,
appointed as United manager in October, has refused to be drawn into the
politics which surround the fixture despite conceding it is "an interesting
draw."
But he warned Sam Allardyce's side that United will not be intimidated by
what promises to be a highly-charged atmosphere inside the Boleyn Ground.
"As far as we are concerned, this is another step towards Wembley," Clough,
who led the visitors into the FA Cup semi-finals last term, said. "That's
the way we approach all of these games. "We don't like losing and we want to
win. We want to do as well as we possibly can no matter what the occasion,
be it this tournament, the FA Cup or the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. They all
offer a chance of getting to Wembley and walking out there is an honour as
we know."
An independent arbitration panel awarded United, 12th in the League One
table following Saturday's victory over Crawley Town, compensation worth
£20m after West Ham were found guilty of breaching rules governing third
party ownership of players when they signed Tevez and his compatriot Javier
Mascherano during the 2006/07 Premier League campaign.
Although Mascherano joined Liverpool five months later, Tevez remained in
London and scored the goal which preserved West Ham's top-flight status
while United, who had argued they should have been docked points rather than
fined, were relegated to the Championship following a 2-1 defeat by Wigan
Athletic.
"We might make some changes but the team we select will be one we think is
capable of winning and doing a job," Clough, speaking before last weekend's
contest, said. "We don't know what Sam will do but that's beyond our control
and, in any case, West Ham are a Premier League team so whoever is out there
for them, well, you know they are going to be very good players."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gold: "The Twitter bullies will never beat me"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 24, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
David Gold has made it clear the Twitter bully boys will never beat him! The
Hammers co-chairman has received a shed load of abuse since arriving on the
social network. He now has over 94,000 followers but last week suffered a
vicious attack by a fake Carlton Cole account. It produced a picture that
saw his face superimposed onto a newspaper front page with a 'Face of
Maddie Suspect' headline. Gold responded on Twitter, saying: "You are a
disgrace and completely out of order. This is not funny or banter."
And in his first interview on the matter he told ClaretandHugh exclusively:
"The Twitter bullies will never ever beat me. That was so far out of order
but they won't close me down." "Ever since I was a kid growing up in the
east end I have faced down bullies even though I was the smallest kid in the
street. These trolls will never beat me." "The vast majority of followers
are excellent but there's always the noisy minority who want to make life
hell if they can. Well they don't and they won't. "I have no intention of
deleting my Twitter account and if I ever do it will be in my time – not
theirs."
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Dicks gets Ladies off to a winning start
Posted by Sean Whetstone on August 24, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
New West Ham Ladies manager Julian Dicks got his ladies off to a perfect
start thanks to a late goal in injury time by Kelley Blanchflower. West Ham
Ladies started their season kicking off at 2pn this afternoon in West
Drayton, Middlesex against QPR Ladies. The starting line up consisted of
Runnacles, King, Barling, Baxter, Revell, Morgan, McCrea, Kinsman,
Blanchflower, Sherwood and captain Stacey Little. Substitutes: Donohoe,
Powles, Mellors, Lipley-Hinton, Bowers.
The Ladies went one down after 24 minutes against the run of play as Kasha
Petit scored for QPR Ladies. It took 61 minutes for the West Ham Ladies to
break through and equalise through a Lindsey Morgan looping header. The
Hammers Ladies left until 92nd minute to win it late in injury time 2-1
through a Kelley Blanchflower goal.
The Ladies next game is against Keynsham Town in the League Cup next Sunday
2pm followed by an evening match against Spurs Ladies on Thursday 4th
September Kick Off 7.45pm
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carlton Cole linked with AFC Bournemouth
Posted by Sean Whetstone on August 24, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
There are rumours circling the Internet this afternoon that AFC Bournemouth
are preparing a £1 million bid for Carlton Cole to tempt him away from the
Irons.
Whether Carlton Cole who scored the Hammers third goal yesterday would
consider a drop down to the Championship remains to be seen but when Enner
Valencia and Diafro Sakho are fully match fit and with Andy Carroll around
two months away from a return Cole must realise he is likely to drop down
the striker pecking order significantly.
Carlton Cole signed a 18 month contract with West Ham in January 2014 which
will take him up to the end of this season after he was previously released
in May 2013. Cole admitted he once took a 50% pay cut when the Hammers
dropped down the championship and has remained loyal to the club since
joining from Chelsea in 2006. Whether the rumours have any substance remains
to be seen.
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Nolan injury may be "serious"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 24, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Kevin Nolan will know early this week whether he faces surgery on a shoulder
injury he picked up in training on Thursday. ClaretandHugh was told a few
minutes ago that the West Ham skipper will have a second scan on the injury
which early indications suggest could be serious. Nolan is understood to
have fell awkwardly in the training and early signs are that he has
suffered a collarbone injury which could involve an eight to 12 week
lay-off. A Hammers training ground source said: "Kev is likely to have a
scan tomorrow or Tuesday but early indications are that it's not good and he
may need surgery. "It's impossible to know exactly what the injury is but
things are not that encouraging and he could be missing for a while yet. At
the moment it looks quite serious."
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Cole enters Cherries talks
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 24, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Carlton Cole is tonight talking terms with AFC Bournemouth for a possible
switch to the Championship club. Rumours have been rife on the internet this
evening that a deal for the Hammers loyalist may be underway. And
ClaretandHugh can confirm from a well placed Upton Park source that talks
between the Cole and the Cherries are being held. Manager Eddie Howe is very
keen to sign the player and Cole has to decide whether he's ready to drop
down a level with an accompanying cut in wages. However, given there was
little interest last summer before he returned to the Boleyn, he may believe
that a two or three year deal is worth taking at this stage of his career.
ClaretandHugh's source told us exclusively: "They like him and they are
talking to him but the big question is can they afford him?"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
An away day to remember
Posted by Sean Whetstone on August 24, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
2014-08-23 14.57.47I have just recovered from a tremendous Saturday away
day. When I wrote my 'Apathy at the Boleyn ground' piece last weekend what I
failed to mention is away days are completely different and they were most
of last season too! There is a completely different atmosphere at away games
and a great day is usually had by all, win, lose or draw. We had not beaten
Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park since 1991 until yesterday and our last win
at home was 11 years ago on in Division one in October 2003.
Palace were becoming a bit of our bogey side and the omens were not good
when I was allocated row 13 to watch the match from. The pubs outside the
ground were buzzing full with West Ham fans buzzing for their first away day
of the season. When I arrived at the ground the Selhurst Park bar prior to
kick off, the Hammers were celebrating like we had already won the match,
you can sample the atmosphere on the video clip below.
News filtered to the bars around the ground that Kevin Nolan was carrying a
shoulder injury and that Mauro Zarate would start and Carlton Cole would
also start instead of Sakho or Valencia, Vaz Te inclusion was also a
puzzlement to many of the 2,600 Hammers fans around the ground. The away
support was brilliant as usual and the Hammers sung their hearts for 90
minutes only briefly muted for a few minutes by Chamakh's consolation goal.
Mauro Zarate, Chekihou Kourate, Aaron Cresswell all stood out for me and
were out to prove they needed no time to adjust to the Premier League pace
and skill. Captain Mark Noble also worked his socks off and was key to the
first half dominance. I told my mate standing next to me it is was like
watching Brazil in the first half as we went in two nil up thanks to two
well taken goals in three minutes by Zarate and Downing. In fact we should
of been more than two nil up at half time but we didn't care, the sun was
shining and we were winning away. Another thing worth mentioning is the
passion Adrian shows every time we scored, he ran over to the away fans and
celebrated close to us when each of the first two goals went in, he has a
great relationship with the away fans.
Second half Palace came at us and as normal with West Ham we had a dodgy ten
minutes when they scored their goal and looked like they were going to score
one or two more. Everything in the team did their piece to turn things
although Ricardo Vaz Te stood out as out of his depth and I wondered why Sam
started him, I was saying the same about Carlton Cole just before he proved
me wrong by scoring a goal. I am a Carlton Cole fan but I was eager to see
Sakho or Valencia. It was a surprise to see Sakho and not Valencia come on
in the 83rd minute, after just 7 minutes in the Spurs game I assumed
Valencia would get more time on the pitch in the second half to build up his
match fitness. Diego Poyet also came on second half to the song 'He tweets
what he wants, he tweets what he wants, Diego Poyet, he tweets what he
wants". There was was some great banter and songs with the Palace fans.
When the final whistle went and the score was 3-1 we celebrated late into
the night and there were many sore heads on Sunday.
However in the sober light of evening we must remember the manager-less
Palace were poor and I can see them struggling this season, I can't see us
playing like Brazil against the Saints next weekend and I am trying to keep
my feet firmly on the ground incase I let optimism creep back into my head
with regards to this season. I look forward to my next away day at Old
Trafford.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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WHUFC.com
Stewart Downing was thrilled to get on the scoresheet at Crystal Palace
24.08.2014
A beaming Stewart Downing emerged from the dressing room to explain why
Saturday's victory at Crystal Palace was an immensely satiasfying one. The
Hammers midfielder had extra reason to smile as he notched his first
Barclays Premier League goal of the season, which along with Mauro Zarate's
opener and Carlton Cole's second half finish saw West Ham deservedly get all
three points against the Eagles. Despite Maurouane Chamakh pulling a goal
back for the home side early after the break, the Hammers took the victory
in an entertaining game on the road. "It was really pleasing, a good
performance by us and I of course was delighted to score. I think we managed
to contain them well - it was their first home match of the season and this
is always a difficult place to come, but we had lots of momentum. "Last
season we came here, didn't make our chances count and we lost and that
happened to us last week against Tottenham, even though we had played well.
On Saturday we knew we were playing well enough to keep control of the game
and had the edge, so when we did concede which although was disappointing,
we held on well and came through that bit of pressure to get another goal
and wrap up the win."
For Downing himself, he was pleased to make his mark on the scoresheet.
After opening up space for himself with some clever play, the Hammers No11
stroked the ball into the bottom left hand corner from 20 yards for the
second goal. "Obviously I am eager as is the manager for me to get more
goals this season, so to get off the mark second game in, is nice. I want to
shoot more, get in the positions I need to be in. With the goal, I had it in
my head what I wanted to do and hit it where I wanted to and it worked."
Downing said a second bustling London derby was always going to be tricky.
"You don't tend to think too much about the managerial situation [Crystal
Palace] because they can be flat or galvanised by what is happening. This is
a hard place to come and play and we played really well in this game, we
passed it well, played some good football and scored some good goals. The
pleasing thing is we finished our chances which I am sure our manager is
very happy about."
Downing had praise for his team-mates across the park and said it had been a
very positive start to the season for several of West Ham's new additions.
"Mauro scored a tremendous goal. The manager has been easing him into
everything, making sure he was up to speed on his fitness. He's a clever
player and if he can get more goals like today, than that is going to be a
great help for the team. "He showed some nice touches and linked up well.
Cheik [Kouyate] got a lot of the ball, he has been very good, he likes to
help break up play and gets forward. He has had an excellent start for us
and if he can keep that up as much as he can, he'll prove to be a very good
signing for us. "I think all the new signings have settled in well and those
who have played have made good starts. We have a bit of a stronger squad
this season which I think helps the manager. Last season the team had to
literally pick itself at times because of injuries but we have a lot more
options now and can change it around a bit if needed. "We got the second
goal at a good time and the manager stressed that when we had the ball to
keep it as we were penetrating them well on attack. The only disappointing
thing for us was letting them back in a bit when Chamakh scored putting
ourselves under a bit of pressure. But apart from that, thought it was a
really good performance and a good win for us. "We might have even played
better in parts last week [against Tottenham] but we lost. We played really
well here against Palace and took our chances and won well and got the first
of what we hope are many more points to come."
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Kevin Nolan set to miss six weeks with shoulder injury
BBC.co.uk
West Ham captain Kevin Nolan is set to be out of action for six weeks with a
fractured shoulder, according to manager Sam Allardyce. Nolan damaged his
shoulder in training on Thursday, missing the Hammers' 3-1 win at Crystal
Palace on Saturday. Allardyce backed "the best and strongest squad I've put
together at the club" to handle the absence. "It didn't affect us at Palace
and maybe that's a sign there's more to come," he said. Mauro Zarate's
volleyed debut goal set West Ham en route to victory at Selhurst Park, with
Stewart Downing and Carlton Cole also on target.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce is pleased with Cheikhou Kouyate and Mauro Zarate so far
Last Updated: 24/08/14 1:46pm
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce says he thinks new arrivals Cheikhou Kouyate
and Mauro Zarate will prove key performers for his side this season. The duo
both started against Crystal Palace on Saturday, and Zarate scored a fine
opening goal in the 3-1 victory at Selhurst Park. The Argentinian forward
had a fine campaign for Velez Sarsfield in his homeland last season after a
turbulent four years with Lazio, and Allardyce thinks the 27-year-old is
beginning to fully realise his potential. "The lad has grown up and
matured," said Allardyce. "I remember his loan spell at Birmingham six years
or so ago. He's been to Italy and back to Argentina since then, and scored
some goals. "I think he looks, at his age, a mature player with a lot of
quality in the final third, which is something different from what we have."
The 24-year-old Kouyate has also impressed his new manager. "I think he's
got the modern-day midfield player written all over him," said Allardyce.
"The one thing maybe he might be missing is a goal or two, I don't know yet,
but certainly he gets in that area a few times. "He's high-energy,
two-footed, great box-to-box, committed in the air, and he tackles. "I think
it's great to see a player that comes in with a big smile on his face every
day. He's living his dream by playing in the Premier League."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Fractured shoulder sidelines West Ham captain Kevin Nolan
Last Updated: 24/08/14 11:13pm
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has revealed that Kevin Nolan has fractured
his shoulder and will be out of action for up to six weeks. Allardyce said
club captain Nolan suffered the injury during training on Thursday and was
forced to miss the Hammers' 3-1 Premier League win at Crystal Palace on
Saturday.
The West Ham boss admitted Nolan's influence will be missed, but backed "the
best and strongest squad I've put together at the club" to handle his
absence.
"Kevin fractured his shoulder and that's a massive blow to us, along with
all the other players we've got injured," said Allardyce. "He will be out
for probably six weeks I would think. "It isn't a dislocated shoulder, it's
a fractured shoulder, but I don't know just how long that will keep Kevin
out. "We dealt with it brilliantly at Palace and let's hope we can continue
to do that. "It didn't affect us at Palace and maybe that's a sign there's
more to come."
Allardyce believes the comfortable victory over Palace indicates his squad
has decent strength in depth. The Hammers boss added: "We were missing five
players who play a big part in our squad, so to win the game comfortably
with as many injuries as that was extremely pleasing. "So perhaps this might
be the best and strongest squad I've put together at the club - I hope it
is."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
KEVIN NOLAN OUT UNTIL NOVEMBER
By Iain Dale 24 Aug 2014 at 21:14
West Ham Till I Die
In the last hour several sources are reporting that Kevin Nolan's shoulder
injury is worse than feared and that he will be out for around two months.
The injury curse that has afflicted Upton Park for some time now shows no
sign of being lifted.
I have little doubt that some people will greet this news as a silver
lining, but I am not sure they should be so pleased. Whatever his faults,
Nolan delivers goals from midfield and has done so consistently throughout
his career. I thought he had a decent game against Spurs as well.
However, having said that I think that after Zarate's performance yesterday
there would have been a revolution if Nolan were to return in place of
Zarate next weekend. We are well served in midfield at the moment and have
plenty of cover, and it's not often you can say that about West Ham. Apart
from Zarate we also have Ravel Morrison and Mo Diame who can fit into that
role.
CARLTON'S FUTURE UNCERTAIN
In other news Carlton Cole is reportedly interesting Bournemouth who are
said to be weighing up a £1 million bid. Although we have quite a few
strikers on our books at the moment, and he will inevitably drop down the
pecking order, I wonder whether he would really be interested in dropping
down to play for a club which is unlikely ever to seriously challenge for
promotion to the Premier League. I suppose stranger things have happened.
But I for one would be sad to see him go.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
LET'S RECOGNISE THE LOYALTY OF CARLTON COLE
By Iain Dale 24 Aug 2014 at 17:27
West Ham Till I Die
I saw this post on the Stop! Hammertime! Facebook Page and thought it
deserved a wider audience. It's by Jim Dean Dolan, who wants to applaud the
loyalty of Carlton Cole.
You hear the question "Where's the loyalty in football nowadays?" and with
good reason. The season we were relegated, Scott Parker was the pride of the
East End. He was every West Ham fan's hero and could do no wrong. I'd wager
he could ask for the shirt off of any fan's back and get it within seconds.
We loved him and we thought he'd forever be a legend to us. However, he was
given an easy way out of the Championship as well as European football with
Spurs and was gone in a flash.
"Where's the loyalty in football nowadays?" we'd ask ourselves again.
Conversely, Carlton Cole was offered £60k a week to transfer to Stoke. He
turned it down flat stating "It was us, the players, who got us into this
mess so it's down to the players to get us out of it." Little did we know
but not only did he turn down a pay rise to leave but he also took a 50% pay
cut to stay and fight the good fight.
In that season in the Championship he scored 15 goals. Correct me if I'm
wrong but that made him joint top goal scorer with Nolan. Those goals –
including one in the playoff final – ensured an immediate return to the
Premier League.
On our return to the top flight he found himself playing second
fiddle…actually probably fourth fiddle, but he stayed. He stayed to be with
the club he loves as much as you and I do. Eventually he was released but,
as soon as our new, improved and upgraded striker was injured he was
recalled back into the fold and returned gladly – although a little out of
shape.
And so it has been that whenever the most recent flavour of the month falls
off a barstool or twists their ankle on the way out of a kebab shop, Carlton
is there to step up.
Last year in the limited chances he had, he had the eighth best
goals:minutes ratio in the entire Premier League. Whenever we've needed him
most, he's stepped up.
Consider the above. Consider the comments about Cole on this page. And
consider: Where's the loyalty in football nowadays?
Is he frustratingly inconsistent? Yes! Do we wish he'd score more
frequently? Yes! Do we wish he'd learn to control a ball? F*** yes!
But does he also deserve a lot more respect than some give him? Yes. Yes he
does. I don't think he's a world beater. I don't think the history books are
going to have volumes on the great Carlton Cole. But he plays for us and
he's ONE of us! When we've needed him, he's been there. So before wishing
him off for the next mercenary, please take a moment to remember that.
Where is the loyalty in football nowadays?
Quite. There aren't many Carltons left in top flight football nowadays.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham forward Mauro Zarate hoping to emulate Premier League exploits of
Carlos Tevez
Aug 24, 2014 22:30 By Neil McLeman
The new summer recruit says he wants to follow in Tevez's footsteps and
reveals how Sergio Aguero told him to go to Upton Park
The Mirror
He is an Argentine No.10 who wants to be West Ham's next Carlos Tevez after
seeking advice from Sergio Aguero. But Mauro Zarate's super strike on his
return to the Premier League was definitely made in England. Sam Allardyce
has been given orders to entertain – and, in Teddy Sheringham, a new
attacking coach. Former Birmingham forward Zarate revealed additional
sessions with the ex-Three Lions star were the key to his volley which sent
West Ham on their way to a stylish win. "He has really helped me," said the
Argentine. "We have been practicing volleys like that in training. From the
edge of the box – the same.
P "He was very happy and celebrated the goal, too. I am very happy because
I scored. That is my job."
Former football commentator Barry Davies – briefly out of retirement to
celebrate Match of the Day's 50th anniversary – certainly enjoyed the
striker's sublime volley. 'Oh, Mauro Zarate', shouted the 76-year-old as the
ball struck the back of the net 11 minutes before the break. Zarate played
on loan at St Andrew's in 2008 and then went to Lazio and Inter Milan before
returning to his first club Velez Sarsfield last year. He was top scorer as
they won the Supercopa Argentina but Zarate, 27, had unfinished business
here. "I really like the Premier League so I wanted to come back," said
Zarate, who escaped after a nasty challenge on Stuart O'Keefe. "I speak with
Aguero and sometimes we have dinner together. Always I told him that I
wanted to come back to England. He said: 'Come, come'. He said West Ham was
a good move for me."
Jamie McDonaldSergio Aguero celebrates after scoring the second goalCareer
advisor: Sergio Aguero told Zarate to move to West Ham
The Hammers have only just finished paying off the £20million compensation
to Sheffield Unted for the illegal third-party ownership of another
Argentine in 2007. o in the week they host the Blades in the Capital One
Cup, have they found the next Tevez? "He is a star, he won everything,"
Zarate said. "The Champions League with Manchester United, everything with
Manchester City. Now he is with Juventus. I am very different. "Thank you
for comparing me with him. I know he was very popular with West Ham fans. I
hope I can have the same impact. "He scored some very important goals for
West Ham but I am another person, another player, so I want to go step by
step."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Blades aiming to nail Hammers
Sheffield United manager Nigel Clough
by James Shield
Published on the 24 August
SheffieldTelegraph.co.uk
Nigel Clough has vowed Sheffield United will enter tomorrow's grudge match
at West Ham with all guns blazing after rubbishing claims his team is
prepared to sacrifice a place in the Capital One Cup to enhance its
promotion credentials. The second round tie, which marks the first meeting
between these two clubs since the Carlos Tevez Affair seven years ago, pits
United against opponents who reached the semi-finals of the competition last
season before being crushed 9-0 on aggregate by Manchester City. Clough,
appointed as United manager in October, has refused to be drawn into the
politics which surround the fixture despite conceding it is "an interesting
draw."
But he warned Sam Allardyce's side that United will not be intimidated by
what promises to be a highly-charged atmosphere inside the Boleyn Ground.
"As far as we are concerned, this is another step towards Wembley," Clough,
who led the visitors into the FA Cup semi-finals last term, said. "That's
the way we approach all of these games. "We don't like losing and we want to
win. We want to do as well as we possibly can no matter what the occasion,
be it this tournament, the FA Cup or the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. They all
offer a chance of getting to Wembley and walking out there is an honour as
we know."
An independent arbitration panel awarded United, 12th in the League One
table following Saturday's victory over Crawley Town, compensation worth
£20m after West Ham were found guilty of breaching rules governing third
party ownership of players when they signed Tevez and his compatriot Javier
Mascherano during the 2006/07 Premier League campaign.
Although Mascherano joined Liverpool five months later, Tevez remained in
London and scored the goal which preserved West Ham's top-flight status
while United, who had argued they should have been docked points rather than
fined, were relegated to the Championship following a 2-1 defeat by Wigan
Athletic.
"We might make some changes but the team we select will be one we think is
capable of winning and doing a job," Clough, speaking before last weekend's
contest, said. "We don't know what Sam will do but that's beyond our control
and, in any case, West Ham are a Premier League team so whoever is out there
for them, well, you know they are going to be very good players."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gold: "The Twitter bullies will never beat me"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 24, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
David Gold has made it clear the Twitter bully boys will never beat him! The
Hammers co-chairman has received a shed load of abuse since arriving on the
social network. He now has over 94,000 followers but last week suffered a
vicious attack by a fake Carlton Cole account. It produced a picture that
saw his face superimposed onto a newspaper front page with a 'Face of
Maddie Suspect' headline. Gold responded on Twitter, saying: "You are a
disgrace and completely out of order. This is not funny or banter."
And in his first interview on the matter he told ClaretandHugh exclusively:
"The Twitter bullies will never ever beat me. That was so far out of order
but they won't close me down." "Ever since I was a kid growing up in the
east end I have faced down bullies even though I was the smallest kid in the
street. These trolls will never beat me." "The vast majority of followers
are excellent but there's always the noisy minority who want to make life
hell if they can. Well they don't and they won't. "I have no intention of
deleting my Twitter account and if I ever do it will be in my time – not
theirs."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dicks gets Ladies off to a winning start
Posted by Sean Whetstone on August 24, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
New West Ham Ladies manager Julian Dicks got his ladies off to a perfect
start thanks to a late goal in injury time by Kelley Blanchflower. West Ham
Ladies started their season kicking off at 2pn this afternoon in West
Drayton, Middlesex against QPR Ladies. The starting line up consisted of
Runnacles, King, Barling, Baxter, Revell, Morgan, McCrea, Kinsman,
Blanchflower, Sherwood and captain Stacey Little. Substitutes: Donohoe,
Powles, Mellors, Lipley-Hinton, Bowers.
The Ladies went one down after 24 minutes against the run of play as Kasha
Petit scored for QPR Ladies. It took 61 minutes for the West Ham Ladies to
break through and equalise through a Lindsey Morgan looping header. The
Hammers Ladies left until 92nd minute to win it late in injury time 2-1
through a Kelley Blanchflower goal.
The Ladies next game is against Keynsham Town in the League Cup next Sunday
2pm followed by an evening match against Spurs Ladies on Thursday 4th
September Kick Off 7.45pm
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carlton Cole linked with AFC Bournemouth
Posted by Sean Whetstone on August 24, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
There are rumours circling the Internet this afternoon that AFC Bournemouth
are preparing a £1 million bid for Carlton Cole to tempt him away from the
Irons.
Whether Carlton Cole who scored the Hammers third goal yesterday would
consider a drop down to the Championship remains to be seen but when Enner
Valencia and Diafro Sakho are fully match fit and with Andy Carroll around
two months away from a return Cole must realise he is likely to drop down
the striker pecking order significantly.
Carlton Cole signed a 18 month contract with West Ham in January 2014 which
will take him up to the end of this season after he was previously released
in May 2013. Cole admitted he once took a 50% pay cut when the Hammers
dropped down the championship and has remained loyal to the club since
joining from Chelsea in 2006. Whether the rumours have any substance remains
to be seen.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Nolan injury may be "serious"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 24, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Kevin Nolan will know early this week whether he faces surgery on a shoulder
injury he picked up in training on Thursday. ClaretandHugh was told a few
minutes ago that the West Ham skipper will have a second scan on the injury
which early indications suggest could be serious. Nolan is understood to
have fell awkwardly in the training and early signs are that he has
suffered a collarbone injury which could involve an eight to 12 week
lay-off. A Hammers training ground source said: "Kev is likely to have a
scan tomorrow or Tuesday but early indications are that it's not good and he
may need surgery. "It's impossible to know exactly what the injury is but
things are not that encouraging and he could be missing for a while yet. At
the moment it looks quite serious."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cole enters Cherries talks
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 24, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Carlton Cole is tonight talking terms with AFC Bournemouth for a possible
switch to the Championship club. Rumours have been rife on the internet this
evening that a deal for the Hammers loyalist may be underway. And
ClaretandHugh can confirm from a well placed Upton Park source that talks
between the Cole and the Cherries are being held. Manager Eddie Howe is very
keen to sign the player and Cole has to decide whether he's ready to drop
down a level with an accompanying cut in wages. However, given there was
little interest last summer before he returned to the Boleyn, he may believe
that a two or three year deal is worth taking at this stage of his career.
ClaretandHugh's source told us exclusively: "They like him and they are
talking to him but the big question is can they afford him?"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
An away day to remember
Posted by Sean Whetstone on August 24, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
2014-08-23 14.57.47I have just recovered from a tremendous Saturday away
day. When I wrote my 'Apathy at the Boleyn ground' piece last weekend what I
failed to mention is away days are completely different and they were most
of last season too! There is a completely different atmosphere at away games
and a great day is usually had by all, win, lose or draw. We had not beaten
Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park since 1991 until yesterday and our last win
at home was 11 years ago on in Division one in October 2003.
Palace were becoming a bit of our bogey side and the omens were not good
when I was allocated row 13 to watch the match from. The pubs outside the
ground were buzzing full with West Ham fans buzzing for their first away day
of the season. When I arrived at the ground the Selhurst Park bar prior to
kick off, the Hammers were celebrating like we had already won the match,
you can sample the atmosphere on the video clip below.
News filtered to the bars around the ground that Kevin Nolan was carrying a
shoulder injury and that Mauro Zarate would start and Carlton Cole would
also start instead of Sakho or Valencia, Vaz Te inclusion was also a
puzzlement to many of the 2,600 Hammers fans around the ground. The away
support was brilliant as usual and the Hammers sung their hearts for 90
minutes only briefly muted for a few minutes by Chamakh's consolation goal.
Mauro Zarate, Chekihou Kourate, Aaron Cresswell all stood out for me and
were out to prove they needed no time to adjust to the Premier League pace
and skill. Captain Mark Noble also worked his socks off and was key to the
first half dominance. I told my mate standing next to me it is was like
watching Brazil in the first half as we went in two nil up thanks to two
well taken goals in three minutes by Zarate and Downing. In fact we should
of been more than two nil up at half time but we didn't care, the sun was
shining and we were winning away. Another thing worth mentioning is the
passion Adrian shows every time we scored, he ran over to the away fans and
celebrated close to us when each of the first two goals went in, he has a
great relationship with the away fans.
Second half Palace came at us and as normal with West Ham we had a dodgy ten
minutes when they scored their goal and looked like they were going to score
one or two more. Everything in the team did their piece to turn things
although Ricardo Vaz Te stood out as out of his depth and I wondered why Sam
started him, I was saying the same about Carlton Cole just before he proved
me wrong by scoring a goal. I am a Carlton Cole fan but I was eager to see
Sakho or Valencia. It was a surprise to see Sakho and not Valencia come on
in the 83rd minute, after just 7 minutes in the Spurs game I assumed
Valencia would get more time on the pitch in the second half to build up his
match fitness. Diego Poyet also came on second half to the song 'He tweets
what he wants, he tweets what he wants, Diego Poyet, he tweets what he
wants". There was was some great banter and songs with the Palace fans.
When the final whistle went and the score was 3-1 we celebrated late into
the night and there were many sore heads on Sunday.
However in the sober light of evening we must remember the manager-less
Palace were poor and I can see them struggling this season, I can't see us
playing like Brazil against the Saints next weekend and I am trying to keep
my feet firmly on the ground incase I let optimism creep back into my head
with regards to this season. I look forward to my next away day at Old
Trafford.
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