Grant hails young Hammers
WHUFC.com
A team full of promising youngsters did the job for the manager in the FA
Cup against Barnsley
08.01.2011
Avram Grant was delighted to see his youthful team see off the challenge of
Barnsley in a tricky FA Cup third-round tie on Saturday. US international
Jonathan Spector slotted in a neat finish from 15 yards on 29 minutes during
a first half totally dominated by the Hammers before Frederic Piquionne came
off the bench to seal the 2-0 win right at the death. It was the youngsters
who mainly caught the manager's eye, however. "I am very pleased with the
team," said Grant, who had fielded 19-year-old Frank Nouble and the
21-year-old Zavon Hines in attack. "They were very good, especially in the
first half and if we had taken 20 per cent of our chances the score would
have been high. I am pleased overall to be in the next round and that we
could give a chance to some new players."
The victory - played in front of 24,881 fans was thanks in no small part to
the 23-year-old Mark Noble's performance in central midfield - means the
Hammers will take their place in Sunday's fourth-round draw with the ties to
be played on the weekend of 29/30 January. "The young players showed good
movement and created strong chances. We played in a quick way, the way I
like with good passing. It was also important to get Mark a full 90 minutes
as he hadn't played a full game for a long time."
With only captain for the day Robert Green, James Tomkins and Noble
retaining their places from midweek, Grant sent out seven players aged 23 or
under. He said giving youth a chance was the driving force behind making
eight changes from the midweek setback at Newcastle United, although the
tired legs from that defeat were also a factor. "We have a programme and a
plan for this club. I am sure we will stick to this even in good and bad
times. West Ham will be a strong Premier League club but you need to go step
by step and give young players a chance. Of course they need to have quality
and this is also why the experienced players are positive for us."
The Tykes were making their second visit to the Boleyn in two years, after
losing 3-0 in the same round of the famous old competition on 3 January
2009. For long periods it looked like a similar scoreline would be on the
cards with Nouble and Pablo Barrera showing plenty of strong running.
Barnsley keeper Luke Steele was almost equal to everything that the Hammers
could throw at him, twice denying Nouble when he seemed certain to score.
Hines also went close with a low effort and Barrera headed wide when coming
in at the back post unmarked.
However, Spector - who struck twice in the Carling Cup quarter-final defeat
of Manchester United - eased the nerves with his goal just before the
half-hour. Noble's surge forward came back off a Barnsley player into
Spector's path and he made no mistake. Hines could and should have made it
two-nil four minutes from the interval. A superb cross-area ball from Nouble
presented him with simple tap-in to score, only for Steele to scramble
across and save both the initial effort and a follow-up. The second half saw
Barnsley - inspired by the hard-running Adam Hammill - come back stronger
but Green was never really in trouble. Scott Parker and Piquionne arrived
for the closing stages to see out the danger but as well as a decent penalty
shout earlier, the Tykes saw Hammill hit the bar in added time. A one-sided
tie so nearly went to a replay. As it was the danger was cleared and
Piquionne ran through, with third substitute Anthony Edgar, himself just 20,
making space, to fire in an unstoppable match-clinching drive beyond Steele.
The Hammers had done the job and could look forward fully to Tuesday's
mouth-watering Carling Cup semi-final first leg with Birmingham City. The
manager is certainly up for the cup - especially after reaching the FA Cup
final last year. "I am looking for another run to Wembley. These games are
tough and we have done well to win. I remember when I was at Chelsea we
played at Barnsley and the pitch was not so good. My staff wanted to play
because they thought it was an easy game but we lost. "We knew today would
not be easy either but we did the job. I have been at Wembley before and it
would be nice to do well in the FA Cup again."
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West Ham 2 - 0 Barnsley
BBC.co.uk
West Ham put their league woes behind them to advance to the fourth round
with goals in either half from Jonathan Spector and Frederic Piquionne. The
Hammers took a deserved lead when Spector slotted in after Mark Noble's shot
had been deflected into his path. The home side were lucky when Winston Reid
felled Jacob Butterfield in the area only for play to be waved on. Adam
Hammill struck a post for the Tykes but Piquionne rifled past Luke Steele in
injury time to seal the win. With Tuesday's Carling Cup semi-final against
Birmingham looming, West Ham boss Avram Grant made eight changes to the side
that had lost 5-0 on Wednesday at Newcastle, with no place in his squad for
England striker Carlton Cole, and midfield stalwart Scott Parker and
defender Matthew Upson left on the bench. However, despite not being at
full-strength the Hammers were rampant in the first 45 minutes and should
have been out of sight by half-time.
Steele made fine saves from Zavon Hines and Frank Nouble before Victor
Obinna blasted a volley wide and Nouble was again denied by the visiting
keeper. An unmarked Pablo Barrera nodded inexplicably wide from close range
after being picked out by a Luis Boa Morte cross before another Nouble shot
struck Noble and spun narrowly wide. In the 29th minute, a determined break
from Noble ended with a shot that cannoned off a couple of Barnsley players
before falling fortuitously for Spector, who calmly put the east London side
in front from seven yards. Steele came to Barnsley's rescue with a fine
double-save from Hines before Nouble blazed a final attempt over the bar.
West Ham, though, were awful in the second half, and Barnsley posed more of
an attacking threat. Substitute Butterfield dribbled into the area and was
hacked down by Reid but the penalty was not forthcoming from referee Neil
Swarbrick. Obinna scuffed a good opportunity wide when through on goal, and
Steele kept out Barrera with two more instinctive saves. Winger Hammill, who
was impressive throughout, almost netted a late leveller for the
Championship side but his deflected effort came off the woodwork, and when
West Ham broke swiftly upfield, Piquionne applied the finish to wrap up a
welcome victory at Upton Park.
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Grant on... Barnsley
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 9th January 2011
By: Staff Writer
A relatively pleased Avram Grant looks back on the 2-0 win over Barnsley -
whilst commenting on the latest rumours regarding his own immediate
future...
Avram: a 2-0 win; but for some fantastic goalkeeping and poor finishing it
could have been a lot more, couldn't it?
Yes but it was a very good game, especially in the first half when we played
very well. We passed the ball quickly and created a lot of chances. But like
what happened to us at the beginning of the season, we missed chances. We
could have easily closed the game [out] in the first half.
They could have had a penalty, they hit the crossbar; having been over them
all game it could have been one of those days, couldn't it?
Yes. Something [like that] can happen - even if it was a penalty for us in
the first half so it could have been 2-0. Even in the second half Frank
Nouble was one-on-one with the goalkeeper and then Pablo Barrera... But I
think the bar saved us.
Is it pleasing that you were able to make eight changes today and still get
the result?
Yes I'm very pleased, especially as in the game against Newcastle we saw
that the players were tired, they were not sharp like they were before.
There was a lot of physical pressure on a small group so we decided to
change. This is one reason.
The second reason is that we have a vision for this club and part of that
vision is our young players - and we wanted to give them a chance to play
today, to trust them to do their job. I think we played with seven or eight
players under 23 and we are very pleased with them.
Away from West Ham, Liverpool parted with Roy Hodgson this morning. What are
your thoughts on what's happened there today?
I don't know what's happened on the inside, I always feel sorry when
something like this happens in the middle of the year. You plan, plan, plan
and yet something is going wrong. But I cannot answer you, what's happened
at Liverpool I don't know.
Do you think Kenny Dalglish can do something there until the end of the
season?
How can I know? Kenny Dalglish was a great, great player and a great manager
who did very well. He has a great knowledge of football, there's no doubt
about it.
How inportant was it to get back on the winning trail after what happened at
Newcastle?
It was very important - especially the way that we did it. We played good
football with the young players that played today. For us it was very
important to recover well from the game against Newcastle.
If you didn't have the semi-final on Tuesday would you have kept more
players in, after what happened on Wednesday?
No. We don't analyse one game. What happened Wednesday, happened Wednesday -
we analyse the period. The last few weeks for us were the best weeks of the
season by the results, by the football, even with what happened Wednesday.
So we wanted to continue with this period and not analyse only one game.
Look at the game today, look at the games before - this is the best time of
our season and we want to continue with this. Also on Tuesday.
What is it about you and cup competitions? Champions League; Carling Cup;
the FA Cup Final last season; do you have a different approach? Are you more
relaxed? What's the difference?
It's the same, I don't know how to explain it. By the way - in my country it
was the opposite! I don't know, I think it's coincidence. I don't know
what's happened but I'm happy with this. But it's different; at Chelsea it
was the Champions League final and Carling Cup, but the main target was the
Champions League. At Portsmouth it was a great way to get to the final given
what happened last year. Maybe it was one of my biggest achievements.
This year, to be in the Carling Cup final after the way that we did it. We
beat Sunderland away, Stoke here; Man United was a great game that I think
nobody will forget. Tuesday could also be good - but we are not there yet.
Can the cup competitions benefit a team in terms of the Premier League or
are they generally a distraction?
At this period of time we have a very tight schedule, we're having to play
every three or four days. Because our squad is very, very short it was a
little bit of a problem but as you saw today, we did good.
When you hear the news today that the Liverpool directors have lost their
nerve and sacked their manager does it worry you that your bosses at West
Ham might feel a knock-on effect and be pressured to make a similar
decision? Or do you think they're made of stronger stuff?
I don't think it's the same, with all respect. The expectation here and the
expectation at Liverpool is not the same. The money that they have at
Liverpool and the money we have here is not the same. We have other
problems, we know; even though I said it at the beginning of the season we
know that it will not be an easy time for us. So without making any excuses
it was more difficult with all the injuries this season.
But I think we've recovered very well after what's happened, the results
against Man City and Sunderland - and we're now in the position where we're
two points from an important place. This situation is a situation we wanted
to be in. I think in the league it will be tough until the end of the season
but I think we have the advantage because on the football side we've played
well - except in two or three games - and in the last few weeks we've won
games with points.
Was your job on the line ahead of this game?
I don't think about these things. I think it's good for you sometimes, you
know - you have more stories...
Do you feel any pressure?
I felt pressure when I was not in a job; [for] one year I was without a job,
that was pressure. When you are in football there's pressure, when you're
out of football you miss this pressure. For me the pressure is to achieve
what I think I can achieve at this club. And I think we can achieve at this
club; we are growing, step by step, with many difficulties in the way both
on and off the pitch. But I think we are doing well.
So you feel comfortable in your position?
I don't think about this, no. Never. I need to do my job the best [I can]
for the team.
Can you clarify exactly why the Steve Sidwell deal didn't happen?
I spoke for the first time in my life about a deal that wasn't done because
I thought it was done. I will not make this mistake again; next time I will
only speak about deals that have been done and after I know, 100 per cent,
that it's done. I don't want to speak about something that didn't happen.
Karren Brady says in her Sun column today that she vetoed the move because
the club felt you had more than enough midfielders. But surely the club must
have known that before they arranged for the player to have a medical and
agree personal terms?
Read my column next week and I will say. And one of the newspapers...
Were you taking a risk making eight changes today?
There's always a risk when you put young players [in] because you don't know
how they can perform, even though you've seen them in training. But you
cannot make a vision of the club and say part of it is to use young players
and not give them a chance. You need to give them a chance, you need to
trust them. Of course it was a risk but I was happy to take the risk even
with the situation at the club. I think you need to stick with your ways,
your vision even when sometimes the results are not so good.
Birmingham in the Cup in midweek and Arsenal in the league on Saturday; are
you looking at playing your strongest line-up for both games or will you
play a slightly weakened side in the Carling Cup?
For our club to be in a semi-final is an achievement - and when you get to
the semi-final you want to be in the final. I don't think even one player
thinks like this. From my experience in many, many semi-finals it's the
easiest job for a coach because you don't have to speak before [the game],
everybody wants to be in the final.
The league won't be decided in the next game or two no matter what result we
get, if we win or lose. Nothing will be decided this month or even next
month. But we need to pick up results, so it's a different approach for each
game.
There's a board meeting on Wednesday; will you hope for a definitive
announcement on yourself following that meeting? So that you can concentrate
on your job until the end of the season?
I only need to do my job. With all due respect you have a job, if I tell you
now that your job is under threat you won't believe me, you will go to your
boss. So I spoke to the bosses and they never said anything like this to me.
I don't want to speak about it any more, because since the beginning of the
season you've asked me - one time 'you have two weeks'; one time 'you have
three weeks'; one time 'you need four points; one time 'you have your wife
on the side'... I don't know, every week or two weeks I have to answer about
another rumour.
Isn't that precisely the point though? If you get something definitive from
the owners on Wednesday...
Is there definitive in football? If there is such a thing then please let me
know! I know only one thing and I've worked like this all my life. I always
work for the club, for the present and for the future. What I have to say to
the owners I've said to the owners and what the owners have to say to me,
they said to me. If the rumours have come from someone else with other
interests you'll have to ask him.
The owners are not shy at all, they say to me I am a shy person and then I
have to say something to them as I say it to you now. I can tell you - even
though I don't want to speak about it - that we're only speaking about how
to make the squad stronger. They understand - as much as I understand the
financial situation and the influence of this - that we need to make the
squad stronger.
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Robins on... West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 8th January 2011
By: Staff Writer
A refreshingly honest Mark Robins picks the bones out of his Barnsley side's
2-0 FA Cup third round defeat at the BG...
Mark: you were within a crossbar of getting the goal that would have taken
it to 1-1 in injury time. Do you think you deserved a replay?
Very, very kind of you, that. We were within six saves of being seven-nil
down as well so, you know. Make no mistake, we were second best in the first
half. The second half was slightly different.
I don't know why it is, a lot of the time it's symptomatic of our season
where we play for 45 minutes and we do okay for 45 minutes. Belief in the
first half was sadly lacking, I think we gave them far too much respect.
But in fairness to West Ham, they made plenty of changes - and those changes
really paid off because they worked their socks off. They worked their socks
off to close us down, to try and get in behind. They ran better than us,
they kept the ball better than us; you would possibly expect that but from
my team that was a shadow of what we're capable of doing, which is a real
shame because it was a competition we wanted to do well in.
We know it's difficult, a tough place to come. They've just been beaten away
from home, a heavy defeat. You can say what you will about that but they are
a division higher than us and they've got a big, big squad of capable
players. You know you've got to be on your game - we had too many off their
game and too many of ours that didn't get close enough to the West Ham
players and put them under any pressure.
When we did get the ball we were a little bit sluggish, in the first half.
In the second half we were a little bit better; we still need a little bit
of pace in the side to try and stretch teams and that little bit of know-how
how to stretch teams.
But apart from that, the second half I was reasonably pleased with. The
changes made a difference, players were a little bit better and like you
say, at the end we could have sneaked a draw.
It was just around the hour mark that your substitute Butterfield went down
under a challenge; do you think it should have been a penalty?
It was difficult. It may have been. We get one a week, honestly, without a
word of a lie. But if you're relying on referee's decisions to get back into
a game or, you know... I don't want to rely on that, because we were - or we
could have been - a lot worse off in the game.
So we have to take that on the chin but we've got to learn, move forward and
let the second half of the season be better than the first half of the
season and see if we can push on. Because if we accept that first half
performance then we'll be in serious trouble. I think we're capable but
we've got to sustain it and do it over 90 minutes.
So to sum up, take the positives but also learn [from the fact] that it
could have been a hiding?
Yeah, take the positives ... Difficult to search for any positives from it
in fairness because we've lost the game! It could have been comprehensive, I
think the positive is that we only conceded two goals. And we hit the
crossbar at the end which could have been a way back in it for us - but we
didn't deserve anything.
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Fans shun semi final clash
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 8th January 2011
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are set to face Birmingham in front of thousands of empty seats
when the two clubs meet in the Carling Cup semi final this coming Tuesday.
With just three days to go before the Hammers host City in the first leg of
the two-legged affair, thousands of seats remain unsold due to a combination
of the game being broadcast live on TV and the club's revised pricing
policy.
Despite having offered cheaper tickets for all preceding rounds, Band 1
tickets for the Birmingham clash are priced as highly as £52 for adults and
£29 for children - with the match coming just three days after today's FA
Cup clash with Barnsley.
Although a slight price reduction has been offered, season ticket holders
are still being charged up to £37 to sit in their regular seats.
The club have hailed the game as West Ham's biggest home fixture for 20
years - a rather spurious claim given United's participation in the play-off
semi finals of 2003/04 and 2004/05. However even this has failed to spur
supporters into purchasing tickets, with many choosing instead to watch the
game live on TV.
In direct contrast supporters can pay on the door today for the third round
clash with Barnsley, with tickets for season ticket holders available from
just £10 (£5 for children). Thousands of fans are expected to turn up on the
day to boost the attendance figure.
Ticket prices for Tuesday (Birmingham)
Band 1, general Adults: £52; Over 65s: £29; Under 16s: £29
Band 2, general Adults: £48; Over 65s: £27; Under 16s: £27
Band 3, general Adults: £46; Over 65s: £26; Under 16s: £26
Band 4, general Adults: £36; Over 65s: £21; Under 16s: £21
Band 1, members Adults: £52; Over 65s: £26; Under 16s: £18
Band 2, members Adults: £48; Over 65s: £24; Under 16s: £17
Band 3, members Adults: £46; Over 65s: £23; Under 16s: £16
Band 4, members Adults: £36; Over 65s: £18; Under 16s: £12
Band 1, ST holders Adults: £37; Over 65s: £21; Under 16s: £13
Band 2, ST holders Adults: £33; Over 65s: £19; Under 16s: £12
Band 3, ST holders Adults: £31; Over 65s: £18; Under 16s: £11
Band 4, ST holders Adults: £21; Over 65s: £13; Under 16s: £7
Ticket Prices for today (Barnsley)
Bands 1-4, general/members Adults: £15; Over 65s: £15; Under 16s: £10
Bands 1-4, ST holders Adults: £10; Over 65s: £10; Under 16s: £5
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Grant defiant over future
Israeli pleased as Robins admits Tykes were 'second best'
By Hayley Paterson Last updated: 8th January 2011
SSN
Under-pressure West Ham manager Avram Grant has again defended his position
following their victory over Barnsley in the FA Cup. Earlier on Saturday it
was confirmed that Roy Hodgson had been sacked by Liverpool and the Hammers
coach is adamant he will not be the next Premier League boss to face the
managerial chop. Despite his under-fire status, the Israeli saw his side
beat a resurgent Barnsley outfit 2-0 at Upton Park to add to a recent tally
of good results. The Hammers have won three and drawn two of their last six
games, including their FA Cup third-round victory, which saw Jonathan
Spector and Frederic Piquionne find the net. "I don't think it is the same
(as Liverpool). The expectation of Liverpool and the expectations here are
not the same," said a defiant Grant. "The money that you have at Liverpool
and the money I have is not the same.
Pressure
"Are there definites in football? If there is such a thing, let me know. I
work for the club for the present and future. "I need to do my job. If I
told you that your job was under-threat, you wouldn't believe me and would
speak to your boss. "So I spoke with the boss and he did not say anything
like this. I don't want to keep talking about this. "The pressure is for me
to achieve what I think I can achieve at this club. I think we are getting
there step by step."
Difficult
After being smashed 5-0 in midweek at the hands of Newcastle United, Grant
made several changes to his team and left Scott Parker and Matt Upson on the
bench in favour of his contingent of youth. And the changes paid off as
unlikely cup hero Spector netted his third goal of the season and Piquionne
put the game to bed in injury-time. "It was a very good game, especially in
the first half. We played well and created a lot of chances. We could have
closed the game in the first half," Grant said. Barnsley manager Mark Robins
said he would find it difficult to seek out the positives, despite an
encouraging second-half performance. "Make no mistake, we were second best
in the first half but the second half was slightly different. It is
symptomatic of our season, where we played well for 45 minutes," he said.
"It will be difficult to search for any positives. It could have been
comprehensive. The positive was that we only conceded two goals and hit the
crossbar."
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Spector strike sinks Tykes
Tykes denied penalty from Reid challenge
By Hayley Paterson Last updated: 8th January 2011
SSN
West Ham's unlikely cup hero Jonathan Spector was on target again as they
beat Barnsley 2-0 in the FA Cup. Spector's first goals in three years had
sent West Ham storming into the Carling Cup semi-finals with a 4-0 victory
over Manchester United. And the American, playing in the same central
midfield role, added to his cup tally when he put the Hammers ahead again
before substitute Frederic Piquionne rifled home a late second. West Ham
made hard work of the cup win at Upton Park and could have had the game
killed off by half-time but came up against a brick wall in the shape of
Tykes goalkeeper Luke Steele. The former Manchester United youth
shot-stopper produced four vital saves in the first-half, three of which
came from Zavon Hines.
Nervy
After the interval, Avram Grant's men looked nervy and stuttered to seal the
win and could have seen themselves facing a replay had Adam Hammill's
deflected shot not hit the wrong side of the bar. But Piquionne's injury
time strike was enough to see the Hammers progress in the competition. Grant
made eight changes to the side that were thumped 5-0 by Newcastle in
midweek. Hines and striker Frank Nouble came in for their first West Ham
starts this season. Robert Green took on the captain's armband as usual
skipper Scott Parker joined first-team centre-back Matthew Upson on the
bench.
Luis Boa Morte came in at left-back with Spector alongside Mark Noble in
midfield. The South Yorkshire side had a penalty appeal dismissed by referee
Neil Swarbrick after Hammill's fall in the box.
Dominated
Garry O'Connor had a long-range effort in the first-half but the Hammers
dominated. Steele then denied Hines and twice from Nouble as West Ham
spurned a host of first-half chances. Barnsley's number one was finally
beaten in the 29th minute when Spector nestled a low angled drive inside the
far post after great work from Noble. Steele produced yet more saved with a
double block from Hines before the interval. Barnsley boss Mark Robins took
off Goran Lovre for Jacob Butterfield who made an immediate impact with a
tricky run into the West Ham box before going down under Winston Reid's
challenge. However the referee waved play on, much to the dismay of the
Barnsley contingent, and that proved fatal for the visitors as substitute
Piquionne came on and netted in injury time.
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Av I won't Kop it like Roy
The Sun
Published: 08 Jan 2011
AVRAM GRANT insists he is not about to follow Roy Hodgson on to the
managerial scrapheap. Hodgson bit the bullet today and Grant has been
hotly-tipped to be the next manager to go. But the West Ham boss, who saw
his side record a 2-0 FA Cup win over Barnsley, said: "I don't think it is
the same. "The expectation of Liverpool and the expectations here are not
the same. "The money that you have at Liverpool and the money I have is not
the same. "Are there definites in football? If there is such a thing, let me
know. I work for the club for the present and future. "I need to do my job.
If I told you that your job was under threat, you wouldn't believe me and
would speak to your boss. "So I spoke with the boss and he did he not say
anything like this. I don't want to keep talking about this. "The pressure
is for me to achieve what I think I can achieve at this club. I think we are
getting there step by step." Jonathan Spector got the ball rolling before
Frederic Piquionne sealed the Hammers' fourth-round spot. And Grant added:
"It was a very good game, especially in the first half. We played well and
created a lot of chances."
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Grant stands firm over Hammers future
Published 19:31 08/01/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
West Ham's under-pressure manager Avram Grant does not expect to endure the
same fate that today befell Roy Hodgson at Liverpool. Hodgson departed
Anfield today by "mutual consent" and speculation has been rife that Grant
could be the next Barclays Premier League manager out the door. But Grant
said he has received assurances about his position from West Ham co-owner
David Gold and he is confident the club can build on an encouraging series
of results. The Hammers have won three and drawn two of their last six
games, including today's 2-0 FA Cup third round victory over Barnsley and
they tackle Birmingham in the Carling Cup semi-final on Tuesday. Gold and
co-chairman David Sullivan will chair a board meeting the following day. But
Grant said: "I don't think it is the same (as Liverpool). The expectation of
Liverpool and the expectations here are not the same. "The money that you
have at Liverpool and the money I have is not the same. "Are there definites
in football? If there is such a thing, let me know. I work for the club for
the present and future. "I need to do my job. If I told you that your job
was under threat, you wouldn't believe me and would speak to your boss. "So
I spoke with the boss and he did he not say anything like this. I don't want
to keep talking about this. "The pressure is for me to achieve what I think
I can achieve at this club. I think we are getting there step by step."
West Ham were beaten 5-0 at Newcastle in midweek and Grant was satisfied
with the way his men bounced back. The Hammers could have had the game
wrapped up today after dominating the first half but they were denied by a
string of top-class saves from Barnsley goalkeeper Luke Steele. Jonathan
Spector finally beat Steele but the Hammers went off the boil after the
break and Barnsley hit the bar through Adam Hammill before Frederic
Piquionne wrapped up the victory. "It was a very good game, especially in
the first half. We played well and created a lot of chances. We could have
closed the game in the first half," Grant said. Barnsley manager Mark Robins
said he would find it difficult to seek out the positives, despite an
encouraging second-half performance. "Make no mistake, we were second best
in the first half but the second half was slightly different. It is
symptomatic of our season, where we played well for 45 minutes," he said.
"It will be difficult to search for any positives. It could have been
comprehensive. The positive was that we only conceded two goals and hit the
crossbar."
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Everton leading the chase for former Liverpool reject
Published 23:00 08/01/11 By Michael Morgan
The Mirror
Mark Robins has admitted that he expects prize asset Adam Hammill to quit
Barnsley for the Premier League this month. Everton are leading the chase
for the former Liverpool winger, who has a £500,000 buy-out clause in the
three-year deal he signed when joining the Tykes from Anfield 17 months ago.
But Wolves – whose boss Mick McCarthy watched Hammill in Barnsley's 2-1 win
over Coventry last Monday – Blackpool, West Ham and Bolton are also in the
chase for his signature. Hammill, 22, has notched eight goals this season
and Oakwell chief Robins believes he has already made up his mind to make a
switch to the top flight. Robins said: "I don't think there is any chance of
keeping Adam. "I don't want to lose him, but it is out of my hands now. And,
if he does move, then we'll just have to carry on without him and look to do
something different. "There's been interest from a few clubs, so what
happens from here is out of my control. "If someone comes up with the right
money, I guess he'll speak to them and then decide whether or not to
leave."
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West Ham 2-0 Barnsley - Spector and Piquionne fire Hammers into fourth round
Published 17:18 08/01/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
West Ham's cup king Jonathan Spector was on target again but Avram Grant's
struggling side made hard work of beating Barnsley at Upton Park. Spector's
first goals in three years had sent West Ham storming into the Carling Cup
semi-finals with a 4-0 victory over Manchester United. The American, playing
in the same central midfield role he occupied against United, scored the
first and Frederic Piquionne a late second as West Ham booked their place in
the fourth round of the FA Cup. Picquionne's injury-time strike came moments
after Barnsley had come within inches of snatching a draw, when Adam
Hammill's deflected shot looped onto the bar. Striker Frank Nouble and
winger Zavon Hines were given their first starts of the season as West Ham
manager Avram Grant made eight changes from Wednesday's 5-0 defeat at
Newcastle. Robert Green, who was retained along with Mark Noble and James
Tomkins, captained the team with Scott Parker and Matthew Upson moved to the
bench. There was no place in the squad for Carlton Cole. Barnsley's on-loan
defender Matt Hill received permission from Wolves to play so the Tykes were
unchanged from their 2-1 win against Coventry. Luis Boa Morte lined up in
West Ham's problem position of left-back with Jonathan Spector in central
midfield alongside Mark Noble.
West Ham's new-look back four had to be alert in the opening minutes when
Garry O'Connor's lay-off sent Adam Hammill charging to the box. Hammill went
to ground under Winston Reid's challenge but he was alone in appealing for a
penalty and referee Neil Swarbrick waved play on. West Ham surged straight
down the other end and should have taken the lead after Victor Obinna and
Nouble linked cleverly to tee up Hines. Obinna was on the ground but managed
to poke a pass through to Nouble, who cut the ball back for Hines whose shot
was well blocked by the advancing Luke Steele. Barnsley received a let-off
when Nouble picked out Obinna with a lofted pass and the Nigerian's
left-foot volley flew just wide of the far post. Still West Ham surged
forward and Steele denied them again, producing another strong block after
Nouble had found space on the right side of the Barnsley box. O'Connor tried
his luck from distance for Barnsley before West Ham squandered another
glorious opportunity. Boa Morte's curling left-foot cross picked out Pablo
Barrera at the far post but the unmarked Mexican winger planted his header
wide.
West Ham came close again when Nouble's shot deflected off Noble and spun
just wide of the near post before Spector finally broke the deadlock The
American, whose two goals against Manchester United fired West Ham into the
Carling Cup semi-final, beat Steele with a low angled drive after a
determined run from the outstanding Noble. Barnsley gave West Ham a scare
when Lovre got the better of Tomkins but his strike, with the outside of his
right foot, was straight at Green. There was nothing Steele could have done
about the goal but he pulled off a brilliant double save from Hines which
prevented West Ham from doubling their lead before the interval. Noble
picked out Barrera and the Mexican picked out Hines in space at the far post
but Steele got across quickly and produced two stops from point-blank range
before Nouble skied his shot over the bar.
Barnsley had not exploited West Ham's weakness at left back until early in
the second half, when Lovre got in behind Boa Morte and pulled a cross back
for O'Connor. Winston Reid stole in for the interception and West Ham broke
clear, with Hines cutting in from the left flank before whistling a shot
across the face of goal. Lovre was replaced by Jacob Butterfield after 56
minutes and the new arrival made an immediate impact with a tricky run into
the West Ham box before going down under Reid's challenge. Referee Swarbrick
infuriated the Barnsley bench by waving play on and he was greeted with
chants of "You don't know what you're doing" from the visiting supporters.
It was another let-off for West Ham, whose pace and intensity had dropped
after half-time as if they were happy to sit back and defend a one goal
lead. When West Ham did piece together a promising move, Nouble exchanged
passes with Obinna to go through on goal but he scuffed his shot and
Barnsley were able to clear. West Ham needed to inject some urgency back
into their game, and who better to turn to than Scott Parker who replaced
Obinna with 14 minutes remaining. Frederic Piquionne also came on for Obinna
and West Ham eventually rediscovered their touch with Boa Morte escaping
down the left. Barrera met the cross but was denied his first West Ham goal
by another instinctive double save from Steele. Barnsley came inches away
from snatching a draw in injury time when Hammill's deflected shot looped
onto the bar.
But West Ham broke clear, Picquionne cut inside and rifled his shot past
Steele to wrap up the victory.
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The Martin O'Neill Rumours Gather Pace
West Ham Till I Die
I've thought long and hard about posting this, but here goes. A normally
extremely reliable source has just told me that Martin O'Neill was at the
ground this morning. I have no other information other than that. Normally I
wouldn't post something like that, but like I said, this source is a very
good one.
There is a lot of money going on him in the betting markets apparently. I am
also told that one or two very senior (and popular players) are extremely
unhappy with Avram Grant. If they have made their views known to Brady, Gold
and Sullivan, it surely makes a Grant exit next week more likely. There is a
board meeting on Wednesday. Of course, if we beat Birmingham, it makes it
very difficult to sack the manager that might have helped us reach our first
Wembley final in five years.
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Obinna Flounces Off
West Ham Till I Die
I'll write a bit more about the game later but I wonder how many of you
noticed what Victor Obinna did when he was subbed. He walked straight past
Avram Grant and the other West Ham management team members and headed
straight down the tunnel. As he did so he ripped off his shirt. I wonder if
we'll hear more of this. It was pretty unseemly from a player who had hardly
distinguished himself in the second half of the game.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jonathan Spector sets up comfortable win for West Ham against Barnsley
FA Cup Third Round
West Ham United 2
Spector 29, Piquionne 90
Barnsley 0
Jamie Jackson at Upton Park
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 8 January 2011 17.21 GMT
Avram Grant may have departed this parish if Barnsley had run over his team
as Newcastle did on Wednesday evening. But no repeat of that 5-0 hammering
ever appeared likely and West Ham are safely in the draw for the fourth
round. What is still a live issue for the Israeli is the speculation
regarding his job. Grant is clear that this is being fuelled by someone
within the club (he says he knows their identity) who has the ear of
particular media outlets.
Grant said: "If the rumours come from someone else you need to ask him. I
need to do my job. I spoke to the boss [David Gold, the co-owner] and he
never said one thing like this [about my position]."
Asked if he would benefit from a definitive statement following a board
meeting that is supposedly occurring on Wednesday, Grant returned the
question, saying: "There is definitive in football?" Victory is as close to
categorical as the game gets. For this triumph against Mark Robins's side,
Grant played Robert Green but stood down other senior personnel. Scott
Parker and Matthew Upson watched from the bench, while Danny Gabbidon, Tal
Ben-Haim and Carlton Cole, were not required for the match-day squad.
Grant lacks decent cover in most positions and the opening goal came from
Jonathan Spector, a player who has become a nomad under the manager, and
whose 29th-minute contribution came from his midfield berth when he
converted Mark Noble's pass.
West Ham coasted into the break and coasted on to the final whistle before
Adam Hammill hit the bar. If that had gone in, Grant may have spent the
remainder of the weekend sweating. Instead, play moved upfield and Frédéric
Piquionne finished convincingly beyond Steele.
"Realistically, we were six or seven saves away from a hiding," Robins said.
Grant hopes his team can always be so dominant.
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