Daily WHUFC News - II 23rd May 2011

Jack eager to bounce back
WHUFC.com
Jack Collison is desperate to fire West Ham United back to the Premier
League at the first attempt
23.05.2011

For the past nine months, Jack Collison has felt like a West Ham United
supporter, kicking every ball and making every tackle from his seat in the
stands. The No10 was ruled out for much of the 2010/11 campaign with a
serious knee injury before returning for the final three matches of a
campaign that ultimately ended in the disappointment of relegation Now,
Collison has vowed to repay his fellow supporters by helping the Hammers to
bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt. "It's very
important. It's a great club and a massive club with great traditions and if
you look at the support on Sunday, I don't think many clubs would have had
that amount of fans turn up and be so great even after being relegated the
week before. They sang their hearts out, even at 3-0 down. "They were still
cheering when they could quite easily have got on our backs and given us
some abuse - and it would have been fully deserved, really. "Once again they
were great. A club like West Ham doesn't deserve this, so hopefully we can
bounce back next season and get back in the big time where we belong."

While Collison is naturally frustrated at the club's predicament and
unwanted new status as a member of the Championship, the midfielder is
understandably happy just to be back on the pitch again after more than a
year out of action. "I've said on many occasions that I felt like a fan and
I know how it feels to support West Ham. It's been great to get back to
being a footballer and doing what I love, but it's just disappointing that
things have happened this way. "If I'm honest with you, I'm just happy to be
playing football and doing the job I love every day. Twelve months ago, I
was sat at home at my Mum's on a CPM (Continuous Passive Motion) machine so
if you'd have said I'd be back playing in front of 30,000 people on the
pitch a year later, I'd have bit your hand off. "For me personally, I'm just
delighted to be back playing but disappointed at the same time that this
season has gone the way it has. We've just got to bounce back."

Collison himself, just 22, and a host of other Academy graduates are
expected to play an important role in West Ham's promotion bid next term.
While dropping down a division is clearly not what anybody at the club
wanted, the Wales international knows his fellow youngsters will be chomping
at the bit to fire their club back to the big time. "It's all experience and
I know a lot of the young players are relishing the opportunity. It's a
massive club and the people should be working hard to play for the claret
and blue. We've got great traditions. "Obviously it hasn't been a great
season, but the people above will have a busy summer and will be eager to
bounce back."

While he and his fellow graduates are expected to stay, the futures of the
likes of England midfielder and Hammer of the Year Scott Parker and Robert
Green are less certain. Should Parker depart, Collison is aware that he and
his fellow midfielders will need to step up and fill the void left by their
inspirational No8. "We'll see what happens. They are big boots to fill.
Scotty Parker has been unbelievable and it's been a pleasure for players
like myself and the other young players to watch him day-in, day-out in
training and the intensity he attacks everything with is quite amazing.
"Obviously a lot of clubs are going to be interested in Scotty now and I
don't think any West Ham fan can say anything bad about him. He's worked his
heart out all season and, at times, has done unbelievable things. "I
remember the Wigan [home] game. He was ill all week, turned up on the
weekend, scored a goal and was absolutely unbelievable. He could hardly move
on the Friday, so things like that will always live with me and it's been a
pleasure to play with Scotty. Football is a very interesting game, isn't it?
I've only been in it a short time and I've been at West Ham for five or six
years now and I've seen a lot of players come and go. It's just something
you've got to live with. "I've said before that West Ham is a massive club
and it's important that we bounce straight back up and get back where we
belong in the Premier League, because that's what the fans deserve."

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By Eck! Hammers dodge a bullet
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 23rd May 2011
By: Staff Writer

Alex McLeish - manager of relegated Birmingham City - is set to remain at St
Andrews, accoring to reports. McLeish - who led his team to Carling Cup
success earlier in the season and who is highly-rated by West Ham's board -
saw City relegated yesterday in one of the most extraordinary final days in
the top flight for some years.
The former Scottish international had been hotly tipped to succeed Avram
Grant at West Ham, much to the chagrin of disappointed Hammers fans
concerned at the possibility of the club hiring another manager with a
recent relegation on his CV. However that is extremely unlikely to happen
now with Birmingham announcing this lunchtime that McLeish will remain aat
St Andrews next term. Another potential target who can also be crossed off
the list is QPR boss Neil Warnock. The former Sheffield United boss, who
threatened to sue West Ham in the wake of the Lord Griffiths ruling over
Carlos Tevez is et to lead Rangers into the Premier League next season. That
news was confirmed by QPR owner Bernie Ecclestone, who said: "He's staying –
100%. We've never discussed anything about him leaving. He's never wanted to
leave and we don't want to get rid of him. He's absolutely taking the club
into the Premier League."

With the Premier League campaign now over, West Ham will step up their
efforts to find the club's 14th full-time manager. Kevin Keen used the
Sunderland post-match press conference - which you may read here -to push
his case, although he is unlikely to be amongst the top tier of likely
cadidates.

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Season ticket cuts confirmed
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 23rd May 2011
By: Staff Writer

Season ticket prices are being reduced by 10 per cent for the 2011/12
season. With West Ham set for a season in the Championship - at least - the
board have taken the decision to cut costs by 10 per cent across the board.
Additionally, those renewing on or before 5th July will receive an
additional discount of £20. All of which means that adult season tickets for
next season start from £515, whilst under 16s prices start at just £76.50.
The news was confirmed by the club in yesterday's match day programme. "West
Ham United supporters are to be rewarded for their unstinting loyalty with a
ten per cent reduction for the 2011/12 season," the confirmation read. The
club are also taking corporate bookings for the forthcoming campaign.
Further details can be found on the club's website at whufc.com.

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Hitz set to stay?
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 23rd May 2011
By: Staff Writer

Thomas Hitzlsperger is currently mulling over a new contract offer - with
hopes high that the German international will stay at West Ham. KUMB.com
understands that the 29-year-old has been offered a new contract to remain
with the club in the Championship next season. Hitzlsperger is one of two
senior players - along with Demba Ba - to have been offered a new deal in
the past few days. Having joined the Irons in June of last year Hitzlsperger
had to wait until the end of January before making his competitive debut,
having been injured whilst on international duty for Germany last August.

The Munich-born midfielder is understood to be giving the contract offer
serious consideration, with that recent injury very much in his mind. Having
stuck by him during his long spell on the sidelines, Hitzlsperger is said to
feel he owes the club at least one full season. 'Der Hammer' , as he is
affectionately known moved to east London on a free transfer last summer
having been released by Lazio. Since joining West Ham he has made 13
appearances in a ll competitions, scoring two goals.

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West Ham turn focus to Championship
By Ben Rumsby, PA
Monday, 23 May 2011
The Independent

Caretaker manager Kevin Keen admitted West Ham must learn to adapt quickly
to the rigours of the npower Championship if they are to stand any chance of
bouncing back to the Barclays Premier League at the first attempt. The
Hammers went down with a whimper yesterday after losing their final game of
the season 3-0 against Sunderland. A summer clearout is expected at Upton
Park regardless of who is appointed as Avram Grant's successor, meaning it
is essential the club makes the right moves in the transfer market before
the window closes. Keen, who refused to give up hope of being handed the
reins full-time, said: "It will be a tough, tough season in the
Championship. "It's more physical than the Premier League - but not as much
as it used to be - and there are more games. "We have fantastic young
players here and if we can keep hold of them, we have a fantastic base to
build from and we can play the kind of football our fans believe in."

Keen was realistic about his chances of leading that revival, saying: "If
I'm up against Martin O'Neill, Steve McClaren, Sam Allardyce, Neil Warnock,
then it's going to be a tough ask. "Because those boys have got a lot of
experience, they've got a better record than my losses of two and wins of
nil in the Premier League. "So, it's up to the owners. "I'm sure whichever
way they go, they'll make the right decision."

And despite fluffing his audition for the job, the former West Ham winger
insisted he was up to the challenge. He said: "Some people say I'm too nice
to manage. Always a nice boy, played football in a nice way." Asked if he
could be nasty as well, he added: "Yes, I effing can. Spread the word. "I
love the club. I played for them for nine years. It's in my blood. "I feel I
can really take the club on and contribute. If you ask the players if they
want me to take the job, I think you'd get an affirmative answer from the
majority of the players."

In stark contrast to West Ham, Sunderland ended the season on a real high,
putting a miserable three months behind them to snatch a top-10 spot.
Perhaps more importantly, they finished above north-east rivals Newcastle,
who blew a 3-0 lead to draw with West Brom. Manager Steve Bruce knows all
about relegation, having suffered it with Birmingham while West Ham's
current owners David Gold and David Sullivan were at the helm. His advice to
his former bosses was: "You have to have a manager who has been there and
done it. "And you have to get rid of the players that will not stay. "But
you have to be careful that you don't strip it - that you have enough to get
that balance right."

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Robert Green set to lead Hammers exodus
Ken Dyer
23 May 2011
Evening Standard

West Ham goalkeeper Rob Green is expected to be the first player sold by the
club following their relegation from the Premier League. The England star
will hold talks with Aston Villa this week with a view to a £4million move
to the Midlands. Scott Parker will follow Green out of the Upton Park exit
door, with Tottenham the favourites to sign the Footballer of the Year. West
Ham, though, will want at least £10m for the 30-year-old midfielder, who has
been linked with several other top clubs, including Arsenal. But facing up
to life away from the Premier League, co-owner David Sullivan today insisted
there will be no fire sale of players. He said: "We have had no bids yet for
any players but we'll probably only sell three and, when they are gone,
that's it. "If we don't get a realistic price, whoever the player is and if
he is under contract, then he'll start next season playing for West Ham."

Club captain Matthew Upson, who wasn't included in caretaker manager Kevin
Keen's squad for the match against Sunderland, is at the end of his contract
and expected to go. There is also uncertainty over the futures of both Demba
Ba, who was signed from German Bundesliga club Hoffenheim in January, and
Thomas Hitzlsperger, who joined on a free transfer from Lazio last summer.
The pair are thought to have escape clauses in their contracts in the event
of relegation but the club's hierarchy would like to keep both players. Keen
made Hitzlsperger captain for the match against Sunderland and the Germany
international is known to feel some loyalty towards the club, particularly
after missing the first six months of the season with a thigh injury.
Striker Carlton Cole also missed the 3-0 defeat against Sunderland with a
neck injury and could be the third player to be sold, with Newcastle manager
Alan Pardew keen to take him to Tyneside as a replacement for Andy Carroll.

Sullivan, co-chairman David Gold and vice chair Karren Brady, meanwhile, are
continuing to work their way through the list of potential candidates for
the vacant manager's job. Martin O'Neill remains top of that list but
another name who has emerged as a front-runner is Birmingham manager Alex
McLeish, whose future at St Andrew's is increasingly uncertain after the
Carling Cup winners were relegated following a 2-1 defeat at Tottenham
yesterday. McLeish worked under Gold and Sullivan at Birmingham and the
co-owners still have a high regard for the Scot. Ian Holloway, whose
Blackpool's team also went down on a dramatic final day of the Premier
League, could become a strong contender should there be a parting of the
ways at Bloomfield Road

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 23rd May 2011

Keen looks forward
WHUFC.com
It was not to be for Kevin Keen's young team but the fight for promotion
begins now
22.05.2011

Kevin Keen admitted Sunday's 3-0 last-day reverse at the hands of Sunderland
was a game too far for West Ham United but was fulsome in praise for the
supporters.
The caretaker manager had gone into the contest hopeful a young team would
be able to provide some much-needed cheer after relegation was confirmed on
the penultimate weekend. However, after a frenetic end-to-end opening ended
with a freak Sunderland opener off Bolo Zenden's shoulder, the visitors were
able to add two more goals and confirm a tenth-place finish with relative
ease. Keen said: "I went into the game with real hope and I think the first
ten minutes of game, it was end to end. We had chances, they had chances.
Zavon [Hines] has had a couple of great efforts. Thomas [Hitzlsperger] has
hit a shot from a free-kick which perhaps someone should have been sniffing
a little bit bitter [when it rebounded out] and then Bolo Zenden puts one in
off his shoulder. "It was disappointing and when you go one-nil down after
what has happened this season, it was tough. Did I want the 90 minutes to
end quickly at two-nil? No I wanted to keep going and I wanted us to get a
goal. "The players gave their all but unfortunately we came up against a
Sunderland team that had a little bit too much experience. Perhaps they got
a little bit of luck on the first goal. Unfortunately we couldn't get
ourselves back in the game, the keeper made a couple of really good saves
and that was the story of our season again."

What was also characteristic of the whole campaign was the magnificent home
support, who turned out in good number and never turned on the team. Even as
the second and third strikes were going in from Stephane Sessegnon and
Cristian Riveros, the Boleyn backing was a credit. They were able to find
cheer with Scott Parker's late cameo off the bench, having picked up his
Hammer of the Year prize prior to kick-off. The No8's future appears
uncertain as does Robert Green's, but both men can be proud of their
efforts. It was the fans who were the real star men, though. Keen added: "As
far as I am concerned the West Ham fans are the best in the world. Their
support for the team has been amazing this season and the thing I always
find great is they can always find a little bit of amusement whatever the
situation. They can find the best in any situation. They kept supporting the
lads to the end. "I really hope that next year whatever the scenario,
whether it is me or someone else, I really hope that we can repay them by
playing some fantastic football and getting ourselves back in the Premeir
League."

That question of who will succeed Avram Grant as the club's 14th full-time
manager will dominate the coming days and possibly weeks. Keen would love
the job but knows that whatever is decided, the right appointment will be
made to help the Hammers return swiftly "[The owners] will make the correct
decision for West Ham United. They have poured millions and millions of
pounds into this football club. They have made a tremendous move in getting
the Olympic Stadium which I think this club needs as a boost and I am sure
they will make the right decision."

Key will be which playing personnel remain and which are acquired. Keen was
also sure the Board would do what is necessary to make for a strong
Championship challenge in 2011/12. No star names - aside from those out of
contract not offered new deals - would be allowed to leave cheaply. "There
is some rebuilding work to be done. I am sure the Chairmen will not let
certain people go unless prices are met. To keep certain players is going to
be difficult but the owners will not let them go for silly money because
they are fantastic players worth a lot of money."

With a few injured absentees on Sunday including Manu da Costa (knee),
Carlton Cole (neck), Mark Noble (groin) and Demba Ba (abdominal muscle),
Keen's youthful team - boasting five starters from the Academy - were always
going to find it a difficult afternoon. He was, however, only impressed with
their enthusiasm and energy over the whole week. "For the first couple of
days it was difficult, we had the wake after the relegation. We had the
club's gala dinner which got some absolutely ridiculous press because the
players were exemplary with their behaviour. We put that behind us. We
carried on in the week and I have got to say the boys were really good.
Unfortunately it didn't transfer into the day but they can be the future for
us."

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Ba wins SBOBET award
WHUFC.com
Although missing against Sunderland, Injured Demba Ba was voted the club's
finest for May
22.05.2011

Demba Ba has won the SBOBET player of the month award for May 2011. In what
was a difficult month for the team, the Senegal striker stood out for his
valiant efforts to keep the team in the Barclays Premier League. He was
presented with the trophy just before the kick-off against Sunderland.
Although missing from the lineup on Sunday with an abdominal injury, that
could yet keep him out of international duty this month, Ba was particularly
potent the week before with his double against Wigan Athletic. In all he
scored seven goals in 12 appearances this season following his January
arrival.
The previous SBOBET winners this season were:

April 2011 - Manuel da Costa
March 2011 - Demba Ba
February 2011 - Scott Parker
January 2011 - Scott Parker
December 2010 - Scott Parker
November 2010 - Victor Obinna
October 2010 - Mark Noble
September 2010 - Manuel da Costa
August 2010 - Kieron Dyer

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Parker presented with award
WHUFC.com
Fans saw Scott Parker formally presented with the Hammer of the Year trophy
on Sunday
22.05.2011

The Hammer of the Year presentation to Scott Parker took just before
kick-off against Sunderland. Parker's third successive award was his most
overwhelming, with Robert Green second and Mark Noble in third. The players
acknowledged and paid tribute to the supporters for their magnificent
backing this season after the final whistle, with Parker leading the way.
The fans had begun chanting his name as he warmed up in the first half and
his second-half arrival off the bench was greeted by the biggest roar of the
day. The Young Hammer of the Year and Doris Bell Award for the most
promising Academy youngster were also presented to Freddie Sears and Dylan
Tombides respectively in the lead-up to the 3-0 defeat on Sunday.

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Wales duty for Hammers duo
WHUFC.com
Jack Collison and Danny Gabbidon are in the Wales squad for their two
remaining Nations Cup fixtures
22.05.2011

Jack Collison and Danny Gabbidon have been named in the Wales squad for
their Carling Nations Cup fixtures against Scotland and Northern Ireland
later this month.
Gary Speed has called-up the West Ham United pair for the fixtures, which
will both be played at the recently-opened Aviva Stadium in Dublin this
coming Wednesday and Friday respectively. Wales will be eager to bounce back
to winning ways, having lost their opening match in the four-nation
tournament 3-0 to hosts Republic of Ireland. Gabbidon has earned 43 senior
caps for his country since making his debut against Czech Republic during
the 2001/02 season. The defender recently returned to international duty at
the behest of manager Speed following a short-lived retirement. Collison,
meanwhile, will return to the Wales fold for the first time since starting
the 1-0 home friendly defeat by Sweden in Cardiff in March 2010 - the last
match the midfielder started before being ruled out for more than a year
with a knee injury. The 22-year-old has earned seven senior caps in total.
Republic of Ireland and Scotland currently top the Nations Cup table with
three points each from their opening matches, while Wales and Northern
Ireland have yet to get off the mark. Republic of Ireland face Northern
Ireland on Tuesday 24 May before rounding out their campaign - and the
tournament as a whole - against Scotland on Sunday 29 May.

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West Ham 0 - 3 Sunderland

West Ham left the Premier League with a whimper as Sunderland eased to
victory and sealed a top-10 finish. Bolo Zenden headed home Ahmed
Elmohamady's cross to give the visitors an early advantage. Zavon Hines
almost levelled from close range before Stephane Sessegnon doubled the lead
when he lashed home from 25 yards after a solo run. The Hammers struggled to
muster a response and Cristian Riveros converted Jordan Henderson's cross
late on. Hammers fans hoping to see some pride restored after a dismal
season against an out-of-form Sunderland side were instead subjected to a
performance as abject as anything served up under Avram Grant, who was
sacked as manager after the club's relegation last weekend. Caretaker boss
Kevin Keen has declared his wish to replace Grant full-time but this
audition inspired no confidence - his youthful side's display highlighting
the desperate need for a strong figure to revive and inspire the club in the
Championship next season.

Sunderland, buoyed by the return of Asamoah Gyan from injury, put on a
clinical show that propelled them four places up the table - and crucially
above north-east rivals Newcastle. There was a low-key but defiant
atmosphere inside the Boleyn Ground, possibly hosting its last Premier
League match given West Ham's pending move to the Olympic Stadium, and the
Hammers' loyal followers were treated to a lively start. A Freddie Sears
drive and Thomas Hitzlsperger's 30-yard free-kick forced good stops from
Simon Mignolet as the Hammers, featuring five Academy graduates, attacked
with purpose. However, the defensive vulnerability that has dogged the east
Londoners all season was evident from the start and Gyan was twice presented
with early chances, which he fired straight at Robert Green.

Sunderland's opening goal was not long in coming though and it was an
unmarked Zenden who supplied the finish, arcing a header over Green from
Elmohamady's right-wing cross. The hosts' fragile confidence drained away
and the Black Cats protected their lead in comfort for the rest of the half,
bar a close-range snapshot from Hines in first-half injury time that
Mignolet acrobatically blocked. But any hopes of a second-half revival were
quickly stamped out when more lethargic defending allowed the visitors to
double their lead six minutes after the break. Sessegnon picked up the ball
on the halfway line and strode completely unopposed to the edge of the
penalty area, where he unleashed a fine low drive past Green. The Black Cats
soon threatened more goals, but Gyan fired just wide and Jack Colback's
strike was tipped around the post by the busy Green. The home fans contented
themselves with self-deprecating gallows humour - a conga was seen in the
'Chicken Run' at one point - and some warm applause for substitute Scott
Parker. The closest they came to cheering a goal was when Victor Obinna
headed straight at Mignolet but it was a rare foray upfield from the
Hammers, who were more preoccupied with keeping the scoreline respectable.
The defence held out until injury-time when Paraguayan midfielder Riveros
was given time in the area to fire home a scrappy third that was typical of
the 70 goals the Hammers have conceded in the league this season.

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Keen on... Sunderland
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 22nd May 2011
By: Staff Writer

Caretaker boss Kevin Keen reflects on a 'flat' performance - whilst pushing
his case for the vacant managerial post...

Do you still want the job Kevin?

Yes, I'd love the job.

What did you think of the performance today?

I thought the players put a lot of effort in, it typified the season a
little bit in that I thought we created chances in the first half. Zavon had
a couple of opportunities, Thomas' free kick that came back off the keeper.
Then Mr Zenden goes down the other end and puts one in off his shoulder, you
know. It's a bit disappointing.

Once they had gone 2-0 it was a tough afternoon. But the supporters were
absolutely amazing, didn't stop singing and I'd like to thank them for
trying to keep us going until the end. When it went to 3-0? Yeah, that was
enough. Thank you.

Are you disappointed perhaps that there wan't more of a response? As you say
2-0, it's a tough afternoon - but you're going to have tough afternoons in
any league?

I think the players kept going, even at 2-0. If you look, Victor [Obinna]
had a great chance off a free-kick. You're talking about Jack Collison,
Scott Parker trying to get forward. I thought Freddie Piquionne was
magnificent up front, kept trying to run the channels and do the right
things. Unfortunately, after the season we've had it's difficult mentally.
It's a tough task. I thought Sunderland were a little bit better than us
today - perhaps not 3-0, but certainly a little bit better than us.

On a personal note, your audition for the job didn't go quit as well as you
had planned?

[laughs] I think my audition for the job started as soon as I got it this
week. I've conducted myself quite well, I've spoken to the press ok,
hopefully they'll take that into account. The players responded through the
week, it was a tough ask today. Unfortunately as a club and as a team, we
weren't up to it.

We asked you on Friday what's gone wrong, you said wait until after the
game. Can I ask you now for some honesty?

Well... I think as a coaching staff we underperformed, as players they
underperformed. I'm not going to go into it any more than that, I'd rather
talk about today and hopefully the future of the young players coming
through. I don't want to be too down about it, if I'm being honest.

Why do you want the job? It's a tough job, you're losing most of the players
you've got and there seems to be lots of teams that go down and don't come
back up again. Why do you want it?

Because I love the club. I played for the club for nine years, I've come
back and I've coached the club for nine years. It's in my blood; I feel I
can really take the club on and contribute. I feel it's time for me to go on
and be a manager, possibly. I can coach players well; if you ask any of the
players about respect and if they would like me to take the job I think
you'd get a big affirmative from the majority of the players.

Hey - it's not easy whether you're a manager of Wigan like Martinez today -
what a fantastic result - or whether you're manager of Birmingham like Alex
McLeish. It's difficult, it's a tough, tough profession. But at the same
time I've been in it a long, long time and I think I've got the attributes
to take this club forward.

You say you've been at the club a long time; you must have seen the pressure
that Avram was under - and previous managers before that - doesn't that sort
of say to you...

It's better to go there and give it a go and take the pressure than turn
your back and say 'oh no, it's a bit tough'. I'd love to be given a chance.

Have you heard any more from the owners as to when they'll make a decision?

I spoke to Mr Gold before the game, he just said 'good luck'. He was pulling
for me and that was about it. No doubt we'll speak this week.

You have the experience of league football as a player and as a coach; how
do you see the coming season?

I think it'll be a tough, tough season. I think the Championship has changed
slightly in the fact that you've got quite a lot of teams that try to play
good football - Swansea being a case in point. It's more physical than the
Premier League but not as much as it used to be, in my opinion. More games,
certainly playing Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday...

I think it'll be a tough ask but I really belive that the young players
we've got in our squad - the five that started today, and I named seven or
eight. If you put Mark Noble into that, if you put Junior into that - who's
struggled this season with injury - I think we've got a fantastic set of
young players and if we can keep hold of them there's that foundation, that
base to take this club forward and play the type of football that West Ham
supporters want to see.

But also young players who will run through brick walls for the club - there
was no lack of effort today. Yes it was a little bit flat but there was
probably... Maybe they tried too hard, especially people like Zavon and
Freddie, they really wanted to do it. I think if we have that foundation I
believe the future for the club can be good - and I think we can make a good
start in the Championship next season. It'll be hard, I know that but we can
make a good start and look forward to a future, in our new home, in the
Premier League. I really believe that.

You talk about you'd like to take the job on and the traditions of this
club, but are they not perhaps part of the problem - and is it time for a
bit of a sea change?

You're trouble, aren't you?!

Sorry?

You're asking me some sh*tty questions!

[laughs] It's been a sh*tty day...

I know... A sea change from what? Do you not think over the past couple of
years we've had Avram Grant, Gianfranco Zola, and perhaps we've gone away
from our traditions and away from the way we used to play and the way we
believed?

But thay haven't got you anywhere? Perhaps those traditions haven't worked?

I think those traditions have been lost over the last four or five years and
we need to regain them.

Do you think it's a case of young, local lads? You mentioned the likes of
Junior, Mark Noble people like that - are they the ones that could take this
club...

Look - I'm not naive enough to say I'm going to play a team of eleven kids
next year because they've all come through from West Ham. We need to make
sure we keep hold of some of our senior players and also there's going to be
that element of making sure you do some good business if senior players are
sold for money. Perhaps we can use that to buy some players with
Championship experience, or ones that I know are going to put in week in,
week out effort to wear the claret and blue shirt.

There's a nucleus of local boys?

I believe so, yes. That's my vision, I think that's the way to go and I
think the supporters would go for it.

What do you think are your chances of getting the job permanently?

I don't know, what am I - 10/1 or something like that?

I don't know what the odds are, but...

I don't know. I've tried my hardest, I've done everything I could this week,
as I say - and if the owners want to speak to me and sit down seriously and
talk about whether or not I should be the manager, I'd love to do it. If I'm
up against - you boys say Martin O'Neill; Steve McClaren; Sam Allardyce;
Neil Warnock; you pull names out of everywhere - then it's going to be a
tough ask, because those boys have got fantastic experience. They've got a
better record than my loss of two, wins nil in the Premier League so...

It's up to the owners, they're very experienced; they've been at Birmingham
in this situation. I'm sure whichever way they go they'll make the right
decision.

Where does the process go from here, Kevin? Are you expecting to talk to
them this week or...

Let's just get this press conference out of the way and let me go and give
my wife a cuddle and then we'll see!

You say your reputation in the game is good...

Some people say I'm too nice to manage. It's a problem I've got.

[laughs]

Yeah, too nice. Always a nice boy, played football in a nice way...

Can you be nasty?

Yes I f'ing can...

[laughs] It's your first major press conference so you've got a nasty side
out there...

Thank you. Make sure you get it out, spread the word!

Given that you feel you can manage now, would you stay if another manager
came in? Or would you perhaps go on to another club?

That's all hypothetical, all for the future - let's wait and see. I hope to
be given the opportunity, if I don't let's see who comes in and let's see
what happens. If Barcelona or Real Madrid want me to be their manager maybe
I'll have to consider it... But as I say, with my record of zero wins in
two, i don't think that's going to happen.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carr stock rising
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 22nd May 2011
By: Staff Writer

Tony Carr has emerged as the surprise contender to succeed Avram Grant as
the 14th permanent manager of West Ham United. The Academy director, who has
been employed in a coaching role at the club since 1973 is currently second
place in a KUMB.com poll behind Martin O'Neill as the man supporters would
most like to see get the job - despite being almost entirely overlooked by
the national media and bookmakers. 61-year-old Carr is understood to have
spoken with the club's owners earlier this week in order to announce his
intention to stand for the post, which was vacated last Sunday when Avram
Grant was fired following West Ham's shocking 3-2 defeat at Wigan. The
current poll - the second managerial survey conducted here on KUMB since
last weekend - includes the five names to receive the most backing from our
original ballot.

As of Sunday lunchtime, the current standings in our poll are as follows:

1. Martin O'Neill 32%
2. Tony Carr 23%
3. Sam Allardyce 16%
4. Chris Hughton 15%
5. Alan Curbishley 12%

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Keen reaffirms job desire
Hammers caretaker says club is 'in his blood'
Last Updated: May 22, 2011 7:56pm
SSN

West Ham caretaker boss Kevin Keen insists he still wants the job on a
permanent basis despite the 3-0 defeat to Sunderland. The Hammers had
already been relegated from the Premier League before kick-off but put in a
poor display on the final day as goals from Bolo Zenden, Stephane Sessegnon
and Cristian Riveros saw the Black Cats home comfortably. Keen is still
hoping he will be given the full-time reins at Upton Park because he feels
the club are 'in his blood'. "Yes I'd love the job," he said. "My audition
for the job started as soon as I got it and I think this week I've conducted
myself quite well. "I love the club, I played for the club for nine years,
I've come back and I've coached the club for nine years. It's in my blood.
"I feel I can really take the club on and contribute. I feel it is time for
me to go on and become a manager. "If you asked the players about respect
and who they'd want to take the job I think you'd get a big affirmative from
the majority. "It's a tough profession but I've been in it a long time and I
feel I've got the attributes to take the club forward. "I spoke to (owner,
David) Mr Gold before the game, he said good luck and that he was pulling
for me. That was about it. I've no doubt we'll speak this week."

On the final Premier League performance of the campaign, Keen feels the end
result slightly flattered Sunderland. He added: "I thought the players put a
lot of effort in, it typified the season a little bit in that I thought we
created chances in the first half and then Mr Zenden goes down the other end
and put one in off his shoulder. Once it had got to 2-0 it was tough. "I
think the players kept going even at 2-0. Unfortunately after the season
we've had it's difficult mentally. "I thought Sunderland were a little bit
better than us today, perhaps not 3-0 but certainly a little bit better."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers exit with a whimper
Sunderland secure comfortable win over relegated West Ham
By James Riach Last updated: 22nd May 2011
SSN

Man of the match: Bolo Zenden opened the scoring and once more rolled back
the years, putting in an excellent display in midfield

Goal of the match: Sessegnon's strike was a pinpoint effort that left Rob
Green with absolutely no chance.

Save of the match: Simon Mignolet produced a number of fine saves, the best
to palm behind Freddie Sears' first-half shot.

Moment of the match: Scott Parker's introduction in the second half resulted
in a standing ovation from the Upton Park crowd.

Talking point: Is Kevin Keen the right man to take West Ham forward next
season?

West Ham fell out of the Premier League with a whimper as Sunderland cruised
to a 3-0 victory at Upton Park. The Hammers were already doomed to
relegation before kick-off but could not even muster a goal on the final day
as the Black Cats finished the season in the top half, above rivals
Newcastle. Bolo Zenden opened the scoring with a looping header from Ahmed
Elmohamady's cross in the 17th minute, bamboozling goalkeeper Robert Green.
Sunderland's score was doubled in the second half as Stephane
Sessegnonunleashed a scorching 25-yard strike into the bottom corner. West
Ham tried to exert some late pressure but were undone in injury-time as
Cristian Riveros turned home Jordan Henderson's cross at the second time of
asking.

Sunderland were playing for prize money only but they played their part in a
wide-open start to the game, Asamoah Gyan twice shooting straight at Green,
who also pouched a mishit Nedum Onuoha volley. West Ham responded with a
Frederic Piquionne air shot, while Simon Mignolet saved at the feet of Zavon
Hines and palmed away a fine left-foot curler from Freddie Sears. The Black
Cats goalkeeper got away with spilling a Thomas Hitzlsperger free-kick, with
Onuoha clearing the danger and also blocking James Tomkins' shot from the
resulting corner. The near misses failed to alter what was a suitably
funereal atmosphere at Upton Park, something which did not improve when West
Ham fell behind in the 17th minute. The ball was played to Elmohamady and
his right-wing cross picked out the unmarked Zenden, who appeared to mistime
his header, which nevertheless sailed over Green. It was Zenden's second
goal in three games and came in the week he confirmed he would be leaving
Sunderland.

The Hammers tried to respond but the visitors were looking a threat on the
break and Sessegnon steered a 20-yard shot too close to Green. The deathly
silence was briefly broken as Parker warmed up along the touchline at Upton
Park, where there were plenty of empty seats. And with West Ham failing to
test Mignolet until the stroke of half-time - when Hines' shot was blocked
by the keeper - it appeared only a matter of time before the England
midfielder was given the chance to say his farewells. There was slightly
more urgency about the home side at the start of the second half and Hines
lured Phil Bardsley into a tackle that earned the defender a yellow card.
Jack Collison's free-kick failed to catch out Mignolet at the near post
before a group of supporters in the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand started the
first of the afternoon's ironic congas. It was abruptly halted in the 51st
minute when Sunderland doubled their lead, Sessegnon allowed to bear down on
goal before striking a low 20-yard shot that clipped the post on its way
past Green.

The Hammers made a double substitution, bringing on Lars Jacobsen and Victor
Obinna for what were set to be their final appearances for the club. Gyan
drilled narrowly wide from the tightest of angles and Jack Colback's volley
stung the palms of Green as the visitors tried to kill the game. The pocket
of fans that had gathered at the front of the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand
attracted a cordon of stewards and police, although their behaviour remained
harmless.

Parker introduction
And the stadium was united in appreciation just past the hour mark as Parker
made his entrance. Steed Malbranque was booked for a foul on Obinna, who
should have made him pay when he nodded the resulting free-kick straight at
Mignolet, before a limping Bardsley was replaced by Riveros for the final
quarter. Gyan was replaced by Jordan Cook for the final 18 minutes, during
which Henderson's deflected flick went close. And it was Henderson who laid
on a stoppage-time third, crossing for Riveros, who had all the time in the
world to Hammer home the final nail in West Ham's coffin. A late equaliser
for West Brom at St James' Park capped a good day on the road for the
visitors - as they moved above their North East rivals and into the top half
of the table.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Vinny's Sunderland Report
Vinny - Mon May 23 2011
West Ham Online
West Ham United 0 Sunderland 3

The final game of the season ended with West Ham being thumped at home by
Sunderland in a fitting way to end a quite dreadful season. The result and
whole match in general meant very little and was one of the most difficult
games to find any interest in I can recall. I've been to friendlies and
games that you may consider pointless, but this was a whole new entity for
me as it seemed quite cruel that we would have endure another ninety
minutes.

It is very difficult to say anything that hasn't been said already. There
has been so much debate regarding a possible new manager and certain players
we look poised to lose in the coming weeks. I just think the club needs a
complete overhaul and I do not really care who leaves the club at this point
as long as we can go into next season with a squad of players I don't hate.

I'm tired of hating everything that is going on at West Ham. I'm tired of
hating our owners, our manager and our players. I don't want to dread going
into the ground, getting in there with just a few moments till kick off and
looking at my watch hoping for the final whistle so I can get back to the
pub. I just want to enjoy going to West Ham again and whilst my love for the
club doesn't alter it has certainly been tested over the last couple of
seasons.

Many fans I would have thought contemplated staying away from this game (and
I'm sure a few did) but despite our confirmed relegation I could not justify
not going to the game because despite the bitter disappointment we haven't
ceased to exist and things will continue to carry on next season. My view
was simply that we have been relegated - not gone out of business which I
think a few supporters do not seem able to differentiate from.

It was going to be kind of interesting to see what team caretaker manager
Kevin Keen was going to name. Actually, scrap that, it wasn't going to be
interesting or remotely intriguing but as I'm trying to report on the game
(yes, there was a game) I'll use words like 'interesting'

Robert Green was in goal with Jordan Spence retaining his place at right
back with Wayne Bridge on the left and Tomkins was alongside Gabbidon at
centre half.

In midfield Freddie Sears was starting on the right wing, with Boa Morte on
the left and Hitzlsperger in the centre of midfield alongside Jack Collison.

And up front it was Frederique Piquionne and Zavon Hines.

The bench saw Scott Parker and young striker Dylan Tombides named. There was
no Demba Ba, Carlton Cole or Matthew Upson.

Starting at centre half for Sunderland was former West Ham youth team
product, Anton Ferdinand who played over 140 games for the club between 2003
and 2008 scoring 5 goals.

The game was a non event with our young side competing as well as they could
but ultimately being beaten by a more experienced outfit who took their
chances well .

We came close to taking the lead with around seven minutes on the clock when
Freddie Sears cut inside and hit a left foot shot which was saved by
Mignolet in the Sunderland goal.

A few minutes later Sears was involved again when he was fouled by Zenden
and from around 35 yards out Hitzlsperger hit a low left foot effort which
was again saved by Mignolet.

But despite competing well enough we did what we have done far too many
times this season and concede far to easily.

Sunderland got the ball wide to Elmohamady who drifted a cross into the area
and it was Zenden of all people who managed to get his header looping over
Robert Green to make it 1-0 to the visitors.

This didn't deter many of the West Ham fans as it really didn't matter to
many and there seemed to be no way supporters were going to let this game
bring them down (excuse the pun) any more.

I'm not going into detail about the rest of the half because frankly it was
a non event and nothing much happened of any significance.

Okay, maybe I just don't remember what happened. But what I do know is that
there were no more goals and I was relieved at going to the toilet at half
time as I was bursting.

No changes were made by either manager at half time but it would only be six
minutes into the second period when Sunderland killed the game as a contest
(which it barely was anyway) as they scored a second goal.

Sessegnon was allowed to run through our midfield unchallenged and hit an
excellent shot from 25 yards out past Robert Green to make it 2-0.

Caretaker manager Kevin Keen responded with two substitutions. James Tomkins
came off with what looked like injury and was replaced by Lars Jacobsen.
This saw Spence move into the centre.

The disappointing Zavon Hines came off with Victor Obinna coming on his
place.

Just four minutes later saw a third and final chance as Luis Boa Morte came
off (to a few boo's) and was replaced by the official Hammer Of The Year
Scott Parker who received a fantastic reception from most of the 32,792
inside the Boleyn Ground on what will surely be his last performance in West
Ham colours.

The second half was as boring an tedious as a half could be and I struggled
to find any interest or enjoyment from it. I kept thinking of the pub and
beer and despite the hilarious (really really funny!) vision of West Ham
fans doing the 'Conga' the pub continued to be a better prospect.

But I stayed and I waited and three minutes of injury time were awarded with
Sunderland scoring in the third of those added minutes through Riveros as he
scored a scrappy goal which made the score line look even worse.

But with relegation already confirmed, could it be any worse?

Player Reviews

Robert Green
Another three goals conceded and that is 70 goals conceded this season.
Green has had a hard time with an ever changing defence and had to be alert
to make some decent saves during this game. He has been regular part of the
set up over the last few years and this may well be his final performance.

Jordan Spence
A more confident performance than last week at Wigan but there was a lot
less pressure this time around. I do not believe that he should have been
put in that position against Wigan given the importance of the game but he
looked stronger during this one. I'm sure he is going to get a lot of
playing time next season.

James Tomkins
Up until his susbistution which what seemed like injury I thought he was our
best player. He doesn't hide and even in such a futile game such as this he
was still holding things together. The fans seem to be right behind him to
with the chant 'He comes from East London, he's better than Upson'.
Hopefully he will be in the heart of our defence next season.

Danny Gabbidon
On what will surely be his last performance for the club as his contract is
out in the summer, he put in a performance which was typical of him over the
last couple of years. He reads the game well at times but then lacks
concentration. He needs to move on. We need to move on from players such as
Gabbidon.

Wayne Bridge
I was surprised he was playing due to him being on loan with no real
affiliation for the club. He didn't play badly but his signing just hasn't
worked out.

Freddie Sears
Played well in the first half and saw a lot of the ball. Worked hard and was
good on the ball but disappeared in the second half with Sunderland shutting
up shop and forcing Sears to come inside with the ball.

Thomas Hitzlsperger
Like most of his performances over the last couple of months, the German
midfielder is just not in the game enough. His disappearing act was on show
during this game and it is more noticeable when he actually does get on the
ball because he looks as though he could make something happen. But he just
doesn't cover enough ground and was disappointing.

Jack Collison
The game seemed to pass him by. When he got on the ball he held on for it
for too long and was definitely lacking match sharpness. Awarded Man Of The
Match by whoever was sponsoring it but really he wasn't.

Luis Boa Morte
Still has the intensity but every time I see him play he looks worse on the
ball with each game. Just doesn't have the ability to play at the highest
level and looks old and washed up.

Frederique Piquionne
A poor and ineffective display which is what I have come to expect from him.

Zavon Hines
Playing in a more central role he was very poor and offered next to nothing.
I am not sure whether he will be here next season.

Subs Used

Victor Obinna (on for Hines 54 mins)
He looks as though he might do something exciting but he just doesn't have
any end product. In his time on the pitch during the second half he had done
what he has done for most of the season - not much.

Lars Jacobsen (on for Tomkins 54 mins)
I'm sorry to say (I'm not) but I recall nothing of his performance.

Scott Parker(on for Boa Morte 60 mins)
It was not about his performance in this game (which was awful by the way)
but a celebration and appreciation of how good he has been this season
despite our fate.

Subs Not Used: Boffin, Stanislas, Tombides, Kovac

Bookings: None

Man Of The Match: James Tomkins

Sunderland: Mignolet, Ferdinand, Bardsley, Onuoha, Zenden, Malbranque,
Henderson, Colback, Elmohamady, Sessegnon and Gyan. Subs: Carson, Riveros,
Noble, Adams, Cook, Knott and Lynch.

Attendance: 32, 792

Overall

So there we have it. The end to a dreadful season and one of the worst of
many a year.

We were fortunate last season to have stayed in the league but with no such
luck this season and even worse performances we end the season rock bottom
of the league and facing the reality that Championship football is what we
will be viewing next season.

It has been difficult to go too in depth with this report because I cannot
imagine many people who are reading actually want to go over the game.

Many of the things I wanted to say were said after the Wigan game and whilst
relegation is never (ever) a good thing, if any club needed a complete
overhaul it is West Ham United.

Relegation may well be something that helps us get our club back and
hopefully next season we can start to like our club again.

Have a fantastic summer and get yourselves ready for another rollercoaster
season.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stoke eye West Ham ace Obinna
Published: Today
The Sun

WEST HAM'S Victor Obinna is ready to quit Upton Park to join Stoke. Obinna,
24, was a target for Potters boss Tony Pulis last summer before joining the
Hammers on a season's loan from Inter Milan.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Keen: I am nasty enough to be West Ham boss
Published 20:48 22/05/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror

Kevin Keen tonight insisted he was nasty enough to be West Ham manager,
despite his audition for the job seeing the club exit the Barclays Premier
League with a whimper. The rock-bottom Hammers were beaten 3-0 by Sunderland
in their final game of a miserable season, and one that appeared to scupper
any faint hope caretaker boss Keen might have had of succeeding Avram Grant.
But the former West Ham winger, whose previous spell in temporary charge
also yielded a defeat, said: "Some people say I'm too nice to manage. Always
a nice boy, played football in a nice way." Asked if he could be nasty as
well, he added: "Yes, I can. Spread the word. "I think my audition for the
job started as soon as I got it. "I have conducted myself well since then
and I hope they take that into account. I love the club. I played for them
for nine years. It's in my blood. "I feel I can really take the club on and
contribute. If you ask the players if they want me to take the job, I think
you'd get an affirmative answer from the majority of the players."

Keen was realistic about his chances, saying: "If I'm up against Martin
O'Neill, Steve McClaren, Sam Allardyce, Neil Warnock, then it's going to be
a tough ask.
"Because those boys have got a lot of experience, they've got a better
record than my losses of two and wins of nil in the Premier League. "So,
it's up to the owners.
"I'm sure whichever way they go, they'll make the right decision."

Keen insisted that whoever was in charge needed to undo the damage he felt
was done at the club under Grant and Gianfranco Zola. "Do you not think that
over the last couple of years, we've had Avram Grant and Gianfranco Zola and
perhaps we've gone away from the traditions and the way we have played?" he
said. "Those traditions have been lost over the last four or five years and
we need to regain them." But he was under no illusions over the task facing
the Hammers, who will lose several of their star players before starting the
npower Championship season. "It will be a tough, tough season in the
Championship," he said. "There are more teams in it who want to play
football, it's more physical than the Premier League - but not as much as it
used to be - and there are more games. "We have fantastic young players here
and if we can keep hold of them, we have a fantastic base to build from and
we can play the kind of football our fans believe in."

Keen defended West Ham's performance amid a funereal atmosphere at Upton
Park today, one which was only lifted when more than one group of fans began
an ironic conga. "The supporters were absolutely amazing," he said. "I
thought the players put a lot of effort in, typified the season. "Once it
went 2-0, it was a tough afternoon. "The players kept going. "Unfortunately,
after the season we've had, it's difficult mentally."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 0-3 Sunderland - Hammers Prem stay ends in a whimper
Published 16:56 22/05/11 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror

The search for West Ham's new boss goes on after Kevin Keen fluffed his
lines yesterday. The highly-regarded Hammers coach threw his hat into the
ring to succeed Avram Grant last week. But he suffered the audition from
hell yesterday as -Sunderland continued their resurgence and the east
Londoners were booed off the pitch.
Goals from Asamoah Gyan, Stephane Sessegnon and Cristian Riveros meant the
Black Cats won three of their last five matches after a nightmare run of
injuries left them no -recognised strikers and saw them flirt with
relegation. How the Hammers would have loved to have had an end-of-season
run like that to preserve their Premier League status. Instead they took one
last metaphorical look around the top flight before they departed for the
Championship with no guarantee they will be back at the first attempt,
despite the bullish talk of the owners. To be fair to David Gold, David
Sullivan and Karren Brady they have been widely criticised for brutally
sacking Grant less than an hour after the final whistle at Wigan eight days
ago. But that action meant that the West Ham leaving party yesterday was a
largely amicable affair rather than the bloodbath we could have seen had
Grant still been a focal point for the fans' frustrations.

The afternoon started brightly enough with a stirring pre-kick-off rendition
of 'I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles' from the home fans. There was a Player of
the Month award for striker Demba Ba, who presumably doesn't do dry wit and
thus decided not to say: 'I'm a bit tired' when the PA announcer asked him
for a few words.
There was rapturous applause for favourite son Scott Parker who picked up
his Hammer of the Year award in what is certain to be his final game for the
club.
And you wanted so much for Keen - a Hammers man through and through - to
succeed after the positive way he came across in his press conference on
Friday.
He spoke of the club needing a man who understood its -traditions. Who
understood its fans. He spoke of the fact that although Grant complained of
being undermined, which West Ham manager hasn't had players sold by the
board, for example, that he wanted to keep? Sadly the talk could not be
translated into a performance good enough to send supporters on their summer
holidays happy yesterday.

Boudewijn Zenden, making in his 50th appearance for -Sunderland, put Steve
Bruce's men ahead on 17 minutes when he looped a header over Robert Green
from Ahmed -Elmohamady's cross. And although West Ham huffed and puffed with
efforts from Freddie Sears and Freddie -Piquionne, they could make no
impression on the Sunderland goal. Instead it was midfielder -Sessegnon who
summed up the Hammers' season when he ran from the halfway line and, still
fully 30 yards out, sent a daisycutter low into Green's bottom corner. A
subdued atmosphere was punctuated occasionally by a group of fans in the Sir
Trevor Brooking Stand determined to have a disco. A conga also broke out
among them after Sessegnon netted Sunderland's second and on the way to
pipping local rivals Newcastle in the final Premier League table. Another
began in the east stand with 20 minutes to go before stewards failed to see
the funny side and sent the fans back. The fans booed the front of the PA
announcer when, with the team 2-0 down with four minutes to go, he began to
name the man of the match. They laid off, though, when he read out the name
of popular Jack Collison. But when Cristian Riveros slammed an injury-time
volley high into the roof of the West Ham's net from Jordan -Henderson, the
patience of the home faithful snapped.

Chants of 'That's why we're going down!' rang around Upton Park. And they
were right. After the season the club have had the players thought better of
a lap of honour. But they did stay to applaud the fans that had stuck with
them through this troubled season before they disappeared down the tunnel,
many of them for pastures new. The Eastenders' soap opera takes on a new
twist as they prepare for -Championship life.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 22nd May 2011

West Ham players care about club's fate says Kevin Keen
BBC.co.uk
Page last updated at 14:34 GMT, Saturday, 21 May 2011 15:34 UK

West Ham's caretaker boss Kevin Keen says the players do care about the
club's Premier League relegation. Last Sunday's 3-2 defeat at Wigan sent the
Hammers into the Championship and manager Avram Grant was sacked. Some
players who are set to leave the club in the summer have indicated they do
not want to play Sunderland in the last game of the season on Sunday. But
Keen said: "It's a myth that people don't care. Foreign players get tainted
with that mainly, it's totally untrue."

Keen, 44, has stepped up from his role as first-team coach since Grant's
dismissal and will take charge for the Sunderland match at Upton Park. The
Hammers have had a troubled week. Their relegation and Grant's exit was
followed by an altercation involving Demba Ba at the end-of-season dinner at
the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on Monday, with allegations that the
striker was racially abused by a fan. There has also been criticism of the
attitude of some of the players, but Keen says relegation has hit the whole
squad hard. Keen added: "The scenes in the dressing room [at the DW Stadium]
were as fans would hope, especially with the way that we lost the game,
being 2-0 [ahead], 2-2 and then losing. "There was genuine disappointment.
You come back into the dressing room and academy manager Tony Carr has his
head on the floor as he has worked so hard to bring players through and
promote."

West Ham hope to end the season on a high note against the Black Cats but
Keen, who is set to make changes and field a young side, says he will
understand if fans vent their frustration. "There may be a small element but
we have had a rubbish season haven't we?" continued Keen. "If you can't go
to West Ham and pay your money and say 'why don't you try harder?'... that
is part of football. "You need to be big enough and strong enough to deal
with it. I am sure the majority, with the team I am picking, will be behind
us and want us to get a win."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Keen realistic on Parker
West Ham midfielder could make sentimental farewell
Last Updated: May 21, 2011 10:38pm
SSN

Kevin Keen has admitted that Scott Parker could be set to make a farewell
appearance for West Ham against Sunderland. The midfielder is doubtful for
the club's final game of the season due to a niggling Achilles injury,
meaning he may have already played his final game for the Hammers. West Ham
have been relegated from the Premier League following a dismal campaign but
Parker's own performances have been exceptional and he is widely expected to
leave in the summer. Keen will therefore allow him the opportunity of a
sentimental goodbye so the supporters can show their appreciation. "There is
a possibility he could be fit to start. I think he has been a fantastic
ambassador for this football club," said the caretaker manager. "Whatever he
decides to do this summer, whether he decides to go to pastures new, which
is a possibility, I don't think any West Ham fan can complain about that.
"The way he has conducted himself, the way he throws himself in front of
footballs for West Ham over the past few years has been unbelievable. "Yes,
I would say there will be a little bit of sentimentality with Scott. If
there is a chance he can play at Upton Park maybe for the last time for West
Ham, I am sure he will give it everything."

Green future

Robert Green has also been linked with a move away from Upton Park but Keen,
who has thrown his hat in the ring to be appointed West Ham manager on a
full-time basis, insists the goalkeeper has a future at the club if he wants
to stay. "He was the runner-up (behind Parker) for Hammer of the Year.
That's what the fans thought of his performances this season," said Keen.
"There isn't a team in the Premier League that wouldn't want his services. I
would love to see him here as our goalkeeper."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Keen defends relegated stars
Caretaker boss says suggestions players do not care is 'a myth'
By Jamie Casey. Last Updated: May 21, 2011 8:18pm
SSN

West Ham caretaker manager Kevin Keen has rejected claims the players are
unbothered by the club's relegation. The Hammers were confirmed as the first
relegation casualties last weekend after losing 3-2 to Wigan, a game which
they led 2-0 at half-time. Fans have since vented their anger towards
certain members of the squad, but Keen insists the mood in the dressing room
was one of despair. "It's a myth that certain people don't care," said Keen,
who is temporarily filling the void left by Avram Grant, who was sacked
following the loss at Wigan. "Foreign players get tainted with that mainly,
it is totally untrue," he added. "The scenes in the dressing room were as
fans would hope, especially with the way that we lost the game, being 2-0
(ahead), 2-2 and then losing.

'Myth'

"There was genuine disappointment. You come back and (academy manager) Tony
Carr has his head on the floor as he has worked so hard to bring players
through and promote. "It is a myth that people don't care."

West Ham host Sunderland on the final day of the season on Sunday, with home
fans expected to make their feelings known from the stands. Keen plans to
name a youthful side against the Black Cats, though, and he has urged fans
to get behind them to see a disappointing season out with a win. "There may
be a small element (of fan anger) but we have had a rubbish season haven't
we?" said Keen. "You need to be big enough and strong enough to deal with
it. I am sure the majority, with the team I am picking, will be behind us
and want us to get a win."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Keen outlines Hammers vision
Caretaker boss reiterates interest in replacing Grant on full-time basis
Last Updated: May 21, 2011 11:16am
SSN

Kevin Keen believes West Ham United's next manager must have a strong
connection with the club after reiterating his interest in the job.
Following Avram Grant's dismissal on the back of the Hammers' relegation to
the Championship, Keen has been placed in caretaker charge for the final
game of the season against Sunderland on Sunday. Keen has been quick to
declare his desire to be given an opportunity in the Upton Park hot-seat
after working his way through the coaching ranks at the club. But, even if
he is not offered the position by owners David Gold and David Sullivan, he
is adamant West Ham need to return to their former traditions.

Family traditions

"For me, I think the next West Ham manager should have a connection and a
history with the football club," said Keen. "I want us to get back to the
family traditions of this football club, a way of playing that promotes
imagination, creativity but also has that edge of people wanting to play for
the club and die for the club. "Over the last few years with Avram (Grant)
and Gianfranco (Zola), the club slightly went a different way and we had a
different way of playing and a different ethos. "I am West Ham through and
through. I had nine years as a player and this is my ninth season back
coaching. "If the opportunity was given to me it would be a great honour and
I'd love to be able to do it. "If you had said to me three or four weeks ago
that I was an obvious candidate, I think people would have laughed at you.
"But after the way I have conducted myself over the last week, hopefully
people have said: 'Actually, he knows what he is doing and what he is
talking about, he loves the football club, he has got a vision of the
future. Yes, he is a candidate'."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers braced for Rob Green bidding war
Published 07:00 22/05/11 By Marc Isaacs
The Mirror

West Ham are expecting to receive a number of offers for their England
keeper Robert Green ­despite a nightmare season for club and country. Few
could forget his blunder in the World Cup last summer when he ­allowed a
Clint Dempsey shot to slip through his hands and cost England an opening
game victory. Green did get his form back – and was even voted runner-up, to
Scott ­Parker, as Hammers' player of the year – but he failed to help his
side avoid relegation. Caretaker boss Kevin Keen said: "I would be very
surprised if there isn't a team in the Premier League that wouldn't want his
services."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Baggies plotting £4million move for Hammers star
Published 23:30 21/05/11 By The People Sport
The Mirror

Carlton Cole is being targeted for a move as West Ham's player exodus
begins. Roy Hodgson wants to take the striker to West Brom – and the Hammers
are willing to sell for around £4million.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham will lose Ba and Hitzlsperger for NOTHING next month
Published 23:00 21/05/11 By Paul Smith
The Mirror

West Ham stars Demba Ba and Tomas ­Hitzlsperger will join the exodus from
Upton Park this summer without the club receiving a fee for the duo. Both
players have agreements with West Ham stating that in the event of
relegation they could move on as free agents.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Pearson, Holloway and Hughton will head-up Hammers shortlist
Published 22:58 21/05/11 By Paul Smith
The Mirror

West Ham's directors will meet after today's final game of the ­season and
draw up a shortlist for their vacant manager's job. A week after suffering
relegation and sacking Avram Grant, the ­Hammers hierarchy are ready to plan
their way forward. West Ham will lose Ba and Hitzlsperger for NOTHING next
month High on their list of recruits will be Hull manager Nigel Pearson,
Blackpool's Ian Holloway and former Newcastle boss Chris Hughton. They have
already reached ­agreement with Grant following his dismissal. The Israeli
will be paid £500,000 in compensation. The new manager will have to devise a
plan for the club to return to the top flight as quickly as ­possible. ­

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce 'opens talks to become West Ham's new manager'
Metro.co.uk

Sam Allardyce's representative has spoken to West Ham United about their
managerial vacancy, it has emerged. The Hammers axed Avram Grant just
minutes after their relegation from the Premier League was confirmed last
weekend and are hoping to make a quick appointment as they prepare for life
in the Championship. Ex-England bosses Steve McClaren and Glenn Hoddle have
already declared they are not interested in taking charge at Upton Park, but
it seems Allardyce is willing to consider the job. There has been no direct
contact between Allardyce and the West Ham board, but his representative has
held initial discussions about the possibility of him becoming the club's
next manager, reports suggest. Allardyce has been out of work since his
shock sacking by Blackburn Rovers in December last year, but remains one of
the most respected managers in English football thanks to his achievements
at Bolton Wanderers. He guided the Trotters to promotion to the top-flight
in 2001 and then helped to establish the club in the top half of the Premier
League, before stepping down in 2007 and taking charge at Newcastle United
for a brief spell. Allardyce's main rival for the West Ham job appears to be
another ex-Newcastle manager, Chris Hughton. A former Hammers player,
Hughton guided the Magpies to the Championship title in 2010, but the
hire-and-fire culture at St James' Park saw him sacked in December.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Swindon sponsor pulls out after Paolo Di Canio appointment
Trade union cancels deal over manager's political views
Di Canio has 'openly voiced his support for Mussolini'
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 21 May 2011 17.56 BST

A leading trade union has decided to end its sponsorship of Swindon Town in
protest at the appointment of Paolo Di Canio as manager. The GMB said the
former Italy international, who was named manager yesterday, had previously
voiced right-wing views of which it strongly disapproved. The union's local
branch is believed to have paid up to £4,000 to the club this season as part
of its sponsorship deal. "Our local branch has decided to end its
association with Swindon following the appointment of Paolo Di Canio," said
a GMB spokesman. "He has openly voiced support for [Benito] Mussolini so it
beggars belief that Swindon could have appointed him, especially given the
multi-ethnic nature of the team and the town."

Di Canio is due to fly to England on Monday to complete the paperwork and be
formally introduced as the new manager. The club have been relegated after
finishing bottom of League One. A statement from Swindon said the club are
confident he would build a team with the "passion, pride and
professionalism" to ensure it could return to League One "at the earliest
opportunity".

Di Canio has spoken freely about being a fascist and an admirer of
Mussolini. He has faced bans and fines for making the fascist straight-arm
salute while playing for the Italian club Lazio. In his autobiography he
praised Mussolini as "basically a very principled, ethical individual".

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
PRIZES CAN'T CONSOLE SCOTT PARKER
Daily Express
Scott Parker has been outstanding for West Ham
Sunday May 22,2011
By Sunday Express Reporter

SCOTT PARKER insists he would swap being Footballer of the Year for keeping
West Ham in the Premier League. Parker has been outstanding for the east
London club but could not stop them being relegated to the Championship. The
Hammers midfielder won back his place in the England team and was voted the
Football Writers' Player of the Year last week. To complete a memorable
season for the former Chelsea player, Parker was also voted Hammer of the
Year by West Ham fans for the third consecutive season. But he admitted: "If
I could hand back all the accolades to stay in the Premier League I would."
"I was involved in a relegation team at Charlton and it is not nice. We knew
it would be difficult for us but nothing can prepare you for the day when it
happens. It is very disappointing and we need to look forward. "The fans
have been unbelievable. Considering the situation we were in we took 4500
fans to Wigan and it was something quite special. They are credit to West
Ham and with their support they deserve to be back in the Premier League."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
CARLO ANCELOTTI: I'M THE MAN FOR WEST HAM
Daily Express
Carlo Ancelotti wants to stay on in England – even if it means managing West
Ham
Sunday May 22,2011
By Colin Mafham

IF Chelsea sack Carlo Ancelotti the Italian wants to stay on in England –
even if it means managing West Ham. The Stamford Bridge boss, under fire
after failing to win anything this season, has been tipped to get the bullet
this week and return home to coach his beloved Roma. But although he does
hope to return there eventually, Ancelotti reckons he loves England so much
he would drop a division and take a pay cut to stay. "It doesn't matter if
you manage a top team or a smaller team," he claimed. "For me it's important
just to work. "So why not West Ham? The Championship and the stadiums are
fantastic. The difference is the money, but when you manage you don't think
about money, you think about working with passion. This is my job," he
added. "The money has never been a motivation for me or for the players. The
motivation is to stay at the top as a player and as a manager."

Ancelotti has overseen the Blues' worst campaign of the Roman Abramovich
era. That is despite masterminding the club's fi rst double during his
maiden year in charge. But he will not be pleading with the club's owners to
stay on. "I don't want to fi ght to keep my job," said Ancelotti. "The club
have to judge two years of my job. "If they think that my job was good for
this club, I will stay. If they think that my job was not so good, I will
have to go."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce and Jones are now top of West Ham's wish-list
By Andrew Warshaw
Sunday, 22 May 2011
The Independent

Sam Allardyce and Dave Jones have emerged as front-runners for the West Ham
job as they prepare for life in the Championship. They have made no secret
of their intention to sign a British manager after Avram Grant's
unceremonious dismissal. Both Allardyce and Jones were in the frame to take
over last December before David Sullivan, David Gold and Karren Brady took
the fateful decision to stick with Grant for the rest of the season.
Allardyce has been out of work since being sacked by Blackburn but has huge
experience of turning round under-achieving clubs and a reputation for
motivating players. While Allardyce would instill the kind of fighting
spirit West Ham have been lacking, Jones has an impressive track record in
terms of team building and talent-spotting. The longest-serving manager in
the Championship, Jones has transformed Cardiff without managing to achieve
top-flight football. It is understood that Sullivan and Brady are keen for
one or the other to take over at Upton Park but that Gold has not yet made
up his mind. While Martin O'Neill would be the No 1 choice among many West
Ham fans, the Northern Irishman is presumably still unhappy at how West Ham
handled his supposed move to Upton Park in January.

Chris Hughton, who played for West Ham in the early 1990s, is another name
being linked with the vacant manager's job. Meanwhile, Fabio Capello will
name his England squad tomorrow for their final European Championship
qualifier of the season against Switzerland at Wembley on Saturday week. Rio
Ferdinand and Theo Walcott should be available but Steven Gerrard is out.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
As Ancelotti prepares for the sack, he claims: 'I'll manage West Ham'
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 1:27 AM on 22nd May 2011
Daily Mail

Carlo Ancelotti insists he is prepared to drop out of the top flight and
take charge at managerless West Ham when he is jettisoned by Chelsea. The
Italian boss is expected to be sacked soon after Sunday's final game of the
season at Everton and claims he would have no problem picking up the pieces
from Avram Grant's reign and taking a pay-cut. Ancelotti said: 'I would
coach West Ham - why not? It's a challenge to manage a team in the
Championship. 'The atmosphere at West Ham is amazing. It doesn't matter if
you manage a top team or a smaller team. 'It's more important to work. I was
happy to train in the second division when I was learning.'
Ancelotti earns £5million a year at Chelsea and would get a fraction of that
at Upton Park, but he said: 'When you manage, you don't think about the
money. It has never been a motivation for me.'

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
CLARET CARLO ANCELOTTI!
Daily Star
22nd May 2011 By Tony Stenson

CARLO ANCELOTTI will throw his hat in the ring for the vacant West Ham job
if Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich axes him next week. The pair are due to
meet to talk over the season after today's final game but when asked if he
fancied a crack at the Upton Park job, he said: "West Ham? Why not." The
odds are stacked against Carlo Ancelotti surviving in the hotseat because
­Roman Abramovich doesn't do second place. The fact Italian ­Ancelotti won
the ­Double in his first ­season at Stamford Bridge – and has ­secured the
runners-up slot to Manchester United this season – cuts no ice with
trigger-­happy Abramovich. All Ancelotti can do is wait and prepare ­another
chapter for his book. "Another chapter? I will need to write a new book!" he
said. "But West Ham? Why not. "It has been a good ­experience and I will
have a good memory of this year. "It's not so good at the moment but when
you are winning it's ­fantastic. "Obviously, we are not happy with this
season and to finish in second place but if you offered us the Double again
and to ­finish second in the next two years, then I think we'd have to sign
up for that ­immediately."
When Jose Mourinho left the Blues, Abramovich sent the Special One a
­Ferrari six months later as a belated 'thank you'. And laughing, Ancelotti
said: "I'm here and I am able to drive a Ferrari. I'd have no problem with
that. It's an Italian car." Come what may, he will be delighted to shake the
hand of every player today. Few will turn their back. He said: "I will say
thank you to every one of my players ­because every time, more or less, they
tried their best. They were focused. "I said a lot of times the atmosphere
in training sessions was good. It was ­correct, they were very professional.
Maybe they didn't reach their best but I have to shake their hands and say
thanks.

"Yesterday Petr Cech won the Player of the Year at our awards and that was
good because he had a fantastic ­season. But there are other players who had
a great ­season, John Terry and ­Ashley Cole to name two. "Every one of
them tried to do their best. "I knew a lot of players but I didn't know John
Terry, Cole or Didier Drogba so well. They were new players for me but I
understood their ­characteristics, their ability, skill, professionalism, so
it was a fantastic experience."

Asked about staying in ­England, he said: "Why not? I have respect for every
team. It doesn't matter if you can manage a top team or a smaller team.
It's important to work. "I was happy to train in the second ­division when I
was learning and I'm ­happy to train now I have the possibility to train a
top team. For me it's important to work. "The difference is the money but
when you train, when you manage, you don't think about the money, you think
about working with passion. "West Ham? Why not? The ­Championship is also
fantastic. "I have never seen a Championship game live but I've seen a lot
of games on TV and the atmosphere is fantastic. "If you watch a game in
Italy in the ­second division there will be, say, 2,000 people. It is
totally different here."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM WANT ALEX MCLEISH
Daily Star
22nd May 2011 By Paul Hetherington, EXCLUSIVE

ALEX McLEISH is on David Gold and David Sullivan's shortlist to succeed
sacked West Ham boss Avram Grant. Birmingham boss Alex McLeish could be
relegated at Tottenham today. And that would put his position under threat –
despite qualifying for the Europa League through winning the Carling Cup.
But 'Big Eck', 52, could bounce back at West Ham, whose owners Sullivan and
Gold appointed him at Birmingham four years ago when they were in charge at
St Andrew's. The Hammers are also eyeing two of their original targets when
Grant was first under pressure – former Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill
and ex-Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce. But former Motherwell, Hibernian,
Rangers and Scotland chief McLeish is also in the frame. He remains a highly
respected boss, despite Birmingham's slide. West Ham are planning a quick
appointment after going down and want their squad reshaped for an immediate
promotion challenge next season. Decisions will be made on high-profile
players including Footballer of the Year Scott Parker, who is expected to
move to Spurs.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 21st May 2011

Sunderland match preview
WHUFC.com
All the early team news and important travel information ahead of Sunday's
season climax
20.05.2011

WEST HAM UNITED v SUNDERLAND
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SUNDAY 22 MAY 2011
KICK-OFF: 4PM

Introduction
• West Ham United complete their Barclays Premier League season with the
visit of Sunderland to the Boleyn Ground. The already-relegated Hammers will
be eager to end the 2010/11 campaign on a high by recording their sixth home
league win of the season. However, three points will not be enough to take
them off the bottom of the table.
• West Ham will be managed by caretaker boss Kevin Keen following the
departure of Avram Grant. Keen takes temporary charge for the third time,
having done so previously in December 2006 and in September 2008, when he
took the team for their 3-2 Premier League defeat at West Bromwich Albion.
• Sunderland go into Sunday's fixture in 14th place, having collected 44
points from 37 games. However, a victory, combined with results elsewhere
going their way, could still see the Black Cats end the season in the top
half of the table.
• Sunday's fixture represents the third meeting between the two sides this
season. The Hammers were 2-1 winners at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday 21
September in the Carling Cup third round - Victor Obinna and Frederic
Piquionne finding the target, while Sunderland secured a 1-0 home win in the
reverse league match on 3 December 2010.
• Sunderland have not lost on any of their three previous visits to London
this season, winning 3-0 at Chelsea and drawing at Arsenal, Fulham and
Tottenham Hotspur.
• The Hammers' biggest ever win over Sunderland came in the shape of an 8-0
success at the Boleyn Ground on 19 October 1968. Geoff Hurst scored six
goals - including a hat-trick in each half - while Bobby Moore and a young
Trevor Brooking added one apiece.
• Sunderland's biggest ever win over West Ham came on 5 March 1977, when the
Black Cats romped to a 6-0 victory over the Londoners. Their best
performance in east London was a 3-0 triumph on 25 April 1931.

Last time out
Sunday 15 May 2011
Barclays Premier League

Wigan Athletic 3-2 West Ham United
West Ham United: Green, Gabbidon, Tomkins, Spence, Bridge, Spector (Parker
60), Collison (Keane 83), Hitzlsperger, Ba, Hines, Piquionne (Cole 74)
Subs not used: Boffin, Upson, Da Costa, Sears
Goals: Ba 12, 26
Saturday 14 May 2011
Barclays Premier League

Sunderland 1-3 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sunderland: Mignolet, Bardsley, Mensah (Laing 87), Onuoha, Zenden,
Malbranque (Noble 70), Henderson (Lynch 76), Riveros, Colback, Elmohamady,
Sessegnon
Subs not used: Carson, Adams, Cook, Knott
Goals: Sessegnon 34

Last meeting
West Ham United travelled to the Stadium of Light for the second time this
season on Sunday 5 December, only for Sunderland to run out 1-0 winners in a
match broadcast live on Sky Sports. England midfielder Jordan Henderson
settled matters, scoring the only goal of the game eleven minutes before
half-time. Victor Obinna hit the post in the second half, but the Hammers
were unable to fashion an equaliser.
Sunderland: Gordon, Bardsley, Richardson, Mensah, Onuoha,
Ferdinand,Cattermole, Henderson (Elmohamady 86), Bent (Malbranque 75),
Welbeck, Gyan (Zenden 90)
Subs not used: Mignolet, Angeleri, Da Silva, Riveros
West Ham United: Green, Ben-Haim (Faubert 83), Gabbidon, Tomkins, Upson,
Spector, Dyer (Piquionne 69), Parker, Boa Morte (Hines 69), Cole, Obinna
Subs not used: Stech, Reid, Barrera, Piquionne

Last six meetings
(Premier League unless stated)
5 December 2010 - Sunderland 1-0 West Ham United
21 September 2010 - Sunderland 1-2 West Ham United (Carling Cup third round)
10 April 2010 - West Ham United 1-0 Sunderland
31 October 2009 - Sunderland 2-2 West Ham United
4 April 2009 - West Ham United 2-0 Sunderland
23 November 2008 - Sunderland 0-1 West Ham United
• Sunday's game marks the 82nd time West Ham and Sunderland have faced one
another in competitive fixtures. West Ham have won 32, Sunderland 29 and
there have been 20 draws. In league meetings, the Hammers have won 26,
Sunderland 27 and there have been 18 drawn matches.
Overall record v Sunderland (all competitions) W 32 D 20 L 29

Ten-year records
West Ham United
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted to Premier League via
play-offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th (53 points)
2000/01 Premier League 15th (42 points)

Sunderland
2009/10 Premier League 13th (44 points)
2008/09 Premier League 16th (36 points)
2007/08 Premier League 15th (39 points)
2006/07 Championship 1st (88 points - promoted to Premier League)
2005/06 Premier League 20th (15 points - relegated to the Championship)
2004/05 Championship 1st (94 points - promoted to Premier League)
2003/04 Championship 3rd (79 points)
2002/03 Premier League 20th (19 points)
2001/02 Premier League 17th (40 points)
2000/01 Premier League 7th (57 points)

Referee
• The match referee will be Anthony Taylor, who will be taking charge of a
West Ham United fixture for the first time.
• Taylor is in his first season on the Select Group of referees appointed to
control Barclays Premier League fixtures.
• The Greater Manchester-born official started refereeing in the Northern
Premier League in 2002 before being appointed to the Football League list at
the start of the 2006/07 season, refereeing his match between Wrexham and
Peterborough United in League Two on 12 August 2006.
• Taylor's first Premier League appointment was the 3 February 2010
encounter between Fulham and former West Ham United manager Avram Grant's
Portsmouth, with the Cottagers winning 1-0.
• While he has yet to take charge of a West Ham United fixture, Taylor has
refereed two Sunderland matches this season - the 2-2 opening-day draw with
Birmingham City at the Stadium of Light and the goalless draw with Arsenal
at the Emirates on 5 March.
• When asked in an interview what his favourite match that he has refereed
was, he named British Gas Business Southern League Midland Division side
Chasetown's victory over Port Vale in the FA Cup second round in December
2007.

West Ham United
• West Ham United's leading Barclays Premier League scorer this season is
Demba Ba with seven goals.
• Frederic Piquionne has created five goals for his team-mates in the league
this term, one more than both Carlton Cole and Thomas Hitzlsperger.
• Robert Green has made a team-high 36 Barclays Premier League appearances
this season, while Cole has appeared 35 times and Piquionne 33.
• Danny Gabbidon has the quickest card in the division this season, earning
a caution just 1min and 25 seconds into the Fulham home game.
• Scott Parker has been booked eight times in the league this season, while
Luis Boa Morte has been shown a yellow card on seven occasions.

Sunderland
• Sunderland's leading Barclays Premier League scorer is Asamoah Gyan with
ten goals. The injured Danny Welbeck has six league strikes to his name.
Gyan has also chalked-up a team-high five assists.
• Jordan Henderson has made a club-leading 36 league appearances this
season, while Ahmed Elmohamady has appeared 35 times, Steed Malbranque 34
and Phil Bardsley 33.
• Lee Cattermole is one of only five players to be sent-off twice in the
Barclays Premier League this season. The midfielder has also been shown a
team-high ten yellow cards - one more than Kieran Richardson. Cattermole was
also red-carded against West Ham United while playing for Wigan Athletic in
March 2009.

Team news
West Ham United
• Caretaker manager Kevin Keen has promised to pick a side who 'will go out
and try their hardest for West Ham'. As well as established internationals,
the former Hammers winger could call on a number of the club's homegrown
players for the final match of the season, with the likes of Jordan Spence,
James Tomkins, Jack Collison, Freddie Sears, Zavon Hines and Dylan Tombides
all hoping to feature.
• Hammer of the Year Scott Parker could return to the starting XI after
making a substitute appearance at Wigan Athletic last weekend.
• Robbie Keane and Wayne Bridge will end respective their loan spells from
Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City following Sunday's game.
• Mark Noble will hope to feature following hernia surgery, while Junior
Stanislas is back in action after recovering from a similar problem.
• Gary O'Neil is definitely out of Sunday's game and is not expected to
return until 2012 after suffering a serious ankle injury against Aston Villa
last month.
Sunderland
• Sunderland could welcome Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan back following a
hamstring injury.
• Midfielder David Meyler, centre-backs Titus Bramble and Michael Turner,
goalkeeper Craig Gordon and striker Fraizer Campbell are all definitely out
with knee problems.
• Midfielder Lee Cattermole has a back injury and is out, as are hamstring
injury victims Anton Ferdinand and Danny Welbeck.
• England midfielder Kieran Richardson has a shin problem and is also
sidelined.

Old boys
• Anton Ferdinand began his career at West Ham's famed Academy, making 163
appearances and scoring five goals for the Hammers before joining Sunderland
in August 2008.
• Midfielder Kieran Richardson began his career at West Ham, but failed to
make a first team appearance before joining Manchester United in 2002. The
24-year-old joined Sunderland in July 2007.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Dick Bell,
Gary Breen, Clive Clarke, Keith Coleman, Ernest England, John Foreman, Harry
Forster, Jack Foster, Harry Hooper, Don Hutchison, George McCartney, Mick
McGiven, Andy Melville, Billy Moore, Bryan 'Pop' Robson and Dave
Swindlehurst.

Travel information
A number of London Underground lines will be affected by engineering works
this Sunday. For full details, visit the TfL website by clicking here.
• Circle line - No service between Moorgate and Hammersmith via King's Cross
St Pancras.
• District line - No service between Barking and Tower Hill westbound and
Tower Hill and Upney eastbound.
• Hammersmith & City line - No service between King's Cross St Pancras and
Barking. Replacement buses will operate.
• Metropolitan line - No service between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Aldgate.
• DLR - No service between Westferry and Beckton/London City Airport.
Replacement buses will operate.
• c2c - Due to West Ham resignalling work taking place, c2c services will be
diverted to run to/from Liverpool Street station, calling at Stratford.
Fenchurch Street, Limehouse and West Ham stations will have no c2c services.
For more details, click here.

General information
• For ticket information, click here.
• Sunday's forecast in east London is for heavy rain showers, with
temperatures peaking around the 18C mark.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Keen on Sunderland
WHUFC.com
The caretaker manager has spoken to the press ahead of Sunday's visit of the
Black Cats
20.05.2011

Kevin Keen has spoken to the media ahead of West Ham United's final Barclays
Premier League fixture of the 2010/11 season against Sunderland. The
caretaker manager discussed his intention that the Hammers could finish a
disappointing campaign on a high, his message to supporters, his hopes for
the future and Avram Grant's departure.

Kevin Keen on Sunday's visit of Sunderland…

"I think that's the only way we can look at it - we've got a game on Sunday
that we want to win for the supporters we owe so much to for their support
this season. My focus has been on making the players aware of that and
steeling them for the battle against Sunderland. "It has been a difficult
week, there's no doubt about that, with what happened last week at Wigan and
then all the media coverage about the minor incident at our club dinner,
which really absolutely nothing and the players were exemplary. "I've got
the players up and there are certainly a lot of young players chomping at
the bit waiting to play. It's going to be an interesting game and I hope the
supporters will turn up. It's Kids for a Quid so it should be good."

Kevin Keen on team selection…

"It'll be a West Ham side - players who want to play for the claret and blue
shirt, who show a real desire to play for that shirt and a flair and ability
with a football that this club deserves. "I think I've seen this week that
those who have a great chance of being here next season have perhaps trained
a little bit more enthusiastically than those who have a chance of not being
here next season. I think you'll find the majority of the team will be those
who will be appearing next year for us."

Kevin Keen on his message to players this week…

"I came in this week with everyone down, dejected and disappointed, but
those supporters have been phenomenal. The support at home has been behind
us all the time and they've been dying for us to get the results we needed.
"I think the players and the staff owe it to the supporters to go out there
and end the season with a victory."

Kevin Keen on his message to the supporters…

"The last game is a difficult one for me, because some supporters will want
to come and vent their feelings because it's been a disappointing year. I'm
not going to be able to stop them doing that but I'm hoping the majority
come and get behind the team. "I'm desperate for us to give them a good
performance. I'm trying my hardest to make sure the players motivated and
picking a team that I want to go out, give their best, and play in a manner
that West Ham United deserves and go out with a bit of a bang. "That's what
I want for this Sunday."

Kevin Keen on the club rediscovering its traditions…

"I think it was said West Ham used to be everyone's second or
third-favourite team. That was down to us having three players in the World
Cup-winning team who made a massive contribution to the country. It was also
down to the way we conducted ourselves, the way we played football and all
those sorts of things. "So many things have happened since I came back to
the club. I think it's time just to go back to our family traditions, to get
back to the ethos and philosophy that made our football club great. "I'd
love us to keep hold of our young players that we've got at the moment -
Junior Stanislas, Jack Collison, Mark Noble, Freddie Sears, James Tomkins,
Jordan Spence and Zavon Hines - because I know they'd all run through walls
for this football club. "We need to keep hold of those lads, get the family
tradition back to this club and take it forward going into the Olympic
Stadium. That's my goal for this football club. "This relegation has gone
and it's an opportunity for us to regain all the stuff that people loved
about West Ham United."

Kevin Keen on the End of Season Gala Dinner…

"First of all, I could say that we got relegated on the Sunday and the club
dinner was on the Monday. I don't think you'd find too many London clubs
with the support we had. Every single table was sold in the Great Room at
the Grosvenor. The players all turned out and their behaviour was exemplary.
"There was a minor scuffle after a lad who was a little bit drunk got caught
up in a little bit of banter and that was about it really. After about 30
seconds it was over and the dinner carried on.
"For me, the players' behaviour, especially after the disappointment of the
day before, was outstanding. "I was actually over the other side of the room
talking to Thomas Hitzlsperger at the time because the players were
two-to-a-table. Apparently there was something said. I've spoken to Demba Ba
and I'm not sure he understood everything that was said, but it's gone. "I
want to focus on Sunday, on trying to get West Ham a win and repaying the
supporters who have backed us to the bitter end this season.Last week up at
Wigan, we had 4,500 there and they were unbelievable for the whole match and
it's just a real disappointment from our side, the staff, that we've not
been able to give them what they deserve this year."

Kevin Keen on Avram Grant's departure…

"Whenever a manager leaves, it's disappointing. After the game last week,
you could see how humble and disappointed Avram was that things hadn't gone
his way. He took some of the blame, but as far as I'm concerned we as a
staff and the players have underperformed and it hasn't been a good season
for us - there's no denying that because we're bottom of the league. "We've
got to put it behind us. I've done my two days' mourning and I've now got
the job this week of repaying those supporters and taking the club forward.
"As far as I'm concerned, the first game of next season is on Sunday."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham v Sunderland
BBC.co.uk
Barclays Premier League
Venue: Upton Park Date: Sunday, 22 May Kick-off: 1600 BST Coverage: Watch
highlights on Match of the Day; listen on BBC Radio 5 live and local radio;
text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles

TEAM NEWS

West Ham first-team coach Kevin Keen will take charge of Sunday's game
following Avram Grant's departure. The Hammers will assess Scott Parker,
who did not appear fully fit when he made his return from an Achilles injury
as a substitute at Wigan last weekend.

Sunderland could welcome back striker Asamoah Gyan, who is back in training
following a hamstring problem. Defender Anton Ferdinand could also make his
comeback from injury at Upton Park.

West Ham

Doubtful: Parker (Achilles), Stanislas (match fitness), Upson (leg)
Injured: Dyer (hamstring), Kurucz (knee), Noble (stomach), O'Neil (ankle)

Sunderland

Doubtful: Ferdinand & Gyan (both hamstring)
Injured: Bramble, Campbell, Gordon, Meyler & Turner (all knee), Cattermole
(back), Richardson (calf), Welbeck (hamstring)

PREVIEW BY MOTD COMMENTATOR JOHN RODER

So where do West Ham go from here? Who is going to sign up as their next
manager? Plenty of questions, but not much in the way of answers in a
troubled week for the Hammers. It will be very interesting being at Upton
Park for the last match of the season - there's no getting away from the
fact that this game will mark the final appearance in claret and blue for
quite a few players. Sunderland assured their Premier League future several
weeks back, but the effect of Darren Bent's departure to Aston Villa is
clear for all to see. His last appearance for the Black Cats was against
Newcastle in mid-January. After the 1-1 draw that day Sunderland had 34
points; in the 14 matches since then they've taken just 10 points. Yet
despite that run, Sunderland need only a draw to register their best Premier
League points total for 10 years.

PREMIER LEAGUE BOTTOM SIX
Continue reading the main story
Blackburn P 37 GD -14 Pts 40
Wolves P 37 GD -19 Pts 40
Birmingham P 37 GD -20 Pts 39
Blackpool P 37 GD -21 Pts 39
Wigan P 37 GD -22 Pts 39
West Ham P 37 GD -24 Pts 33

Kevin Keen will be in charge of West Ham, and he has said this week that he
wants to be considered for the managerial vacancy. The last time I was at
Upton Park was the Hammers' most recent victory, over Stoke in early March.
Since then they have claimed only two points from a possible 24. However,
Sunderland have conceded 32 goals in their last 13 matches, so it would be a
surprise if this match ends 0-0.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

The Hammers have won their last six Premier League games against Sunderland
at Upton Park. It is over a decade since the Black Cats' last top-flight win
at West Ham - Stanislav Varga and Don Hutchison scored in a 2-0 victory on
13 January 2001.

West Ham

The Hammers have taken two points from a possible 24. West Ham's collapse at
Wigan was the first time they had failed to win a Premier League away game
in which they led 2-0 at half-time. If this season's Premier League matches
ended at half-time, the Hammers would be safe in 15th place with 42 points.

Sunderland

The Black Cats need a draw to register their biggest top-flight points total
for 10 years. They have dropped 23 points from winning positions this season
- only Aston Villa (26 points) have fared worse. Sunderland have conceded 32
goals in their last 13 matches.

LEADING GOALSCORERS
West Ham
Cole: 11 goals (5 league); Piquionne: 9 goals (6 league)

Sunderland
Gyan: 11 goals (10 league); Welbeck: 6 goals (6 league)

NB. Darren Bent scored 11 goals (8 league) for Sunderland before joining
Aston Villa.

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Assistant referees: Simon Long & Ceri Richards
Fourth official: Andy D'Urso

LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS
West Ham (L2-3 v Wigan, a): Green, Spence, Gabbidon, Tomkins, Bridge,
Spector (Parker 60), Hitzlsperger, Collison (Keane 83), Piquionne (Cole 74),
Ba, Hines. Subs not used: Boffin, Upson, Sears, Da Costa.

Sunderland (L1-3 v Wolves, h): Mignolet, Elmohamady, Onuoha, Mensah (Laing
87), Bardsley, Colback, Henderson (Lynch 76), Riveros, Zenden, Malbranque
(Noble 70), Sessegnon. Subs not used: Carson, Cook, Knott, Adams.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Swindon Town confirm Paolo di Canio as new manager
BBC.co.uk
Page last updated at 16:13 GMT, Friday, 20 May 2011 17:13 UK

Paolo di Canio has been named as the new manager of Swindon Town. The
controversial former West Ham striker has agreed terms on a two-year deal
and is expected to arrive at the County Ground on Monday. Di Canio, 42, was
one of eight candidates interviewed for the position by Swindon chairman
Jeremy Wray.
"We were very lucky we had a strong shortlist and the board were unanimous
that this was the way to go," Wray told BBC Wiltshire. It is the Italian's
first coaching job in England since he retired from playing in 2008 and but
Wray does not view it as a gamble. "From my point of view you go with the
best in whatever you can find," he said. "I'm far happier to go with someone
who has shown those talents as a player and believe he has the capability to
carry it through as a manager. "For me that is a much stronger thing than
maybe people who we may have tried and not succeeded."

Di Canio follows Paul Hart as the club's permanent manager, after the former
Nottingham Forest and Portsmouth boss left last month following Swindon's
relegation from League One. Former player Paul Bodin was in charge for
Swindon's final two games of the season. Other contenders for the Swindon
role were former Germany and Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann,
ex-Scotland boss George Burley and former Bristol Rovers boss Paul Trollope,
among others. Di Canio scored 48 goals in 118 appearances for West Ham after
joining the London club for £1.7m from Sheffield Wednesday in 1999. He began
his career at Lazio, and also played for Juventus, Napoli, AC Milan, Celtic
and Charlton. As a player he regularly attracted headlines. Playing for
Sheffield Wednesday in 1998, he pushed referee Paul Alcock to the ground
after being sent off and was banned for 11 matches. His volleyed goal
against Wimbledon for West Ham in March 2000 was named BBC Goal of the
Season, and in 2001 he won the Fifa Fair Play Award for catching the ball to
ensure the injured Everton goalkeeper Paul Gerrard could receive prompt
treatment. After returning to Lazio, he was pictured making a raised-arm
fascist salute to a group of the club's supporters, and claimed to be "a
fascist, not a racist".

Di Canio was linked with the vacant manager's role at West Ham following
Avram Grant's dismissal after the club's relegation to the Championship but
co-owner David Sullivan ruled out an approach because of the Italian's lack
of managerial experience. "The problem with Paolo is, although the fans
would love it, I am being realistic and he has no experience whatsoever
being a manager," said Sullivan. "If you look at first-season managers the
failure rate is enormous."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Pre-season friendly confirmed
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 20th May 2011
By: Staff Writer

West Ham will face neighbours Dagenham & Redbridge at Victoria Road in a
pre-season friendly on Tuesday, 26th July. The Irons will make the short
trip to Dagenham for one of their final pre-season appointments, with the
2011/12 Championship season kicking off in earnest little more than a week
later (6th August).
With both clubs facing up to the reality of being relegated form their
respective leagues last season - West Ham from the Premier League and the
Daggers from League One - both teams are likely to to feature a number of
new signings.

West Ham United: confirmed pre-season dates

Mon, 11 July: BSC Young Boys (n)

Weds, 13 July: FC Basel (n)

Tues, 26 July: Dagenham & Redbridge (a)

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United V Sunderland - Match Preview
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 20th May 2011
By: Preview Percy

It's been a long tiring season for all of us. None more so than Preview
Percy but there again he was old and knackered at the start of it all
anyway. Before we say goodnight to the old so and so and pack him and his
tartan blanket off to Eastbourne for the summer here's his last effort of
the season....

Sunderland at home. 4pm Sunday. No tubes, naturally, although in my copy of
the free Metro newspaper on Friday, Transport For London told West Ham
match-goers that "the impact on their journeys has been minimised as much as
possible". That's alright then, because I'd hate to see how bad they could
have made things had they really been trying to do so.

Let's face it, after last week you don't really care where Sunderland are in
the league or what their current form is – I certainly don't. However, since
this is the last game of the season and the editors won't be back to visit
me at the Mike Dean Home For The Feeble Minded until August, I'll have to
write something as their next delivery of Werther's Originals is going to
have to last at least 3 months. So, for what it's worth, they currently lie
in 14th place on 44 points having won 2 (4-2 at home to Wigan and 2-1 away
at Bolton) and lost 4 (2-3 at West Brom, 0-2 at Birmingham, 0-3 at home to
Fulham and 1-3 at home to Wolves).

Are you still reading this? Ok Well they've been fighting a bit of an injury
list which has meant that the likes of Asamoah Gyan and Man Utd loanee Danny
Welbeck have been missing up front. Both have hamstring problems, whilst
potential replacement Frazier Campbell is on the long term absentee list
with an anterior cruciate ligament injury that is a recurrence of the same
problem that has kept him out of contention for much of the season. Gyan did
resume training this week and the Ghanaian may therefore play some part in
the match. I have a soft spot for him – his penalty miss against Uruguay in
the World Cup went a long way to netting me £150 in the Old Folk's Home
sweep.

As a result of the lack of available forwards they've been starting winger
Ahmed Elmohamady - who, if he isn't known as Elmo amongst his team mates,
damn well ought to be – up front. He's acted as the target figure alongside
Benin midfielder Stephane Sessegnon, a £6m arrival from Paris St Germain.
Sessegnon left PSG under something of a cloud. Having been stuck on the
bench/racing car seats/whatever it is they use in France for much of the
season he finally had a major bust up with the PSG boss Antoine Kombuare
just before Christmas, claiming the manager had insulted him. My French is a
bit rusty after all these years but the gist of the argument appears to have
been Sessegnon's allegation that the boss referred to him as a "jouer de
merde" in a discussion. The boss remembers the discussion getting a bit
heated but not the actual insults. The article then went on to enquire as to
the location of the pen belonging to someone's aunt, though that may just
have been the point at where my schoolboy French skills reached the limit of
my ignorance. Think of it as a Franco-Benin version of Kinnear v N'Zogbia
and you probably won't be far out.

They've got injuries at both ends of the pitch. Once their first choice
custodian, Craig Gordon is out for the duration as an injury hit season has
concluded with an op on an anterior cruciate ligament injury. It seems they
like to have certain injuries in twos up there. Gordon's replacement has
been Belgian cap Simon Mignolet who has yo-yoed in and out of the side as
Bruce struggled to decide which of his 'keepers should be no.1. Rock,
scissor, paper was the accepted method back when I used to play but I expect
these Premiership bosses are too good for that sort of thing.

One player who won't be featuring is Argentinian defender Marcos Angeleri.
Manager Bruce has selected Angeleri but three times this season, much of
which he has spent in treatment for an injury picked up in pre-season.
Angeleri claimed that there was more to his non-selection commenting: "I
think he doesn't like me because I'm not English". Strangely enough these
were the same words uttered by Villa boss Gerrard Houllier after the
protracted transfer of Darren Bent back in January.This prompted Bruce to
angrily deny that he was in any way racist, no doubt adding for good measure
that some of his best friends come from outside the North-East.

There are two ex-Hammers in the squad. Kieron Richardson went to school just
around the corner from the Old Folks Home where I am typing this right now.
Richardson was a trainee at the academy for a while until being poached by
Man Utd. He has a calf/shin injury that will keep him away from playing
until next season.

More familiar to those present will be Anton Ferdinand, whose partnership
with Elliot Ward in the season we last got promoted is fondly remembered in
these parts. Or at least it would be if I could remember anything. Ferdinand
is also recovering from a hamstring problem (there was obviously a special
offer on hamstrings at the local Injury Superstore) but is said to be close
to a return. If he doesn't play you'll probably see him about the place
somewhere if he doesn't get lost.

Oh, you're still here. I suppose you want me to come up with a few lines
about us. Oh well if you insist. Obviously the main topic of conversation in
our local (The Swan and Super-injunction – coaches by appointment only) has
been regarding the identity of the new manager, what with Avram Grant's
services having been dispensed with before the players made the changing
room last weekend. The list of candidates is not that inspiring and the fact
that someone like Allardyce is even being mentioned in the same breath as
the vacancy worries the hell out of me. Allardyce is fond of reminding us
that he could manage Real Madrid so frankly I don't see why we should be the
ones to stand in his way. It's not just the type of football that his teams
play (though frankly that would worry me enough) it's just, well, him.

Neil Warnock is another I'd rather see elsewhere. Let's not forget that this
is someone who has spent the last four years using the club as a diversion
from the fact that he simply isn't good enough to manage in the top flight.
I suppose Wally Downs might welcome the opportunity to flatten him once and
for all though. Perhaps Warnock could take over from Harry up the road
whilst he's away for a while not getting a tan as a guest of Her Majesty
(gawd bless 'er).

If fit this will almost certainly be Scott Parker's swansong. The 3-time
Hammer Of The Year will go with the good wishes of everyone about the club,
having on occasion seemingly been the only thing keeping us afloat at times
this season. Let us not forget that Parker put in some of his best
performances for us at a time when his father was seriously ill. For me one
of the saddest things of all this season was that Mr Parker senior was not
about to see his son pick up the Footballer of the Year award.

If you've bothered to read this far without losing the will to live well
done – you're doing better than me. Parker is of course a bit of a doubt
thanks to the Achilles problem that has plagued him of late. Given that
there is nothing on the game it'd be nice to see him substituted with ten to
play so that he can get a decent send-off I suppose. Otherwise, the usual
injuries will keep the usual players out – Noble (Groin), O'Neill (Ankle),
Dyer (Acne) will all be missing. Ba will however be available for selection
having had sufficient time to recover from signing his name – though
Hitzlsperger's condition is not known.

Last week, well we blew it didn't we - though not without some assistance
from the worst referee in the world. Dean has cost us so many matches over
the years that the only surprise was that he waited as long as he did before
getting involved last week. His decision that James Tomkins was culpable
when N'Zogbia hauled him over was as predictable as the goal which resulted.
I noted last week that that Man Utd always seem to avoid this idiot so it
comes as no surprise that they have him this week in a match that matters
not one jot to them. Very suspicious that. I just hope for Blackpool's sake
that they get a fair rub of the green with him this weekend.

I haven't a clue who we'll start with this week. The side will be picked by
Kevin Keen who, in between telling anyone who will listen that he wants the
job full time if someone will give him a box to stand on, has commented that
he will be picking players willing to "run through brick walls for West
Ham". This isn't much help. I suspect that many footballers would run into a
brick wall if you told them that it was a revolutionary new training
technique or that there was a former Big Brother contestant on the other
side of it. Me? I'd prefer the type of player intelligent enough to find
their way past the brick wall without risking the serious injury that would
inevitably result from trying to demolish the thing using only their
forehead.

Prediction? Do I have to? Oh well, what the heck. They're not in the best of
form. We've got nothing to play for or lose. Let's go for a 2-1 win for us
as we put this whole sorry mess of a season finally to bed.

Enjoy the game – and have a good summer.

(Can I go now?)

Last season Won 1-0 Ilan's 50th minute bundle home was the only goal of the
game. Bruce was left fuming as ref Jones refused to let his side take a
quick free kick as half the home side were off the pitch celebrating a
wrongly-disallowed goal.

Referee: Anthony Taylor – a new one on me. Mainly to be seen in the
Championship, although he has taken about a dozen Premier League games this
season none of them have involved us. Booked two players in the J-League
match between Hiroshima and Kyoto San back in July. Hiroshima won 3-0. I bet
you don't get that level of information in this weekend's programme.

Danger Man: Asamoah Gyan – if fit he'll be the striker to watch. Jordan
Henderson is something of a favourite amongst the Mackems as well.

Daft fact of the week: Amongst Marcos Angeli's knicknames at school were
"Cascarita" meaning "Eggshell" and "Gordo" meaning "Fat Guy". The concept of
Humpty Dumpty hasn't quite reached Argentina then.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham v Sunderland preview
Hammers will try and lift the despair around their fans with a win
By Soriebah Kajue Last updated: 20th May 2011
SSN

Form guide:
West Ham: LLLLDL
Sunderland: LLWLWL

Injuries:
West Ham: Gary O'Neil, Mark Noble, Junior Stanislas
Sunderland: Gyan, Welbeck, Campbell, Bramble, Gordon, Richardson, Meyler

Sky Bet odds: West Ham Evens Draw 12/5 Sunderland 11/4

Jamie Redknapp's Tip: Jamie's backing Sunderland with a +0.5 goal handicap
at 4/5

Opta stat: Sunderland have lost 27 of their last 37 Premier League games in
London, winning only three of them.

Relegated West Ham will try and salvage some pride as they take on
Sunderland in their final home game. The defeat against Wigan last week
condemned the Hammers to the Championship and led to the immediate dismissal
of manager Avram Grant. Kevin Keen has been appointed caretaker manager for
the final game of the season and there are indications that he would like to
the post on a full-time basis. Numerous departures will be expected from
Upton Park this summer, while at Sunderlandmanager Steve Bruce hopes owner
Ellis Short continues to back him the transfer market over the summer. The
American owner has spent over £55million since taking control of the club
but the raft of injuries has highlighted the limitations of their squad.
Sunderland's crippling injury list saw them tumble from as high as sixth in
February down to 14th in the league. Should the Black Cats get an away win
and results elsewhere go their way they still have an outside chance of
finishing in the top 10.

Team news

Keen has intimated he may give West Ham fans a glimpse of the future by
fielding a young team as they look to blood some youngsters ahead of next
season. A win could help to strengthen Keen's claims for the job and Academy
graduates Zavon Hines, Freddie Sears and Jack Collison are all set to be
included. The Hammers have no fresh injury worries ahead of this game as
Gary O'Neil remains a long-term absentee after undergoing ankle surgery.
Mark Noble and Junior Stanislas look like missing out with hernia injuries.

Bruce still has a host of players unavailable due to injury: Fraizer
Campbell (knee), Craig Gordon (knee), Lee Cattermole (back), Titus Bramble
(knee), Michael Turner (knee), David Meyler (knee), and Danny Welbeck
(hamstring). Marcos Angeleri has returned to Argentina to consult a
specialist over a persistent knee problem.
Asamoah Gyan and Anton Ferdinand have both returned to training after injury
and Bruce may be tempted to use Ferdinand due to his lack of defensive
options.

Possible starting XIs
West Ham: Green, Jacobsen, Bridge, Spector, Da Costa, Gabbidon, Parker,
Hitzlsperger, Cole, Ba, Sears.

Sunderland: Mignolet, Elmohamady, Onuoha, Ferdinand, Bardsley, Henderson,
Colback, Mensah, Malbranque, Zenden, Sessegnon.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Harry hints at Parker move
Redknapp wants to add strong characters and admires Parker
Last Updated: May 20, 2011 11:24pm
SSN

Harry Redknapp has praised Scott Parker's leadership qualities as he hunts
for strong characters with Premier League experience. Parker has been one of
the few players to come through West Ham's dreadful season with his head
held high after a series of battling performances that saw him win back his
place in the England squad and pick up the Football Writers' Association
(FWA) Player of the Year award. The 30-year-old seems certain to leave Upton
Park after the club's relegation was confirmed last week, with the Londoners
ready to listen to offers for the player. Redknapp failed in a summer bid to
sign Parker last year and he has never hidden his admiration for the
combative midfielder. "Scott is a quiet boy but he is a leader because on
the pitch he leads by example. I'm not just saying necessarily Scott but we
need to find one or two that are that type if we can. "

The Tottenham manager is already starting to think about the type of player
he wants to recruit this summer, and has targeted a couple of authoritative
figures.
He would also prefer to sign a proven British or Premier League player
rather than look abroad, acknowledging that Parker fits the bill. "We lack
one or two strong characters," said Redknapp. "It's important that you have
one or two leaders. I'd rather find players in this country that can do the
job, rather than hope they can do it, if I can. "Scott is a quiet boy but he
is a leader because on the pitch he leads by example. I'm not just saying
necessarily Scott but we need to find one or two that are that type if we
can."

Redknapp admits that Parker's performances have not gone unnoticed by other
top clubs in the league and thinks he could face strong competition for the
midfielder if he decides to lodge a bid. "He is footballer of the year,"
said Redknapp. "There will be a lot of big clubs interested in him.
Liverpool and Arsenal are, I hear. "When you look at the people who have won
that FWA award it's amazing. He will not be going somewhere like he did at
Chelseaand play a little bit here and there. He will want to go somewhere
and be the main player."

Manchester City's Shay Given and Emmanuel Adebayor have both been mentioned
as potential targets, but Redknapp doubts Roberto Mancini's men would sell
to Spurs. "We wouldn't get Shay Given from Man City, they don't seem to want
to deal with us," Redknapp added. "We have tried before to get their
players. I tried to sign Craig Bellamy but they wouldn't let him come here.
"I like Shay Given but I don't know if he's fit either. He has had a bit of
a shoulder problem. It has come out a couple of times, so we will have to
wait and see. "Adebayor would be difficult. I don't know if it's true but
they were talking about him earning £170k a week."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gold promises thorough search
West Ham co-owner determined to appoint right man
Last Updated: May 20, 2011 8:24pm
SSN

David Gold has insisted no stone will be left unturned as West Ham strive to
ensure they appoint the right manager as Avram Grant's successor. Grant was
sacked on Sunday after a dramatic defeat to Wigan confirmed the Hammers'
relegation to the Championship. Gold and co-owner David Sullivan are looking
to bring in a replacement as quickly as possible so that the new man has
time to start preparing for next season. However, Gold has promised a
methodical approach in his determination to hand the reins to a manager who
can revive West Ham's fortunes. "We want to do it as fast as we can but we
must do it in a sensible way so that we are absolutely sure that we haven't
missed an opportunity or there is no stone that hasn't been turned. "

"We will be looking at CVs and we will be talking to people," he told Sky
Sports News. "We want to do it as fast as we can but we must do it in a
sensible way so that we are absolutely sure that we haven't missed an
opportunity or there is no stone that hasn't been turned. "We have to take
every possible opportunity to make sure we pick the right person because
this is a very important appointment."

Keen hope

Caretaker manager Kevin Keen, meanwhile, who will take charge for the final
game of the Premier League campaign against Sunderland, has reiterated his
desire to land the role on a permanent basis. "I'm West Ham through and
through," said Keen. "I was here nine years as a player and this is my ninth
season back coaching.
"Anyone who has that connection with the club would love to be given the
opportunity. "But that decision is for the owners and they have a great deal
of experience and they will pick the right man for the football club. "Of
course if the opportunity was given to me it would be a great honour and I
would love to do it."

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Kovac hammers Grant influence
Hammers defender launches scathing attack on former manager's style
By Vasek Kadlec & Mike Barton. Last Updated: May 20, 2011 5:17pm
SSN

West Ham defender Radoslav Kovac has criticised Avram Grant for his poor
management of the club that saw them relegated from the Premier League.
Grant was sacked after one season in charge of the Hammers on Sunday
following their 3-2 loss at Wigan, a result that proved to be the final
straw for owners David Gold and David Sullivan. Former Czech international
Kovac joined the club in January 2009 whilst Gianfranco Zola was manager,
but saw his chances become more limited under Grant. Kovac lambasted the
decisions to sign top quality players but not use them, feeling Grant's
running of the team had been poor and, in consequence, there was a 'horrific
atmosphere' created in the dressing room. "It's a catastrophe and a disgrace
that we have been relegated. We had a team capable of finishing in the top
ten," he told Pravo. "Obinna, Piquionne, Carlton Cole, Robbie Keane, Demba
Ba - all absolutely top-class players, aces. Avram Grant is the man to
blame. "People will think that we are just throwing responsibility and all
the dirt on him, but nobody understands why the club didn't sack him already
in the winter.

Horrific atmosphere

"Even so (by sacking Grant now) everyone has been relieved. Our fans hated
him and there was a horrific atmosphere within the dressing room. "He spent
£40million on players who should have fitted into his ideas. But then they
were not playing anyway. He was not honest. "Before the season I had a great
offer from Stoke City and he told me he would not release me as he counted
on my services. But I wasn't playing often. The same scenario happened again
in the winter. "Not to mention his tactical decisions. The score was even in
some games or we were leading by an odd goal and he replaced a forward with
another one. He was not able to react precisely to how a game developed."

The 31-year-old looks certain to quit the club this summer, with the player
citing that he did not want to stay on due to a lack of first-team
opportunities. "At the moment I am very disappointed and frustrated," he
added. "It has been the worst season in my career. Had I played regularly, I
would have stayed to fight for back-to-back promotion. "But this way, I'm
not the main man to be blamed, that's why I don't want to stay on."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Keen: My flops face flak attack
By PAUL JIGGINS
Published: Today
The Sun

KEVIN KEEN admits West Ham have been 's**t' this season and has warned the
club's flops they face a hostile reception from their own fans tomorrow.
First-team coach Keen will be in charge of the relegated Hammers as they end
a dire season at home to Sunderland. He said: "I think there may be a small
element of the crowd who might want to vent their anger. But we've had a
s**t season, haven't we? "If you can't go to West Ham, pay your money and
shout, as they used to in my day, 'Keen, why don't you try harder you effing
little whatever', then something's wrong. "It's part of football and we must
be big enough and strong enough to deal with it.
"I'm sure the majority of fans, with the side I'm picking, will get right
behind us and help us win."

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Harry has Scott eye on Parker
By CARL LONG
Published: Today
The Sun

HARRY REDKNAPP wants Scott Parker to boss Tottenham's midfield. But the
Spurs boss admits he is facing fierce competition from Liverpool and Arsenal
for the West Ham star. Footballer of the Year Parker hopes to be fit for the
relegated Hammers' final game against Sunderland tomorrow. And as Redknapp
prepares to sit down with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy next week to look at
transfer targets, the England midfielder is high on his list. Having had a
£6million offer turned down in January, Redknapp is determined to get his
man this summer. He said: "Yes, he is a good player, a top player - but
there is a lot of interest. "We'll wait and see. I hear that Arsenal and
Liverpool are in for him. They are top clubs so it will be hard." Redknapp
knows that players with Parker's strength of character are hard to find. The
midfielder has been outstanding for the relegated Hammers despite their
woeful season and put in a star-man performance against Spurs just hours
after his father died. Redknapp added: "I think he is a quiet boy but on the
pitch he leads by example. "We lack one or two strong characters and
experienced leaders that will make us better. "I'm not just saying
necessarily Scott but we need to find one or two that are that type. It's
not easy to find them, though. "Those players aren't around any more. They
are a dying breed, the likes of Jamie Carragher and John Terry."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham will play next season's Championship side against Sunderland, hints
Keen
Published 15:26 20/05/11 By Neil McLeman
The Mirror

West Ham caretaker boss Kevin Keen will treat Sunday's match with Sunderland
as "the first game of next season" - and send out players who will be
available in the Championship. Player of the Season Scott Parker, who is set
to leave the exodus this summer, is struggling to be fit. But Keen hinted
England defender Matthew Upson, who is out of contract, will not make his
farewell appearance at Upton Park. Keen must also decide whether to play his
three on-loan stars - Wayne Bridge, Robbie Keane and Victor Obinna. The West
Ham boss, who took over following the sacking of Avram Grant on Sunday,
said: "There is no denying that we're bottom of the league and we've
underperformed. But as far as I'm concerned the first game of next season is
on Sunday. It will be a West Ham side. That's what I want. Players going out
there who will play for the claret and blue shirt, show real desire to play
for that shirt and hopefully show flair and ability that this club deserves.
"I've seen this week that those with a great chance of being here next
season have perhaps trained a little bit more enthusiastically than those
who have a chance of not being here. The majority of the team will be those
appearing next year for us."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers to name home-grown side while Gyan back in contention for Black Cats
Published 15:35 20/05/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror

West Ham caretaker manager Kevin Keen will include a strong home-grown
contingent for the final game of the Barclays Premier League season. Zavon
Hines, Jordan Spence, Freddie Sears, Junior Stanislas, James Tomkins and
Jack Collison are all likely to feature for the relegated Hammers at home to
Sunderland while Keen said some of those set to leave in the summer will be
left out. They will be without Mark Noble (hernia) and Gary O'Neil (ankle)
while player of the year Scott Parker has been hampered by an Achilles
problem in recent weeks. Sunderland are set to have a striker available
after Asamoah Gyan returned to training. The Ghana international is battling
back after a hamstring problem, while defender Anton Ferdinand is also back
in training and both could make the squad to face the already-relegated
Hammers. Craig Gordon, Titus Bramble, Michael Turner, David Meyler, Fraizer
Campbell and Marcos Angeleri are all out with knee injuries, while Kieran
Richardson (fractured fibula), Lee Cattermole (back) and Danny Welbeck
(hamstring) remain on the sidelines.

West Ham provisional squad: Green, Jacobsen, Tomkins, Upson, Hitzlsperger,
Piquionne, Spector, Ba, Cole, Boffin, Reid, Da Costa, Boa Morte, Collison,
Keane, Spence, Bridge, Parker, Stanislas, Hines, Sears.

Sunderland provisional squad: Mignolet, Carson, Onuoha, Mensah, Ferdinand,
Bardsley, Riveros, Henderson, Malbranque, Elmohamady, Sessegnon, Zenden,
Colback, Gyan, Noble, Knott, Adams, Lynch, Laing.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
One good Carr beats two old bangers
KUMB,com
Filed: Friday, 20th May 2011
By: Brian Evans
Crunch time.

Our club, once famous for appointing managers for the long term is now
seeking to appoint its third manager in 13 months. How did it come to this?
Where did it all go wrong? Not in a George Best laying on a bed in a posh
hotel with Miss World kind of way, but how has our club allowed itself to
join the managerial merry-go-round like almost every other club in the land?

The current search goes way beyond identifying a candidate to recruit,
select, organise and motivate a group of players. It enters the realms of a
battle for the soul of our club. Traditional values of playing the game
properly, in a sporting sense with good technical ability, being weighed up
against the financial imperatives of a rapid return to the Premier League
money train – where to be excluded for more than a year or two can have
disastrous consequences.

The two though are not mutually exclusive. It is possible, contrary to
popular opinion, to play your way out of the nPower league, because there
really is nothing new in football. Training techniques may evolve, technical
analysis with coaching tools such as Prozone may help, but the game is still
about players being able to perform skilful tasks at pace better than their
opponent. The ability to trap the ball, dribble, control the ball with your
head up looking for your team mate, use either foot to a decent standard,
create space by having a good first touch and pass .These are the basic
building blocks players learn at a young age onto which tactics and
positional sense are bolted as they learn the game.

Now some managers work hard at organising their teams – Sam Allerdyce is one
such manager. Sam, schooled in the George Graham 'drill them until they can
do it in their sleep' method will ensure every player knows exactly where he
should be at any point in time: when his side is in possession, when the
opposition is in possession and crucially who does what at the point
possession is lost.

George Graham used to keep his defenders back for extra training daily,
walking around with the ball and telling England Internationals exactly
where they should be stood. Three hour sessions of mind numbing boredom –
but you didn't get 1-0 to the Arsenal by just turning up two minutes before
kick off on a Saturday. For those that ask the question 'what do they do all
week?', well, there's your answer. Similarly, Allerdyce undertakes routines
and with the help of Prozone will coach from a fact-based perspective,
putting huge store in the facts, giving solid feedback to players on how far
and fast they were running at specific periods of a game.

Other managers are scarcely seen on the training ground, preferring to leave
that to coaches and focussing purely upon selecting a side, determining and
communicating specific tactics to the players in order to beat a given
opponent. Martin O'Neil is an advocate of that approach, believing his role
is to motivate first and foremost. Having learned his trade from the master
motivator Brian Clough it's no surprise that it is his preferred area of
expertise.

Do as he says and win lose or draw you'll probably be picked the following
week. Don't do exactly as he says and you can expect a long spell in the
reserves; praise is fulsome, but punishment absolute.

All three of these managers are pragmatists. For them a job involves getting
the players to do theirs and happily set their stall out to win at all
costs. The beautiful game comes way down the list of what is important: it's
not that they are incapable of sending out sides to play attractive football
- because all three have at some point - it's just an instinct subjugated to
the need to accrue points week in week out.

Winning ugly? Why not, after all how many of us get to see a side with
Lampard, Carrick and Cole every week?

Manchester United may well have had Charlton, Best and Law in the 1960s and
in the modern era, Giggs, Beckham and Scholes, but their trophy cabinet
these days is being filled by players who learnt their trade at a different
school. Chelsea Football Club too had one or two decent players in the '60s
and '70s, but really hit pay dirt in terms of stuffing their trophy cabinet
when they bought the best young players around.

Glen Johnson, Joe Cole and Frank Lampard Jnr all learned their trade at a
different school - as did the current Chelsea skipper, John Terry.

The sheer consistency of top drawer players that graduate from the West Ham
Academy is what sets it apart from others. Consider, if you will, you wanted
to select an England side from players currently earning their living
playing in the top two divisions.

Bywater, Konchesky, Ferdinand (R), Terry, Johnson, Carrick, Cole, Lampard,
Richardson, Defoe, Zamora. On the bench - Noble, Ferdinand(A), Tomkins and
Ridgewell.

Ten full internationals already and a few more that could still get a call
up – from one academy, in one era. Astonishing.

Now, that side may not win you a World Cup (we've already done our bit for
Queen and country in that regard) but it wouldn't see itself outplayed by
San Marino. Other countries have benefitted with players such as Ray
Houghton, Matt Holland, Richard Garcia and Jack Collison all graduating
through West Ham United's Academy and going on to represent their country
with distinction.

Has any other academy, with the possible exception of Barcelona produced
such a rich crop of talented players in one era? That, by the way, is a
serious question.

Could Sam Allardyce, Martin O'Neill, Alan Curbishley (himself an academy
product) or any other of those managers currently being linked with our
vacancy present a CV with those names as references as to their coaching
ability? Of those three, only one has any trophies in his managerial
cabinet, the other two gaining their reputations for keeping unfashionable
clubs in the top flight on shoestring budgets.

Some may trot out the tired old line that all managers can coach but not all
coaches can manage, but does anyone seriously believe someone who has
produced sufficient talent to field a full England team would be incapable
of doing the job? Frequently the question is asked about how managers
motivate millionaire footballers; at least Tony Carr could look them in the
eye and say he knew them when they couldn't afford a bike.

How many other managers could reel off such an illustrious list of former
players when pointing out to potential new signings, stars who have
benefitted from his management? Show me your medals Guv? How many do you
want son?

With our likely first team next season almost certain to be made up of the
likes of Fred Sears, James Tomkins, Mark Noble, Jack Collison, Jordan
Spence, Junior Stanislas and Zavon Hines, who better to manage them than the
man who taught them their trade ? Supplement that lot with a couple of
hardened pros - who knows , maybe one or two former players may seek to come
back as experienced wise heads - and we'd be on our way.

More than that though, by going with Tony Carr, the club would be seeking to
reconnect with its roots and values. A strong message would be sent out to
supporters by the owners that they understand we want more than mere
survival in the top flight. We want proper football, played by lads we can
identify with, who may have gone to the school we once did, managed by a man
who has earned the right to be given his chance.

When the position became available my initial instinct was to rule Carr out,
not because he couldn't do it, but more because he will eventually have to
suffer the wrath of the fans - so I plumped for Lee Clark as an up and
coming candidate. I've changed my mind.

Why would he feel the wrath of the fans? Why would he not succeed? Why would
he not be every bit as successful managing the first team as the youth team?
The club's choice is clear: buy an old banger with miles on the clock - it
would get us about for sure, but we would never be comfy in it - or go for a
brand new top of the range Carr, luxury motoring, built with top quality
components.

The outstanding candidate is already on the club payroll. Do yourselves a
favour, Mr Sullivan and Mr Gold. You may have a Rolls Royce each but the
club has a better Carr than either of you.

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West Ham winger Barrera and Celtic's Juarez targeted by Club America
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 10:59 PM on 20th May 2011
Daily Mail

Mexico's Club America are keen to sign West Ham winger Pablo Barrera and
Celtic winger Efrain Juarez after the players' disappointing debut seasons
in British football. Cash-strapped West Ham will listen to offers for
23-year-old Barrera, who has started six Premier League games.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
EXCLUSIVE: West Ham caretaker boss Kevin gives the nod to starlet Tombides
By SAMI MOKBEL
Last updated at 11:02 PM on 20th May 2011
Daily Mail

Relegated West Ham will begin their rebuilding plans by handing hot prospect
Dylan Tombides his first taste of first-team football. The 17-year-old -
dubbed the new Harry Kewell in his native Australia - is set to be handed a
place on the bench for tomorrow's visit of Sunderland. Tombides, who is a
left-footed forward, has made a major impression for the Hammers reserve
side this season, which helped him win the club' s academy player of the
year award. Meanwhile, caretaker boss Kevin Keen has warned his
underachieving players that they could be in for a rough ride from
disgruntled fans at Upton Park. He said: 'There may be a small element who
will give the players a hard time - but God we have had a s*** season,
haven't we? 'That is part of football I am afraid and you need to be big
enough and strong enough to deal with it. 'I am sure the majority, with the
team I am picking, will be behind us and want us to get a win.'

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Get me Parker! West Ham midfielder is the top target for Spurs boss Redknapp
By SAMI MOKBEL and MATT LAWTON
Last updated at 5:17 AM on 21st May 2011
Daily Mail

Harry Redknapp will hold talks with chairman Daniel Levy over Tottenham's
summer transfer plans next week - and a move for Footballer of the Year
Scott Parker will be top of his agenda. Redknapp confirmed he wants to bring
the West Ham midfielder to White Hart Lane but knows he faces competition
from Arsenal and Liverpool.
The Spurs manager also revealed that he watched Lille's highly rated forward
Eden Hazard this week, while Didier Drogba, Emmanuel Adebayor and Pablo
Osvaldo have all been mentioned as possible targets to spearhead the attempt
to get back into the top four.

His list includes goalkeepers Maarten Stekelenburg, Ben Foster and Shay
Given, who have all been considered as replacements for the error-prone
Heurelho Gomes. Redknapp said: 'I'm sure people are going to be interested
in Scott. I know a couple of other clubs are interested, big clubs, but
we'll wait and see. 'Which clubs? Arsenal and Liverpool. I think they're big
clubs in for him, so it will be hard.' The future of Jermain Defoe could be
a hot topic when Redknapp sits down with Levy.
The Spurs boss, whose team host Birmingham tomorrow, blasted Defoe yesterday
after the England striker again spoke publicly about his frustration at the
lack of first-team football. 'He hasn't played much this year because he
hasn't played well enough to play regularly,' said Redknapp. 'No-one has
more faith in him than me. I signed him at West Ham as a kid, then at
Portsmouth and brought him back to Tottenham. 'He's a fantastic player in my
opinion but his form this year has not been anywhere near where it's been in
the past.' Sportsmail can also reveal Tottenham have moved to sign Porto
forward Falcao as they fear Manchester United may try to poach Luka Modric
this summer.

Modric has been in dazzling form all year and Sir Alex Ferguson is known to
be an admirer. The United boss picked the Croat as his choice for Player of
the Year.
But Redknapp knows he will have to sell players before he can spend, with
Sebastien Bassong, Jermaine Jenas, Jonathan Woodgate, David Bentley, Niko
Kranjcar, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Robbie Keane candidates to move on.
Redknapp confirmed: 'Probably half a dozen will leave. They're all good
players and no problem, but they want to play.'

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Backing Avram Grant was the West Ham board's big mistake...
By DES KELLY
Last updated at 4:44 AM on 21st May 2011
Daily Mail

They gave him a brand new office you know. It had a desk, a chair, some
different coloured biros and a fancy laptop gizmo that worked out how far
his players had run and how much Kentucky Fried Chicken Benni McCarthy had
eaten. Even then, Avram Grant couldn't hack it. West Ham handed him all the
paper clips his heart desired, yet he was still unable to save the club.
Relegation was his fault entirely. That's the line chief executive Karren
Brady was peddling in her unique take on events this week. Her verdict could
essentially be summed up as one long denial. Of everything. Pleased as
punch: Karren Brady absolved her and her colleagues this week of any blame
for West Ham's relegation Having read her account I could only feel relieved
Brady's attempt to write history is confined to West Ham. If she had been
asked to review something more significant, like the assassination of John F
Kennedy for instance, she may have blamed JFK for putting his head in the
way of the bullet.

Stung by accusations that the Hammers were 'the worst-run club', Brady
declared everyone in a position of authority at the Boleyn Ground should be
exonerated from blame, except the hapless Grant. She claimed: 'Avram's
personal needs were met: a driver, a new office and an upgraded, expensive
analysis system. He was given every chance, but was sadly unable to
deliver.' Let us leave aside the rather unsettling reference to Grant's
'personal needs', since past reports suggest they might involve a good
rub-down at a massage parlour and that is not an image to dwell upon unless
you intend to keep the lights on for the rest of your life. Instead, we will
concentrate on the merits of the blame-shifting exercise currently underway.
For although managers are often cast as the patsy, sometimes it is the
people that put them there who should be called to account. Without straying
too far into territory more familiar to David Gold and David Sullivan, the
Hammers board is currently in more denial than a teenage boy caught by their
mother with a top-shelf magazine. Seriously, who cares whether Brady and Co
gave Grant an office? The fundamental problem was they gave him a job! Three
supposedly streetwise business operators handed the club they had poured
their money into over to a gloomy Gollum of a boss who was always likely to
guide them down the plughole. I am not speaking with the benefit of
hindsight here. At the start of the season I predicted West Ham would be
relegated. In August, when most were sure they had a squad more than
capable of staying up, I warned: 'West Ham will suffer the consequences of
appointing a manager who bows to the bungling interference of the owners.'
And so it came to pass. This is a club hierarchy that loves to say who
should and shouldn't be bought, allowing their favourite agent to pull the
strings, only to squeal the Press when the whole enterprise goes boobs up.

We hear tales of one boardroom figure entering the dressing room to tell
players how to defeat Stoke and there are reports of how a busy agent boasts
he has effectively replaced the sacked chief scout. West Ham's triumvirate
handed Grant (left) the manager's job because he was malleable. He didn't
mind agents going direct to members of the board, he kept quiet when
know-it-alls stuck an oar in on tactics. 'We don't hide our success as
businessmen, or that we came from humble beginnings,' said Brady, with a
distinct lack of anything that could be described as humble. But they seem
to have been doing a good job of hiding that success as businessmen of late.
Brady took particular exception to descriptions of the Hammers' £275-a-head,
end-of-season bash. She insisted it was 'certainly not a party' at all, but
a 'Gala Evening', which sounded very highfalutin, la-de-dah Gunner Graham.
So I looked up the definition of the word gala. It said: 'A festive
occasion, especially a lavish social event or celebration. Characterised by
sumptuous social pleasure, as in "the gala life of the very rich".' So I
think we can say it was a party then, albeit an ill-timed and miserable one.
Brady was not the only boardroom figure talking, however. Gold was
interviewed as soon as Sky could dispatch a camera to his house and claimed
he always found everything was 'very professional' at the training ground.
This contrasted somewhat with the view of Lee Dixon, a fine player and a
pundit who knows what he's talking about. When he visited training he used a
different word. 'Shambles'. There may have been more of the customary stuff
from Gold about those 'humble beginnings', but I confess I wasn't listening
because I was too busy wondering why his helicopter wasn't in the back of
the shot like it usually is.
Sullivan, the last of the three amigos, offered his alibis to another
tabloid and, to be fair, he did say Grant's appointment was 'a bad selection
by the board'. But then he added: 'I confidently predict that this time next
year, we'll all be millionaires!' Apologies, what he actually said was: 'I
confidently predict that this time next year, we'll be back in the Premier
League,' but for some reason I couldn't get Del Boy's version out of my
head. There is little evidence to suggest West Ham's hope of making an
immediate return to the top flight is any more likely to succeed than one of
the Trotters' money-making schemes.

A surprising 73 per cent of relegated clubs fail to return to the Premier
League at the first attempt, despite the parachute payments that cushion
their fall. At least whoever takes on the job knows what to expect:
meddling, muddling and moaning from a hierarchy very keen to maintain their
profile, whatever happens. That was how news that Martin O'Neill had been
offered and eventually rejected the job at the turn of the year became
public knowledge. From then on, Grant was dead in the water (or perhaps
'more dead', baring in mind his usual demeanour). He became so detached he
left the coaching staff to run the show, ignored the details and merely
waited for the sack. By the end, that brand new office Grant had been given
became a handy sanctuary for an occasional nap. Worse still, Sullivan, Gold
and Brady let him snooze West Ham all the way into the Championship.

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Swindon announce 'infectious' Di Canio as their new manager
By Jack Pitt-Brooke
Saturday, 21 May 2011
The Independent

Paolo Di Canio has been appointed the new manager of League Two side Swindon
Town. The Italian, who played much of his career in Britain, will be
formally confirmed and unveiled on Monday. It will be his first coaching
job. Swindon's interim chairman, Jeremy Wray, said he was "delighted" to
announce Di Canio as the full-time successor to Paul Hart, who was dismissed
after less than two months in the role. Neither Hart, nor his caretaker
successor Paul Bodin, could save Swindon from relegation to the fourth tier
for next season. They finished bottom of League One this season, and Di
Canio is now tasked with ensuring their stay in League Two is as brief as
possible. "I'm delighted that we're finally able to announce it, and I can't
wait for Paolo to get here and get started," Wray said. "When you see the
man's passion and love for the game, you will see why he stood out above the
other candidates – he's infectious. He's already shown such pride and
attention to detail, and it's an exciting time for Swindon Town."

The Italian retired from playing in 2008, after a spell with Roman
lower-league team Atletico Roma. Since then he has qualified for his
coaching badges and said this week how keen he would be to fill the vacant
managerial role at his former club West Ham United. "This team has always
been in my heart," he said. "I would give everything for West Ham. I even
have a Hammers tattoo." His lack of coaching experience was the reason he
did not get the West Ham job, according to the club's co-owner David
Sullivan. "The problem with Paolo is, although the fans would love it, I am
being realistic and he has no experience whatsoever being a manager,"
Sullivan said last week. "If you look at first-season managers the failure
rate is enormous. If he had done a season anywhere and was, say, top of
Serie B in Italy with a team, I would take the chance. My heart would say
Paolo and the fans would say Paolo – but with someone who's a complete
novice as a manager, with no experience, you just can't go with it."

West Ham was where Di Canio enjoyed the longest stay of his playing career.
He played at the Boleyn Ground from January 1999 to the summer of 2003,
scoring 57 goals. He had previously had trophy-winning spells at Juventus
and Milan, and also played for Celtic, Sheffield Wednesday and Charlton
Athletic. At the top level, he started and ended his career at Lazio, where
he muddied his reputation with a fascist salute to supporters in 2005.

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England management to ask West Ham's Robert Green whether he will continue
international retirement
By Jason Burt 10:56PM BST 20 May 2011

The England management will contact goalkeeper Robert Green over the weekend
to ask whether he has changed his mind about quitting international
football.
Green informed Fabio Capello after the recent friendly against Ghana — in
which he did not play — that he did not want to be included in future
squads. The 31-year-old West Ham United player was asked to reconsider his
decision, which was not related to Ben Foster's announcement that he was
taking a break from international duty. Nevertheless it leaves Capello short
of goalkeepers for the Euro 2012 qualifier at home to Switzerland on June 4.
It means that if Green does not change his mind then Fulham reserve David
Stockdale and West Bromwich Albion's Scott Carson will be selected as
understudies to Joe Hart. Stockdale, 25, has been given some opportunities
this season because of injuries to Mark Schwarzer and then his involvement
in the Asian Cup but he is not first choice at his club although he has
impressed Capello, who included him in the squad for the February friendly
against Denmark. Carson, who blundered for England in the Euro 2008
qualifier at home to Croatia in a defeat which cost Steve McClaren his job,
has endured a difficult campaign at West Brom, where his future is in doubt.

Capello has also lost Paul Robinson, who decided to quit England duty last
year. With Green, matters are complicated because his wife gave birth
earlier this week and the England management have been reluctant to disturb
him although there has been some contact. It is expected he will be spoken
to on Saturday, ahead of West Ham's final league game of the season on
Sunday, with Capello due to announce his squad on Monday. However, it is
thought unlikely Green will change his mind.

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WEST HAM COULD BE JUST THE JOB BLUES BOSS IS READY TO WALK
Alex McLeish, left, and David Gold could be reunited at West Ham
Friday May 20,2011
By Matt Law
Daily Express

ALEX McLEISH will consider his future as ­Birmingham manager after Sunday's
relegation tussle against Tottenham. And the uncertainty surrounding McLeish
is being watched carefully by West Ham as they continue to weigh up
potential successors to Avram Grant. Despite winning their first trophy in
48 years by lifting the Carling Cup in February, Birmingham could be
relegated in this Sunday's five-way showdown. McLeish fears he may be sacked
if Birmingham go down to the Championship, but he could decide it is time to
walk away if the club hold on to their Premier League status. It is
understood McLeish has already been made aware he will have to operate on a
shoestring budget again this summer and could be forced to sell one of the
club's star names, goalkeeper Ben Foster or central defender Roger Johnson.
West Ham have been made aware of the problems at St Andrew's, but would face
competition for the services of McLeish if he leaves Birmingham. Hammers
co-owners, David Sullivan and David Gold, and vice-chairman Karren Brady
were responsible for appointing McLeish as Birmingham's manager in 2007.
Despite the fact McLeish clashed with the former Blues owners over their
involvement in transfers, he maintains a good relationship with them.
Earlier this season Gold said: "I have always felt he is one of the best
managers I have ever worked with. Alex has impressed me and I pay tribute to
what he has done for Birmingham."
The West Ham board fear former Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill will turn
them down a second time, while Norwich manager Paul Lambert is also being
eyed by Premier League clubs and Sam Allardyce will assess his options. Dave
Jones's position at Cardiff is being monitored. Former West Ham player Chris
Hughton remains a strong candidate and wants the job, while caretaker Kevin
Keen has confirmed he would like to be given the post on a full-time basis.
"I'd love to be given the job," said Keen. "I look at what Brian McDermott
has done with Reading, someone who is very loyal, very hard working, very
humble. And maybe it's time for West Ham to go for someone like that. "I've
spoken to Karren Brady and David Gold briefly and they have promised me they
will seek my opinion. "I feel really strongly the next manager should be
someone with a West Ham background who understands the club."

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ROBERT GREEN SET FOR ENGLAND D-DAY
Daily Express
Saturday May 21,2011
By Paul Joyce

ENGLAND want clarification from Robert Green on whether he wants to follow
Ben Foster in turning his back on the national team. Manager Fabio Capello
names his squad on Monday for the Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland
and will sound out West Ham goalkeeper Green before then. Birmingham's
Foster is taking a sabbatical from internationals and Green has indicated he
does not want to be considered again. If he sticks to his plan, Fulham's
David Stockdale and Scott Carson of West Brom will understudy Joe Hart

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BOUNCE STRAIGHT BACK OR YOU'LL BE WEST HAMMERED
Daily Star
21st May 2011 By Paul Merson

MANAGING West Ham seems to be the job that no one wants. For me, West Ham is
a proper club. Great support. Always packed. But the way it's going, David
Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady might as well do the manager's job.
They run the club anyway at the moment! They need someone experienced enough
to go in and say: "Get lost, I'm the manager. Let me do my job." They need a
strong character like a Sam Allardyce or Neil Warnock. But they won't get
one, will they? And if they don't go for that sort of person they might as
well do it ­themselves. West Ham should never have gone down with the
players they had. That is bordering on an absolute joke. But they will have
to get out of that league next year or they are in serious trouble. I mean,
they could be playing at the Olympic Stadium and there will be no one there!
Gold and Sullivan don't even own the whole club. They should go and buy the
rest of it. They've put their money where their mouth is but they've got to
be gamblers now. Parachute payments don't last forever. They've got to take
a big gamble and go for it next year. They have to spend money, get some big
players in and go up. If they don't they are in serious trouble. Everyone
will want to beat West Ham next year. They need good players. It's a
nightmare for them. But they can't blame poor old Avram Grant. They went
with him. He was probably cheap and cheerful, but look what's happened. If
they do that in the Championship they won't get out of it

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