Hall coming of age
WHUFC.com
Birthday boy Rob Hall is loving life on loan at League Two high-fliers
Oxford United
20.10.2011
Rob Hall is coming of age - both as a footballer and as a man. The West Ham
United forward, who celebrates his 18th birthday on Thursday, is enjoying a
hugely-productive loan spell at League Two club Oxford United. The England
Under-18 forward has netted four goals in just seven appearances for the
U's, helping Chris Wilder's side climb to third in the table. So far, all of
Hall's goals have come away from home - including a last-gasp equaliser in a
1-1 draw at Macclesfield Town last weekend - and the youngster is planning
to celebrate his birthday by hitting the target when Frank Nouble's
Gillingham visit the Kassam Stadium this Saturday. "It's great to score and
there is always a lot of our supporters at the away games," he told the
Oxford Mail. "However, I am desperate to score at home as well. "The
atmosphere at home games is just so good with all the fans that are there
and I want to get a goal there. "I don't know what I would do if I scored at
home - the emotion of scoring just takes over, so I won't plan a certain
celebration because I will probably just end up running around!"
A goal against the Gills would also help to placate Hall's father Dennis,
who has set his son the target of scoring in every single game he plays for
Oxford. A former semi-professional footballer with Thame United and
Aylesbury himself, Dennis has been a constant support since Rob joined West
Ham at the age of eight, driving him endless miles around the M25 for
training sessions and matches at Little Heath. That commitment was rewarded
when Rob signed his first professional contract with the Hammers in October
2010. "I didn't personally [set myself a goals target], but my Dad told me
he wanted me to get a goal a game. So although it's going well here at the
moment, it needs to be even better for him! "My Dad has always really helped
me and has been a big influence. He is always pushing me to be even better
and that's a good thing. I agree with him as well because if I play a game
and have not scored a goal then it doesn't feel that I have done my job."So
that's my target - to score in every game I play."
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Cullen gets England call
WHUFC.com
The 15-year-old midfielder Josh Cullen is the latest Hammer to earn
international recognition
20.10.2011
Young midfielder Josh Cullen has earned his first England Under-16 call-up.
The 15-year-old from Wickford in Essex is in an 18-man selection for the
Victory Shield match against Wales at Cheltenham. Cullen, who has been at
West Ham United since the age of nine, has caught the eye after his
impressive displays for the Hammers U16 squad this season under Paul Heffer.
The Young Lions began the Victory Shield campaign with a 3-1 victory against
Northern Ireland earlier this month and will aim to build on that with the
Northern Irish visit on Thursday 27 November. England have won the Victory
Shield for the past eleven years. Speaking to TheFA.com, Young Lions manager
Kenny Swain said: "The Victory Shield is always good to have a look at
emerging talent; we will hopefully be able to have a close look at up to 30
players and assess their performances." "There is a real depth to this
squad, and plenty of more quality players will come through at this level
during the next two games. It is important that all players involved in the
development camp get the experience of playing football for their country."
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Happy Hendon
WHUFC.com
Ian Hendon has been pleased with the attitude shown by his development squad
20.10.2011
Young players who are getting the chance to play regularly with West Ham
United's development squad are stepping up the challenge, according to coach
Ian Hendon.
Hendon took a young and inexperienced side to face Dagenham & Redbridge's
first team on Tuesday afternoon and despite going 2-0 down to the more
experienced Daggers early on, West Ham's youngsters battled back to earn a
2-2 draw. The coach was happy with the commitment and attitude shown by his
players. "Basically, Dagenham and Redbridge called us up on the off chance
to see if we had a space for a game, which we did," said Hendon. "It was a
perfect opportunity for us, as our Under-18s don't have a game this coming
weekend. They have a little break so we made a team up with half the players
who have been featuring regularly for the development squad and then pretty
much half the youth team. "So we had a very young side out there against
what was a big, strong Football League-experienced side in Dagenham. It
turned out to be a good game. The scoreline finished up 2-2. "They went 2-0
up and then scored an own goal for our first goal. We had got the ball in
well from the right-hand side from Matthias Fanimo, Their defenders tried to
clear it, but it went in off one of their guys who stuck it in the net from
four yards.
"Our second goal came from George Moncur, who struck home well from the
penalty spot late on. From our point of view, we showed good character and
we bounced back to get an equaliser. "What pleased me with such a young side
we had out was that no heads went down when Dagenham went 2-0 up. It could
have fizzled out for us after that because Dagenham are a very strong and
physical side, but we got our heads around it all and got back into the game
and nicked a draw."
Hendon has been delighted with the application shown by his players in
recent weeks, culminating in a positiver performance and result at Victoria
Road "I watched our youth team game last weekend when we lost to Charlton
and it's probably fair to say we didn't perform as well as we have been
doing, so it was good for many of the lads who were involved in that match
to get back out there and get that result out of the system. We had a go and
we battled and stuck at the challenge they faced in Dagenham and we got a
reward with a draw. "My teams change daily - hourly even - and can change
again as we are preparing for the game. That is how it is with the
development squad. An example is Brian Montenegro, who was set to feature on
Tuesday as he has done in recent development games, but was then pulled out
to join the first-team squad travelling to Southampton. "As a coach, that is
something I am getting my head around. For those young lads who come in from
youth level, it is a step up and a learning curve to play against Football
League players and teams - they can start to understand what the game is all
about. "It is not always nice and pleasant. There are some hard players out
there in these games and they don't take prisoners - they like to dish it
out. So, many of our younger players are learning about that but it will
only stand us in good stead going forward."
Goalscorer Moncur is one player who has consistently produced the goods for
Hendon this season, earning plaudits from his coach - as well as the
captain's armband.
"I am definitely starting to see some of the lads' characters come through
now. I gave George Moncur the captaincy for this game - the armband had been
passed around a bit before but with quite a few of the other young lads out
on loan, it has been put on George's arm and so far stayed there. "He has
played nearly every minute of every development game so far. He works hard
in every game, for me and the fact he has played in every game means he is
learning in every match too.
"The other week we came up against MK Dons' first team and George was one of
the players who stood out for us, so all in all, I am pleased with how it is
going and we will try to continue in the same way."
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Faubert spells it out
WHUFC.com
Julien Faubert was in honest mood following Tuesday's top-of-the-table
defeat at Southampton
20.10.2011
Julien Faubert admitted West Ham United simply did not play well enough in
Tuesday's top-of-the-table showdown at Southampton. Although they created
enough chances to win at St Mary's, the Hammers were not at their fluent
best and allowed the Saints to stretch their lead at the top through Jos
Hooiveld's first-half header.
Faubert conceded that, as well as conceding a goal from a set play, the West
Ham players were nowhere near their best, either individually or
collectively. "We didn't start well," he told West Ham TV. "We didn't start
the first half well and after that, I don't think we were good enough. We
had to keep the score at nil-nil, but we conceded a corner kick and after we
conceded it was hard to chase them. "In this game, we went the wrong way all
the time. We didn't pass the ball when we had to, we didn't squeeze them
when we had to and when we had chances to score, we didn't take them. "They
didn't have too many chances, but they had more of the ball than us and I
think that's why we lost."
An in-form Southampton played at a high tempo - as one might expect for a
team that had won its previous 16 home matches in all competitions - that
West Ham, at times, found it difficult to deal with. While the Saints were
able to maintain possession in attacking areas, Faubert said West Ham's
passing and movement had not been up to its normal high standards, meaning
the Hammers' own attacks petered out all too often without a meaningful
cross or shot on goal. "I think it was just about us because they didn't
push too much - they just kept the ball and we didn't. I think that was the
main thing in the game. We didn't keep the ball enough and when we played
the ball forward, we didn't support the strikers or win the second balls.
When this happens, it's quite hard to play football."
Faubert said the frustration of producing a sub-par performance outweighed
that of not gaining the victory that would have taken West Ham top of the
table. "It was more disappointing because we did a non-game - it was more
about this than about anything else. We could have gone to first place as
well, so we are also disappointed about this. "We have to keep going and now
we are five points behind Southampton. We have to win some games or, if we
don't win, not lose. We can play badly, but in this league when you can't
win the game, you can't lose the game."
While the No18 was in no mood for self-congratulation following Tuesday's
match, it has not gone unnoticed that Faubert himself is enjoying a fine
season. Whether it be at right-back or on the right wing, the Frenchman has
been a consistent figure for Sam Allardyce's side this term, defending
strongly, getting forward well and producing a string of dangerous crosses
for the likes of John Carew to attack. The 28-year-old put his fine form
down to hard work done in the gym with fitness coach Eamon Swift, as well as
his belief in the methods employed by the manager. "I feel very good. I
think we have done a great job with Eamon so I feel very good physically and
mentally because the manager respects me like a proper manager. Everything
is different. I try my best for him and to be the best for my team. "The
team spirit this season is really good so I think we want to push forward in
the same way. I think that's why it's very good on the pitch because I'm
trying to give my best to the manager and to the team."
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Big Sam still keen on England
Allardyce still hopeful he could land Three Lions role
By Graeme Bailey - Tweet me: @skygraemebailey. Last Updated:
October 20, 2011 12:29pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce maintains hope that he could be the next England manager. The
West Ham manager has always maintained his belief that he could lead the
Three Lions. Allardyce came close to landing the role in 2006, but instead
Steve McClaren was appointed. Now with Fabio Capello due to stand down after
the Euro 2012 finals - Allardyce still feels he could be a contender. "I
have to be on top of my game when they start thinking about who is going to
replace Fabio," he told Sky Sports News. "If I am on top of my game with
West Ham United I might get considered."
Turning to West Ham, Allardyce insists that the club are firmly focused on
promotion back to the Premier League this season. "I think we will and
should be around the two promotion places by the end of the season and that
is putting pressure on myself and everyone," he continued. "But that is how
we see it and we have to learn and deal with that pressure because of the
club we are and for the fans at Upton Park."
The Hammes chief also continued to back the proposed move of the club to the
Olympic Stadium - insisting it would benefit them. "The prospect of speaking
to a player of the highest quality to come and improve West Ham, taking them
to the Olynmpic Stadium would be a massive benefit," he said. "The players
Man City have now, would they have been attracted to Maine Road? I don't
think so as Eastlands is a wonderful venue."
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An Opportunity Scorned, but was the Defeat Such a Surprise?
October 20th, 2011 - 11:05 pm by S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
West Ham have a poor recent record away to Southampton. So, was Tuesday
evening's defeat such a surprise? Perhaps not, but many of us had hoped that
Allardyce's tougher minded Hammers side would reverse that trend and,in
doing so, take all three points. We certainly scorned a great opportunity to
leap frog The Saints to reach the summit of the Championship for the first
time this season.
As it is, we suffered our first away defeat and our opponents have, as a
result, established a five point lead at the top of the table. Overall,
West Ham did not play well, although they improved in the second half. But
by then the damage had already been done, as we conceded, what proved to be,
the winning goal in extra time of the first half. And what a disappointing
goal it was, scored from a set peice that the West Ham defence rightly
should have cleared. Nevertheless, it demonstrated that the defensive
concentration lapses, that have resulted in us conceding some late goals
this season, have not yet been rectified. From Sam Allardyce's post-match
comments, it is clear that the rearguard have been heavily drilled in
training, but alas, the lapses remain. All the Manager can do is continue
to work at it on the training ground and, perhaps, consider bringing in the
extra leadership, height and power of Guy Demel. Of course, the other
factor, was the absence of James Tomkins, who has easily been our best
defender this season. Lets hope that Tomkins is back sooner, rather than
later.
Regardless, West Ham had some good chances in the second half and, on
another day, would have taken at least a point. We hit the base of post and
Noble had an excellent strike that brought a first class save from The
Saints keeper. While both Baldock and Nolan had also good chances that they
would normally have converted. It was a disappointing result, but it is a
long, hard season and a five point lead can be easily eroded, especially
when Southampton have a run of poor results, as they surely must, at some
juncture this season.
As for West Ham, one cannot escape the conclusion that we have not yet
realised the full potential of the squad. I had hoped the 4-0 victory over
Blackpool was a turning point, one that would see the team go on to reach
new heights. Sam Allardyce obviously made team changes for tactical
reasons. However, I find it difficult to agree with the decision to drop
Jack Collison, who showed flashes of his former excellence against the
Seasiders. Having failed to start Collison, I was surprised when he did not
replace Matt Taylor, when the latter came off injured. Also, I think that
Noble should have started, in place of Diop, because The Saints match
probably called for the former's greater guile rather than the latter's
characteristic defensive strength and ball winning ability. You could see a
definite improvement in West Ham's fluidity and invention when Noble came on
in the second half and he very nearly salvaged a point with a great
individual strike.
In attack, both Carew and Baldock failed to replicate the clinical finishing
that they had demonstrated against Blackpool. Both players are undoubtedly
going to play major roles this season, but they had a 'bad day at the
office' on this occasion. The continuing absence of Carlton Cole is a major
worry and one can only hope that his knee problem is not serious, because
Picquionne is not looking convincing. One would have anticipated that the
recent threat of a loan banishment to Doncaster Rovers would have spurred
him to ever greater effort and application, but sadly that does not eem to
be the case! Because make no mistake, Picquionne is a very useful striker,
who should be making a greater impact in this league. One can but hazard a
guess as to why that is not happening?
Elsewhere, Barry Hearn is surpassing himself in his outpouring of deluded
and contradictory statements about West Ham and the OS. Most of these were
exposed in a very good peice by Martin Samuels in Wednesday's SportsMail, in
which he posed the question, just what do Leyton Orient bring to the party?
A club that has an average attendence of c.3,000 wants to take over a
national stadium costing c.£600m and reduce it to a 25,000 capacity. Without
being too unkind, where are they going to find the other 22,000 spectators?
While Hearn's logic about what constitutes his club's home patch is strange
to say the least, particularly because he conveniently ignores the borough
boundary between the LB of Newham and the LB of Waltham Forest. In fact
Stratford is a part of the old County borough of West Ham, which in 1965 was
merged with the former County Borough of East Ham to form the London Borough
of Newham. This is clearly West Ham territory and the club has every right
to relocate there. Especially when one considers that the Thames Iron
Works/West Ham Utd FC have played in the area since the club's founding in
1895, while Orient originated in Clapton (part of the LB of Hackney) and
only relocated to Leyton in the late 1930s!
Hearn is also reported as criticising the artist's impression of a future
West Ham match in the OS, by stating that it cannot be West Ham because
there are too many claret and blue shirts in the oppositon box and they do
not get forward that much!!!! Very strange from the owner of a team in
Orient's league position. Maybe if Orient attacked a bit more, themselves,
they might be doing a bit better in the lower leagues? Why not look up West
Ham's current goal difference, Mr Hearn, and consider the absurdity of that
statement.
Samuel's article gets to the crux of the matter when he alleges that the
proceeds of any sale of Brisbane Road will be split between the club and
Hearn's Matchroom organisation. So, it is alleged the motivation is to be
to get the scaled down OS, flog Brisbane Road and enjoy a bumper pay day. It
has been widely reported that the Orient Chairman feels that spurs have been
offered an alleged 'bung' by the Mayor of London and that he would accept
one, as well, if it helped his club. So, why do the Olympic Authority not
just offer Orient the Hockey Stadium in the Eaton Manor area of the Olympic
Park? If that was done, I am sure that you would find that Mr Hearn's
objections to being so geographically close to West Ham in the OS would be
quietly dropped.
Finally, kumb reported yesterday that malcontent elements had called a open
supporters meeting, at a venue in Liverpool Street, for 7pm earlier this
evening, to discuss the club's lack of consultation with Hammers fans on the
proposed move to the OS. If any contributors attended, perhaps they could
feedback their impressions/summary of the meeting for wider consideration.
Unfortunately, I could not get there, because of a long standing prior
engagement, but any feed back would no doubt be welcomed by others who,
likewise, could not attend.
The defeat on Tuesday was disappointing, but I am backing West Ham to bounce
back with a good win against Brighton this coming Monday night. My
prediction, 1-3 to Allardyce's Hammers!
SJ. Chandos.
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Fears raised that Olympic stadium will be white elephant
Construction-Manager.co.uk
The collapse of the deal to hand over the 2012 Olympic stadium to West Ham
has led to accusations that the stadium will be a white elephant, Building
reported.
The Olympic Park Legacy Company ended negotiations following fears that the
legal dispute with rival football clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Leyton Orient
would throw into jeopardy wider legacy plans for the Olympic Park. Tottenham
Hotspur and Leyton Orient had mounted a judicial review into whether Newham
council's involvement in West Ham's bid breached state aid rules Newham,
which planned to lend West Ham £40m for stadium conversion costs, withdrew
from the deal saying it could not guarantee the stadium would reopen as
expected in 2014 due to legal uncertainties. Sports Minister Hugh Robertson
told the BBC that the stadium would remain in public ownership but would be
leased out. West Ham is set to bid to become the tenant. Interested bidders
will have to submit proposals by January. "The process to sell the stadium
has become bogged down. We are acting today to end the legal paralysis that
has put that legacy at risk. "Ending the current sale process and looking
for a leasehold solution will remove the current uncertainty and allows us
to help secure the future use of the stadium with more confidence,"
Robertson said. The tender will also stipulate that the running track must
be retained but Building reported that the government is looking at all
other options, including limiting use of the stadium to athletics and events
such as concerts. Andrew Boff, a Conservative member of the London Assembly,
said: "This catastrophe is down to Sebastian Coe's insistence that the
stadium should retain an athletics track after the Games."
But Construction News reported that Leyton Orient chairman Barry Hearn was
claiming victory. "For this whole case Leyton Orient has been beating up
West Ham and Newham and landing punches. They were taking a beating, we were
well ahead on points and about to knock them out when OPLC and the
Government threw in the towel," he said.
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McCartney: We must bounce back from Saints defeat with a win at Brighton
London 24
Nathaniel John, West Ham correspondent
Thursday, October 20, 2011
9:00 AM
George McCartney has insisted that West Ham must bounce back from Tuesday
night's loss at Southampton, when they make another trip to the south coast
to face Brighton on Monday. With that defeat, the Hammers missed out on the
chance to go top of the league as well as losing their unbeaten away record.
However, the left back is confident that Sam Allardyce's men have what it
takes to bounce back at the Amex Stadium. "Games like Tuesday you have to
win if you want to win the league," he said. "You have to try to pull away
from other teams. The longer you hang around third, fourth or fifth place,
the harder it gets because games run out.
"We have to put it behind us. We're all disappointed but we're all confident
of finishing in first or second place come the end of the season. "You try
to go as long into the season not losing away from home or at home. We had
good away form before Tuesday night. "We have another tough game down at
Brighton on Monday night and we have to improve, bounce back and get the
three points down there."
McCartney also revealed that he believes the Hammers must learn how not to
lose games if they can't win them, and play to protect a point from a draw.
"I think overall we need to stop losing games and if anything just play for
a point if we have to," he said "We've certainly got the players in the team
to go out and try and win every game. "But it's a tough league and there are
a lot of good teams. "So if we don't think we'll win the game we have to try
to stay solid as a team and at least take a point."
Looking ahead, McCartney knows that the Hammers face a few tough tests in
the near future against some strong sides. "I think if you look at the next
three or four games they are against teams in the top half of the table," he
said. "They're going to be hard matches but we have to believe in ourselves,
play with confidence and get a bit of consistent form going where we're
winning or drawing games. "I'm sure everyone will be working hard on the
training pitch to try and put things right and eradicate the mistakes."
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Sir Trevor Brooking Opens John Lyall Pavilion
Fcbusiness.co.uk
Thu 20th Oct 2011 | Football Stadiums & Facilities
More than 500 people packed into Lawford FC's brand new £513,000 John Lyall
Pavilion in School Lane recently to witness its grand opening under the
supervision of FA ambassador Sir Trevor Brooking, thanks in part to funding
from the Football Foundation which helped pay for the project which has been
ongoing since 2008.
Hundreds of footballers of all ages will benefit from the new base as
volunteers from several clubs showed what teamwork and community spirit can
achieve, with Lawford Lads and Lawford Junior joining forces to put together
the proposals as part of the club's 60th anniversary celebrations. The late
John Lyall's name was chosen to honour the building due to his family's
dedication in supporting the project and dedication to football in the area.
A memorial section has the names of sponsors, patrons and community figures
etched into the brickwork. The funding partners included Biffaward, the
Olympic Legacy Fund, Tendring District Council, the Community Initiatives
Fund, Lawford Parish Council, the Lyall Family and the Essex County FA.
Sir Trevor appeared 528 times for West Ham United - and 47 times for England
- during a lengthy career as a one-club man other than two games at Cork
City toward the climax of his playing days. He joined The FA in 2003 as a
Director of Football Development and is currently an important figurehead
for the grassroots game in England, regularly attending facility openings to
offer his backing to the base tiers of local football.
During his time with the Hammers he played under the managership of Lyall
for about a decade, winning the FA Cup together at Wembley Stadium in 1980.
John began life at the Boleyn Ground, Upton Park as a 15-year-old in 1955
and went on to play 36 times for the First Team as well as populating the
dugout for 15 years from 1974. He joined Ipswich Town in 1990 and guided
them to promotion into the first ever season of the Premier League in 1992.
Sir Trevor was chosen as the special guest given his long association with
West Ham, and Lyall in particular. The event began with a welcome from the
youth and senior club's chairmen, Andy Rudd and John Duchars, followed by a
short address from Sir Trevor, fulfilling his official duties by unveiling
the plaque to declare the building open for business.
Chairman Andy Rudd, commented, "It was an absolute honour that Sir Trevor
Brooking agreed to come to Lawford and open the John Lyall Pavilion," he
said.
"He was an absolute gentleman, who found time to sign every autograph and
have his picture taken with everyone who asked him. It put the icing on the
cake for us all. It's taken many years of hard work to get to this point
and, with the pavilion now open, we can concentrate on grassroots football
across all sections. We can focus on the development of our players and
coaches to reach their full potential and open up many more opportunities
for all."
Sir Trevor offered his congratulations, adding: "This facility will be great
for the surrounding communities and Lawford can hold events and functions
here. It is good to see a club that wants to expand, but obviously with that
there is a cost. In the long run it will rely on support and volunteers and
it's great to see so many faces turn out today. On a sunny day, it might not
seem obvious, but the players will be thankful for it in January in the cold
and rain."
The Essex County FA were represented by Chairman Eddie Rhymes and Welfare
Officer Helen Hever. Development Manager Brendan Walshe assisted Lawford
with their application from start to finish and he said: "It's always
rewarding to see a project get to this stage and this new facility will
change the lives of so many people. At a time when finances are tight,
grants from organisations like the Football Foundation are crucial to
grassroots football."
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O'Neil targets February return for West Ham
By talkSPORT
Thursday, October 20
West Ham midfielder Gary O'Neil is hoping to make his comeback from a career
threatening ankle injury in February. O'Neil's career was hanging in the
balance following a challenge from Bolton midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker back in
April and he was told he only had a 50 per cent chance of playing again. A
complication during surgery meant the surgeon had to change the course of
the operation and O'Neil was expected to be ruled out for at least a year.
But the former Middlesbrough midfielder has been making superb progress and
is ready to start running again as he makes the long road back to full
fitness in the New Year. O'Neil said: "The specialist is pleased with it.
The area they were really worried about has healed over better than even he
expected. He has been delighted with it every time he has seen it which is
thanks to the medical team here with the work they have done with me in the
gym. "There has been a lot of swimming, quite a lot of bike work and
unbelievable amounts of strength work for the ankle just to try and get it
as strong as possible. "It is just a little bit nerve-wracking every time
you come to do something new, getting your brain to trust the ankle to do
it, but we are starting to do new stuff now outside, we are running, running
with the bungee in the gym and it has been good. "We haven't really set a
date. When I first did it, it was about a year, so I am a long way ahead of
that providing everything goes well. "I guess we are talking about January
or February time. Getting back to running and training is one thing, but
having been out so long, getting ready to play is going to take a while as
well."
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