Daily WHUFC News - Jarvis KUMB

Jarvis is a Hammer
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 23rd August 2012
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United have completed the transfer of Matt Jarvis from
Wolverhampton Wanderers. The 26-year-old winger, for whom a bid just shy of
£11million was accepted by the Championship club late last night becomes Sam
Allardyce's ninth signing of the summer. Having completed a medical and
agreed personal terms, the once-capped England winger put pen to paper this
afternoon and should now be available for this weekend's trip to Swansea.
26-year-old Jarvis, who started his career at Millwall before being released
has spent the last five years at Molineux and was part of the Wolves squad
relegated from the Premier League last season. Wanderers paid Gillingham
£600,000 for Jarvis back in the summer of 2007; ironically he made his
Premier League debut against the Hammers back in 2009 following Wolves'
promotion to the top flight. Thus far he has made one appearance for
England, coming on as a substitute against Ghana in a 2011 friendly.
The news is expected to be confirmed by the club shortly.

Sam's summer signings: the story so far

May
21st: Stephen Henderson (Portsmouth, nominal fee)

June
14th: Jussi Jaaskelainen (Bolton, nominal fee)
20th: Momo Diame (Wigan, free transfer)

July
1st: George McCartney (Sunderland, nominal fee)
18th: Modibo Maiga (Sochaux, £4.5million)
23rd: Raphael Spiegler (Grasshoppers, nominal fee)

August
1st: James Collins (Aston Villa, £2million)
10th: Alou Diarra (Marseille, £2million)
23rd: Matt Jarvis (Wolves, £10.75million)

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Daily WHUFC News - Jarvis

West Ham agree £10.75m deal for Wolves winger Matt Jarvis
By Ben Smith
BBC Sport

West Ham have agreed a deal worth a potential £10.75m for Wolverhampton
Wanderers winger Matt Jarvis. The fee was settled between the clubs late on
Wednesday night and the 26-year-old England international will now travel to
London to discuss personal terms ahead of a proposed medical. West Ham' will
pay £7.5m up front with add-ons taking the deal beyond £10m. Sunderland are
also understood to be interested in Jarvis, but have yet to make an official
bid for the player.

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has been tracking Jarvis, 26, all summer and
is now hopeful of completing a deal before Saturday's trip to Swansea City.
Jarvis, who has made one international appearance for England, played for
Wolves in Tuesday's 3-1 win over Barnsley, after which manager Stale
Solbakken gave his thoughts on the player's future. "It's on the top
political level now because every player has a valuation and if that
valuation is matched I'm in the discussion," said the Norwegian, who is
attempting to guide Wolves back to the Premier League following their
relegation last season. "It's not my money so someone will make a final
decision. I don't know if the two clubs are still talking. I've had my say
and the final call will be taken. We do it together and we'll do the best
for Wolverhampton."

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Daily WHUFC News - 23rd August 2012

Motty voices cause for optimism
WHUFC.com
John Motson is expecting West Ham United to make an impression on the
Premier League this season
22.08.2012

Legendary commentator John Motson believes West Ham United are well equipped
for Barclays Premier League survival and has predicted a bright future for
the club. Motty, who attended Saturday's opening-day win over Aston Villa,
is confident that with the signings made and the experience of Big Sam, the
Hammers will impress this season. Consolidation is always the primary aim
for every newly promoted club, but Motty feels that a club of West Ham
United's stature should aim higher on their return to the top tier. "I think
when you come up now consolidation is the main aim." Motson told West Ham
TV. "That said the three clubs proved it last season that it is possible to
come up and do better. Swansea and Norwich did very well, although QPR were
run fairly close. "I think if you asked most West Ham United supporters they
would say they belong in the Premier League, but they would also agree that
they have to prove that this season but hopefully finishing in a comfortable
position."

Motty also spoke of his excitement ahead of every new season and revealed he
simply cannot wait to see what the Hammers' new players have to offer over
the course of the campaign. "I always look forward to seeing the new
players. The club have re-signed James Collins and George McCartney, the two
old favourites, who are just two of the new faces Sam has brought in. "I
think it will help, it is always good to see fresh faces and I particularly
think Mohamed Diame is an excellent signing. "And the two lads from France
might not be instant starters but they will have a big role to play during
the season, fans expect a certain brand of football and with these players
on offer they will get to see a lot of skill this year."

In a bumper year for sport one could hardly complain if Motty rewarded
himself with a few days off, but the voice of football revealed he was
delighted to be back.
"I am very excited to be back, and we have of course kicked off the season
in the shadow of the magnificent Olympic Stadium. "I think it is very
fitting that I started here."

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Potts and Turgott called up
WHUFC.com
Danny Potts and Blair Turgott have been called up to the England Under-19
squad
22.08.2012

Danny Potts and Blair Turgott have both been named in the England Under-19
squad for the first time as Head Coach Noel Blake assembles his side for a
friendly with Germany next month. Both Academy graduates have enjoyed a
productive pre-season and featured regularly for the Hammers first-team on
the pre-season tours of Austria and Germany. The duo are likely to be key
players for Ian Hendon's Under-21 side this season, although Potts was named
on the bench for Saturday's first-team game with Aston Villa. Potts has
played once for England already, when he featured in a victory against
Poland at Under-18 level back in March. Turgott has been something more of a
regular on the international scene for the Three Lions, playing a total of
23 times at Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18 level and scoring seven goals.
The game in Hamburg on Thursday 6 September is likely to provide a tough
test for the Young lions ahead of their first qualifying round for the UEFA
2013 European Championships in October.

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Hendon focused on challenge ahead
WHUFC.com
Development Squad manager Ian Hendon is hoping his side can continue their
winning form on Sunday
22.08.2012

A brilliant start to the season from the Development Squad saw them beat
Reading 3-1, but manager Ian Hendon is already focussed on the challenges
ahead.
This weekend will see Hendon's young side travel to Liverpool where they
will face Everton at their Finch Farm training complex. And Hendon believes
his side simply need to produce more of the same if they are to extend their
winning run. "Now it will be a case of continuing on from what we did
against Reading on Friday, nobody is going to get carried away and we will
keep working hard. "We were back on the training ground on Monday where and
we focused our attentions on what will be another tough game."

Blair Turgott and Paul McCallum were both replaced on Friday night after
playing a pivotal role in the 3-1, with Hendon keen to make sure all of
young stars stay fresh for the long season ahead. "Blair and Paul are both
okay, Blair knew I wanted to get a look at the new boy Abiola Baditou and it
was him who replaced him with, he understands that. "Paul, like a few of the
lads, is still coming back from an injury and after scoring twice and
assisting with another I think he just about earned a rest," joked Hendon.
"All the lads have played well, they are all still fit and they will be
ready for next weekend.

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West Ham offer Wolves £10m for winger Matt Jarvis
By Ben Smith
BBC Sport

West Ham have made a fourth bid, worth a potential £10m, for Wolves winger
Matt Jarvis. The Championship club have turned down three previous bids from
the Hammers, but are considering the latest offer, which would give them £7m
up front. Further add-ons would take the package beyond their £10m asking
price.
Matt Jarvis facts & figures

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has been tracking Jarvis, 26, all summer and
is now hopeful of completing a deal before Saturday's trip to Swansea City.
Jarvis, who has made one international appearance for England, played for
Wolves in Tuesday's 3-1 win over Barnsley, after which manager Stale
Solbakken gave his thoughts on the player's future. "It's on the top
political level now because every player has a valuation and if that
valuation is matched I'm in the discussion," said the Norwegian, who is
attempting to guide Wolves back to the Premier League following their
relegation last season. "It's not my money so someone will make a final
decision. I don't know if the two clubs are still talking. I've had my say
and the final call will be taken. We do it together and we'll do the best
for Wolverhampton."

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Wolves accept Jarvis offer
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 23rd August 2012
By: Staff Writer

Matt Jarvis is on his way to West Ham after Wolves accepted West Ham
United's latest offer for the winger. United, who had already seen two
previous bids turned down have finally got their man after the Championship
club accepted a deal that rates the once-capped England international at
around the £10million mark.
Even though around £3million of that figure is dependent on
appearance-related clauses the sum represents the highest transfer fee paid
by the club in five years.
Jarvis' move to West Ham will earn former club Gillingham - for whom the
26-year-old twice played against the Hammers back in 2004 - around £1million
due to a sell-on clause when they sold him to Wolves. Wanderers paid
Gillingham £600,000 for the left winger's services back in 2007; ironically
he made his Premier League debut against the Hammers two years later
following Wolves' promotion to the top flight. The impending arrival of
Jarvis - who is understood to have had a medical last night - could signal
the end of West Ham's plans to sign Togo winger Razak Boukari on loan from
Rennes for the rest of the season.

The Jarvis saga: how it unfolded

10th August: West Ham's opening bid of £9million is rejected by Wolves

12th August: Jarvis hands a in transfer request

14th August: West Ham make a second, slightly improved offer

20th August: Jarvis deal on ice as Razak Boukari agrees season-long loan
deal

21st August: West Ham make third and final £10million bid to land their
target

22nd August: Wolves accept West Ham's offer

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Gus: no Piquionne deal
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 22nd August 2012
By: Staff Writer

Brighton & Hove Albion manager Gus Poyet has refuted suggestions that he is
set to tie up a deal for West Ham outcast Freddie Piquionne. 33-year-old
Piquionne, who has spent pre-season featuring for the development squad at
luxurious venues such as Grays and Thurrock having been dropped from the
first team picture has been linked with a string of Championship clubs in
recent weeks. Brighton were one of those strongly linked with a move for the
former French international. But Poyet dismissed reports that a deal had
been struck with the Hammers when questioned following last night's goalless
draw against Cardiff City. "I need a striker; I've been asking for the
person that is going to put the ball in the net when you have got the
chance," he said. "But we are not close enough to getting one.
"I keep seeing clubs buying strikers and bringing players from the
Premiership and paying fortunes but we are at another level - that is clear.
We will try to do our best, but quality is expensive. "The loans we want to
bring in are Premiership loans but they are too expensive. I have been in
touch with many clubs but I accept the situation and the budget we've got."

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Wolves weighing up Jarvis bid
Hammers looking to land winger, as Fletcher saga drags on
Last Updated: August 22, 2012 12:01pm
SSN

Sky Sports understands that West Ham have lodged a take-it-or-leave-it
£10million bid for Matt Jarvis, but Wolves are refusing to discuss the
matter. The Hammers have already seen two approaches for the England
international knocked back, but are refusing to give up in their efforts to
lure the winger to Upton Park. They have, however, made it clear that they
will turn their attention elsewhere if their latest offer is rebuffed. It is
believed that the package put to Wolves includes £7m up front and £3m in
add-ons, for a man who has handed in a transfer request. Wolves are
understandably reluctant to let Jarvis leave, with it their intention to
keep their top talents on board for a Championship promotion push.

Busy

They have spent much of the summer fending off interest from Sunderland in
Steven Fletcher, with several bids rejected. It remains to be seen whether
they can hang on to Fletcher and Jarvis, with manager Stale Solbakken aware
that he will need to rebuild if two key men are allowed to move on. "It's
going to be a busy time before September 1," he said in the Express & Star.
"If we lose Fletcher and Jarvis, we have a job to do. "You can't replace
them at this level - if the ideal line-up included Kightly, Fletcher and
Jarvis and it ends up without those three, we need to rebuild it, which can
take time. "I'm sure players will go and come in - maybe even before the
Derby game."

Valuation

Asked if Sunderland had been back in touch regarding Fletcher, Solbakken
said: "If valuations are matched, something can happen. "I don't know if the
clubs are still talking." Solbakken has also sought to play down reports
suggesting Connor Wickham could be included in part of a deal to take
Fletcher to Sunderland. He said: "I've been in no contact whatsoever with
this player. "I want the transfer window closed now - can we do it at 12
o'clock?"

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Wednesday Transfer Rumour Mill
By Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die

Just a quick one, as Julian Assange might (or might not) say...

* West Ham have tabled a final bid of £10 million including add ons to tempt
Wolves to sell Matt Jarvis. It's a take it or leave it offer, as Sam
Allardyce wants Jarvis to be in the squad for Swansea on Saturday.
* Sources (and I don't mean on Twitter) suggest that we are also about to
sign Rennes winger Razak Boukari on loan for the season and negotiations are
being held with Royston Drenthe. So that's three wingers. I can't really
believe we'll try to sign all three, but that is what my sources are telling
me.
* Congratulations to Blair Turgott and Daniel Potts who have received
England call ups for the first time. They are in the England Under 19 squad
to play Germany on 6 September. Both are very good prospects and it would be
good to see them get a few first team games under their respective belts
this season.
* Rumours persist that West Ham are trying to sign Marseilles central
defender Sebastian M'Bia. He's in town today, supposedly for talks with QPR.
We'll see.
* According to BBC Sport: "Robert Green's career as QPR's number one
goalkeeper could be under threat after just one game, as Hoops manager Mark
Hughes seems keen on bringing in 32-year-old former Celtic keeper and
current free agent Artur Boruc." Oh dear.
* Sunderland left winger and West Ham fan Kieron Richardson has issued a
'come and get me' plea to West Ham. But he's likely to be too expensive
compared to others. But if the Jarvis deal fails? Who knows.

You would hope by this time tomorrow that at least one, if not two, signings
have been confirmed.

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Wolves net £24m as Steven Fletcher and Matt Jarvis bid farewell
By GRAEME BRYCE Published: 22nd August 2012
The Sun

WOLVES have landed a £24million windfall after Steven Fletcher and Matt
Jarvis finally bid farewell to Molineux. West Ham boss Sam Allardyce's
perseverance paid off last night when the Hammers sealed a £10million deal
to take former England winger Matt Jarvis to Upton Park. Wolves played
hardball and it took the Hammers four bids before meeting their valuation.
Allardyce believes Jarvis, 26, can rediscover the form which saw him win an
England cap against Ghana last year and become a huge favourite at Upton
Park. The deal will also hand his former club Gillingham an unexpected £1.4m
from his move in 2007. Striker Fletcher, 25, was on Wearside yesterday,
tying up personal terms with Sunderland after a £14m fee was agreed.
Fletcher's talent has never been in question but his temperament has been
suspect and he is currently frozen out at international level after falling
out with Scotland boss Craig Levein.

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Wing nuts: West Ham target Odemwingie now the Carroll deal is dead
The Mirror

West Ham and Sunderland are set to go head-to-head in the race to sign West
Brom's Peter Odemwingie. Hammers are also believed to have finally agreed a
£10million fee for Wolves and England winger Matt Jarvis, although personal
terms are still to be settled. Nigeria international Odemwingie has
impressed during his two years at The Hawthorns, cementing his position as
the club's main striker with 26 Premier League goals. Odemwingie was the
subject of a bid from Qatari club Al-Gharrafa earlier this summer, which was
rejected by the Premier League club. The Baggies are adamant that their
valuation of the player will be met before he is allowed to depart.

West Ham have been tracking Odemwingie for most of the summer and he has now
emerged as a leading candidate after their deal for Liverpool's Andy Carroll
hit the buffers. Manager Sam Allardyce is keen to recruit a proven Premier
League striker who can supply the goals that will maintain their top-flight
status after last season's promotion back to the top flight. However, he
will face competition from the Black Cats, who are in the process of
assembling a new-look strike-force after agreeing a fee for Wolves' Steven
Fletcher. The sale of Asamoah Gyan and the return of Nicklas Bendtner to
parent club Arsenal after his loan spell has left Martin O'Neill eager to
replenish his striking options at the Stadium of Light.

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SUNDERLAND AND WEST HAM BATTLE TO SIGN WEST BROM STAR PETER ODEMWINGIE
The Star
23rd August 2012 By Tim Gray

SUNDERLAND and West Ham are ready to lock horns over Peter Odemwingie after
both clubs expressed an interest in the striker. The 31-year-old has
plundered 25 goals in the last two seasons for the Baggies and was again on
target in their opening day win over Liverpool. Odemwingie was the subject
of a bid from Qatari club Al-Gharafa earlier this summer, which was rejected
by the Premier League club. The Baggies are adamant their valuation will
have to be met before the striker is allowed to leave.

West Ham have been tracking Odemwingie and he has emerged as a leading
target after their deal for Andy Carroll hit the buffers. Sam Allardyce
wants a proven Premier League striker who can supply the goals that will
ensure their top-flight status. However, he will face competition from the
Black Cats, who are assembling a new-look strike force. Steven Fletcher has
arrived but Asamoah Gyan has been sold and Nicklas Bendtner is back at
Arsenal – although he could move to Inter Milan.

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Baldock has unfinished business
Wednesday 22nd August 2012 17:07
TeamTalk

Former West Ham striker Sam Baldock is hoping to play more regularly after
completing a move to Bristol City. Baldock revealed he could not force his
way back into Sam Allardyce's team last season following a small knock and
now wants to establish himself at Ashton Gate. He told Bristol City Player:
"It was very frustrating for me last season. I had a good spell at the start
but then got injured. I was only out a couple of games but I wasn't given
the chance to get back into the team. "The lads at the time were on a good
run so it was hard for the manager. But I'm a footballer and I like to play
football. Hopefully coming here has increased my chances of playing
regularly."

The 23-year-old also refuted claims he has taken a step back in his career
by leaving Premier League new-boys West Ham. "I've not stepped down to the
Championship because I didn't actually play in the Premier League," he said.
"Last season was the right time for me to take the step up from League One.
But I didn't play as many games as I would have liked and it is only right I
continue my progression here."

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Daily WHUFC News - 22nd August 2012

Baldock departs
WHUFC.com
West Ham United can confirm that Sam Baldock has joined npower Championship
club Bristol City
21.08.2012

West Ham United can confirm that Sam Baldock has joined npower Championship
club Bristol City. The 23-year-old striker has linked up with the Robins on
a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee. Baldock, who joined the
Hammers from MK Dons in August 2011 and made a total of 22 first-team
appearances and scored five goals for the club, has thanked West Ham fans
for their support during his year-long stay at the Boleyn Ground. "I would
like to thank the fans for always supporting and encouraging me," he said.
"The fans are what make the club so special and are the driving force behind
its success. "There are some really great people involved in the football
club who I wish every success for, and I also wish the team every success in
the future." West Ham United would like to thank Sam for his efforts and
wish him well for the future.

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The Big Interview - Jussi Jaaskelainen
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's new goalkeeper was delighted to keep a clean sheet on his
competitive debut
21.08.2012

Jussi Jasskelainen believes West Ham United have given themselves the
perfect platform to make a strong start to the 2012/13 Barclays Premier
League season.
The Hammers' new No22 is confident that if the team continue to work as hard
as they did in Saturday's 1-0 home triumph over Aston Villa, then more
victories will follow. Having kept a deserved clean sheet on his West Ham
debut, the Finn is in positive mood ahead of the weekend trip to Swansea
City.

Jussi, for a goalkeeper and the whole team I suppose Saturday was the
perfect start to the season?

JJ - "It was a great start to the season. A 1-0 win is always a tight one
but it also shows that the team played very well defensively. We could have
had a little more creativity from the set pieces we won but overall It was a
good win."

You were not involved in the game too much, but what you had to do you did
very well. You must have been pleased with your second-half saves from
Stephen Ireland and Ron Vlaar, in particular?

JJ - "That is what goalkeeping is all about - you have to be ready, prepared
and focused. The quality of the Premier League means that more often than
not the forwards will take the opportunities they get so it helps that the
defence played very well."

You have been there and done it, making more than 500 club appearances, but
did you still get butterfliesplaying in front of 34,000 people on the
opening day of the Barclays Premier League season?

JJ - "Of course. It is fantastic to play at this level and it is a great
opportunity for me to play for West Ham United. I have worked with the
gaffer before and I like the way he looks after his players. I am delighted
with Saturday's result and I thought the fans were fantastic. Hopefully we
can stay unbeaten at home for as long as possible."

How important was it to close out Saturday's game against Aston Villa in
terms of the team's confidence?

JJ - "One-nil victories tell you all you need to know about a team because
usually when you are winning you tend to sit back and invite pressure onto
yourself. We didn't do that, we continued to play our own game and it was a
very solid performance. We now have to build on this and hopefully we can
carry our winning form into next weekend."

James Collins and Winston Reid were fantastic at the back. How much of a
help was it to have them in front of you?

JJ - "Of course it is a massive help. They are two very good players and it
makes my job a lot easier. It is great to play behind them."

Next up is our first ever trip to the Liberty Stadium to face Swansea City.
They scored five goals last weekend so it should be another easy afternoon!?

JJ - "I'm not sure easy is the right word! When you play away from home you
have to keep it very tight. Teams improve year upon year in the Premier
League and
every away game is tough. But if we are solid and keep the ball like we did
against Aston Villa, then we have every chance of coming away with a
positive result."

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Sam Baldock leaves West Ham United for Bristol City
BBC.co.uk

Bristol City have signed West Ham striker Sam Baldock on a three-year deal
for an undisclosed fee. The 23-year-old left MK Dons to join the Hammers
last summer, agreeing a four-year contract at Upton Park. Baldock scored 11
goals in his first 15 games for the Championship club, but he lost his place
in the side following injury problems. Manager Derek McInnes told the club
website: "I'm over the moon that we've managed to sign Sam." The Scotsman
continued: "He gives us real threat to stretch defences and is as good a
natural finisher as anyone in the division.

BALDOCK FACTFILE
Born 15 March, 1989
Became first player to graduate from MK Dons youth team into the senior side
Made his league debut in February 2007 in 1-1 draw with Mansfield
Has scored 48 goals in 148 games, 56 of his appearances coming as a sub

"He'll really complement the strikers we already have at the club, as well
as [be] a different type of option for our play in general. "I'd like to
thank the board and our owner for really pushing to get this deal done.
"He's a striker we've targeted and worked extremely hard to get. I've no
doubts all the effort and commitment will prove dividends."

McInnes had made no secret of his intention to strengthen his forward line
following Nicky Maynard's departure to the Hammers in January. And his
patience over the summer appears to have paid off after capturing both
Baldock and Steven Davies, who was brought in on a three-year deal from
Derby on Monday. Baldock is a product of Wimbledon's youth system and
followed the club when they moved to Milton Keynes in 2003. His breakthrough
season at MK Dons came in 2008-09, when he scored 13 goals in 44 games. He
caught the eye of teams higher up the league hierarchy when he netted 14
goals in 34 appearances the following year, and eventually secured a move to
West Ham in the summer of 2011. The forward made a blistering start his his
Hammers tenure - scoring six goals in his first six games - but injury
curtailed his form and he fell out of favour with manager Sam Allardyce.

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So long, little Sam
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 21st August 2012
By: Staff Writer

Sam Baldock has completed a permanent transfer to Championship club Bristol
City. The former MK Dons striker spent just one season at the Boleyn Ground
having moved to East London in a £2million deal last autumn. Despite scoring
more goals than any other first team striker during pre-season, the
23-year-old was deemed surplus to requirments by Sam Allardyce. And it was
confirmed tonight that he has completed his move to the South West club.
KUMB.com exclusively revealed last month that West Ham had accepted City's
offer for the young forward; the deal is thought to be worth in the region
of £1.5million plus add-ons, depending on certain clauses being met. Having
started his career at West Ham in promising fashion - Baldock scored five
times in his first nine appearances for the club having joined in September
- the goals dried up and the former number seven failed to find the back of
the net after November of last year. That lack of goals - plus the arrival
of players such as Ricardo Vaz Te and Modibo Maiga - left Baldock well down
the pecking order at Upton Park and it was therefore no surprise that the
club decided to cash in ahead of the transfer deadline in ten days' time.

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Out of Africa
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 21st August 2012
By: Staff Writer

West Ham are one of several clubs being linked with a move for Cameroon
international defender Stephane Mbia this morning. Mbia, who currently plays
for Olympique Marseille is said to be just one of a number of players made
available for transfer by the financially-stricken French club, from whom
West Ham signed Alou Diarra only last week. The 6'3" centre half made his
name in France with Rennes before siging for Marseille in 2009 in a
£10million move. According to L'Equipe, West Ham have made enquiries into
his availability. Queens Park Rangers and Sunderland are also said to be
keeping an eye of the 26-year-old. In other news, forogtten striker Freddy
Piquionne is said to be the subject of interest from Championship club
Brighton & Hove Albion. The former French international was heavily linked
with a move to Leeds United last week although nothing has materialised on
that front as of yet.

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Why there's reason to be a happy Hammer
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 21st August 2012
By: Tom Kilbey

With usual hyperbole, the media are talking about our club being at a
crucial crossroad. That our next year or two could determine our future, and
we are in transition into a big club to challenge the best clubs in Europe
(wince here).

Our Chairmen are talking as if the announcement of an imminent move to a new
stadium will automatically transform us into a club that can target the
upper echelons of the league (wince again). History has shown that saying
rash things like that can prove very foolish (look at Blackburn's five-year
plan). In fact, lets looks closer to home. Anyone else remember Eggert
Magnusson boldly claiming we'll be a European force within two (yes, two)
years?

I know I do, and now I find its easier to laugh off such claims. Indeed,
David Gold's suggestion that we are currently a top half team was enough for
me to smile wryly. But amongst the ridiculous exaggeration and apparent
complacent over-confidence, I genuinely believe there is reason to be
optimistic about both our short, and long term future.

Short Term

Anyone who read my very first article on KUMB.com will know that I had some
concerns about our squad. Certainly, these have not disintegrated after one
game, but Saturday's performance gave reason to be optimistic.

Aston Villa were awful, lacking penetration, width and creativity, but take
nothing away from the performance of our defenders. James Collins showed
early signs of the dominance that made me believe his departure from the
club was an extremely poor decision. Winston Reid was also excellent, making
several timely interceptions. Compare his performance on Saturday, to the
opening game of the 2010/11 season, his debut, and its hard to believe you
are watching the same player.

Even at full back, the position where I expressed my biggest concern, we
looked more than comfortable. Guy Demel looked fitter and stronger and
showed he wasn't afraid to get forward to support Ricardo Vaz Te. George
McCartney ran himself into the ground and put in a performance which made me
appreciate why so many members here at KUMB hold him in high regard.

Further forward, our midfield looked good. We were dominated in possession
for large parts, but still looked comfortable. The usual suspects performed
and Diame looked superb. I've heard great things about him, but his
technical ability surprised me. He showed that he can pass the ball and has
great feet as well as his physical attributes that he is more known for.

We still look a bit short up top, but it's encouraging to see our attentions
focussed solely on this position now. The names of the moment are Moussa
Konate and, more recently, Rennes winger Razak Boukari who impressed on
trial.

The brief cameo performance from Modibo Maiga was also promising. He looks
physical, with an extra yard of pace over our other strikers and looked
composed when presented with the one-on-one chance that was cleared off the
line.

But more than this, Saturday proved that we have what it takes to compete
with the Premier League clubs. The desire was back and it was clear that
every player on that pitch worked incredibly hard. The fans were fantastic
and drove the players on late in the game. It was a mature performance; one
highlighting the fact we have pedigree and top flight experience in the
squad.

Maybe top half is still over-optimistic – I'm sure every fan will breathe a
sigh of relief when we reach 40 points – but we showed that we can hold our
own in the top division, especially in the capable hands of Sam Allardyce.

Long Term

Although I don't like to speculate too much, I think we can make a few
predictions. Firstly, although the saga regarding our Olympic Stadium bid
rambles on, most people associated with the club are either excited – or
resigned, depending on your opinion – that the stadium will eventually be
ours. I've changed my mind more times than Robbie Keane has changed his
childhood club.

With David Gold's strange cryptic tweets (which seem to get weirder on a
daily basis), I get the impression that we will include retractable seating
in the stadium which is enough for me to support the bid. There's not one
important person in the media who thinks anyone else is a suitable tenant. I
included the word 'important' so I didn't have to talk about that comical
waste of space who is still kicking up a fuss. You know exactly who I mean.

Gold has also talked about potential investment that will come as a result
of this. Not for a second am I suggesting that we could become as big as
Manchester City, but there's no reason that moving to a bigger stadium
couldn't provide some form of cash injection, just as they received four
years ago. But even in the likely case that this doesn't happen, Gold and
Sullivan aren't too afraid to splash the cash themselves.

I never believed that Andy Carroll, Adam Johnson or Kaka were realistic
transfer targets, but the fact the board are showing ambition and coughing
up the money is promising in itself. Gold and Sullivan are hardly the most
popular people in football, but they certainly have the club in their best
interests and with Karren Brady working behind the scenes, we have a good
set up which is something we have lacked for a few years.

Also, unlike some of the teams around us, we seem to be looking to the
future. We have a great blend of youngsters and experience, and have added a
mix of fresh talent and seasoned campaigners. Looking into the slightly
longer term, players like Collison, Maiga, Reid and Tomkins will only
continue to improve as they move into their mid twenties.

Younger still, we have the likes of Morrison who will hopefully begin to
mature given the responsibility of first team football and academy graduates
such as Rob Hall and Dan Potts, who will hope to capitalise on chances in
the inaugural Under-21 Premier League.

Of course, our main target this season is to ensure our Premier League
status is maintained. With an excellent first win in the bag and hopes of
signing players in areas we are still lacking will only strengthen our push
for a respectable league position.

Looking past this season, who know what will happen? It's terribly clichéd,
but we've had our fair share of false dawns in the past ten years. But
maybe, just maybe, we are turning the corner on our awful last three years
and can begin to look towards a brighter future for our great club.

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And so it Came to Pass .........
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

After much rumour and conjecture, it has been confirmed that Sam Baldock has
been sold to Bristol City!

Many fans will lament his departure, emphasising his potential as a pacy
goal scorer. Indeed, if you look at some of the old MK Dons u-tube footage
of Baldock, you will notice that he scored many of his goals from balls
played in to space for him to run on to and outpace opposition defenders.
Did we ever use him like that? Not really if my recollection is correct.
Indeed, watching that footage reminded me a bit of the type of goals that
McAvennie and Cottee used to score under John Lyall's management. Perhaps
Sam Allardyce was not the best manager to exploit Baldock's strengths.
Alternatively, maybe Allardyce has it right and he is too lightweight and
lacking at PL level? As with most things, time will tell.

It has been reported that the fee is £1.5m with the add ons taking it up to
£2m. Lets hope that they have also included some sort of sell-on/buy back
clause as part of the the deal, just in case he does blossoms in to a new
Cottee or Owen. Regardless, one would have thought that if they were intent
upon selling Baldock, they would have done it more creatively, using him as
a makeweight to bring in a player like Matt Jarvis from Wolves, Andy King
from Leicester City or Wlfred Zaha from Palace. But no, apparently not.
Perhaps none of those clubs were interested in him (which I doubt) or West
Ham do not fancy a part-exchange deal? More on an alleged Baldock-Jarvis
transfer connection later.

Anyway, the management obviously sees Nicky Maynard as a better PL prospect.
So be it, much as some supporters might disagree, the management are paid to
take these difficult decisions and are ultimately accounable if they get it
wrong. Although that will not be much of a comfort if a nascent Cottee or
Owen has prematurely been shipped out. The thought of Baldock scoring goals
for fun in a Man Utd or Arsenal shirt, (to pinch a classic West Ham related
media cliche) its the stuff of a 'Ammers house of horrors.'

On another subject, what is the situation with Jack Collison's injury? The
football he played at the conclusion of last season seems to have
aggreviated his former knee injury. Indeed, Sam Allardyce has stated that he
has not played nor trained since the play-off Final victory back in May.
Putting aside obvious concerns about the actual injury, this means that
Collison has had no pre-season and, even when fully physically fit, will not
be match fit for a further considerable period. The probable absence of Jack
Collison arguably conspires to weaken our attacking midfield options. Does
that mean that this will necessitate the addition of a similiar type of
midfielder on loan? Could that lead us to go back in for Henri Lansbury or
another such option?

Finally, the rumours about signing Bouraki and Drenthe continue to
circulate. Yet, some media sources have suggested that West Ham will still
make another bid of £10m for Matt Jarvis, with the monies received for Sam
Baldock allegedly topping-up the up front fee and thereby facilitating the
deal. The suggestion is that it is a take it or leave £10m package, with £7m
up front and £3m worth of add-on payments. It Wolves reject that then West
Ham will not increase their offer. Arguably, if they reject that sort of
money they must really see Mat Javis as a crucial part of their promotion
campaign! Much as it is disappointing for us, you cannot blame them for
wanting to retain their best players if they can afford to do so! After all,
it was only 12 months ago that we were urging our management/board to do
likewise in an identical situation.

SJ. Chandos.

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Allardyce tables take-it-or-leave-it offer of £10m for Wolves winger Jarvis
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 21 August 2012 | UPDATED: 22:30, 21 August 2012
Daily Mail

West Ham have launched a final £10million bid for Wolves winger Matt Jarvis.
Wolves have so far rejected two bids with the last consisting of £6.5m up
front and £3m in add-ons. Jarvis, 26, has put in a transfer request but
played against Leeds on Saturday and against Barnsley on Tuesday night.
Manager Sam Allardyce is eager to add pace to his side but is reluctant to
go above £10m overall for the England international and is considering other
options but are unlikely to go for Tottenham's David Bentley who is
available on a free transfer. West Ham's bargaining position may be eased
slightly by the pending departure of Sam Baldock to Bristol City, despite
late interest from Charlton. The 23-year-old was signed last summer from MK
Dons. Rennes winger Razak Boukari, 25, is expected to sign a season-long
loan deal with West Ham on Wednesday while free agent Royston Drenthe's
representatives have also discussed a possible deal.

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Brighton close to signing Piquionne
Chichester.co.uk
Published on Tuesday 21 August 2012 16:27

Frederic Piquionne could be the new striker Gus Poyet has been searching for
after it emerged the Albion are in contract talks with the West Ham forward.
Sources in the national press claim the French attacker, who counts
Portsmouth and Monaco among his former clubs, is close to signing for the
Seagulls, although Poyet may face some last minute competition from
Championship rivals Leeds United. Piquionne has been deemed surplus to
requirements at the Premier League newcomers and appears to fit the bill as
the sort of centre forward Brighton have spent all summer trying to sign. He
has one France cap and scored two goals in eight loan appearances at
Doncaster Rovers last season.

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Where next for Adam Johnson - Liverpool, Arsenal, Sunderland or West Ham?
Would you take Adam Johnson at your club?
By talkSPORT magazine | Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Roberto Mancini's post-Southampton admission that Adam Johnson is free to
leave Man City has alerted potential suitors across the Premier League.
Johnson is a deadly attacking winger but finds himself devoid of first-team
opportunities at a club boasting an embarrassment of riches in attack.
Impressive for England against Italy last week, Mancini admits letting
Johnson leave will be difficult: "Adam can have a future here but you should
also understand when you are 23 or 24 years old, you want to play," said
Mancini. "If you are at a top team, you can't always do that, so I agree, if
he wants to, he has to leave." "But if that happens I will be so sorry
because Adam is a good guy... he is a different player to other strikers and
wingers and maybe he could be important for us."

The case for Liverpool
Dirk Kuyt has left, Maxi is gone, Craig Bellamy's at Cardiff and Joe Cole
hardly inspires confidence, so although Brendan Rodgers has swooped to sign
Moroccan international Oussama Assaidi, he could yet move for Adam Johnson
if Man City beat the Reds to Scott Sinclair's signature and Clint Dempsey's
move fails to materialise. The only worry is that Rodgers likes outfield
players to work tirelessly on ball retention, so the nippy winger will need
to work much harder defensively if he was to fit in at Anfield.

Arsenal
We've lost count of how many players Roberto Mancini has nabbed from the
Gunners, so how about reversing that trend, Arsene? If Theo Walcott fails to
agree terms on a new Emirates deal the Gunners could do a lot worse than
luring a forward-thinking wide man who would suit their speed on the break.
Walcott has failed to realise his full potential, while Johnson has yet to
be offered a regular starting role at one of England's big clubs. It's not
like Arsenal don't have a spare £39m in the bank.

Sunderland
Martin O'Neill is said to be leading the chase for Johnson's signature with
an opening bid of £10m. The Black Cats frustrated Arsenal at the weekend
without threatening too much on the break and, should they capture Steven
Fletcher from Wolves this week, then Johnson - who was born in Sunderland -
seems like the next piece in the jigsaw for Martin O'Neill. Life at
Sunderland may not seem as glamorous as other options, but could guarantee
Johnson the first team football he craves.

West Ham
Sam Allardyce loves to play direct and Adam Johnson is a player capable of
providing the service for someone like Carlton Cole in the middle. West Ham
may have got their Premier League campaign off to a satisfying start with
victory against Aston Villa, but they'll face much stiffer opposition and
Johnson represents a quality option they are short of at present. Would the
board stump up £12m? We shall see...

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 21st August 2012

Manager on Monday
WHUFc.com
Sam Allardyce is hoping West Ham United can continue where they left off at Swansea City on Saturday
20.08.2012

Sam Allardyce is keen to build on West Ham United's impressive opening-day win against Aston Villa when the Hammers travel to Swansea City on Saturday. Big Sam's first Barclays Premier League game as Hammers manager ended in a 1-0 win, courtesy of Kevin Nolan's 40th minute tap-in after good work from Ricardo Vaz Te. For the manager, the result was the culmination of seven weeks' meticulous planning and preparation. Likewise, Big Sam was also pleased to have sent the vast majority of those inside the Boleyn Ground home happy - revealing that home comforts had spurred his players on to victory. "We've been training since 1 July but played in our first game at home on Saturday," he explained. "We've not been able to play at home because of the Olympics so we trained on the pitch for three days running [last week] to familiarise ourselves with it again. We can get only better, particularly in the final third, but I'm delighted with our start. "It was all right breaking the away record last year but the most important thing to do is to send the home fans home happy. Teams won't stand off us as much at home this year as last year we were the big boys. Everyone would lift their game against us. This year we are the minnows."

Next up for West Ham is a trip to Swansea, who notched up a stunning 5-0 away win at Queens Park Rangers in their own opening-day fixture. The Hammers will need to be on their game once more, but will take confidence from their exploits on the road last season that saw them achieve a club record 13 away league wins.
"Our fixture list hasn't given us any of the big boys in the opening games so you've got to try to take advantage. Not that I'm suggesting any game is easy as a newly-promoted team, but it gives you a much better chance to play to your best. If you play to your best against the big boys you can still get beaten. "Hopefully against Swansea it continues where we left off and we collect those points before we go into that period where you expect life might be a more difficult for us.
"The big clubs have got to have a real off day for you to get a result which is why these fixtures are critical coming into the September/October period, when the big boys start flowing."

James Collins made his second debut against his former side and it looked as if he had never been away with a series of brave blocks and tackles. Collins was later picked as Man of the Match for his efforts by Match Sponsor LycaMobile, an award richly deserved according to his manager. "He's got a lot of centre-half steel and desire about him. Winston Reid alongside him is maturing game by game. By the back end of last season we really missed him when he got injured playing for New Zealand. "I believe if we'd had him we wouldn't have gone on that run of draws that cost us so much. Those two were the backbone of why we won the game."

Big Sam's side continued to press after Nolan's strike and could have made it two when Modibo Maiga, on as substitute for Carlton Cole, rounded Shay Given in the Villa goal only to see his shot cleared off the line. Although the Mali international did not quite mark his home debut with a goal in front of the Bobby Moore Stand, his manager was pleased with the composure he showed in taking the chance. "I'm sure he'll be disappointed he didn't score. For me he showed no nerves, though, playing in a new country for the first time. He's just come on, out-ran the central defender, dropped his shoulder, rounded the goalkeeper and then to be fair the defender did really well getting back on the line. "You would expect him to rush that as he's nervous as he's just come on. That's why he's a goalscorer so hopefully he'll be doing that on a regular basis when he gets himself up to speed in the Premier League. "We call him 'Van', but we're not sure how we came about his nickname! We asked him what his name was and he just said 'Van' but as his English isn't that good yet we're not sure why and it might take a while to find out!"

With less than two weeks to go until the end of the transfer window, Big Sam is expecting more arrivals to supplement the eight new permanent additions made this summer. Indeed the manager hinted there could be a new arrival before the Hammers host Crewe Alexandra in the Capital One Cup second round a week on Tuesday. "We will all see an uplift from everybody going into the last few days of the transfer window. It's only half open now and in a few days it will be a quarter open. We want to try get in that frame if we can."

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Ginge's 'debut' delight
WHUFC.com
James Collins was happy to taste victory over Aston Villa on his second West Ham United bow
20.08.2012

James Collins struggled to keep the smile off his face after putting in a Man of the Match performance in Saturday's 1-0 Barclays Premier League win over former club Aston Villa. Many could have forgiven Collins if he found it tough to perform against a club he left just a few weeks ago, but the Wales international put in an outstanding display, winning header after header and making a series of important blocks. 'Ginge' and fellow centre-back Winston Reid formed a formidable partnership and kept Villa - including England striker Darren Bent - at bay for the whole 90 minutes. "Saturday was really good," he told West Ham TV. "It was always going to be a strange one for me making my second West Ham debut against a club I only left two weeks ago. "It felt very strange prior to kick-off but as soon as I got out onto the pitch and heard the roar of the crowd it all became a lot easier."

Collins was presented with the Man of the Match award by sponsors LycaMobile after his combative defending saw Jussi Jaaskelainen relatively untested throughout the entirety of the game. "I am not sure how well I did. You never want to make a huge mistake against your old club and thankfully I didn't, so maybe having an insight having just left the club helped me. "I'm still settling in but I feel good. As soon as I walked onto the pitch the only thing I was focused on was getting three points for West Ham and performing well - hopefully I did both. A bumper 34,000-plus crowd at the Boleyn Ground was in terrific voice throughout the match and Collins was particularly pleased by the personal ovation he received. "It was a great reception. I obviously had a great love for the club when I was here before and truth be told I didn't want to leave in the first place. "I think the club was struggling for a bit of money and needed to rebuild. I feel the West Ham fans knew that I didn't want to leave so to come back to that reception and come back a better player was great."

Collins also revealed that he jumped at the chance to re-join the club and didn't need to think twice when the opportunity arose to play for West Ham in the Barclays Premier League again. "I knew that I wanted to return straight away. Settling in has been easy. I still know a few of the boys and a lot of the backroom staff so it was a great move for me. "As I mentioned, I would like to think I have come back a better player than I was when I left. It's an exciting time for the club and a great opportunity for me to show the fans how good I am."

Aston Villa are now under the stewardship of Paul Lambert after he joined the club following a terrific spell with Norwich City, but Collins believes the time was right for a change. "I don't think the opportunity was there [at Villa] to be honest. I think they were looking for a change and I was looking for a change so I don't think it was ever going to be possible for me to stay. "I was not offered a new contract and I felt the time was right to move on, so as soon as West Ham came in for me I knew what I wanted to do."

Looking ahead, Collins feels that a top-ten finish is possible for a Hammers squad that has ability, confidence and spirit in abundance. "Looking at the way we played on Saturday we have to be aiming for the top ten or as near to the top of the table as possible. We have a good squad and we looked fitter than Aston Villa. We have had a great pre-season, have some powerful midfielders and have a lot of pace going forward. "To come into a team with such good team spirit is great. The lads obviously had a very good year last year and their confidence has carried through. "We might not have passed the ball as well as we could have but the fight and the passion shown by the lads is something we can all be proud of."

The Hammers have lost just once at the Boleyn Ground in 2012 and Collins stated that their home form will play a vital part in any success they have this term.
"Our home form is going to be key but if the fans continue to boost us like they did on Saturday throughout the course of the season there is no reason why we can't produce. "Like I mentioned we have a great squad with a good blend of experience and youth which will stand us in good stead."

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Crewe ticket prices slashed
WHUFC.com
Tickets for the Capital One Cup visit of Crewe Alexandra start from just a fiver
17.08.2012

West Ham United are pleased to confirm that ticket prices have been slashed for the Capital One Cup second-round tie with Crewe Alexandra on Tuesday 28 August
As part of the Board's commitment to affordable family football, tickets for the tie against the Railwaymen will be just £10 for Adults and £5 for Under-16s if bought in advance.

Matchday tickets purchased after 9am on the day of the game will be priced at £8 for Under-16s and £15 for Adults.

The 7.45pm kick-off will see the Hammers begin their quest to reach their third League Cup final, having previously done so in 1966 and 1981, when they were defeated by West Bromwich Albion and Liverpool respectively.

Crewe were promoted to npower League One via the Play-Offs last season and won through to the second round courtesy of a 5-0 victory over Hartlepool United to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to 20 matches.

Tickets are now on sale to Season Ticket holders. Click here to buy online or call 0871 222 2700
(Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras).
On sale dates -
Season Ticket Holders - Friday 17 August, 12noon*
Academy/Youth Academy members - Monday 20 August, 9am
General Sale - Wednesday 22 August, 9am
Unused Bondholder seats will be released for General Sale from 9am on Thursday 23 August
*For Season Ticket holders who wish to join the Automatic Cup Scheme for the above Capital One Cup match and for all future home cup matches, please download the auto cup scheme form which is available by clicking here, then complete and return to the Ticket Office, PO Box 6731, London. E13 9RA.

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Hammers eye Dutch star
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 20th August 2012
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United have made an enquiry into the availability of former Real Madrid and Everton winger Royston Drenthe. The 25-year-old Dutch wide man - a laft back who can also operate on the wing - is currently a free agent having been released by the Spanish giants during the summer. Rotterdam-born Drenthe signed for Real Madrid in 2007 but made just 46 appearances for the club during his five years at The Bernabeu. For the final two seasons of his contract he was sent out on loan to Hercules - then in La Liga - and subsequently to Everton for the duration of the 2011/12 campaign. A colourful character, Drenthe's career has been dogged by controversy and he has faced disciplinary action at almost every club for whom he has played. At a 15-year-old at Feyenoord he was close to being sacked following a disagreement with then-coach Marcel Bout before being shipped off to Excelsior (returning to De Kuip two years later).

Then, in 2008, he stormed out of Real Madrid's training ground - the club he had joined from Feyenoord for €14million a year earlier - after being left out of the club's 18-man match day squad for a fixture against Valencia. And as recently as last season, he was ordered to stay away from Everton's training ground by David Moyes having reported late for training after being given leave on compassionate grounds. Drenthe made just 10 league starts for the Toffees during his season on Merseyside and it was no surprise when they failed to take up their option to sign the player on a permanent basis.

Only last week it was claimed by the player's agent that he had received offers from Manchester City, Inter Milan and Galatasaray - although no firm offers have materialised as of yet. Antonio Salerno, speaking on behalf of the one-times capped Dutch international said: "There have been many calls and now is the moment to decide. We didn't expect to be called by Manchester City and West Ham, but they asked me for information on Royston and his wage demands. "The important thing is that Royston gets back to the playing field. He would prefer to play for a club in the Champions League, so Manchester City, Dynamo Kiev and a big Turkish side are the favourites at the moment."

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One over the eight
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 20th August 2012
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United are poised to make their ninth signing of the summer with the arrival of Togo winger Razak Boukari. The 25-year-old, who holds dual nationality is reported to be on the cusp of signing a permanent contract with West Ham having suitably impressed during a recent trial. Boukari, who is currently contracted to French club Rennes is understood to have featured in the under 21s' win over Reading on Friday evening, a game the Hammers won 3-1 and one in which the triallist scored. Born in Lome in 1987, the right-sided player - whose father also represented his country - has lived in France for the past ten years having initially joined Châteauroux as a 15-year-old in 2002. After two years as a professional with La Berri, he moved to Lens in 2006 for whom he played for the next four years. In 2010, Rennes snapped Boukari up for €4.5million with the winger signing a five-year contract. Having suffered a thigh injury in January this year he was unable to regain his place in the Rennes first team, having been replaced by Burkina Faso international Jonathan Pitroipa - and the financially-troubled Rennes have reluctantly allowed him to look for a new club. Boukari, whose arrival should signal the end of West Ham's ongoing interest in Wolves winger Matt Jarvis is understood to have undergone a medical earlier today, with an announcement imminent according to tonight's Evening Standard.

Pre-season signings: the eight so far

May
21st: Stephen Henderson (Portsmouth, nominal fee)

June
14th: Jussi Jaaskelainen (Bolton, nominal fee)
20th: Momo Diame (Wigan, free transfer)

July
1st: George McCartney (Sunderland, nominal fee)
18th: Modibo Maiga (Sochaux, £4.5million)
23rd: Raphael Spiegler (Grasshoppers, nominal fee)

August
1st: James Collins (Aston Villa, £2million)
10th: Alou Diarra (Marseille, £2million)

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Sullivan - We still owe money
Tevez saga still disrupting Hammers' transfer activity
Last Updated: August 20, 2012 9:57am
SSN

Co-owner David Sullivan has admitted the money West Ham still need to pay Sheffield United over the Carlos Tevez affair has taken its toll on their transfer activity. Having brought in Tevez in 2006, the Hammers were fined £5.5million by the Premier League for breaching the rules governing third-party ownership of players. However, the Blades suffered relegation that season and, after opening legal proceedings against the Hammers, it was eventually agreed that £26.5million was owed in compensation. Sullivan has now revealed that more than £10million is still to be paid, and the situation is having an impact on Sam Allardyce's transfer plans. "We've done some good business and brought in some real quality despite our still-limited resources," Sullivan said in the Daily Mirror. "We have an eight-figure sum still outstanding over the Tevez affair, even though we have been paying it down over the past two years. "That amount has to be paid off over the next 12 months, which does take its toll on our transfer activity."

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Collins targeting top half
Hammers defender is eyeing a strong season after opening win
Last Updated: August 20, 2012 10:16am
SSN

New arrival James Collins believes West Ham can finish in the top half of the Premier League table this season. Collins returned to West Ham from Aston Villa in the summer and played his part as the Hammers beat his old club 1-0 at Upton Park on Saturday. The 28-year-old was encouraged by the way his new team nullified the threat of Paul Lambert's side and is impressed with the blend that Sam Allardyce has found at West Ham. Collins, quoted in The Sun, said: "There's no reason why we can't aim for a top-10 spot with the squad we've got. "We looked fitter than Villa, we have got some strong and quick boys in midfield. "We may not have passed the ball as much as Villa but the fight and team spirit got us through.

Mixture

"Our home form is going to be massive. And if we play like we did today then there's no reason why we can't have a great season. "We've put together a great squad - a good mixture of youth and experience." Not only did Collins think the Hammers looked fitter than Villa, he was also unimpressed by the opposition's patient build-up play - claiming he and Winston Reid were untroubled in central defence. "I don't mean to be disrespectful, as much as they passed it, they didn't get near our goal," added Collins. "So me, Winston and the boys at the back were quite happy with the job we did."

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Will the Emphasis Now Shift to Signing Razak Boukari and Royston Drenthe?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

It was thought that West Ham would sumit a fourth and final bid for Wolves winger, Matt Jarvis. However, it emerged earlier today that the club's priority may have shifted elsewhere. The Evening Standard have reported that West Ham are poised to complete the transfer of winger Razak Boukari from French club Rennes. It would seem that Boukari has sufficiently impressed during a recent trial period to be offered a permanent deal and was due to undergo a medical today.

Boukari is 25 years old and a full Togo international, with four caps for the African nation, having previously represented France at U-21 level. He is a predominantly right sided winger and hitherto has not been particularly prolific in the goal scoring stakes. Having scored 25 goals in 204 senior appearances (in the period 2004-10) for French club's Chateauroux, Lens and Rennes.

Another player linked to a move to West Ham is the free agent, Royston Drenthe. Drenthe's Real Madrid contract expired in July and he is available on a Bosman deal. Drenthe is a predominantly left sided winger, with the ability to also play at left-back. A full Dutch international, Drenthe is even less prolific then Boukari, having scored 9 goals in 113 senior appearances (in the period 2005-12) for Feyenoord, Real Madrid, Hercules (on loan 2010-11) and Everton (2011-12). Three of those goals were scored in 21 appearances on loan to Everton last season. So, on a positive note, he does have PL experience and appears to have done a decent job for the Evertonians.

Of course, the above statistics do not include details of goal assists! Goal scoring prowess is not everything in a winger, but it is more than helpful if they chip in with their quota each season. What is certain is that both player will provide pace down the flanks, but the quality of the final ball remains to be seen? Although both players must be useful to have previously played for the likes of Feyenoord, Real Madrid and Lens!

It has also emerged that a third wide option has re-entered the frame for the Hammers. It has been reported that Kieron Richardson has submitted a transfer request at Sunderland and wants to return to London for family reasons. Basically, that means that he is likely to have two options, West Ham and QPR. The speculation was that Richardson priced himself out of a move to the Hammers earlier in the summer. If this is true, then perhaps he will now compromise on his personal terms to secure a move back to the capital? Richardson has the ability to play right along the left flank and was mostly deployed at left-back by Sunderland last season. Again, he is not a prolific goal scorer, having converted 19 goals in 184 senior appearances (in the period 2002-12) for Man Utd, WBA and Sunderland.

So,they are three possible options for new wide players. It seems, from the current indicators, that the likes of Matt Jarvis and Adam Johnson are out of the club's reach. That would certainly seem to be the case if we take on board the Co-Chairman's comments in Saturday's match programme about the continuing negative financial consequences of the £25m compensation deal with Sheffield Utd. Is it really adversely impacting on our transfer dealings or is it a ruse to stop clubs inflating the asking price every time that we enquire about a player? I guess that will be determined by the quality of the players that we bring in before the closure of the transfer window!

SJ. Chandos.

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Sport Football Transfer News West Ham transfer news
By Alan Nixon Comments 20 Aug 2012 22:29
The Mirror

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is ready to snap up Dutch star Royston Drenthe - and give him a second shot at Premier League stardom. The former Real Madrid wideman is in talks about a free transfer move to Hammers following a hit-and-miss season on loan at Everton where he fell out with manager David Moyes and was shown the door. Allardyce has a name for dealing with strong personalities and could take on Drenthe, who has been trying to find a home for weeks.
Although West Ham still have interest in Wolves winger Matt Jarvis, Drenthe could be a useful addition to his squad. Elsewhere, West Ham striker Freddie Piquionne is in talks with Championship side Brighton about joining on a free. The French forward is out of Allardyce's plans and can go if the terms are right.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 20th August 2012

Nobby delighted by Villa victory
WHUFC.com
Match-winner Kevin Nolan was all smiles after leading the Hammers to an
opening-day win over Aston Villa
19.08.2012

Kevin Nolan revealed his delight after West Ham United's 1-0 Barclays
Premier League home win over Aston Vila, with the skipper claiming the
Hammers had come away with everything they wanted. After a fractious opening
period the hosts settled well and dominated large parts of the game creating
a host of good opportunities. Nolan grabbed the winner in the 40th minute
after good work from Ricardo Vaz Te. Speaking post-match, the skipper
praised his side for making a perfect start. "We got exactly what we wanted
from the game," he said. "We spoke before about how important it was to get
off to a winning start and we have done that, while we also kept a clean
sheet. "We could have scored three or four. The lads were terrific,
especially in the heat, as I'm sure many people can imagine it was hard
enough simply watching the game. "The lads were terrific and we have
hopefully given ourselves a stepping stone ahead of what will be another
tough game [at Swansea City] next weekend."

There was a hint of controversy surrounding Nolan's goal with the assistant
referee raising his flag, but the skipper believes the correct decision was
eventually made as replays showed the ball was flicked-on by VIlla defender
Ciaran Clark. "I was under no illusions that it wasn't a goal. The ball came
off a defender so I knew Ricardo was onside and knew that if I converted the
chance we would go in front. "That is why I went off celebrating because I
was extremely happy, it was nice to get off the mark and hopefully it will
be the first of many."

The second half saw the Hammers dominate and Nolan could have had a second
past former Newcastle United team-mate Shay Given but for some commendable
last-ditch defending. "I beat Shay but the defender managed to get his body
in the way. I was absolutely gutted about that one because it would have
been nice to score another past him but one is good enough. "We worked very
hard for it. Last season was tough because teams came here and they sat
behind the ball, but this year you can already see things are going to be a
lot different."After the perfect start to their campaign you could forgive
the players for getting a little carried away, but Nolan insisted that
everybody understands the challenge ahead. "It's going to be very tough and
we know that, but we are up for the battle and we are happy with who we have
brought in. Hopefully by the end of the window there will be a few other new
faces to improve us and take us forward. Nolan also paid tribute to the mind
set of his team, commending them on their patience during a testing opening
period. "In the Premier League you sometimes have to be a little patient. In
the first 20 minutes they controlled the ball well but we managed to
restrict them from creating many chances. "As the half wore on we got more
of a foothold in the game and as soon as the goal went in we controlled it."

After the perfect start to their campaign you could forgive the players for
getting a little carried away, but Nolan insisted that everybody understands
the challenge ahead. "It's going to be very tough and we know that, but we
are up for the battle and we are happy with who we have brought in.
Hopefully by the end of the window there will be a few other new faces to
improve us and take us forward."

Manager Sam Allardyce compared his skipper to former England international
David Platt, who made a name by scoring important goals. It was a comparison
Nolan gladly accepted. "I have never heard the gaffer say that about me
before - but it is a compliment obviously because David was a great player
who played for England and scored a lot of goals during his career. "I
haven't modelled myself on him I must admit, but I wouldn't mind his
goal-scoring record when I finish my career. "Scoring goals has always been
a huge part of my career, I just have to carry on popping up in the box and
hopefully they will keep going in."

With a trip to Swansea next on the agenda for Big Sam's side, Nolan is
hopeful that they can go to the Liberty Stadium and pick up another positive
result. "We are a building a team for the Premier League and hopefully over
the next few years you will see us execute our plan and see West Ham United
back where they belong.
"This is just a small stepping stone for what will be a tough yet ultimately
good season for us. We are not going to get carried away with our wins, and
we are not going to be too disheartened by our losses. "Our ultimate aim is
to be sitting pretty in the table come May and to be ready to build and
improve for another season in the top flight.

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Allardyce on... Aston Villa
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 19th August 2012
By: Staff Writer

A delighted Sam Allardyce reflects on a wonderful start to the season - a
clean sheet and three very valuable Premier League points...

Sam: You must be very satisfield with that performance today?

Yes. In the end I thought we might have won by a goal more based on chances
created and certainly when Maiga - his nickname's Van by the way - went
through as cool as he did at the end. I thought he was going to finish a
great team performance off for us today.

But 1-0, a clean sheet and defensively very solid. In terms of creating
chances, we created them and scored the goal that won us the game off a free
kick. I have to say we had a very good decision by the referee Mike Dean on
the goal because when you look at it, it's clearly come off the Aston
Villa's player's head.

It was a very good decision; often the referee looks at a linesman putting
his flag up, doesn't question it and disallows the goal - so that was a
really good decision for us. I thought we just got better as the game went
on. Kevin Nolan had a good chance and I thought we should have had a penalty
for the push on Carlton Cole just after half time.

We limited Aston Villa to little or nothing in terms of chances at goal. Any
efforts they had came from outside the box, so all round it was a very good
day for West Ham and a very good start to the Barclay's Premier League.
We're so delighted to be back and even more delighted now we've got off to a
winning start.

I know it's a bit left-field but there's been a lot said about the Olympics
whilst [Richard] Scudamore spoke about football needing to have a bit more
of a responsible attitude. Do the players feel a responsibilty? There were
no rucks today.

We can't always be angels on the field because of the emotion that the game
brings, you know - but I think most times, 95 per cent of the time, we're
very responsible. But when we do get ourselves into trouble it's going to be
splashed across all sides of the media so it's something you try and control
and we talk about.

Today was a very placid game in terms of collisons, dirty tackles, free
kicks or fouls. Most of the Premier League has gone like that by the fact
that we all coach to stay on our feet today; we don't really coach to tackle
any more and I suppose that's brought about a game that's a lot cleaner.
They're more niggly fouls than they are dirty.

[Mo] Diame was tremendous today?

Wait 'til you see him settled in, he'll be even better. Yes, I think we've
got a nice footballer, an all-round talented midfield player. He's got the
biggest smile you've ever seen in your life, he loves football, he is happy
to be here and extend his ability with us. He can only be a major bonus for
us.

His energy levels were incredible today?

Yeah, and under such extreme heat today. Both teams had to suffer playing
under extreme heat today but I thought we mastered it better than them in
the end. They faded away and we continued right the way through to the end.

It's not an easy task playing any game in the Premier League when you're
first back. I know we've only been out for a season but when you're first
back you've got a few anxieties, you don't quite know if your team will be
right or wrong or whether they'll be able to cope.

We found it difficult at the start to get any emotion into the game because
Aston Villa were just keeping the ball. When we overcame that and started
winning the ball back - started to assert a little bit of pressure on the
defence - we saw one or two weaknesses there and in the end we exposed it
and won the game.

It's only one game but especially as a newly promoted team, how important is
it to get off to a new start?

Well it's everything, you know. Good starts are the basis for securing a
Premier League position as early as possible. I've had some good starts and
I've had some poor starts [at previous clubs] and a poor start has caused so
much pressure on the players that we've barely got out of the bottom three
until Boxing Day. It took that long.

Then, once we got out of it we stayed out of it - but we started the season
poorly and stayed in the bottom three [for a while]. We were six points
adrift from fourth from bottom, then eight points adrift and to make it up
took a whole two to three months.

Was that at Bolton?

Yeah, second season. First season we got 15 points in ten games and even
then we we had a sticky spell. But we only entered the bottom three twice in
the entire season.

A good start means the pressure is off the players and they'll enjoy playing
in the Barclays Premier League more. That's the important side of trying to
say to the players: "Hit the ground running, hit the ground at 100 per cent
- that's your responsibility. We might get caught up later on in the season
but if we've got the points in the bag, that's the most important thing."

Another of your new signings, James Collins, was fantastic today?

Yeah. Ginge got a great reception from the West Ham fans here which was nice
for him. Both he and Winston Reid did a sound, solid job on one of the most
lethal goalscorers in this division, Darren Bent. Did he have a shot at goal
today?

No. Three touches!

No. So you've got to give them credit for that. Well he can have three
touches and score two, Darren Bent, by the way!

You said in the first half your players were a bit tentative. Do you think
that was because last season the team made some silly mistakes which you
were very vocal and unhappy about that?

I think there was just a little bit of anxiety about playing again here.
What was it going to be like, what were Aston Villa going to be like?

Of course, the opposition keeping the ball and making it difficult - even
though they weren't causing us any problems, they were keeping the ball but
without really getting anwhere - meant we couldn't get the ball and couldn't
get the atmosphere up, couldn't get the crowd on the edge of their seats. We
couldn't create an atmosphere that might imtimidate the opposition.

Eventually we overcame that and started to do it. Like, I said a lot of the
problems today were heat-related but in the end, the game always lasts over
90 minutes - and over 90 minutes we mastered it better than them.

Kevin Nolan has scored so many incisive goals for you down the years. The
fact that he scored for you in your first Premier League game at Bolton...

Did he? Well you've got a better memory than me! [laughs]

Yes. But he is a goalscorer, isn't he. A lot of the people in the game of
football say although he's a midfield player he's not a creative midfield
player. Kevin is a David Platt; he gets on the end of things and ghosts into
the box without people knowing how he's got there.

You saw Kevin Nolan get there today; he got there out of instinct, he got
there out of the fact that he's took the chance. If he gets himself in those
areas he can get himself a goal. While the rest of the players are standing
watching, he's on the move. Then, the ball gets popped along and he pops it
in the back of the net.

That's what he's all about. He's a quality finisher in the box, he's as good
as any Premier League forward at finishing in the box. That's his
outstanding quality which had been proven over many, many years in the
Premier League.

Was it a gamble to play him today?

It was a little bit, because he's missed a lot of training. But he's my
captain, he's got grit and determination written all over him and he 's got
the desire. He pushes himself through the pain barrier; he knew he wasn't
quite 100 per cent today but he extended his body to near exhaustion.

That's gong to be really good for his and the rest of the lads' fitness. Now
it'll be about their recovery, keeping a nice steady flow to training and
improving on what we did today. We go to what's going to be a very difficult
game at Swansea next week. What a fantastic start they've got off to, 5-0 at
QPR.

You've stated that you're still a few players short of a full squad. So a
busy next two weeks ahead?

Always, yeah. On the phone, on the email. I don't lose my keys and I don't
lose my phone at the moment, because I can't afford to!

Thank you lads.

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Ready to go?
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 18th August 2012
By: Connor Geelan

Please join us in welcoming another budding young writer to KUMB.com -
Connor Geelan. Connor describes himself as "a 16-year-old avid supporter"
and opens his account for KUMB by examining the current first team squad...

As you all probably know, West Ham United need to make improvements in many
areas.

However one area we don't need to improve is central midfield. We have got
players of good quality in that area; Mark Noble (West Ham legend) and Kevin
Nolan, a very good player who has proved he can play in the Premier League.
Yet Big Sam has signed both Mohamed Diame and Alou Diarra. Both are
brilliant signings for West Ham United but do we really need them?

Does this signal a change in formation? Three defensive midfield players and
one attacking? This might mean West Ham move to a more defensive formation,
such as 4-2-3-1 like Manchester City and Real Madrid. This I think would
work at West Ham, as long as we play fluent football which isn't just
kicking the ball up field and hoping Carlton Cole can get a touch.

But I'm sure Big Sam knows what he is doing; I guess we'll find out when we
kick off the 2012/13 season against Aston Villa at the Boleyn Ground this
afternoon.

Our defence as a whole is weak. We have a three central defenders - James
Tomkins, Winston Reid and James Collins - which isn't enough. What happens
if one of them gets injured during next season? We are left with two to play
every week. Alou Diarra can play in that position, but I'd like to see a
signing in that area of the pitch.

On to our full backs. We have decent players there but are they good enough
for the Premier League? To be honest, I don't think so. We need a full back
who can offer great defence as well as being effective on the counter. For
example, Glen Johnson, in the Euros; he proved to be a quality player for
England.

He did well defensively, but when attacking he proved he could deliver a
well-placed ball into the box for the likes of Andy Carroll to get his head
on. Although this may not have worked for England as we only reached the
quarter finals, it could in the PL. There are many examples of good full
backs out there such as Ashley Cole, Glen Johnson and Gael Clichey. These
are all players who do what I have just talked about (though probably out of
our price range).

On the wings we have the options of Modibo Maiga and Ricardo Vaz Te. Maiga
is a winger who can play well there, but Vaz Te dosen't look comfortable on
the flanks. He is a proven striker (obviously, as he scored three against
Brighton & Hove Albion and the crucial winner at Wembley in May) but I feel
he may not be up to PL standard. Matt Taylor can play on the wings, but he
will easily be beaten by pace and skill. I can't see him playing well as a
winger in the PL.

Finally I come to our striker dilemma. Carlton Cole had a good season in the
Championship but he hasn't really made an impact in the PL. Rumours have
linked us with Adebayor but this is silly if true - he's another overpaid
player who no longer makes a major impact on games. If we break the bank for
his wages, I won't be happy.

But what can we do; I'm just writing about it, I can't really change Big
Sam's mind (and I suspect he doesn't listen to the supporters). So let's
leave the professionals to do what they need to do. You never know, some of
these signings may have a postive impact.

Anyway that's me for today, I hope you enjoyed my first article for KUMB.
All I know is whatever happens, West Ham United fans will stay with the
club. No matter where you go you will find a West Ham fan; we are West Ham's
claret and blue army!

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Building a fortress
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 18th August 2012
By: Tom Kilbey

Last season, our indifferent home form was heavily highlighted.

We might have won 11 of our matches at the Boleyn, but anyone who frequented
the stadium would agree that, at times, the football was far from pretty.
Our lack of creativity was regularly exposed when we were forced to take the
game to other sides.

Looking ahead to this season, our home form may be critical to our success,
and ultimately our survival. Below, I'll outline a few reasons why I think
our home form won't be a hinderance next season, and why this will
contribute to our survival.

1). History tells a story

Previous Premier League seasons tell us that we've always had to rely on our
home form. After a ridiculous run, spanning 26 away games and acheiving the
dubious honour of being the second-longest winless run in the history of the
Premier League, our away form has never been anything to write home about.

With the exception of the 2010/11 season, we have always pulled results out
of the bag against top clubs, and do just about enough at home, and I expect
us to claim some more scalps this season which will make up for any lack of
points we might encounter away from home.

2). It's hard to compare the Championship and the Premier League

Its a illogical statement to say that because we dropped lots of points at
home in the Championship, we'll do the same in the PL. Take Norwich from two
seasons ago. They picked up just four more points than we did at home, but
enjoyed fantastic success the following season at Carrow Road, picking up an
impressive 27 points.

Although the players in the Premier League are obviously technically
superior, many other factors play into our hands. The expectation is
massive, the motivation isn't always there, and almost every team came to
Upton Park last year with no pressure, and with West Ham in their mind as
their biggest potential scalp of the season. But the main factor that will
change our fortune next season is Sam's tactics.

3). Big Sam's style of play

Despite all the mixed feeling towards Allardyce amongst fans, the vast
majority would agree on one word to describe him: stubborn. On occassions,
it worked in his favour, and ultimately resulted in our promotion. But at
times, even his biggest fan must have been infuriated by his tactics,
especially at home.

Sitting back at home against the likes of Doncaster and Watford, and playing
the ball long when we had the likes of Nolan, Collison, Lansbury and Noble
in our midfield just didn't make any sense, and ultimately resulted in poor
results, and even worse performances. Our style of play will suit us when
teams bring the game to us, which the better sides will, and hopefully the
addition of a couple of techically gifted creative midfielders will allow us
to break down teams on the rare occasions they decide to park the proverbial
bus.

4). The Fans

I thought the idea that the Hammers fans were contributing to poor
performances at Upton Park last season was fairly ridiculous. Granted, the
atmosphere wasn't always great, but it was hardly Ewood Park. What's more,
the fans weren't disgruntled for the sake of complaining, and those that
chose to show their disapproval at the team's performanced felt obliged to
do so. That being said, if we can create the atmosphere of a few years back
with the help of some good performances on the pitch, I believe the fans can
once again be the 12th man and help us pick up a few extra points.

All these factors should help contribute to a successful home campaign next
season. Although it's a side point, I think we can continue our success away
from Upton Park this season. If we can stay solid at the back, there's
reason to expect a few good away results next year. BFS's tactics are
perfect for playing away, and hopefully we can capitalise on experiences
last season to ensure we pick up points even when we're away from the
Boleyn.

That all being said, I think its absolutely essential we get off to a good
start, and a good performance against Aston Villa will give us the perfect
platform for a successful season. So when the whistle blows at 3pm this
afternoon, let's make sure we play our part in making Upton Park a fortress
this season!

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Vinny's Aston Villa Report
Vinny 12:50 Sun Aug 19
West Ham Online

West Ham United 1 Aston Villa 0

The opening game of the season saw West Ham claim all three points in a hard
fought battle against Aston Villa as the season got off to a perfect start
for the Hammers. It feels as though it has been an age since Ricardo Vaz Te
was firing the club into the Premiership with his goal at Wembley and with
the European Championships, the Olympics, Pre Season and so much transfer
speculation so much seems to have been going on since that wonderful day at
Wembley.

I actually have found the reaction to Pre Season results and transfer
rumours difficult to stomach. So much crap has been written by West Ham fans
it does make you wonder about the mentality of some. I wonder if anyone is
complaining about a result against Oxford or Dresden now.

This performance against Villa was pretty much as we would have expected it
to be. We were solid, not really great going forward but we kept going to
the end and despite Villa's dominance in possession I actually thought we
just shaded it and deserved our win.

I cannot deny, I loved being back at the Boleyn. I had been counting down
the weeks and could not wait for the entire day. Last season gave me a bit
of a different perspective supporting the club and I have to admit I did
enjoy the season in terms of going to the games.

Villa fans travelled in numbers to see their side have a lot of the ball and
pass it in pretty triangles but fail to really test our new keeper
Jaaskelainen. This was as much down to us keeping them out than their
failure to find the break through with two new signings James Collins and
Mohammed Diame putting in excellent displays.

The summer had seen a number of comings and goings with Abdoulaye Faye, Papa
Bouba Diop, John Carew and Robert Green leave the club and Henri Lansbury
returning to his parent club Arsenal.

All players have been replaced and most with better quality with
Jaaskelainen, Collins, Diame, Maiga and Alou Diarra all coming in as well as
the permanent acquisitions of Stephen Henderson and George McCartney.

You always want to sign top quality players and I can perhaps understand
some of the frustrations regarding bringing in players but the amount of
stick the board of have taken regarding some players who have simply been
linked with the club is a bizarre to me.

This good result doesn't mean too much in the grand scheme of our season but
it is an excellent start and hopefully proof that we are not going to be out
of our depth. I personally never thought we would be as I don't see a lot of
quality in the Premiership and really, are West Ham any worse than Wigan,
Norwich, QPR, Reading, Southampton, Sunderland, Swansea or West Brom? I
don't think there is much in it to be honest and if we are organised and can
get results at home like this then we will do just fine.

The Team

37 year old Jussi Jaaskelainen was between the sticks with Robert Green
having opted to leave the club to go to Queens Park Rangers. In defence,
Guy Demel was at right back with George McCartney on the left. The centre
half positions saw the only surprise of the day with James Tomkins only on
the bench and Winston Reid given the nod to play alongside James Collins who
was back at the club having left for Aston Villa in 2009. The three centre
midfielders were Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble and debutant Mohammed Diame. On the
left was Matthew Taylor, the right Ricardo Vaz Te and up front was Carlton
Cole. On the bench were new signings Modibo Maiga and Alou Diarra.

The referee was Mike Dean.

First Half

I don't know if I was still on the high from Wembley or that I was feeling a
little drunk but I enjoyed singing 'Bubbles' as much as I ever had. I belted
the thing out like I'd just won a gold medal and as 3pm hit I was
unquestionably ready for another chapter in the West Ham saga.

The stadium looked just about full as we kicked off shooting towards the
Trevor Brooking Stand where the Villa fans were in good voice on an
extremely hot day in East London.

The opening stages of the game saw Villa looking slightly the better side
and it was clear that we were going to take a little while to settle.
As the game began to get a little more physical the referee Mike Dean bore
the brunt of the home fans frustrations as he was letting a lot go as
Matthew Taylor looked to have been clearly fouled but nothing was given.

If there was ever a moment which epitomised James Collins it came around 20
minutes into the match when a shot from El Ahmadi was brilliantly charged
down and then Collins rushed out to block the follow up shot from Stephen
Ireland.

A ball forward from Reid saw Taylor latch onto the ball but was brought
down. The resulting free kick into the area by Noble was poor and straight
into the hands of Villa keeper Shay Given.

We were beginning to realise that we needed to work a little harder when
Villa had the ball and you could see that we were starting to close them
down quicker which forced them into more misplaced passes.

Nothing was really falling for Carlton Cole and he was engrossed in a
physical battle with Villa's Ron Vlaar. Cole was on the ground quite a bit
and at first the referee didn't want to know but then the free kicks began
to come.

Cole won a free kick a few yards outside the area which Noble rolled to
Kevin Nolan who smashed his shot low but wide. If this was on target it
would have flew past the keeper in what was our first good chance of the
game.

Diame was starting to really impress with his ability to win the ball and
drive forward. One of these bursts saw him taken out unceremoniously by
Villa's Ciaran Clarke which saw the defender booked.

From this free kick we would opening the scoring.
Noble saw his free kick drifted into the area as Collins went up with the
defender, flicked the ball on to Vaz Te who crossed for Kevin Nolan to steer
the ball into the back of the net.

I saw the linesman's flag go up straight away when Vaz Te had received the
ball and did not even bother to celebrate. But the referee Mike Dean was
adamant that it was a goal, went over to the linesman to have a quick word
and indicated that the goal had indeed been awarded.

Replays show that the flick on was actually by a Villa player which is why
Vaz Te could not have been offside.

I don't think there would have been too many complaints if the goal had been
ruled out as it was quite difficult to see but the call from referee was
spot on and in the rules of the game the goal was absolutely legitimate
which in fairness to Villa manager Paul Lambert he freely admitted after the
game and had no complaints.

We saw the final five minutes of the half out and went in at half time a
goal to the good.

Second Half

We began the half well, forcing a couple of corners but both amounted to
little despite our physical presence in the area with Reid, Collins, Cole
and Diame.

Three minutes into the second half and we should have had a penalty. From
where I was sitting it looked a clear foul as a ball clipped towards Cole
saw Vlaar push him in the back. The West Ham crowd appealed as did the
players but nothing was given.

People will complain that Cole goes down to easily but that was a push, and
that was a penalty. A poor decision from Mike Dean not to award it.

Diame won the ball back after losing it and saw a shot go wide but it was a
bit more of an indication of what Diame is all about and he was very
impressive.

A wonderful piece of skill from Vaz Te on the right saw him nutmeg the Villa
player Barker and race into the area. He probably held onto the ball a bit
too long but his cross did find Kevin Nolan who saw his low shot cleared off
the line as Villa in their ugly Lime colour kits had put up a wall of
players on the line to stop the ball.

The visitors were not doing too much in the way of creating chances and I
felt confident that we would be able to see this out as simply Villa had not
probably tested Jaaskelainen all day long.

Our first substitution of the game came when Joey O'Brien replaced George
McCartney at left back. I can only presume McCartney had picked up a knock.

A few minutes later we made another sub with captain and goal scorer Kevin
Nolan coming off and being replaced by James Tomkins.

With 15 minutes remaining Villa began to get desperate with Ron Vlaar
pushing forward from centre back to hit a 35 yard effort on goal which was
well struck but held well by Jaaskelainen.

A good chance came our way when a free kick was on the right hand side and
Taylor whipped in a delightful cross for Cole to meet the ball with a head
which he put wide when he should have at least hit the target.

That was to be the last involvement for Cole as he was replaced by Modibo
Maiga.

Four minutes of added time were announced which was odd but every time we
are leading by one goal there is always four minutes. Just watch how many
times this happens this season.

I was concerned that Villa would get that one golden chance to score but
instead it was us who created it and should have made it two.

Noble played a first time pass through to Maiga who showed great pace and
was through on goal, he looked composed, rounded the keeper but his finish
was cleared off the line by Clarke. He had done so well and was unlucky
although if this was Carlton Cole I wonder what the reaction would have
been?

Despite not scoring we were still able to see the remaining couple of
minutes out and secure the victory that we had worked hard to achieve.

It wasn't a rampant performance nor even that exciting but it was a win and
I reckon there will be a few more of these throughout the season and more
than many might expect.

Player Reviews

Jussi Jaaskelainen
A clean sheet on his debut will be pleasing for him as we begin life without
Robert Green. I have to say I expected Jaaskelainen to be called into action
a little more than he was. He barely had to do a thing other than a couple
of routine saves. The defence in front of him offered better protection than
a durex. 6

Guy Demel
A player many still have doubts about. I know he was prone to the odd
mistake last season but I was still impressed with him and in this game he
showed nothing to concern me or indicate that he may be out of his depth.
Time will of course tell. 7

James Collins
A great display from Collins who showed us all what he is all about. He may
have no pace and will get caught out by trickier forwards but he is gutsy,
solid, good in the air and will put his body on the line to make sure
nothing gets through. This was a fitting way to reintroduce yourself to the
West Ham faithful. 8

Winston Reid
I think we had all expected to see Tomkins line up alongside Collins but
Reid came and did very well. This time a couple of years ago he made his
debut against Aston Villa in a 3-0 drubbing at Villa Park where he was
dreadful. He has come on leaps and bounds and he is showing us that he can
step up. 7

George McCartney
Like Demel he has been questioned on whether he is good enough for the
Premiership but on this evidence he shows that he is solid and dependable
than ever. I like McCartney, and he has certainly worked on his movement
going forward. He linked up well with Taylor on the left and just needs to
work on getting early crosses into the area. 7

Mark Noble
Sat very deep in the first half and for most of the second until Tomkins
came on. His ability to switch play helped us out a few times and when in
possession he was very rarely robbed of it. Not involved in the game enough
for my liking as we look better when he is able to take hold of a game. 6

Kevin Nolan
Another goal for Kevin Nolan really doesn't come as a surprise. The goal he
scored was typical of him and he is usually in the right place at the right
time. He was blowing out of his arse for most of the second half and I was
not too surprised to see him come off. His ability to get goals makes him
indispensable and he is one of the best goal scoring midfielders in the
league. 6

Mohammed Diame
An exceptional display from Diame who was my man of the match. Strong in the
tackle, difficult to get the ball from, full of energy and just what we will
require this season from our midfield. 8

Matthew Taylor
Needed to be a little stronger when going up against the opposition players
and he seemed to look as though he was going to lose the ball the moment he
received it. He was closed down well and prevented from putting in those
important crosses which is something Villa had obviously worked on. 6

Ricardo Vaz Te
In an out of the game and we will want him to be more involved throughout
the entire 90 minutes. He can make things happen out of nothing and a lovely
piece of skill in the second half showed us just what he can do. He will
also come out of this game with an assist which I would think he will have a
lot of come the end of this campaign. 6

Carlton Cole
An indication of just how tough the season will be for Cole was evident in
this game as he was in a battle with Villa's Ron Vlaar for just about the
entire time he was on the pitch. Cole kept going, won a number of free
kicks, should have done better with a chance in the second half and should
have also had a penalty. Workman like display without any guile or real
quality. 6

Subs Used

Joey O'Brien (on for McCartney 71 mins)
In an unfamiliar left back role he had little trouble adapting to this and
looked reasonable comfortable.

James Tomkins (On for Nolan 73 mins)
Did well in the defensive midfield role and was winning header after header.
As time wore on Villa tried to pump balls into the area but with Reid,
Collins and now Tomkins this was futile.

Modibo Maiga (On for Cole 81 mins)
Showed how fast he is with that chance in stoppage time and he looked
composed until his finish which although was good defending his reaction to
the miss said it all as he knew he should have finished it. Promising signs
though.

Subs Not Used: Henderson, Diarra, O'Neil, Maynard

Bookings: Villa – Clark

Scorers: Nolan (40 mins)

Man Of The Match: Mohammed Diame

Aston Villa:Given, Baker, Vlaar, Clark, Lowton, El Ahmadi, Delph,Ireland,
N'Zogboa, Holman, Bent
Subs: Guzan, Lichaj, Herd, Gardner, Bannan, Weimann, Burke

Ref: Mike Dean, 6

Attendance: 34,172

Overall


Many of us looked at the opening fixtures and saw an opportunity to get some
points on the board.

The home form is obviously going to be the indicator into how well (or not)
we can do this season this result against a pretty average Aston Villa side
is just what we needed.

It took us a while to get into the game but when you are playing a side who
look as though they have no idea what to do in the final third it gave us
time to settle.

We didn't create enough chances for my liking but then on the flip side we
took one of the few that we actually had. There was not much in the game but
under Sam Allardyce I kind of expect us to get over the line in close
encounters such as this.

A couple more signings before the transfer window shuts would be helpful and
if one of these is to be Matt Jarvis it is difficult to deny that it would
be an improvement on what we currently have.

Whilst people may baulk at the price tag for such a player, in the scheme of
things looking at how much other players go for then Jarvis is probably
worth the money being touted.

Next Game – Swansea City (a) Saturday 25th August 12.45pm Kick Off

The last time we played Swansea City in a league game was back in 1983 at
the Vetch Field in a 5-1 victory with Alan Devonshire, Geoff Pike (2) and
Alan Dickens (2) getting the goals. How we would love to repeat such a score
line against a side who have just put five past QPR at Loftus Road with
Robert Green having a bit of a nightmare.

Our away form was excellent last season and I am sure we will set ourselves
up and be hard to break down. Whether we have the quality to hurt them is
what is going to be interesting and I am looking very forward to watching
the contrast of styles.


The View From Allardyce

"It was a pretty low-key start due to two things - Villa were just intent on
keeping the ball and not really going anywhere with it and the weather. It
was so hot that it made it difficult to continue the sort of pressure that
you would do if it was a much cooler day.

"We had to be patient and then we built our way into the game and grew into
the game, if you like, and once we started we finding a quality of pass then
we started putting pressure on Aston Villa from corners, free-kicks and
final-third entries."

"In the end, they cracked and the referee made a huge decision for us -
which was the right decision - by not allowing the goal to be scrubbed out
for offside. The ball came off the Villa defender and not a West Ham player.
The linesman had flagged and the referee ignored that flag and gave the
goal, which was the right decision.

"We got better as the second half went on and started getting more of the
ball and started probing Aston Villa and we created some good opportunities.
Coley should have had a penalty after half-time, Kevin Nolan had a shot
inside the box and then cool-hand Maiga rounded the goalkeeper with ease and
we all thought he would put it into the net for 2-0 but up popped the Villa
defender to block it which was a great shame.

"It's a great day for us and a great result and one that we fully deserved."

"There was actually more energy expended than in a normal game. Because of
the drain of fluid and the heat, the body starts shutting down more quickly
than it normally would. The players lost three or four kilos during the
game, even though they were topping up on fluids before, during and
afterwards.

"It shows the extent of the energy they had to expend to win the game and in
the end our fitness told. We looked a little fitter than Aston Villa and saw
the game out better and could have won it by more in the end."

Finally, Big Sam was happy with the contributions of his goalkeeper and
defenders, who kept a clean sheet on the back of outstanding displays from
Man of the Match James Collins and WInston Reid.

"There was some good solid defending. A goalscorer with a great reputation
in Darren Bent was snuffed out of the game by Winston and James effectively
well. It didn't matter how well people were playing because if you let Bent
have a chance he'll score at any stage - they didn't even give him a chance
to day.

"They gave us the perfect platform from which to win this game."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Adam Johnson Up for Grabs and Might Sam Baldock Be the Key to a Deal for
Matt Jarvis?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

Man City have confirmed that they will listen to offers for Adam Johnson.
The richly gifted winger is apparently surplus to requirements and there
seems to be a recognition by City that the players needs regular football,
something that is increasingly unlikely at his current club. A number of PL
clubs are bound to interested, including West Ham Utd FC! Personally, I feel
that Johnson is the type of player that we need to inject that extra bit of
class in to the squad. He is pacy, highly skillful and can play on either
flank. Indeed, Johnson could be the perfect alternative to Matt Jarvis, if
Wolves continue to refuse to agree a deal.

With regard to Matt Jarvis, West Ham have reportedly had three bids
rebuffed. The rumour is that we could go back in with a fourth and final bid
this week. Another interesting aspect to this story is that Wolves allegedly
have a keen interest in signing Sam Baldock! Could it be that the inclusion
of Baldock as a makeweight might be the decisive factor that facilitates a
deal for Jarvis? On one level, It would be a shame if Baldock left after
only one season at the club. Baldock has potential, but my only reservation
is that he appears too lightweight. If he could increase his upper body
strength then we could just make the grade as a PL striker. However, he
seems to have fallen out of favour and rather than stagnate in the
Development Squad there is obviously an argument for sacrificing him to
bring Jarvis to the club. We could live to regret it, but Sam Allardyce is a
good judge of a player and the alternative scenario is that he does not have
what it takes to make it at this level. If we do want a deal for Jarvis then
we need to move quickly, because Everton are also now showing an interest.
And they have the £15m burning a hole in their pockets from the sale of
Rodwell to Man City!

Yesterday, was a very good and disciplined performance by the Hammers. We
looked well organised and solid at the back. Collins was dominant at centre
back (Ivan Ramis who?) and Diame looked a dynamo in the middle of the park.
What is clear about Diame is that he is not just a 'win the ball and pass
it' defensive midfielder, he obviously also has a great deal of ability on
the ball. In particular, he made a number of powerful, surging runs forward
that really caught the eye. Guy Demel also showed what he is all about with
a solid defensive display at right-back. There should also be a mention in
despatches for Vaz Te, who showed some clever touches, McCartney who was
solid as ever defensively and supported the attack well and Kevin Nolan, who
scored a typically opportunistic goal from midfield. But overall, it was a
good team performance and everyone gave 100% to get the season off to a
winning start.

I found our organisation and defensive solidarity particularly encouraging
because it gives us a solid base from which to move forward. We can work on
our midfield and forward play and hopefully bring in some extra class before
the window closes, but a tight defence is a priceless starting point. The
other defining feature of the match was the way in which Allardyce set us up
to deal with Villa's main threats, N'zogbia and Bent. If those two are given
too much room they can hurt you severely, as we well know from previous
seasons! Yet, we contained N'zogbia, ensuring that two players challenged
him every time he got the ball; while Bent was not only given no room on the
ball, but we also crucially cut off the supply to him. Here was a defensive
plan very well executed. Indeed, although Villa had a lot of the ball and
passed it around, a good deal of it was in their own half, where they could
do us no harm. The very fact that they were mostly passing square and had
difficulties playing through us, illustrates the fact that West Ham
defensive set up effectively neutralised their attacking options.

Going forward, we did play too many high aimless high balls forward. We need
to be intelligent and vary in our play, playing it long at times, passing
through midfield on others. Hopefully, as this team gels our approach will
settle and our midfielders will start putting their foot on the ball and
playing it. Mark Noble did an awful lot of hard work yesterday, but in
future matches he needs to dictate play ore and add creative input. This is
especially true now that we have Diame and Diarra in the squad to anchor the
midfield. Matt Taylor is a very good squad player and he has a role to play
this season, but what we need to add some more speed, skill and creativity
on the flanks. Which brings us back to the possibility of adding Johnson or
Jarvis to the squad.

The other point about too many aimless high balls forward is that it does
not necessarily play to Carlton Cole's strongest suit. He is better
receiving the ball on the ground and using his strength and skill to disrupt
opposition defences. I thought Vaz Te contributed some wonderful play on the
right flank, some real skill to get behind the Villa defence. There can be
little doubt that Vaz Te can excel at this level and play on the right of a
front three. But there will be occasions, this season, when Allardyce will
want to push Vaz Te inside to play as a conventional second striker, perhaps
in a 4-4-2. Finally, Maiga looked promising when he came on and was very
unlucky not to score with that late chance. He did everything right, but was
frustrated by some 'last ditch' Villa covering play on the line. Sam
Allardyce obviously rates Maiga and has stated that he can become one of the
best finishers in the PL. Lets hope that he is right!

And so we head to Swansea with a solid performance, and a win, under our
belts. This will be a test of the organisation and discipline of the team.
Swansea are a team playing with real confidence, as demonstrated by their
0-5 away demolition of QPR. If we get a result in this match it will be
another positive indicator that we are on the right track. No doubt we will
see Sam Allardyce set up to replicate the successfull away displays last
season. Playing it solid and hitting the opposition with sharp
counter-attacks and via our height and strength at set pieces. What will be
really interesting is whether Allardyce will use Diame and Diara in a
4-2-3-1 formation? My guess is that he will deploy that formation in some
away matches this season, particularly against the the top four sides.
Playing away at Swansea, he is more likely to go with the one midfield
anchor.

So, it's a positive start, now we need to build upon it. I said in a recent
blog post that West Ham will be no 'soft touch' this season and the Villa
display sent out a clear message of intent to the rest of the PL. It is
admittedly still very early days, but so far so good!

SJ. Chandos

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sport Football News West Ham United FC
By Neil McLeman Comments 19 Aug 2012 22:30
Owe yes we do! West Ham still have 'eight-figure' debt from Tevez pantomime
The Mirror

Hammers owner confesses that the club owes big balance of compensation to
Sheffield United over illegal registration of Argentine...

David Sullivan has revealed West Ham still owe more than £10million to
Sheffield United over the 'Carlos Tevez affair'. The Hammers have made eight
signings this summer and manager Sam Allardyce said he is still looking for
"two or three" new players before the window shuts. But co-owner Sullivan
said the Upton Park club's transfer activity has been restricted by the
compensation due over the illegal registration of Tevez back in 2006/07.
"We've done some good business and brought in some real quality despite our
still-limited resources," he said. "We have an eight-figure sum still
outstanding over the Tevez affair, even though we have been paying it down
over the past two years. "That amount has to be paid off over the next 12
months, which does take its toll on our transfer activity."

West Ham were initially fined £5.5m by the Premier League over Tevez and
then agreed a £26.5m out-of-court settlement with the Blades in March 2009.
The Hammers, who hope to secure a move to the Olympic Stadium in the next
six weeks, still carry a total debt of £80-90m, including £5m to cover
ticket income that was sold in advance.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Iron heart: Collins gets his revenge over Villa to give Big Sam perfect
start
The Mirror

James Collins plays Total Football the Sam Allardyce way. Totally committed
to winning every challenge and every match back in the Premier League. And
the returning centre-back totally deserved this victory and a little
personal revenge against his former club Villa still struggling with Paul
Lambert's Dutch-style revolution. The Wales defender was sold by then
Hammers boss ­Gianfranco Zola in 2009 to bring in flash forward Alessandro
Diamanti. And then Lambert decided not to offer the 28-year-old a new deal
this summer as he brought in three players from the land of the Clockwork
Orange. But while Villa need more time, no-nonsense Collins hit every high
ball running yesterday in a typically robust display just two weeks after
leaving Villa Park. "It was strange," he admitted. "One minute you are
playing with them and the next minute you are not. But as soon as I got out
on the pitch, I was just concentrating on getting three points for West Ham
and playing well. "I got a great reception. Obviously I've got a love for
the club from when I was previously here, when I left when I didn't really
want to. The club was struggling for money and sold me. "But I think the
West Ham fans knew I didn't want to go. So to come back to that reception –
and come back a better player – is great."

Villa opted to sell Collins for £2.5million with a year left on his deal.
"We had a tough couple of seasons and they were looking for a change and I
was looking for a change," he said. "So it was not going to be possible for
me to stay and as soon as West Ham came in it was a no-brainer." Allardyce
compared his captain Kevin Nolan to David Platt for his finishing ability
after his 40th-minute winner which saw both managers praise Mike Riley.
Linesman Simon Long flagged for offside in the build-up but the FIFA
­official correctly ruled Ricardo Vaz Te had been played on by Ciaran Clark.
Villa actually enjoyed more possession but failed to find their own player
with 10 crosses – and provided Darren Bent with only three touches all game.
Lambert admitted his side were missing the injured Gabriel Agbonlahor as
Bent was left isolated. "We have got to give him [Bent] service, because I
thought we had a lot of the ball, especially in the first half-hour," said
the Villa boss. "Losing Agbonlahor is a blow. His strength and pace is a
major plus."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce hails 'new Platt' after Nolan hammers home
West Ham 1 Villa 0
ALEX LOWE MONDAY 20 AUGUST 2012
The Independent.co.uk

Kevin Nolan was compared to the former England midfielder David Platt by
manager Sam Allardyce following the captain's decisive goal in West Ham's
1-0 victory over Aston Villa. The 30-year-old was presented with a simple
finish by Ricardo Vaz Te, but what impressed Allardyce was his ability to
"ghost into the box".
"I have never heard the gaffer say that about me before but it is a
compliment, obviously, as David was a great goalscorer throughout his
career," Nolan said. "I haven't modelled myself on him I must admit but I
wouldn't mind his record of goalscoring when I eventually finish." Nolan's
goal came with a hint of controversy, with Aston Villa convinced Vaz Te had
been offside when Mark Noble's free-kick fell to him. Assistant referee
Simon Long initially raised his flag but then changed his mind and Villa's
manager, Paul Lambert, accepted that it had been the right decision in the
end. For Villa, Darren Bent was never a threat as the Hammers centre-back
James Collins shone against the club he had left just a fortnight ago. "It's
been a very, very good day for us because we won our first game of the
season," Allardyce said. "A good start is so important to a team such as us,
because it helps secure your Premier position as early as possible."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Payback time over Tevez saga still hurting Hammers in transfer market
By SAMI MOKBEL
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 19 August 2012 | UPDATED: 22:30, 19 August 2012
Daily Mail

West Ham's summer transfer business is being hampered by a £10million debt
still owed to Sheffield United as part of the Carlos Tevez saga. The
Hammers settled an out-of-court compensation package — understood to be in
the region of £24million — with the Yorkshire club over fielding Tevez
ineligibly, something the Blades successfully argued cost them their Premier
League status in 2007. Tevez scored six goals during the 2006-07 season,
including a decisive winner against Manchester United on the final day of
the season which effectively condemned Sheffield United to relegation in
place of the Hammers. West Ham have been paying the fee to the Bramall Lane
club in instalments and owe another £10m in two payments over the next 12
months.

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan said in his programme notes ahead of
Saturday's win over Aston Villa that the financial burden is having a
massive impact on Sam Allardyce's transfer kitty. He wrote: 'We've done some
good business and brought in some real quality despite our still-limited
resources. 'We have an eight-figure sum still outstanding over the Tevez
affair, even though we have been paying it down over the past two years.
'That amount has to be paid off over the next 12 months, which does take its
toll on our transfer activity.'

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham take heart from Collins on strong opening day for Allardyce's men
By SAMI MOKBEL
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 19 August 2012 | UPDATED: 22:30, 19 August 2012
Daily Mail

James Collins left Upton Park after his second West Ham debut with his right
ankle strapped up. 'It's fine, just wear and tear... like every game,' said
the Welshman. That will be music to manager Sam Allardyce's ears after
Collins' brilliant display in the heart of the West Ham defence on Saturday.
If Hammers supporters had forgotten exactly what Collins is all about, then
it would not have taken them long to remember during the opening day 1-0 win
over Aston Villa.

What they need in the window...
West Ham: More creativity in midfield. Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble and Mohamed
Diame were all solid performers but they need a spark. Would the Wolves
winger Matt Jarvis provide it?
Aston Villa: More potency in the attacking third. Paul Lambert's new team
saw plenty of the ball in the early stages of this game but created almost
nothing.

The 28-year-old was magnificent: headers, last-ditch blocks and well-timed
interceptions galore. 'Obviously, I've got love for West Ham from when I was
previously here — when I left I didn't really want to,' said Collins, who
went to Villa in 2009. 'The club were struggling for money and sold me. But
I think the West Ham fans knew I didn't want to go. So to come back, and
come back a better player I think, is great.' Given that Collins left Villa
on August 1, Allardyce is likely to have tapped into his knowledge when
perfecting Saturday's game plan. But as the central defender admits, there
was a degree of apprehension about facing his former club so soon after his
exit. 'I'm not sure me knowing Villa so well helped me personally because
obviously you don't want to make a horrendous mistake against your old
club,' said Collins. 'On the other hand, I do have an insight into their
team which could have helped. It was always going to be a strange one for
me. The start of my second spell at the club and playing against boys I left
two weeks ago, it was strange in the lead-up to the game. 'One minute you
are playing with them and the next minute you are not. I still speak to a
lot of the Villa boys on the phone because it was only two weeks ago that I
left. 'But as soon as I got out on the pitch, I was just concentrating on
getting three points for West Ham and playing well.

'Was there any thought of me staying at Villa? I don't think it was there
for me to say, if I'm honest. 'We had a tough couple of seasons and Villa
were looking for a change and I was looking for a change. 'So it was never
going to be possible for me to stay, not for any other reason than there was
no contract offered to me. So as soon as West Ham came in it was a
no-brainer.' Collins was key in stemming an eye-catching early Villa tide as
Paul Lambert's side threatened to overrun West Ham. Despite the first-day
defeat, the new passing style under Lambert offers cause for optimism at
Villa Park. 'We have got to give Darren Bent more service, because I thought
we had a lot of the ball, especially in the first half-hour,' said Lambert.
'I thought we knocked it about really well and started well. But we never
worked the ball and we had to try to create. When we had that ball, we have
to try to be more penetrative. 'My players are footballers. I don't have
anybody who just kicks the ball up the pitch. We try to play the right way,
I don't want to see the ball just smacked up long. If we can pass, we must
pass.' In contrast, Collins added: 'We knew that Villa would pass the ball,
I played a couple of games for them out in America and that's his
philosophy: to pass the ball. 'I don't mean to be disrespectful, but as much
as they passed it, they didn't get near the goal.'

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