Daily WHUFC News - 7th October 2012

Big Sam rues missed chances
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce believes his side had the opportunities to gain a positive
result from Saturday's 3-1 defeat by Arsenal
06.10.2012

Sam Allardyce said a lack of quality finishing was the only reason his West
Ham United side did not achieve a positive result against Arsenal. The
Hammers pushed the Gunners all the way in Saturday's Barclays Premier League
derby at the Boleyn Ground, taking the lead through Mohamed Diame's
first-half special, only for two goals in the final 13 minutes to see
Arsenal run out 3-1 winners. While the visitors controlled possession for
the most part in the early stages, West Ham were organised and resolute.
Their reward came on 21 minutes when Diame spun, beat Aaron Ramsey and shot
high into Vito Mannone's top right-hand corner to send the Boleyn Ground
wild. Arsenal probed for an opening, but it took a loose pass from
goalscorer Diame to allow Lukas Podolski the time and space to cross for
Olivier Giroud, who converted his first Premier League goal with an
expertly-taken volley four minutes before half-time. Even then, Kevin Nolan
came within a yard or two of putting his side back in front just before the
break. West Ham started the better after the interval, overcoming the loss
of Ricardo Vaz Te to a dislocated shoulder and Guy Demel to a thigh injury
to create another fine chance, only for Andy Carroll to head Matt Jarvis's
cross just wide of the gaping net. Arsenal's second goal also came from a
turnover of possession. When Diame's cross was blocked, the Gunners raced 80
yards upfield before substitute Theo Walcott slotted calmly past Jussi
Jaaskelainen. After Nolan had shot uncharacteristically over from 14 yards,
Spain midfielder Santi Cazorla rubbed salt into the West Ham wounds,
collecting a loose ball before lashing an unstoppable drive high into
Jaaskelainen's goal.
When asked if the final scoreline had been harsh on his side, Big Sam
pointed to Arsenal's greater quality in front of goal as the main reason for
their victory.
"It was probably harsh, but that's Arsenal for you - if you don't take
advantage of your chances when you get them then they will punish you and
they certainly punished us towards the end of the game," said the manager.
"Obviously the disappointing thing from our point of view was actually
getting our noses in front and finally ending up losing at home. It was a
great team we were playing against and we've experienced how difficult it is
to play against the likes of Arsenal, which is something we need to remember
when we come across the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Newcastle and
Tottenham. "We did really, really well and, of course, needed to finish the
chances when we got them. We did with the first one - Mo's goal was
brilliant - but then there was one just before half-time when Kevin couldn't
quite dig it out from Mark Noble's free-kick, and then in the second half
Kevin has had two golden chances. "The first one he has either got to just
hit it or square it for Matt Jarvis, but instead he decided to come in on
his left foot and lost it. That was a brilliant chance against an Arsenal
team playing so well. Kevin also had a shot with his left foot from the edge
of the box and he normally doesn't miss those, as we know. "Then Andy has
had his header. The 'keeper has come and thought he could catch it and Andy
has outjumped him and won the header and the goal was open and free and
unfortunately the ball dropped the wrong side of the post. We'll look back
at those and think that, at one-one, that would have put us in front."

Aside from the lack of clinical finishing, Big Sam also lamented the nature
of Walcott's goal, which stemmed from a Diame cross that was cut out inside
the Arsenal penalty area. "Mo has done ever so well to wriggle his way down
the left-hand side but then he hasn't picked the right pass out and his
cross has hit an Arsenal player. They played one pass forward and within
five seconds Walcott has put the ball in our net. That was a real killer for
us. "I don't think there was anything we could do about the third goal.
Cazorla has hit a brilliant strike. "We will be disappointed with how we've
lost it but they are a very good team and we've tried our best. The good
thing is that we've created some reallty good chances against a very good
team but we didn't take them. It was critical at the stage of the game
because it would have put us back in front. "I was really pleased with the
fantastic goal we did score but disappointed there was nothing at the end of
it."

Extra disappointment came in the shape of injuries to Vaz Te, Demel and
Winston Reid. "I don't think we'll have them back in two weeks - I think
they'll be out for a little bit longer than that by the looks of their
injuries. Certainly Ricardo is a big blow because it ilooks like a
dislocated shoulder and that's anything from eight to twelve weeks. "I think
Guy Demel has pulled a thigh muscle and that could be four weeks and Winston
Reid had a back spasm and we couldn't bring him off because we'd used all of
our substitutes and had nobody else to bring on. With eleven points
collected from seven matches and a winnable home game against Southampton up
next on 20 October, it is not all doom and gloom in east London as summer
makes way for autumn. "There is cause for optimism because we have started
the season very well. It was a disappointing result on Saturday but not a
disappointing performance. We've only put in one poor performance in seven
league games and that was at Swansea. "We can't linger on this
disappointment. We have to get back to winning ways in two weeks' time. That
will be the big test for us now - can we bounce back after a defeat and can
we beat Southampton and make sure we get three points on the board again."

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Nolan grabs SBOBET award
WHUFC.com
Kevin Nolan has been named the SBOBET Player of the Month for September
06.10.2012

Congratulations are in order for captain Kevin Nolan after being voted
September's SBOBET Player of the Month with 29.9% of the vote. Nolan, who
was also awarded the same accolade for his performances in August, has
continued to inspire the Hammers as they picked up eleven points from six
games. He collected his award before kick-off against Arsenal. September
began in style for the former Newcastle United man as he opened the scoring
within a minute in the 3-0 Barclays Premier League win over Fulham. His form
continued as the Hammers secured two draws, first away at Norwich City and
then at home against Sunderland. Nolan once again came to the rescue against
the Black Cats, volleying home past Simon Mignolet in the 90th minute after
being thwarted by the Belgian stopper on more than one occasion. Momo Diame
was September's runner up. The combative midfielder has been in impressive
form, providing cover for the defence as well as driving forward in a host
of energetic performances. Winston Reid was the third with 19.5% of the
vote, with Mark Noble a close fourth on 19.1% of the vote. Jussi
Jaaskelainen and Guy Demel wrapped up the voting.

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Lletget feeling at home
WHUFC.com
Sebastian Lletget believes the togetherness within the Dev Squad is the key
to their recent success
06.10.2012

Sebastian Lletget believes that making the jump from United States 'soccer'
to English football earlier than most has allowed him to progress into a
much better player. The United States Under-23 international has become an
integral part of the Development Squad's success this season and he feels he
has the club to thank. Lletget has reaped the rewards of the hard work of
the Academy staff that have aided his development into what he calls 'a
pretty good footballer'. "Coming over from the US earlier than most has
definitely helped my development, the club has made me into a pretty good
player and hopefully I will continue to improve. "I have everyone here at
the club to thank for this, the coaches, the Academy and now of course our
[Development Squad] manager Ian Hendon, he has transformed a group of good
players into a great team."

The American also believes that the togetherness within the camp is brining
positives to performances, Blair Turgott and Rob Hall have already played
together for over a decade and Lletget states understandings like theirs
provides a massive boost. "I think that it is a massive help, I have been at
the club for around five years and have known a lot of the team since then,
we have all come through the ranks together. "It is especially important now
we our hitting the peak of our youth, we are on the edge of the first team
and the understanding of how we play is showing now more than ever."

Hall was once again on the scoresheet against Norwich CIty last weekend and
Lletget praised the striker's attitude and impact, whilst also hailing his
midfield partner George Moncur. "Rob will often get the limelight and it is
thoroughly deserved. He has been excellent this season, not just for us but
also in the first team. He is a very hard worker. "My midfield partner Monkz
is another player who I also have great respect for. He is great to play
with and we have established a good telepathic connection over the past few
years both on and off the ball."

Friday's win against the Canaries secured the Development Squad's first
clean sheet of the season, Hendon has been critical of his team's defensive
play in previous weeks, but Lletget feels confidence will now soar. He
added that he believes that the reasons behind this new defensive solidity
is focus, anticipation and hard work, with Hendon and his coaching staff
putting the impetus on building from the back. "It is very important to get
our first clean sheet, we have a great squad and I think if we keep
performing well and winning games that our confidence will get higher and
higher. "Our chemistry is also excellent and it will only continue to grow
if we keep winning games, hopefully we can keep doing that and qualify for
the Elite League."

"I think we prepared very well for the game against Norwich, defensively we
worked very hard in training and during the game I think it showed, it's
great to secure our first clean sheet. "We analysed the video from previous
games to see what we could improve upon and our anticipation ahead of the
game was very good."

Next up for the Development Squad is a trip to lowly Blackburn Rovers but
Lletget ensured that complacency will not become an issue. "I think that the
one thing we do very well is treat every opposition team the same whether it
be an Arsenal, a Manchester United or another team. "Obviously next week we
face Blackburn Rovers, we will do the same against them and treat them with
respect, hopefully we will keep playing well and get a win."

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Rovers edge out Under-18s
WHUFC.com
The Hammers fell to a 1-0 Barclays U18 Premier League defeat by Blackburn
Rovers at Little Heath
06.10.2012

Academy Director Tony Carr gave an honest assessment of West Ham United's
1-0 Barclays U18 Premier League defeat by Blackburn Rovers at Little Heath
on Saturday A tight game saw both sides struggle to gain a foothold long
enough to dominate proceedings, but West Ham were denied a positive results
by missing a succession of good chances. Blackburn then punished their hosts
by scoring the only goal of the game. Nana Boakye-Yiadom and Kieran Sadlier
both failed to take advantage of decent openings and Carr admitted the
Hammers' profligacy had cost them. "Unfortunately we lost 1-0," said Carr.
"The game was incredibly tight and it could have gone either way. We created
three very good chances before they took the lead but were unable to take
them. "Nana Boakye-Yiadom had two good chances, as did Kieran Sadlier, but
like so often happens in football they hit us on the break and got the goal
that mattered."

Carr also believes that the way in which the game was played did not help
his side, describing it as a 'dour' affair. "It was a dour game," he
continued. "Both teams didn't allow their opponents any space and the
players had very little time on the ball. "If I am being honest it wasn't
pretty to watch. The game lacked any kind of flair and we wasted a lot of
good opportunities, but I suppose at least we did create them."

The best chance of the game fell to Sadlier but the Republic of Ireland
forward, who has been in good form recently, failed to make it count, Carr
believes the Hammers taking the lead would have changed the outcome of the
game. "The best chance of the game fell to Kieran Sadlier. He went through
on goal one-on-one with the goalkeeper and he should have done better than
he did. "If we had taken that chance or one of others I think we would have
gone on to win the game but we didn't and we got punished."

Next up for the Under-18s is another home game against Bolton Wanderers.
Carr, coach Nick Haycock and the West Ham players will all be hoping for an
improvement. "For me the most worrying thing from the game was not the
defeat, but it was the fact we were not clinical enough in front of goal.
"We are always going to create chances because of the way we play but to not
take them was very disappointing. We lacked quality, coolness and composure
in front of goal."

Under-18s: Baxter, Alexander, Shaw, Harney, Onnariase, Miles (Bywater 70),
Makasi, Cullen (T.Tombides 45), Mavila (Nasha 75), Sadlier, Boakye-Yiadom

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Sam Allardyce reveals Ricardo Vaz Te suffers dislocated shoulder
BBC.co.uk

Sam Allardyce revealed West Ham striker Ricardo Vaz Te dislocated his
shoulder in the Hammers' 3-1 defeat by Arsenal. Vaz Te, 26, fell heavily
after colliding with Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone in the second half.
"Ricardo Vaz Te has a shoulder dislocation by looks of it so that's not so
good," said the West Ham boss. Guy Demel was also brought off with a thigh
strain, Winston Reid played on with a back spasm and Andy Carroll played 90
minutes on his full return.
Allardyce had used all of his substitutions by the time Reid suffered his
problem so was forced to leave the New Zealand international on. "Guy Demel
looks like a thigh strain and Winston Reid had a back spasm but we could not
bring him off, so that's a little worrying for us," said Allardyce. The
Hammers manager admitted he did not want to play Carroll for the full 90
minutes. The England international, 23, made his first start since suffering
a hamstring injury in West Ham's 3-0 win over Fulham in September, having
come off the bench in the Hammers' 2-1 win over QPR on Monday.

Allardyce had agreed with England manager Roy Hodgson that the striker would
not play the full game ahead of the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against
San Marino on Friday 12 October and Poland on Tuesday 16 October. But the
West Ham manager was forced to leave the former Newcastle forward on because
of West Ham's injury problems. Carroll had a great chance to score when the
game was level at 1-1 but he headed just wide and the Hammers boss believes
the 90 minutes will benefit him. He said: "Carroll is fine, I spoke to Roy
Hodgson this week. We didn't want him to do 90 minutes today but because of
the injuries we had to and it would have done him the world of good. "It's a
shame he didn't score, that one header dropped the wrong side of post.
Hopefully he will be fit for a long time now and be an asset to us."

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West Ham 1 Arsenal 3
6 October 2012
By Alistair Magowan
BBC Sport

Olivier Giroud scored his first Premier League goal for Arsenal as the
Gunners came from behind to beat West Ham. West Ham took the lead against
the run of play when Mohamed Diame beat Vito Mannone with a curling shot.
Giroud equalised before the break when he poked in Lukas Podolski's cross at
the near post. Kevin Nolan missed two chances for the hosts and was made to
pay when Theo Walcott came off the bench to make it 2-1 with Santi Cazorla
hitting a third.

Walcott, who replaced the disappointing Gervinho, helped the Gunners take
advantage in the last half hour as West Ham tired. But having been on top
for large parts of the game, it was no more than Arsene Wenger's team
deserved as they extended their unbeaten record against the Hammers to nine
games and moved to fifth in the Premier League table. Sam Allardyce's side
had to defend stoutly throughout the game but they came up against a
midfield again run by the impressive Cazorla. And their disappointment in
losing their first Premier League home game of the season was compounded by
an injury to forward Ricardo Vaz Te, who went off with a suspected
dislocated shoulder. Walcott and Cazorla's late goals in the space of six
minutes gave the scoreline added gloss as Andy Carroll caused concern in the
visitors' defence on the striker's first start since suffering a hamstring
injury.

But the result was the perfect response to the Gunners' defeat by Chelsea
last weekend and means that is the only league defeat of their season so
far. Carroll's value was also underlined when he spent much of the first 20
minutes bolstering the Hammers defence as Arsenal wasted a number of
promising opportunities. Giroud almost scored in the first two minutes when
Jussi Jaaskelainen tipped his shot round the post and Carroll blocked the
French striker's goal-bound effort later in the first half. So when West
Ham's goal came on 21 minutes it was something of a surprise. Diame was fed
by George McCartney down the left and the Senegalese player skipped past
Aaron Ramsey before curling a delightful finish into the far corner for his
first Hammers goal. Referee Phil Dowd booked the midfielder for his
celebration and perhaps Diame was fortunate to stay on the field soon after
when he clattered Mikel Arteta.

Then, just as Carroll began to become more influential in the attacking
half, Diame had his pocket picked in midfield leading to the equaliser. The
ball was swept to Podolski on the left and Giroud burst to the near post to
tuck in the German's cross for a true poacher's goal. Having got themselves
back on level terms, Arsenal took time to warm to a similarly attacking
theme as the first period. By that stage, Carroll had almost made it 2-1 but
his header from a long diagonal ball was just wide with Mannone beaten to
the delivery, while Nolan wasted a great chance when clean through. As
Arsenal began to assert their authority on the game, Walcott latched onto
Giroud's through ball just 16 minutes after coming on to score his fourth
goal of the season with a precise near-post shot. Another chance fell to
Nolan, but he fired over from the edge of the penalty box, and that miss
proved costly once Cazorla smashed in Arsenal's third from 20 yards to cap a
superb individual performance. The only worry for Arsenal was with left-back
Kieran Gibbs, who left the field in the second half with what Wenger
described afterwards as a "thigh problem".

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Wenger on....West Ham
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 6th October 2012
By: Staff Writer No.2

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger discusses what he saw during his side's somewhat
flattering 3-1 win at the Boleyn...

Arsene are you still unsure whether Theo Walcott is a centre forward or not?

He's getting there. We're confident now that when he gets in front of goal
he will score now. he scored an important one today at the moment when the
game was a little bit 50-50. We weakened a bit physically in the second
half. It was a very important test for us today. We expected a difficult
game and we were not disappointed. It was a game with a lot of pace where
both teams went for it in different styles. It was a good test - mentally as
well because we were one-nil down from their first shot on goal but we came
back to win the game.

Olivier Giroud's goal came at a good time after going one nil down

It came at the right time and in similar situations he nearly scored against
Olympiakos on Wednesday night. he was good today - he had a physical
presence and scored a goal. That will help him a lot I think to adapt very
quickly.

Santi Corzola showed his class as well with a spectacular finish

He was, overall, a delight to watch from the first to the last minute. He
was very influential in our team and it was fantastic to watch him play.

How do you think you coped with Carroll?

Quite well. You can never control Carroll completely for 90 minutes. You
have to fight for him and be good on the second ball - the problem with west
ham is not only Carroll but also Nolan on the second ball in the box. We
could have been punished once or twice but overall we coped well with it. He
was really up for it Carroll I must say and he did fight absolutely from the
first to the last minute.

You had to put up with some pretty terrible abuse today

I don't listen to that.

It was kind of back to the bad old days

I don't want to talk about that stupidity. It's not my problem. It only
punishes people who talk stupidly.

That moves Arsenal up to 5th in the table. It's good to have some momentum
going into the international break

It was important for us to respond well after our game against Chelsea. We
won against Olympiakos on Wednesday night then had a different game three
days later. We knew today that a draw was not good enough for us. We went
for it. We could have lost it as well - I think maybe it was Nolan who had a
very good chance but we gave absolutely everything to win the game.

Arsene you seemed very unhappy with some of the decisions in the first half.
Was that the case?

We got a cheap yellow card for Gervinho. We got a penalty turned down for
Ramsey. We'll have to watch it again.

What's happening with Kieran Gibbs?

Gibbs has a thigh problem. He might be out for England.

Would you have expected him to get a chance maybe?

I believe that Cole and Baines are in front of him but it would have been a
good opportunity for him in training to show that he can get in front of
them.

There were shades today that your passing game was at its best. Was this
game a watershed for you to push on, to get into the top four and stay
there?

Look we started with a lot of questions raised about the team this season. I
believe that we've now played seven games and the belief is in the squad and
that we have a chance. Of course, it's now down to us to do it week after
week. The spirit is there, the quality is there. It's all about how
consistent we can be now.

Cay you talk for a second about the effect Steve Bould's had helping you
defensively?

That's very difficult I feel. When you look at us last year we did not
concede many goals from set pieces. He has done well but you cannot measure
what the coaches bring to the team. He is doing very well but we are united
as a staff team with Neil Banfiels, Boro Primorac and Steve Bould we do our
job. We'll see where we are at the end of the season.

Theo Walcott's made his position clear to you. He can't do anymore than he
did today, coming on and scoring like that

Yes that's what you want from the players. Theo has an outstanding attitude
and I don't rule anyone out. If I did I wouldn't bring him on in a crucial
moment of the game - I believe in him. I brought him on at 1-1 - Gervinho
was looking a bit tired and he made the difference. He scored the second
goal and that was the most important one.

He was obviously signed as a striker. Do you see that as his long-term
position?

Yes.

(long pause)

He could play with Carroll maybe (laughter).

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West Ham Utd 1 Arsenal 3
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 6th October 2012
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United fell to their first home Premier League defeat of the season
- but gave their opponents a run for their money in the process. Sam
Allardyce has won many famous victories over Arsene Wenger over the years
and when Mo Diame put United ahead midway through the first half it looked
as if yet another might be on the cards. But Olivier Giroud restored parity
shortly ahead of half time and two late goals - after West Ham's right side
had been decimated by injury - ensured all three points went to the
visitors. A win today for the Irons would have ensured the club's best top
flight start for nearly 30 years - and having looked all at sea initially
they took a deserved lead when Diame scored an absolute belter from out wide
have jinked his way into the penalty box.

After Kevin Nolan - usually so assured in and around the six yard box - had
missed a golden opportunity to double United's lead, Giroud converted Lucas
Podolski's centre to send the team's into the break on level terms.

Following the break, West Ham looked the stronger of the two teams but
injuries to the impressive Ricardo Vaz Te - a dislocated shoulder that could
keep him out of action until the New Year - and another to the equally
effective Guy Demel left United severely weakened on one side.

That gave the away side the impetus to push on and that's exactly what they
did 13 minutes from time when substitute Theo Walcott beat Jussi
Jaaskelainen at his near post at Arsenal countered.

Six minutes later and the visitors put the game beyond all reasonable doubt
when the excellent Santi Cazorla picked his spot from some 25 yards with
Jaaskelainen a passenger.

Despite the defeat West Ham could be proud of their efforts today with a
thoroughly engaging performance.

Andy Carroll, back in the starting line-up for the first time since his
debut led the line superbly and went close twice, once either side of the
break - firstly when forcing Vito Mannone to make a save from a corner and
then when he beat the 'keeper to the ball with his header narrowly missing
the target.

Although all in the camp will no doubt be disappointed with the defeat, that
impressive start gave the Hammers a comfortable cushion going into today's
fixture which meant defeat certainly wasn't the end of the world.

A two week international break now ensues before West Ham return to action
against Southampton - a game they will be hoping to win in order to continue
their good form that was temporarily halted by a strong Arsenal side.

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West Ham forward Ricardo Vaz Te could be out for 12 weeks with a dislocated
shoulder
Last Updated: October 6, 2012 8:45pm
SSN

West Ham forward Ricardo Vaz Te is facing up to 12 weeks on the sidelines
after suffering a dislocated shoulder in the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal. The
26-year-old had to be replaced by Matt Taylor just after the hour-mark after
falling awkwardly following a challenge with Arsenal goalkeeper Vito
Mannone. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce confirmed after the match that Vaz Te
would not be fit to return until after the international break and could be
out until the festive period. "No he won't be right, it will be six to 12
weeks depending," he said. "We can't get it back so he is going to have to
go to hospital to have an anaesthetic put in it to slot the shoulder back
into the socket. "The specialist will determine how long it will take to
sort that out so it is a bit of a shame, but we all suffer injuries and we
just have to make sure we use the squad we have got."

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Sam Allardyce stayed upbeat after West Ham's defeat by Arsenal
Last Updated: October 6, 2012 11:22pm
SSN

Sam Allardyce felt his injury-hit West Ham side showed plenty of spirit in
the 3-1 defeat by Arsenal at Upton Park. Mohamed Diame opened the scoring
for the Hammers, who lost Guy Demel and Ricardo Vaz Te through injury, but
the Gunners replied with goals from Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott and Santi
Cazorla.
The fit-again Andy Carroll was forced to play the whole match and Allardyce
felt his patched up team produced a creditable display. When asked about
Carroll, he said: "He is okay, he is fine. We didn't want to play him for 90
minutes because he has only just come back from that long spell injured and
hasn't played that much - but unfortunately our injury plight continued as
the game progressed. "It is a little worrying because we got injuries
against QPR and we got three more injuries today, Winston Reid was suffering
badly with sciatica but we had used all of our subs. "Guy Demel came off
with a thigh (injury) and Ricardo Vaz Te unfortunately with a dislocated
shoulder. "We are disappointed with the result and disappointed with those
injuries we have picked up, but I'm not disappointed with the lads'
application and performance. "We tried our best, it wasn't quite good
enough, but we are pleased with our performance and perhaps a little
disappointed that we didn't get a draw."

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Hammered! West Ham fan objects to Carroll's arrival after he beat up her
girlfriend
The Mirror
Julian Andrews

A furious West Ham fan has vowed to stay away from Upton Park while Andy
Carroll plays for her ­favourite team. The arrival on a season-long loan of
the £35million Liverpool striker was seen as a masterstroke by many Hammers
fans. But Claudine Wykes begs to differ. She's outraged that a club famed
for family values and a caring approach has recruited a man with a proven
record for beating up a girlfriend. Claudine, a PA from Grays, Essex, said:
"I have been a season ticket holder for 10 years and I have been going to
Upton Park for 30 years, so I am a loyal fan of West Ham. "But I object
strongly to Andy Carroll being at the club. "He is proven to have hit a
woman and I cannot support the team while he is at the club."

The England international, 23, paid Samantha Morrison £11,000 ­compensation
in November 2010 for ­injuries she received when she was struck by Carroll
outside a nightclub in Newcastle. He was also charged with assaulting
girlfriend Laurie Henderson that year but the charges were later dropped.
Claudine was so upset by Carroll's ­arrival that she contacted the club to
vent her feelings and ask for a refund. She said: "I have spoken to the club
about it but the only way I can get my money back is if someone else agrees
to buy my ticket. They will then give me the refund and send a bill to the
new ticket holders. "I don't think that is satisfactory. I would have
thought the club would have acted better than that. "It has a reputation as
a family club. Violence against women is a serious issue and I don't want a
player with Andy Carroll's record in the team."

West Ham have confirmed to Sunday Mirror Sport their refusal to give a
­direct refund. The club point out that the terms and conditions under which
Claudine bought her ticket state they are not bound to give any money back.
In line with other London clubs like Arsenal, Tottenham and Fulham, they
make refunds on specific grounds such as the ticket holder's death or their
inability to attend matches ­because of serious illness. They confirm that
Claudine can get her money back if she can find someone to buy her ticket.
They would then bill the new ticket holder and reimburse her. Claudine is
not content with that offer but a West Ham spokesman said: "We have abided
by the terms and ­conditions under which the season ticket was sold."

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 6th October 2012

Arsenal match preview
WHUFC.com
All the team news, statistics and records ahead of Saturday's London derby
with the Gunners
05.10.2012

WEST HAM UNITED V ARSENAL
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER 2012
KICK-OFF: 5.30pm
REFEREE: PHIL DOWD

FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
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John Bond
• There will be a minute's applause prior to kick-off in memory of West Ham
United legend John Bond. The full-back passed away on 25 September at the
age of 79. Born and raised just a few hundred yards from the Boleyn Ground,
Bond played 444 games for the Hammers, scoring 37 times. He won the Division
Two title in 1958 and lifted the FA Cup in 1964 before embarking on a
successful career in management.
Important travel information
• Supporters attending the game are reminded that due to engineering work
there is no direct c2c train service between Upminster and Barking on
Saturday. The London Underground District line will be restricted to
operating between Barking and West Ham between 2pm and 11pm only.
• Supporters travelling from Upminster will need to use the half-hourly c2c
shuttle service between Upminster and Grays, changing at Grays for trains to
Barking and West Ham
• Supporters from Basildon, Laindon and West Horndon should travel to Pitsea
and change for trains via Barking and West Ham.
• The District line is closed between Aldgate to Upminster all weekend (in
addition to the Hammersmith and City line being closed between King's Cross
to Barking). However, the District line closure will be reduced between 2pm
and 11pm (Aldgate East to West Ham) to allow West Ham and Arsenal supporters
to travel to Upton Park station. This means the line is operational through
West Ham between West Ham and Barking between 2pm and 11pm. Those
supporters travelling from Central London should use the Jubilee line to
West Ham and change for the District line.
• For the latest London Underground, DLR and bus travel updates and news
click here.
Introduction

• West Ham United host Arsenal still unbeaten at home in the Barclays
Premier League and on the back of their first away win of the season at
Queens Park Rangers on Monday night.
• Andy Carroll is expected to feature after returning from injury in that
2-1 win at Loftus Road. Yossi Benayoun could also feature against the club
where he spent last season on loan from Chelsea.
• The last meeting between the two sides came at the Boleyn Ground, but the
Hammers will be hoping for more luck this time out after suffering a 3-0
defeat in the 2010/11 season.
• West Ham United's last win over Arsenal came in the Premier League on 7
April 2007, Bobby Zamora scored on the stroke of half-time to give the
Hammers all three points as they became the first away team to win at the
Emirates Stadium. There have been nine meetings since then, with the Gunners
emerging victories on seven occasions and the other two ending in draws.
• Last time out at the Boleyn Ground in the Barclays Premier League it was
drama at the death as captain Kevin Nolan volleyed home a 90th-minute
equaliser against Sunderland. The Black Cates had gone in front after nine
minutes through Scotland striker Steven Fletcher.
• Arsenal suffered their first Barclays Premier League defeat at home to
Chelsea last weekend, losing 2-1.
• West Ham United v Arsenal is one of six Barclays Premier League matches
taking place on Saturday, the others being: (kick-off 3pm unless stated)
Chelsea v Norwich City, Manchester City v Sunderland (12.45pm), Swansea City
v Reading, West Bromwich Albion v Queens Park Rangers and Wigan Athletic v
Everton.

Last time out

Monday 1 October 2012
Barclays Premier League
Queens Park Rangers 1-2 West Ham United
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Collins, Reid (Tomkins 23), O'Brien
(McCartney 35), Noble, Diame, Nolan, Vaz Te, Jarvis, Cole (Carroll 72)
Subs not used: Henderson, Benayoun, O'Neil, Maiga
Goals: Jarvis 3, Vaz Te 35

Wednesday 3 October 2012
UEFA Champions League
Arsenal 3-1 Olympiakos
Arsenal: Mannone; Jenkinson, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs; Arteta, Santi
Cazorla, Coquelin; Oxlade-Chamberlain (Walcott 70), Gervinho (Giroud 79),
Podolski (Ramsey 79)
Subs not used: Shea, Santos, Djourou, Arshavin
Goals: Podolski 42, Gervinho 56, Ramsey 90


Previous meetings

• West Ham United's previous encounter with Arsenal came on Saturday 15
January 2011 and ended in a 3-0 defeat at the Boleyn Ground.
• Robin van Persie put in an outstanding performance, scoring two goals with
Theo Walcott adding another in between the Dutchman's brace. The first came
after 13 minutes when van Persie rifled in from Walcott's cross and the
combination switched one minute before the break as Arsenal took a 2-0 lead.
The Hammers continued to struggle with the attacking duo and Wayne Bridge
allowed Van Persie to complete the scoring from the spot after bringing down
Walcott in the box.
• The teams that day were:

West Ham United: Green, Tomkins, Upson, Spector, Faubert, Bridge (Nouble
89), Kovac, Noble (Boa Morte 20), Cole, Sears (Barrera 64), Hines

Arsenal: Szczesny, Koscielny, Djourou, Clichy, Eboue, Fabregas (Denilson
81), Nasri (Arshavin 88), Walcott (Gibbs 88), Song, Wilshere, Van Persie.


Background

• West Ham United have faced Arsenal 125 times in Premier League, Football
League and the domestic knockout competitions. The Hammers have won 33, the
Gunners have won 54 and there have been 38 draws.
• West Ham United's biggest win over Arsenal came on 7 March 1927 when a Vic
Watson hat-trick helped secure a 7-0 win for the Hammers at the Boleyn
Ground.
• West Ham United defeated Arsenal 8-2 in the first meeting between the two
clubs on Christmas Day 1915. Syd Puddefoot scored five times in the fixture,
which was played in the war-time London Combination principal tournament.
• Including war-time competitions, the Hammers have met the Gunners a
staggering 162 times, with West Ham United winning 48, Arsenal winning 71
and there being 43 draws.
• The third and most-recent time that West Ham United won the FA Cup was
against Arsenal, with the Hammers winning 1-0 at Wembley on 10 May 1980. The
1980 final is also the last time a team outside the top-flight has won the
competition.
• Five of West Ham United's first eight games against Arsenal were in the FA
Cup, with just three of the encounters coming in the league.
• The Hammers have won just once in their last ten meetings with the
Gunners, but prior this recent downturn in form they had won four in a row.
• The Hammers are still unbeaten at home in the Barclays Premier League,
having beaten Aston Villa (1-0) and Fulham (3-0) before drawing 1-1 with
Sunderland last time out at the Boleyn Ground.
• Arsenal have beaten West Ham United 4-0 three times at the Boleyn Ground
in the league - in Division One on 5 October 1925 and 2 March 1963 and in
the Premier League on 6 February 1999.
• West Ham United became the final visiting team to win at Arsenal's old
Highbury home when they chalked up a 3-2 Premier League success on 1
February 2006.
• The Hammers then became the first away side to win to win at Emirates
Stadium, recording a memorable 1-0 Premier League win on 7 April 2007.
• West Ham United midfielder Mohamed Diame and Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby
were team-mates at the famous Clairefontaine Academy near Paris as
youngsters.
• A number of West Ham United and Arsenal players have appeared together for
other clubs, including Modibo Maiga and Gervinho (Le Mans), Guy Demel and
Tomas Rosicky (Borussia Dortmund) and Alou Diarra and Marouane Chamakh
(Girondins de Bordeaux).
• Former West Ham United winger Pat Holland was appointed as head coach of
Arsenal's Under-18 side in the summer of 2012.
• Twenty players have made their West Ham United debuts against Arsenal.
Harry Hodges was the first in a 4-1 Division One defeat at Highbury on 10
September 1923, with Wayne Bridge the most recent in a 3-0 home Barclays
Premier League defeat on 15 January 2011.
• Ron Cater, Almeric Hall and Ken Bainbridge all made their Hammers' bows in
a 6-0 FA Cup third-round first-leg victory over Arsenal at the Boleyn Ground
on 5 January 1946. Hall scored twice and Bainbridge once.
• Ray Houghton made his one and only West Ham United appearance as a
substitute in a 2-0 Division One defeat at Arsenal on 1 May 1982.
• Steve Jones made his second West Ham United 'debut' in a 2-0 Premier
League defeat at Arsenal on 17 August 1996.
• The other players to have made their West Ham United debuts against
Arsenal include John Morton (March 1932), Phil Woosnam (November 1958), Pat
Holland (April 1969), Clyde Best (August 1969), Bobby Gould (November 1973),
Danny Williamson (April 1994), Les Sealey (September 1995), Bernard Lama
(March 1998), Gary Breen (August 2002), Dean Ashton (February 2006), Jack
Collison (January 2008), Fabio Daprela and Anthony Edgar (both January
2010).

Last six meetings
(Premier League unless stated)

15 January 2011: West Ham United 0-3 Arsenal
30 October 2010: Arsenal 1-0 West Ham United
20 March 2010: Arsenal 2-0 West Ham United
3 January 2010 West Ham United 1-2 Arsenal (FA Cup third round)
25 October 2009: West Ham United 2-2 Arsenal
31 January 2009: Arsenal 0-0 West Ham United

Overall record v Arsenal (all competitions) W 33 D38 L 54

Ten-year record

West Ham United
2011/12 Championship 3rd (86 points - promoted to Premier League via
Play-Offs)
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points - relegated to Championship)
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted to Premier League via
Play-Offs)
2003/04 Division One 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Division One)

Arsenal
2011/12 Premier League 3rd (70 points)
2010/11 Premier League 4th (68 points)
2009/10 Premier League 3rd (75 points)
2008/09 Premier League 4th72 points)
2007/08 Premier League 3rd (83 points)
2006/07 Premier League 4th ­(68 points)
2005/06 Premier League 4th (67 points)
2004/05 Premier League 2nd (83 points)
2003/04 Premier League 1st (90 points)
2002/03 Premier League 2nd (78 points)


Referee
• Saturday's referee will be Phil Dowd.
• Phil Dowd is in his 12th season as a Select Group official, having
initially been promoted to the Barclays Premier League list of referees in
2001.
• Dowd began refereeing in local leagues in 1984, officiating in the
Staffordshire Senior League and Midland Football Alliance. He was appointed
to the Football League list of assistant referees in 1992, before joining
the League's full list of referees in 1997, aged 34.
• The 49-year-old is commonly considered to be one of England's best match
officials, an opinion backed by his appointments as the referee for the 2012
FA Cup and 2010 Football League Cup finals.
• Previously, Dowd was the fourth official at the 2006 FA Cup final between
West Ham United and Liverpool at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
• Dowd has refereed 19 West Ham fixtures in total, the most-recent being a
3-0 Premier League defeat at Chelsea on 23 April 2011. He has taken charge
of 24 Arsenal matches, but none so far this season.
• He will be assisted by Scott Ledger and Michael McDonough, while the
fourth official will be Andre Marriner

Team news

• Jack Collison is unlikely to play after missing the start of the season as
he continues to manage his long-term knee issues.
• Andy Carroll is pushing for a start after returning from a month out with
a hamstring injury in Monday's 2-1 victory at Queens Park Rangers.
• Winston Reid is expected to be fit after recovering from the head injury
he picked up playing against QPR. Fellow defender Joey O'Brien faces a race
to be fit after also going off injured on Monday with a hamstring strain.
• Matt Taylor has returned to full training after missing Monday's win with
a calf injury suffered in the Capital One Cup third-round defeat by Wigan
Athletic on 25 September.
Old boys
• Yossi Benayoun spent two years with West Ham United between 2005 and 2007,
appearing in the 2006 FA Cup final defeat by Liverpool, before joining
Liverpool. After moving to Chelsea on a permanent deal in 2010, the Israel
captain joined Arsenal on loan last season, scoring eight goals in 25
appearances.
• Guy Demel spent a season with Arsenal as a youngster, joining the Gunners
as a 19-year-old in 2000. However, the right-back did not make a first-team
appearance for Arsenal and joined German club Borussia Dortmund the
following summer.
• Among the players who have represented both clubs are Jeremie Aliadiere,
James Bigden, Jimmy Bloomfield, Luis Boa Morte, Liam Brady, George Burgess,
Dick Curtis, Kaba Diawara, Ted Drake, Stan Earle, Bert Fletcher, Ron
Greenwood, Eddie Hapgood, John Hartson, Les Henley, Fergie Hunt, James
Jackson, Bernard Joy, Fred Kemp, Henri Lansbury, Tom Lee, Harry Lewis,
William Linwood, Freddie Ljungberg, Roddy MacEachrane, Jimmy Marshall, David
Noble, John Radford, Stewart Robson, Charles Satterthwaite, Laurie Scott,
Rami Shaaban, Bill Sidley, Bob Stevenson, Davor Suker, Matthew Upson,
Charlie Walker, Nigel Winterburn, Ian Wright, Richard Wright, Bobby Gould,
Seve Walford, Lee Chapman, Manuel Almunia and Clive Allen.
General Information
• Tickets for Saturday's game are SOLD OUT.
• The weather forecast for the game is for a chilly and misty day with a
maximum temperature of 13C (56F).

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Guy going for glory
BBC.co.uk
Guy Demel is aiming to enjoy a successful few weeks with club and country
05.10.2012

Guy Demel has already achieved a lot during his career, but West Ham
United's right-back is eyeing another successful season in 2012/13. The No20
won the Bundesliga title with German giants Borussia Dortmund and appeared
for Ivory Coast at two FIFA World Cup finals. Now firing on all cylinders
after an injury-affected first season with the Hammers, Demel is looking
forward to achieving great things with club and country over the next few
months. The 31-year-old, who spent a year with Arsenal as a teenager, is
aiming to get one over his old employers on Saturday before turning his
attention to international matters. Ivory Coast hold a 4-2 advantage over
Senegal after the first leg of their CAF Cup of Nations final-round
qualifier, with the return game set for 13 October in Dakar. He may have
already been there and done it in a footballing sense, but Demel is hungry
to enjoy more success. "I don't know if we can talk already about making a
great start at West Ham but we are following the process to meet our goals
and right now everything is good," he told West Ham TV. "We're happy with
the situation. "I try to give my best in every game and every day in
training. The most important thing for me is to stay fit because when you
are fit you can compete and you can play and help your team. I'm really
happy to be part of things. "We worked hard during the pre-season and I feel
there is a really good spirit in the team. I think it is more about the work
we have done off the pitch that has helped me to understand my team-mates
better. We have a good atmosphere and that makes things easier."

Demel conceded that it would be fair to assess West Ham's Barclays Premier
League start as 'great' should they beat Arsenal on Saturday. "It won't be
easy to beat Arsenal because they are a good team and they are doing well at
the moment. We know they can keep the ball so we're going to try to play our
best and we're going to try to win the points. "We are not going out to lose
the game. It's going to be hard but it's all about football. We have our
goals and we're playing at home, so with the support of the fans I think it
is possible to do something."

For Demel, Saturday will see him reunited with a number of familiar faces -
most notably his one-time Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, former Dortmund
team-mate Tomas Rosicky and compatriot Gervinho. "I know Gervinho well and I
played with Tomas as well so I know some of their guys. It's always great
and that's why I came here - to play against so many good teams and to
compete and play against this kind of team. "I think they are not happy to
be playing against us right now because we are in a good position, so it
will be nice to meet them but better to beat them!"

Demel might have spent just one season - 2000/01 - with Arsenal, but he was
at the club long enough to see why Wenger has been able to spot, bring in
and develop so many players like him from all over the world. "I think it is
because of the structure and organisation that Arsenal has and the scouting
that they have all around Europe and beyond. They have people all over and
they really understand what Arsene Wenger wants, so most of the time they
don't make mistakes when they see young players. "There is also the quality
of the training ground and the way they train, as well as the philosophy.
Even if they haven't won many trophies for the last few years, you can see
that they stick with their philosophy and it can bring them success again."

Success is something Demel experienced at Dortmund - a club that has come to
the fore recently following two consecutive Bundesliga title wins and a
midweek UEFA Champions League masterclass at Manchester City. The defender
has not been surprised by their success. "I played four years in Dortmund
and was a champion with them as well in 2002. We talked about philosophy and
Dortmund have changed their philosophy and are now like Arsenal in that they
bring through a lot of young players and try to move the ball quickly on the
floor. "It is a good team and is really a good club. They won the Champions
League a long time ago [in 1997] and I follow them as well."

Finally, Demel is also preparing for a game that is sure to capture the
imagination of the whole of African football. Ivory Coast and Senegal are
two of the continent's powerhouse nations, but both have been starved of Cup
of Nations success in recent years - the Ivorians won the competition in
1992 and Senegal have never won the trophy. With that in mind, both are
desperate to reach the 2013 finals in South African next January. "It's
going to be a really hard game because we won 4-2 at home but to play
against Senegal in Dakar is difficult because they have a really good team.
They have good players like Mo Diame, of course, and it won't be easy for
us. "We have to go to the Cup of Nations so we have to deal with them and
for us it is really important to be in the finals in January. For our
generation, this will the last tournament. "We have been twice in the final
and once in the semi-final in the previous four tournaments so we hope this
will be our one to win."

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West Ham v Arsenal
KO 17:30
5 October 2012
Last updated at 12:38
By John Motson
BBC Match of the Day commentator
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Upton Park Date: Saturday, 6 October

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce could bring Andy Carroll back into the starting
line-up after his return from injury as a substitute against QPR. Winston
Reid should be available despite being knocked out at Loftus Road, but Joey
O'Brien is a doubt. Arsenal could welcome back central defender Per
Mertesacker after he recovered from a virus. But first-choice keeper
Wojciech Szczesny (ankle) and midfielder Abou Diaby (thigh) both remain
unavailable.

MATCH PREVIEW

It's been a good week for West Ham. Victory at QPR left them seventh in the
table and that's better than they would have anticipated at this stage of
the season following promotion. Andy Carroll's sooner-than-expected return
from injury was another piece of good news for the Hammers and he did enough
during a short cameo at Loftus Road to force his way back into the England
squad. Sam Allardyce could well be tempted to start Carroll against Arsenal
who will offer his side their biggest test of the campaign so far.

The Gunners have a great record against their east London rivals, but
Carroll's inclusion would certainly give them something to think about.
Arsenal have looked a little susceptible to crosses into their box -
something the Hammers will undoubtedly try to exploit, particularly if
Carroll is included. However, in general the Gunners have been pretty solid
at the back, a point underlined by Kieran Gibbs's inclusion in the England
squad and Roy Hodgson's assertion that Carl Jenkinson is an England
full-back of the future. And if the Gunners can deal with the threat into
their area then they have plenty in attack to cause West Ham concern. After
a quiet start to his career in England last season, Gervinho now offers a
real threat. Lukas Podolski is also showing the qualities that have made him
such a fine player and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is building on his early
promise. Along with Gibbs and Theo Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain is also in
the England squad - a strong Gunners' contingent underlining the quality at
Arsene Wenger's disposal. In midfield Santi Cazorla looks a really
high-class player and is Arsenal's biggest creative threat. I expect the
Hammers will use Mark Noble to try to shut him out of the game. It will
undoubtedly be a fantastic atmosphere at Upton Park and there's every chance
of this being a gripping London derby. As in any derby no-one will shirk
from a challenge, meaning referee Phil Dowd will need to keep his wits about
him.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

Arsenal are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League games against West
Ham (W6 D2).
West Ham have not scored in their last three Premier League meetings with
Arsenal.

West Ham
The Hammers are unbeaten at Upton Park in the Premier League this season (W2
D1) and have lost just one of their last 16 home league matches.
They have conceded just one goal in three home games this season - only West
Brom (0) have a better home defensive record.
Victory for West Ham would give them their best ever start to a Premier
League season after seven games and their best in the top flight since they
had 18 points from seven games in 1983-84.
West Ham became the first team in Premier League history to have eight
players booked in the same game during Monday's 2-1 win at Loftus Road. They
have also committed 97 fouls in league action this season, the most in the
top flight.

Arsenal
Arsenal have lost just one of their last 11 Premier League away games (W6 D4
L1) and are unbeaten away from the Emirates in the division this season.
Only Chelsea (3) have conceded fewer goals in the Premier League this season
than Arsenal (4).
Gervinho has scored more goals for Arsenal this season (5) in seven games
than he did in the whole of 2011-12 in 37 games (all comps).
Victory would be Arsene Wenger's 350th in the Premier League.

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New TV dates for your diary
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 5th October 2012
By: Staff Writer

Three new live West Ham fixtures have been confirmed this morning.
Supporters will once again have to rearrange their diaries following today's
announcement that the Hammers are to be broadcast live on TV three times in
December. Chelsea's much-anticipated visit to the Boleyn Ground on Saturday,
1st December has been brought forward to 12.45pm. Meanwhile West Ham's
fixture to Liverpool, also at Upton Park has been put back to Sunday, 9th
December at 4pm. Finally, West Ham's trip to West Bromwich Albion, currently
managed by Gianfranco's former number two Steve Clarke - a match originally
scheduled for Saturday, 15th December - has also been put back 24 hours.

The match now takes place on Sunday, 16th December at 4pm kick off. All
games are to be shown on subscription-only satellite TV.

Current live schedule

Arsenal (h): October 6th, 5.30pm
Man City (h): November 3rd, 5.30pm
Stoke (h): November 19th, 8pm
Chelsea (h): 1st December, 12.45pm
Liverpol (h): 9th December, 4pm
West Bromwich Albion (a): 15th December, 4pm

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West Ham v Arsenal preview
Gunners need win to leapfrog Hammers in Premier League table
Last Updated: October 5, 2012 11:45am
SSN

Arsenal suffered their first defeat of the season against Chelsea last
weekend and will need to be wary once again when they face West Ham at Upton
Park.
The Hammers have been in fine form in front of their own fans, winning two
and drawing one of their three Premier League games at the Boleyn Ground
this season. And Sam Allardyce will be relishing the chance to pit his wits
against Arsene Wenger - a manager he has a winning record against in
top-flight home games. The Arsenal coach will certainly need to tighten up
defensively if his side are to claim the three points needed to overtake
West Ham in the table.
The Gunners, and new assistant Steve Bould, were widely praised for their
improved defensive work in the early stages of this campaign but have now
conceded three goals in their last two league games from set-pieces. That
will encourage a West Ham side bolstered by the return from injury of
England international target-man Andy Carroll.

West Ham
Last 6
1-2
1-4
1-1
0-0
3-0
2-0

Allardyce will consider handing a start to Carroll after he returned to
action as a substitute against QPR but may want to ease the forward back to
full fitness.
Winston Reid has also recovered from a head injury at Loftus Road but
left-back Joey O'Brien is expected to miss out. Jack Collison and Alou
Diarra remain long-term absentees for the Hammers.

Arsenal
Last 6
3-1
1-2
6-1
1-1
1-2
6-1

Jack Wilshere made his long-awaited comeback against West Brom in a reserve
game earlier this week but is not in contention for a first-team place just
yet.
But centre-back Per Mertesacker has recovered from a virus so Wenger will
have a decision to make in defence. Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and
midfielder Abou Diaby remain on the sidelines with ankle and thigh
complaints respectively.

Opta Facts

Arsenal have won six and lost none of the last eight Premier League
encounters with West Ham.
Arsene Wenger has won just two of his nine away games as a coach in Premier
League head to head meetings with Sam Allardyce (W2 D3 L4), the first one v
Bolton in April 2002 and the last one v Blackburn in August 2010.
West Ham scored the most goals from set plays in the 2011-12 Championship,
while the last three league goals Arsenal have conceded have come from dead
ball situations.

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Sam Allardyce warns West Ham they face their biggest test yet when they host
Arsenal
Last Updated: October 5, 2012 4:52pm
SSN

Sam Allardyce has warned his West Ham players that they face the biggest
test of their season so far when they host Arsenal on Saturday. The Premier
League new boys have made an impressive start to the campaign and sit
seventh in the league after three wins and two draws from their opening six
matches. But with the Hammers preparing to meet all of last season's top six
clubs within the next two months, starting with the Gunners, Allardyce is
well aware of the challenge that lies ahead. "We have 11 points from six
games so we are delighted that our start has been as fruitful as it has
been," said Allardyce. "They (Arsenal) are a top four side. This is a big
test for the players and whether they can master the quality of opposition.
"Can they understand what they need to do or change their game slightly to
get best chance of a result? "Arsenal are so good at keeping the ball. We
will need to concentrate that they don't get behind us. That is a key area.
"We need to accept that we won't see the ball as much as other home games,
Villa, Fulham and particularly Sunderland."

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My heroes
West Ham United midfielder Matt Taylor speaks to Sky Sports and looks back
through the years to pick his favourite footballers
Last Updated: October 5, 2012 3:51pm
SSN

Paul Gascoigne

As a kid, I used to go to a lot of Tottenham Hotspur games with my dad.
Watching Gascoigne play for Tottenham and England, he was fantastic. I,
along with a lot of people, do not tire of watching Gascoigne's games. He
saw things other people did not, like picking a pass. One of the biggest
things was the emotion he showed on and off the pitch. He was a wonderful
footballer. Being a Tottenham fan as a kid, he was someone I definitely
looked up to.

Chris Waddle

He was a fantastic, jinking winger. You never really knew if he was going to
cross the ball or not. He had so many tricks in his locker and a lot of
feints. He was great to watch, really pleasing on the eye and, at the time,
there were not too many players who were similar to him. He put great balls
in the box for assists and also scored some wonderful goals.

Gary Lineker

There is a bit of a common theme, because I used to watch Tottenham.
Obviously not just when he was at Tottenham, when he was at Barcelona as
well, Lineker was a fantastic finisher. If he was playing now, he would be a
modern day poacher. He was always in the right place at the right time. His
finishing was second to none and he rightly got a lot of caps for England
and also a lot of goals for club and country.

Glenn Hoddle

He was fantastic in the middle of the pitch, fantastic on the ball and had
great energy as well. He seemed to make time and space, when mere mortals
like me might not have as much. He picked a pass and scored some wonderful
goals. I cannot remember who it was against but I remember going to White
Hart Lane and seeing him smash one in the top corner. That is my lasting
memory. I think he has had a distinguished coaching career as well.

John Barnes

I am going away from the Tottenham theme. For Liverpool and England, he was
left-footed and so was I as a kid. I looked up to him. He was a proper
No.10. He got the ball and made things happen. He was a captain as well so
was really good. I had a bit of a soft spot for Liverpool as well when I was
a kid.

West Ham United star Matt Taylor officially opened PlayFootball's latest
5-a-side centre in Romford, Essex. PlayFootball is one of the UK's leading
5-a-side centres. Get involved and log on to playfootball.net for more
information

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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has no special plans to deal with Andy Carroll
Last Updated: October 5, 2012 2:45pm
SSN

Arsene Wenger has revealed his admiration for Andy Carroll as he prepares
his Arsenal side to cope with the physical threat of the West Ham striker.
The on-loan Liverpool forward appears to have rediscovered some of the form
that deserted him following his high-profile move from Newcastle to Anfield.
Wenger says he never questioned the quality of the 23-year-old but is not
surprised that his career faltered at Liverpool given the weight of
expectation that accompanied his £35m price-tag. However, he insists there
will be no special plan to stop Carroll at Upton Park as the Gunners attempt
to bounce back after losing their unbeaten league record to Chelsea last
time out. "Carroll has the quality and that will come out with time. We
expect Carroll to be at his best - it is down to us to deal with that," said
Wenger. "We can only focus on our own performance and be at our best. "He
started very well, then he had to deal with a high level of expectation with
a massive transfer on his shoulders going to an historic club where a lot
was expected of him. Maybe it was a bit too early for him. "Since I have
seen him at West Ham, he looks back to the Carroll we have seen at
Newcastle, that means with less pressure."

Efficient

Wenger, however, insists the Hammers are anything but a long ball side under
Sam Allardyce, who guided them back up through the play-offs and to a solid
start this season. "West Ham have a good balance, they are efficient, they
are a good mixture I must say between direct play and playing on the
ground," he said. "Technically they are quite sound in midfield, they have
Carroll and (Carlton) Cole up front who can go for high balls. "We know we
will have a big challenge there, we know we will only get away with the
points if we perform at our best." Wenger added: "Allardyce has again a very
good team and you have to give him credit for that. "He has built a good
team, well balanced, always efficient and he is a good manager because he
lasts."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Match Preview: West Ham v Arsenal
West Ham Till I Die

I always look forward to matches against Arsenal. They are invariably
entertaining and you never quite know what will happen. We have had some
famous victories over them in the last ten years. I'll always remember that
Zamora goal, when we became the first team to beat Arsenal at The Emirates.

Arsenal strike me as quite a vulnerable team at the moment, going through
something of a transition. We certainly have no reason to fear them or feel
inferior. Our start to the season and the fact that we have more points than
them says it all. That's not meant to sound arrogant. It's just that
sometimes teams act as if they're already a goal down when they play teams
like Arsenal. If you don't go out onto the pitch with a positive mental
attitude, then you're already beaten before you cross the white line.

It will be a full house tomorrow and I hope there's a lot of noise. In fact,
i don't think I have looked forward to a match for so long for ages.

I doubt whether there will be many changes to the starting eleven beyond
George McCartney coming in for Joey O'Brien. Winston Reid has recovered from
his injury and I imagine will regain his place, even though James Tomkins
played very well at QPR. I'm so pleased Vaz Te came up trumps at QPR - he's
a real confidence player and wouldn't it be great to see him in top form
against Arsenal. I'm sure we all want to see Andy Carroll play from the
start, but I imagine Sam Allardyce will want to wrap him up in cotton wool
for a little while longer. Expect him to play much of the second half.

Just think. If we win, that's 14 points from 7 games. A third of the way to
safety! And if we continue in this vein, we're heading for 76 points. Lol.
Yes I know I am getting carried away. But who'd have thought we'd have had
this kind of start?

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Karren Brady's football diary
By KARREN BRADY
Last Updated: 06th October 2012
The Sun

SATURDAY, SEPT 29

HE can't say I didn't warn him! I've told a married PL director, short man,
big chest, so many times that he really must stop with the one-night stands.
He tells me that every day his London office is receiving flowers, cards,
cuddly toys and today a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey from a lady who is
looking for a repeat performance. The staff take home the flowers and the
toys go in the bin, although he made no mention of what he did with the
book. His club is north of Watford, but everything arrives with a Spurs logo
on, and he has no idea why, as he can't remember what he told the lady in
question on the night in question!
As the man involved particularly dislikes Spurs, I do not know whether his
present angst is caused more by the extra revenue he's generated into Spurs
coffers than the personal embarrassment he's now suffering as a result of
his dalliance!

SUNDAY, SEPT 30

IN England, Luis Suarez, it is known as poetic justice. Ask Brendan Rodgers
and he will explain what that means. When a footballer goes tumbling without
contact around the penalty areas of the Premier League, referees —
particularly those who have been made to look like chumps — are bound to be
suspicious next time they are asked to judge whether he was fouled or
tripped by fresh air. He may think that Suarez's 'previous' is against him
and choose to give the tackler the benefit of the doubt. We may think it
serves him right. Diving in my book is the third worst offence in football.

MONDAY, OCT 1

WITH his array of helpers — from his management company, from the Ryder Cup
team assistants, from friends, probably a few Romans and countrymen — Rory
McIlroy was within a few minutes of missing his starting time. Only one man
to blame, though. Rory himself. On the odd occasion, Brian Clough used to
tell his players to find their own way to a match, just to keep them honest.
Earlier, in his time as a player, that was the form — by train and bus to an
away game, at home by foot to the players' entrance. This didn't always
work. I know of one player who left for a home match and did not turn up for
three days. When he did, he was still in his slippers and was carrying a
half-empty bottle of gin. He worked for me — for a very short time!

TUESDAY, OCT 2

A FANTASTIC win last night for West Ham against QPR. But this morning I am
informed that we are to be fined £25,000 for the record number of bookings,
we received during the game. Maybe ref Mark Clattenburg was right about all
eight, maybe not. As a club we will examine video evidence. Anyway, I'm not
going to argue although I might not have been so cheery about it had we
lost. However, I do think the number of cards and the offences for which
they are given is out of control. It has reached the point where bosses such
as City's Roberto Mancini are demanding cards for opposing players from the
touchline.

WEDNESDAY, OCT 3

SHOULD Roy Keane take up an offer to manage in Turkey, it'd be impossible to
forecast a long and successful career. Short and explosive, more like.
Keane, one of my greatest footballing heroes, seems to think he has the
makings of a top-class manager while the evidence suggests otherwise. The
intensity he possessed as a player used to fire his team. As a manager it
scalds them. As an ex-pat manager in Turkey, it could cause mayhem in the
bazaar. Blackburn would be a doddle by comparison.

THURSDAY, OCT 4

OUR England manager is alleged to make an off-the-cuff remark about a great
player. Neither of them will be happy about the report of it. I can tell you
only this. Roy is everything an England manager should be — keen, bright and
dedicated. In my 20-years plus in this industry I have never known an
England manager, when on a Premier League visit, to stay and watch the whole
game. Instead, they normally arrive five minutes before the start of the
match, with instructions that they are not to be approached in the
boardroom, and then leave 15 minutes before the end. I guess for
£5million-a-year you can't expect much more! On Monday night we played
against QPR at Loftus Road. Roy was there well before the kick-off and was
still there well after the end, with a smile on his face that beamed pride
in the job and gave me hope. It's no surprise he has picked Andy Caroll but
I did expect Mark Noble to also get a call-up.

FRIDAY, OCT 5

EVEN for as slippery a customer as Peter Ridsdale, there can be no return to
football now. He was only an acquaintance of mine and most people would very
quickly put him in the column marked 'watch out'. The 60-year-old former
Leeds, Barnsley and Cardiff chairman has been barred from all company
directorship until 2020. And the only question that remains is how did he
manage to creep into positions of great responsibility with such ease. It
shows another weakness in our game's financial structuring.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big Sam braced
By ANDY BAKER
Published: 05th October 2012
The Sun

SAM ALLARDYCE has told his happy Hammers: Brace yourselves. West Ham sit
seventh in the table on their return to the Premier League, with just one
defeat in six games this term. But boss Allardyce knows today's home clash
with Arsenal will see an end to the honeymoon period. Big Sam said: "We have
11 points from six games so we are delighted that our start has been as
fruitful as it has been. "Arsenal are a top four side. This is a big test
for the players and whether they can master the quality of opposition. "Can
they understand what they need to do to get the best chance of a result? "We
will have our game plan and hopefully that will get us a result but that
means every player playing at their best. "Even then, it may not be good
enough." We're pants — Goals P3

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam on pants watch
The Sun
By ANDREW DILLON
Published: 05th October 2012

SAM ALLARDYCE believes the key to West Ham's revival is clean sheets, clean
pants and clean plates. The Hammers are looking down on tonight's opponents
Arsenal from seventh place in the Premier League after an impressive start
to the season following promotion. And boss Big Sam has imposed a few
housekeeping rules for his stars to keep them grounded and get them pulling
in the same direction — up the table. He said: "It is about making the
surroundings that you are in comfortable and players feeling wanted and
feeling like they are well looked after. "They should enjoy coming into
training and it is not too serious. "It has got its own discipline, of
course. You cannot come in late and if you do you get fined. "You have got
to turn out for training on time and look after your own kit. "Not leave it
lying on the training ground if you take it off. "Put dirty kit in the
baskets that are provided. "They also must put their plates away when
they've finished eating, or if there's food left put your plate on the top.
"Now, if one player doesn't do these things the others say 'oh look, you've
not done this again'. "It creates a family atmosphere and gets a bit of
spirit going. "It is about people getting on well together and having a good
team spirit."

Many of the squad chose extra training on Thursday instead of clocking off.
And new man Andy Carroll, on loan from Liverpool, was among them as West Ham
prepare for the biggest test of their Premier League potential. Allardyce
said: "If they are not looking forward to coming into training they will go
straight home as quick as they can. "This week, they all went off and did
their own stuff, including Andy. "That is a great indicator for me because
it tells me they enjoy being here. "It sends the sports scientists mad
because they worry the boys are doing too much. "I just tell them to shut
up."

Allardyce, who took over in June last year, added: "That is a nice feeling
for me when all of a sudden the players want to stay on the training pitch
when you have blown the whistle. "It was not like that when I first came.
The players wanted to get straight off and get out of here."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers 'n' tongs: Allardyce ready to fight to protect West Ham's feel-good
factor
The Mirror
Jamie McDonald / Getty

Sam Allardyce is convinced he has made West Ham into happy Hammers once more
- and is ready to have a ruck with his own back-room staff to ensure it
stays that way. The east London club has been transformed since Allardyce
was appointed in June 2011 to such an extent that players are now WANTING to
stay behind after training to do extra work - a contrast to when Avram Grant
was in charge. West Ham have enjoyed a superb start to life back in the top
flight after last season's promotion via the play-offs, winning three of
their opening six league games. Confidence within the squad is sky high as
they prepare to entertain Arsenal in Saturday's televised tea-time game.
Allardyce has revealed how most of his players are refusing to leave the
training field when his sessions end and that he is at loggerheads with his
sports science team, who worry over the amount of work the players are doing
on a daily basis. "That is a nice feeling for me, when all of a sudden the
players want to stay on the training pitch when you have blown the whistle,"
said Allardyce. "It was not like that when I first came - the players wanted
to get straight off and get out of here. "That is a great indicator for me,
because it tels me they enjoy being here.
"Sports Science [staff] will run up to you and say, 'Gaffer, get them off'
and 'They are doing too much.' I just say, 'Shut up.' "They always do that,
but I say if they want to do something on their own, just leave them to it.
If they carry on too long, we will keep an eye on them. "The sports science
[staff] and coaches will tell me what they think we should do but, at the
end of the day, I will make the final decisions. "Sometimes when they don't
like it they have to lump it. "It is about making the surroundings that you
are in comfortable and players feeling wanted and feeling like they are well
looked after. "It has got its own discipline. You cannot come in late. If
you do you get fined. "You have got to turn out for training on time and
look after your own kit. You have got to turn up for certain places and do
what you have to do."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Arsenal bring Per Mertesacker back for likely aerial duel with Andy Carroll
Arsène Wenger expects giant centre-half to be fit and in the trenches for
West Ham bombardment
JACK PITT-BROOKE SATURDAY 06 OCTOBER 2012
The Independent

Arsène Wenger hopes he has Per Mertesacker ready for the aerial challenge of
West Ham United this evening. Arsenal travel to Upton Park where they are
likely to face a returning Andy Carroll.

Mertesacker has started the season well before suffering from a virus which
has afflicted the Arsenal squad. His heading ability would certainly be
useful if he recovers.

"He has made a big leap," Wenger said of Mertesacker's form this season,
"and he came back very fit and has improved his fitness a lot. His mobility.
He looks very sharp on the first day that he came back. He lost some weight.
And that helps of course."

The Arsenal manager is an admirer of Carroll, who should make his second
West Ham start today. "I rate him, and don't l think we have seen the best
of him until now," Wenger said. "Since I have seen him at West Ham, he looks
back to the Carroll we have seen at Newcastle, that means with less
pressure."

Wenger does not believe that today's threat is purely aerial, though. "West
Ham have a good mixture," he said. "They can come from midfield. [Mohamed]
Diame can make a difference. [Kevin] Nolan is always dangerous on the second
ball. And [Matt] Jarvis is a technical player."

"You know your players need to be 100 per cent focused. One mistake - you
can have a virtual domination and lose the game. It's a concentration
challenge as well." As well as a late decision at centre-back, Wenger is
still searching for his favoured centre-forward. While no-one has taken over
Robin van Persie's role, Wenger said the newly collegial approach to
goal-scoring was a good thing.

Van Persie last season scored 30 of Arsenal's 74 Premier League goals. This
year the burden is being shared, after his move to Manchester United. "We
have no choice," explained Wenger, "as we had one that scored so many."
Losing Van Persie meant losing Van Persie-dependence too and Wenger said
that this was healthier for the team, revealing just how desperate his
players were last year to be led out by their captain, the talismanic Dutch
striker.

"Because when Van Persie was injured of course it is not only that you
cannot score goals any more," Wenger said. "It is the psychological
consequences on the morale of the team. 'Does Van Persie play on Saturday?'
Players ask you already, does Van Persie play on Saturday or not, when he
has two or three days out."

Wenger signed two strikers from the continent in the hope of replacing Van
Persie's 30 goals, but admitted they might not quite make up the required
numbers. "We bought Lukas Podolski [who had scored] 20 [league goals last
season] and [Olivier] Giroud 20, that is 40," Wenger said. "But it
unfortunately has not worked out like that."

Giroud is yet to score in the Premier League, with Gervinho rather
surprisingly becoming the main centre-forward so far. Wenger hopes that the
other wide and creative players will help to contribute. "We hope always
that [Theo] Walcott can improve his number of goals. Gervinho as well," he
said "[Santi] Cazorla will get a few. He gets in good positions and does not
always finish. But he looks like he can score goals."

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 5th October 2012

Carroll leads international call-ups
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll is one of a host of Hammers called-up for their respective
national sides
04.10.2012

Andy Carroll is one of a host of West Ham United players who have been
called-up for international duty for their respective countries. The striker
has been included in England's squad for two 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
against San Marino and Poland. England play San Marino at Wembley on Friday
12 October and visit Poland on Tuesday 16 October, having collected four
points from their opening two Group F fixtures. Carroll, who returned from a
month out with a hamstring injury in Monday's 2-1 Barclays Premier League
victory at Queens Park Rangers, has earned eight senior caps, scoring in a
friendly draw with Ghana in March 2011 and the EURO 2012 win over Sweden
earlier this year.

Yossi Benayoun has been included by Israel for their home and away FIFA
World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg. The Israelis play in Luxembourg on
12 October before welcoming the minnows to Ramat Gan on 16 October. Benayoun
has also been included for a friendly international at home to Belarus on 14
November.

The Wales squad for the home FIFA World Cup qualifier against Scotland in
Cardiff on 12 October will be named on Friday, with James Collins expected
to be included.

Further afield, Guy Demel and Mohamed Diame could face one another when
Senegal host Ivory Coast in a vital CAN 2013 qualifier in Dakar on 13
October. Demel's Ivorians hold a 4-2 first-leg advantage going into the
second meeting in the Senegalese capital.

Modibo Maiga is in the Mali squad for their own CAN 2013 qualifier second
leg in Botswana on 12 October. The Malians hold a 3-0 advantage from the
first leg, with Maiga scoring one of the goals.

Of West Ham's age-group players, Kieran Sadlier has been selected for the
Republic of Ireland squad for their UEFA U19 Championsip Qualifying Round
mini-group in Luxembourg between 11-16 October. Ireland will face Luxembourg
in Hesperange on 11 Ocober, FYRO Macedonia in the same venue on 13 October
and Germany in Grevenmacher on 16 October.

Goalkeeper Raphael Spiegel has been included by Switzerland for their U20
friendly with Poland in Vevey on 10 October.
Academy midfielder Taylor Tombides recently appeared for Australia at the
AFC U-16 Championship in Iran. However, the Australians' hopes of reaching
the next FIFA U-17 World Cup were dashed by a 5-1 quarter-final defeat by
the host nation in Tehran.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big Sam on: Arsenal
WHUFC.com
Big Sam has spoken to the media ahead of Saturday's sold-out London derby
against Arsenal
04.10.2012

Sam Allardyce believes Saturday's Barclays Premier League encounter with
London rivals Arsenal will be the biggest test of the season so far. With
all tickets for the match now sold out, a storming atmosphere is expected at
the Boleyn Ground come kick off at 5.30pm. Speaking in his weekly pre-match
press conference, Big Sam shared his thoughts on Arsenal, the international
break and the fitness of returning striker Andy Carroll.

Sam, what is the latest team news ahead of Saturday?

SA: "I think Winston Reid is going to be okay, I am not so sure about Joey
O'Brien, who was the other player who came off injured against Queens Park
Rangers. Everybody else apart Alou Diarra and Jack Collison, who have long
term injuries, seems to be okay. We have a good, strong squad to choose from
again and the players are on a high from the win on Monday night."

What is your reaction to Andy Carroll being named in the England squad?

SA: "I am glad, but I think that Andy needs to focus on the Arsenal game
first. I haven't decided what part he will play yet, that decision will be
made on Friday after we assess the squad in training. Because he is short on
match fitness, going to play for England will be good for him and good for
us. We will liaise with the England staff and I will speak to Roy Hodgson.
Andy is in a position to play but we want them to be careful with him.
Fatigue is what brings injuries and
Andy's match fitness, because of his recent injury, is behind what we would
like it to be. Helping England and improving his match fitness is an ideal
solution for all parties."

Is he fit enough to start the game against Arsenal on Saturday?

SA: "I will let you know that when I pick the team on Saturday! Like I said
I haven't made that decision yet, it will be made on Friday and we will take
it from there."

One player who didn't make it into the England squad was Mark Noble. Do you
think his chance will come?

SA: "I think it all depends on how Mark does this season, he has pressed the
buttons to alert Roy and his staff and I am sure they will come and have a
look at him if he continues to play well in the Premier League. If that
happens it gives him a chance and good luck to him. I think there is a
transition currently going on in the England set-up and Mark, other than
last season, is a very experienced Premier League player despite still only
being 25. If Mark keeps playing well and we keep picking up points he will
continue to put himself in the public eye and on Roy's radar."

Arsenal's third goal against Olympiacos came direct from a goal kick. Did
that bring a wry smile to your face?

SA: "You've brought a wry smile to my face with that question that's for
sure! I think goals are scored in a variety of ways, there is no one simple
way of scoring a goal especially in the Premier League. That is what makes
it so appealing across the world. We have to make the choice of what tactic
to use to score, if you have many options available you give yourself a much
better chance of catching your opponents off guard. If you play one way only
you become too predictable."

We are on the verge of the second international break of the season, how
does that affect your preparations?

SA: "It hasn't affected us at all, we have eleven points from six games so
we are delighted that our start has been as fruitful as it has been. I think
that this tends to happen every season, it is not unusual for us to have two
international breaks prior to us moving into the third month of the season.
We have all learnt to deal with it, we just have to keep our fingers crossed
that all our players return as fit as they were when they left. Injuries can
be critical, you only have to look at the extent to which it has affected
Manchester United. If we ran into that many injuries, God help us. But we
have all learnt to deal with international breaks and we are happy to let
our players travel the world with their nations."

Arsenal's defence seems vastly improved this season after the introduction
of Steve Bould, do you agree?

SA: "It certainly looks a lot harder or more difficult to break down. What
we need to think about is how many opportunities will we get to break it
down. People have said over the years that Arsenal have been weak at the
back but the problem you face is getting to their defence, they're so good
at keeping the ball that chances are few and far between. We will have a
game plan and hopefully it will help us to get a result on Saturday but a
game plan will only work if the players perform to the very best of their
ability. Even then it might not be good enough to beat Arsenal but if we can
perform like we did against Fulham and Sunderland we will give them a very
good game on Saturday."

It is fair to say that this is your biggest test of the season so far?

SA: "Yes it is a top four side. It is always a big test for everybody,
especially the players who need to try and match the quality of opposition
they're playing against. Can they understand what they have to do and can
they adapt their game to give themselves the best chance of getting a
positive result? Arsenal are very good at keeping the ball so there will be
times in the game when we need to concentrate out of possession to ensure
they don't get a chance to score. We won't see the ball as much as we have
done at Upton Park in previous games so we have to approach the game in a
different way and of course make sure we make the most of the ball when we
have it. All teams have weaknesses, what we need to do is make sure we find
them and exploit them to score a goal."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'It is no time to rest'
WHUFC.com
Matt Jarvis has urged West Ham United to continue their fine start against
Arsenal on Saturday
03.10.2012

Matt Jarvis has urged his West Ham United team-mates to push on to even
greater heights as they prepare to welcome Arsenal to the Boleyn Ground on
Saturday. The Hammers have made a fine start to the Barclays Premier League
season, taking eleven points from their opening six games, but Jarvis
believes this is just the beginning. Speaking ahead of Saturday's 5.30pm
kick-off against the Gunners, the England international stated that absolute
focus is paramount ahead of a testing fixture. "It is not time to rest,"
said the No7, who scored his maiden Hammers goal in Monday's 2-1 win at
Queens Park Rangers. "We have had a very good start so far but we have some
very tough games ahead of us, not least when we play Arsenal at home on
Saturday. "There are no easy games in this division. We now need to recover
from the game at Loftus Road and then prepare for a battle at home on
Saturday."

West Ham are yet to be beaten at the Boleyn Ground in the league and Jarvis
believes home advantage cannot be underestimated. "We look like we could
give anyone a game at the moment. We are the home side and I am sure the
fans will give us their full support throughout the course of the match. "We
will have to work extremely hard to make sure we get something out of the
game but if we do that there is no reason why we can't come away with a
positive result."

Jarvis admitted to being surprised that his first goal in claret and blue
had come via a far-post header on Monday. "I must admit I don't often score
headers, but it is always good to get in at the back past and luckily for me
it paid off. I was half trying to score and half trying to put it back
across goal but I am delighted that it went in and even more pleased that we
won the game."

"I think I was one of only three West Ham players not to be booked, it was a
tough game and we had to work very hard for the result. Loftus Road is a
tough place to play and we worked very hard playing some good football, we
were delighted to get the three points."

While he has impressed in recent outings, Jarvis knows he will have to
continue to produce the goods if he wants to keep his place in a strong
Hammers squad.
"I am delighted to be back fit and in the team. I now want to continue to
play well and show the fans what I can do, so hopefully I can keep myself in
the team.
"You need to train with everyone, get to know them and allow them to get you
know you, that is starting to come together more and more now and we got a
great result last time out."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll in
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 4th October 2012
By: Staff Writer

Andy Carroll has been named in the England squad to face San Marino and
Poland. The West Ham striker, who made his comeback from injury as a late
substitute in the 2-1 win against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on
Monday has been recalled to Roy Hodgson's squad for the forthcoming World
Cup Group H qualifiers. England are due to face minnows San Marino at
Wembley on Friday, 12th October before tackling the Poles in Warsaw four
days later on Tuesday, 16th October. There is no place in the squad for
former Hammer Rob Green, who was captured on camera grinning as West Ham
scored their second goal against his current club on Monday night. West Ham
face Arsenal at the Boleyn Ground this Saturday ahead of the international
break with their next fixture set for Saturday, 20th October when they face
strugglers Southampton - again at the Boleyn.

England squad: Forster, Hart, Ruddy; Baines, Cahill, A Cole, Gibbs,
Jagielka, G Johnson, Lescott, Walker, Shawcross; Carrick, Cleverley,
Gerrard, A Johnson, Lennon, Lampard, Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott;
Defoe, Rooney, Welbeck, Carroll.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tomkins: I should have stayed at West Ham
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 4th October 2012
By: Staff Writer

James Tomkins has admitted that his inclusion in Great Britain's Olympic
squad this summer was a waste of time. The 23-year-old central defender was
barely used during the tournament which saw Stuart Pearce's side crash out
at the first knockout stage. And Tomkins, who has lost his place in the
first team at West Ham as a result of failing to take part in a full
pre-season believes in retrospect that he would have been better served
remaining with West Ham during the summer. "I wanted to represent Great
Britain and the manager gave me the chance," he told a tabloid newspaper. "I
went there expecting to play more than I did in the end. "Obviously I
wasted a lot of time and then Ginge and Reidy played a lot together in
pre-season. It was disappointing for me, but I suppose that is what football
is like. "You just have to keep your head down and keep working hard in
training - which I have. It is frustrating to watch, but if we keep getting
the results there is not much I can do."

Since returning to West Ham, the Basildon-born defender has made just one
start in West Ham's five Premier League fixtures - the 3-0 defeat at Swansea
in which he was replaced at half time by Ricardo Vaz Te. Eleven months ago
Tomkins signed a lucrative new five-year contract that keeps him tied to
West Ham until 2016. In May on this year he was named as the KUMB.com Player
of the Year for 2011/12 and the runner-up Most Improved Player.

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The Julian Dicks Column: 4th October
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 4th October 2012
By: Julian Dicks

It's with great pleasure that we welcome West Ham United FC legend Julian
Dicks to KUMB.com. Julian shares his thoughts with the readers of Knees up
Mother Brown on a regular basis via his weekly column, the latest of which
begins a review of Monday night's encouraging win at Loftus Road...

Winning ways

Any result away from home in the Premier League is a fantastic result,
whether the opposition are at the bottom or not. After all, you can only
play what's in front of you. QPR have got some good players and even though
they're struggling so far this season, you still have to go there and get a
result.

Getting that first away win takes the pressure off the team but West Ham
have started the season well, they've had some good results, they're half
way up the table and things are good. They should be full of confidence as
they've had a great start. They might not have played any of the big boys
yet but I'd rather be where they are than where QPR are.

This weekend West Ham face Arsenal who are a good side with some great
players. It'll be a massive game on Saturday, especially at home, but if Mo
Diame, Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble are on their game then I think they've got
a great chance. I've got a feeling they'll turn them over.

Of course, Sam Allardyce had a great record against Arsenal at Bolton. If
West Ham get in their faces, put pressure on them and get amongst them then
they've got a great chance. We all know Arsenal like to play football and
they can pass the ball about better than most teams if they're allowed to,
but I've just got a feeling West Ham will get a result.

Men in black

Mark Clattenburg booked eight West Ham players in Monday night's game with
QPR. It was so different when I played as most referees used to give you the
benefit of the doubt. We all make mistakes; we all mis-time tackles but now,
because they're under so much pressure from FIFA, one bad tackle and a
player is booked or sent off. Nobody gives players the benefit of the doubt
any more.

It's a lot harder for referees these days because they're under a lot of
pressure - not just from FIFA but from the managers. You also get players
brandishing imaginary cards and that's not right; for me, those players
should be sent off. I'm not a lover of referees as you all know(!) but
they're under a lot of pressure and the more we can use modern technology -
such as goal line cameras - the easier it will be for them.

Lazy journalism

I think Sam Allardyce is always going to be associated with a certain style
of football. He could go and manage Barcelona and they'd still say the same.
That's going to stick with him forever; that's just the way it is.

Last season I wasn't a lover of West Ham's football but this year they're
playing some really good football. At the end of the day, most of the media
haven't got a clue what they're looking at anyway but I was still surprised
how much good football West Ham played at the Sunderland game. It wasn't the
season before, but that was about results.

They've got the ball down, they've played it on the floor. With Andy Carroll
back I think there'll be a lot more football played because he takes two or
three players away and that allows other players more time and space to get
the ball down and play.

There will be a tendency at times to play directly to Carroll; we had the
same with Johnny Hartson. We liked to play football too but when you've got
a big striker up there if you can put a quality ball into him it's sometimes
better to play one ball than playing seven or eight balls before getting it
to him.

It's not about route one, direct football - that's not the case. Andy
Carroll's a very good player and if the defenders can get the ball to him -
and it's not about smashing it over his head but playing it onto his head or
into his chest - it allows him to bring midfield players into play.

Mark my words

I think Mark Noble will be an England player one day - but he's not ready
just yet. He's had a great start to the season but you only have to look at
the players in his position and ask: "Is he better than them currently?" -
and the answer is no, not at the moment. But I can certainly see him as a
future England midfielder. He's got some improving to do but he's still
relatively young and I think he's got a great future in front of him.

Some Hammers fans have also suggested that James Tomkins should be in the
England squad. In midfield you can have holding players, attacking players,
ball players and ball winners whereas at centre back there are not many
variations. Essentially you've got to be able to head the ball, you've got
to be a good tackler and, for me, you've got to be able to play a bit of
football. It obviously depends who you're up against but at the moment I
think he'd struggle to make the England squad.

Rio and Frank

I read this week that my old team mate Rio Ferdinand is unlikely to be
selected for England in the near future. At 33 he's probably too old now
plus you've got younger players like Gary Cahill and Ryan Shawcross coming
through - though I'm not so keen on the latter. Rio's had a great career and
been a fantastic player but sometimes you have to say, "hang on a minute,
perhaps I'm getting a little bit old". Of course he still wants to play, but
Roy Hodgson is obviously looking to the future.

It was absolutely fantastic to see Rio, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Michael
Carrick come through at West Ham because you could see they were all going
to be fantastic players. They were young lads at the time and they were
cocky with it but it was great to play with them. I played quite a few times
with Rio, Frank and Joe and it was nice to see them progress - especially
Frank and Rio - into world-class players.

Although he got a bit of stick, Frank was always a good player. Yes he was
carrying a bit of weight as a youngster and it didn't help having his dad
there but he was always going to be a good player. What he's achieved is
exceptional.

I used to spend time with Frank after training at Chadwell Heath and he
worked hard at it. He always had ability and he's always had an eye for goal
but it doesn't matter how good you are, you've still got to practise and put
the hours in - and he did that.

I take my hat off to him; he's still doing it now because he loves football.

Julian Dicks was talking to Graeme Howlett.

* Julian is currently available to coach both junior and senior football
teams. For more details, follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/JULIAN3DICKS.

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World Cup: England boss Roy Hodgson confident Andy Carroll will be fully fit
Last Updated: October 4, 2012 3:36pm
SSN

England boss Roy Hodgson insists he has no worries about the fitness of
striker Andy Carroll after he was recalled to the squad. The Liverpool
striker, on loan at West Ham, played a big part at the European Championship
this summer under Hodgson - but he missed the World Cup qualifiers with
Moldova and Ukraine due to a hamstring injury. Carroll only returned to
action this week, playing the last 23 minutes of the Hammers' win at Queens
Park Rangers - but that has been enough to convince Hodgson to bring him
back. "Andy played 23 minutes including injury-time on Monday and I am
expecting him to play more minutes on Saturday against Arsenal, either from
the start or coming on," said Hodgson. "He has another week after that so I
don't think there is any reason for me to
question his fitness."

Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster is included for the first time, while
Arsenal full-back Kieran Gibbs,Stoke's Ryan Shawcross and Tottenham's Aaron
Lennon were recalled, plus Hodgson confirmed Carl Jenkinson is being looked
at very closely. "Gibbs and Jenkinson have done exceptionally well for
Arsenal," said Hodgson.
"Jenkinson was a player we thought a lot about but decided we didn't have
quite that many places. He is certainly a player we will think about for the
future.
"Gibbs, Lennon and Shawcross are players we need to see at closer hand. I
have seen them from the stands but it will be nice to have a chance to work
with them and see how they could contribute to the team we are trying to
build up. "There has to be some sort of rejuvenation process with the
England team when a new coach comes in. I am very much aware that Brazil is
two years down the road if we are good enough to get there and in two years
maybe these lads will be real stars in the Premier League."

Experience

Hodgson has retained a core of experience though. With Steven Gerrard
suspended, Frank Lampardseems certain to skipper England against San Marino
next Friday, and there are plenty of others Hodgson feels are capable of
shouldering the burden of responsibility. Little wonder he wants to get away
from the twin subjects of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand. "We have enough
leaders," he said. "Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are the captain and
vice-captain. "We also have people like Phil Jagielka, Michael Carrick,
Joleon Lescott, Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson. Who knows which of these
younger players emerge as leaders.
"One can only hope there will be one or two who at the moment are in the
early stages of their careers, who will emerge and show the same leadership
qualities as John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard."

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West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce is fully behind Andy Carroll's England
call-up
Last Updated: October 4, 2012 6:39pm
SSN

West Ham United boss Sam Allardyce believes Andy Carroll's England call-up
will prove beneficial to club and country. Carroll has been drafted into Roy
Hodgson's squad for a 2014 World Cup qualifying double-header against San
Marino and Poland despite only recently shaking off a hamstring injury. An
untimely knock picked up shortly after moving to Upton Park on a season-long
loan from Liverpool has limited his involvement for the Hammers, but
Allardyce is happy for the striker to go and get important minutes under his
belt in international competition. "I am glad (he has been called up)," he
said. "Going off to England because he is short on match fitness would be a
good thing for us and a good thing for him. "I will liaise with Roy. Andy is
in a position to play for him but (I want them to) just be careful about
fatigue because fatigue is what brings injuries. "Andy's match fitness is a
little behind where we would like it to be.
"Helping him to perform for England and catch up on match fitness would be
an ideal solution for the pair of us." While Carroll has made the cut for
England, club colleagues such as Mark Noble continue to be overlooked.
Allardyce has, however, revealed that the midfielder is among those being
closely monitored by Hodgson and his coaching team. "I think it depends how
Mark plays this season," he added. "I don't think it is about Mark Noble
playing for England after three or four good games. "He has pressed the
buttons to alert Roy and his staff to come and have a look at him and see if
he continues the good form he has shown in the Premier League up to now.
"There is a transition going on in the England set-up and Mark at 24 is an
experienced Premier League player now. "If he is the public eye and doing
well then I think England will continue to monitor him and see how it goes."

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James Tomkins disappointed to lose West Ham spot after 'wasting time' at
Olympics
Last Updated: October 4, 2012 1:38pm
SSN

James Tomkins has admitted the time he spent at the Olympics contributed to
him losing his place in the West Ham side. Tomkins insists it was an honour
to be selected by Stuart Pearce for the Team GB squad in the summer, but the
experience did not turn out as he would have liked. He made just a couple of
appearances at the Olympics, and has since started just one game for the
Hammers this season. Sam Allardyce has preferred to partner James Collins
and Winston Reid together at centre-back, which Tomkins concedes has been a
bitter pill to swallow. "It is always hard of course. I wanted to represent
Great Britain and the manager gave me the chance," he said in the Daily
Star. "I went there expecting to play more than I did in the end. Obviously
I wasted a lot of time and then Ginge (Collins) and Reidy played a lot
together in pre-season. "It was disappointing for me but I suppose that is
what football is like."

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