Daily WHUFC News - 11th January 2013

Sunderland match preview
WHUFC.com
Your guide to this Saturday afternoon's Barclays Premier League fixture at the Stadium of Light
11.01.2013

SUNDERLAND v WEST HAM UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 12 JANUARY 2013
KICK-OFF: 3PM
REFEREE: NEIL SWARBRICK
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
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Introduction
• West Ham United travel to Sunderland for their third game of 2013 and their second in the Barclays Premier League. Sam Allardyce's side are unbeaten thus far this calendar year, having recorded a 2-1 Premier League win at home to Norwich City on New Year's Day and a thrilling 2-2 draw with Manchester United in the FA Cup with Budweiser third round last time out.
• Marouane Chamakh could be in line to make his Hammers' debut after signing on loan from Arsenal. The striker was registered too late to play against Manchester United, but fellow new boy Joe Cole did start and marked his second 'debut' with two assists. The Academy graduate is expected to now make his second Premier League 'debut' against the Black Cats.
• The two teams last met in the Premier League at the Boleyn Ground in September, when Kevin Nolan's late strike rewarded some strong second-half pressure from the home side. Steven Fletcher had put Martin O'Neill's side up in the first half.
• Headed goals may be a premium on Saturday as Sunderland have scored the lowest percentage of goals from headers in the Premier League this season (10%) and have also conceded the lowest percentage of headed goals (3%). West Ham, meanwhile, have conceded just three goals from set plays this season, fewer than any other team.

• Jussi Jaaskelainen has the second highest shots-to-saves ratio in the Premier League this season (77%). Only Swansea City's Gerhard Tremmel has better (81%), but he has made just eleven appearances compared to Jaaskelainen's 20.

• Sunderland have won just three of their last 14 Premier League games at the Stadium of Light, including only two out of eleven this season.

• Nolan has scored more goals against Sunderland than he has managed against any other opponent in his Premier League career (six). As well as the equaliser at the Boleyn Ground, he scored a hat-trick against the Black Cats while on duty for Newcastle United in a 5-1 win back in October 2010.

• West Ham United's clash with Sunderland is one of seven Barclays Premier League games on Saturday, the others are as follows: Queens Park Rangers v Tottenham Hotspur (12:45pm), Reading v West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City v Chelsea, Norwich City v Newcastle United, Fulham v Wigan Athletic, Everton v Swansea City, Aston Villa v Southampton

Last time out
Saturday 5 January 2013
FA Cup with Budweiser third round
West Ham United 2-2 Manchester United
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen; Demel, Collins, Tomkins, Potts, Vaz Te (Jarvis 60), Collison, Diarra (Noble 73), J Cole (Taylor 78), Nolan, C Cole
Booked: Collison
Goals: Collins 27, 59

Saturday 5 January 2013
FA Cup with Budweiser third round
Bolton Wanderers 2-2 Sunderland
Sunderland: Mignolet, Bardsley, Rose (Colback 19) Cuellar (Wickham 58), Bramble, Larsson, Gardner, Vaughan, Johnson, McClean, Fletcher~
Subs not used: Westwood, Campbell, McFadden, Kilgallon.
Goals: Wickham 60, Gardner 75


Previous meeting

• West Ham's last meeting with Sunderland was on 22 September 2012 at the Boleyn Ground. The Hammers were on top for much of the game, but it looked as though Sunderland would sneak an away victory though Steven Fletcher's ninth-minute opener. That was until the 93rd minute, though, when Kevin Nolan finished on the turn to spark wild celebrations. The line-ups that day were:
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Reid, Collins, O'Brien, Noble, Diame, Nolan, Taylor (Benayoun 57), Vaz Te (Jarvis 57), Cole
Subs: Henderson, Tomkins, Maiga, McCartney, O'Neil
Goal: Nolan 90
Sunderland: Mignolet, Gardner, Bramble, O'Shea, Rose, Cattermole, Larsson, Colback, McClean, Sessegnon, Fletcher
Subs: Westwood, Kilgallon, Vaughan, Meyler, Campbell, Wickham, Saha
Goal: Fletcher 9

Background
• West Ham United have faced Sunderland 83 times in official competitions, winning 32, drawing 21 and losing 30.
• The first meeting between the two sides came on Saturday 25 August 1923 in the old Division One and ended in a goalless draw at Roker Park.
• West Ham United's biggest win over Sunderland came in the shape of an 8-0 Division One success at the Boleyn Ground on 19 October 1968. Geoff Hurst scored six goals - including a hat-trick in each half - while Bobby Moore and a young Trevor Brooking added one apiece. No other Hammers player has scored a hat-trick against the Black Cats.
• West Ham's biggest ever win away at Sunderland came on 9 September 1967, when goals from Martin Peters, Geoff Hurst (two), Harry Redknapp and Bobby Moore helped them to a 5-1 victory.
• Sunderland's biggest win over West Ham United came on 5 March 1977, when the Black Cats romped to a 6-0 Division One victory over the Londoners at Roker Park. Their best performance in east London was a 3-0 Division One triumph on 25 April 1931.
• West Ham United have won five out of the previous ten league meetings and six out of eleven in all competitions with Sunderland, but the Black Cats scored a Premier League 'double' in 2010/11.
• Nolan scored a hat-trick for Newcastle United in a 5-1 Tyne-Wear derby Premier League win over Sunderland at St James' Park on 31 October 2010. Andy Carroll also started the match for the Magpies.
• West Ham United forward Modibo Maiga, who is on African Cup of Nations Final duty, was a team-mate of Sunderland midfielder Stephane Sessegnon at French side Le Mans UC72 during the 2007/08 season.
• A number of West Ham United and Sunderland players have appeared together for other clubs, including James Collins, Carlos Cuellar and Craig Gardner (Aston Villa), Andy Carroll and Titus Bramble (Newcastle United), Matt Jarvis and Steven Fletcher (Wolverhampton Wanderers) and George Moncur and Billy Knott (AFC Wimbledon).
• Hammers midfielder Mohamed Diame was signed by Wigan Athletic from Spanish club Rayo Vallecano as a replacement for Sunderland-bound Lee Cattermole in August 2009.
• Future Hammers manager Harry Redknapp made his West Ham United debut in a 1-1 Division One draw with Sunderland at the Boleyn Ground on 23 August 1965.
• Ray Atteveld made his Hammers debut in a 1-1 FA Cup fifth-round draw at Sunderland on 15 February 1992. The Dutchman, on loan from Everton, would make two of his three West Ham United appearances against the Black Cats, the final one being a 3-2 FA Cup fifth-round replay defeat at the Boleyn Ground.
• George Andrew (February 1967), Jimmy Neighbour (September 1979), Chris Cohen (December 2003), Lionel Scaloni (February 2006) and Nolberto Solano (October 2007) also made their West Ham United debuts against Sunderland.


Last six meetings
(Premier League unless stated)
22 September 2012 - West Ham United 1-1 Sunderland
22 May 2011- West Ham United 0-3 Sunderland
5 December 2010 - Sunderland 1-0 West Ham United
21 September 2010 - Sunderland 1-2 West Ham United (Carling Cup third round)
10 April 2010 - West Ham United 1-0 Sunderland
31 October 2009 - Sunderland 2-2 West Ham United
Overall record v Sunderland (all competitions) W 32 D 21 L 30

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 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th (53 points)
Sunderland
2011/12 Premier League 13th (45 points)
2010/11 Premier League 10th (47 points)
2009/10 Premier League 13th (44 points)
2008/09 Premier League 16th (36 points)
2007/08 Premier League 15th (39 points)
2006/07 Championship 1st (88 points - promoted to Premier League)
2005/06 Premier League 20th (15 points - relegated to Championship)
2004/05 Championship 1st (94 points - promoted to Premier League)
2003/04 Championship 3rd (79 points)
2002/03 Premier League 20th (19 points)

Referee
• Saturday's referee will be Neil Swarbrick
• Swarbrick began refereeing at the age of 29 and within six years he had been promoted to the National List of assistant referees in 2005.
• Now 42, Swarbrick made his way up the leagues via the Football Conference and the npower Football League before receiving his first Barclays Premier League appointment on 11 December 2010. He was officially promoted to the Select Group of top-flight referees in June 2011.
• This will be his second West Ham United game this season, after being the man in the middle for the 4-1 win at home to Southampton on Saturday 20 October.
• He had taken charge of three West Ham United fixtures before that, the most recent being the 2-0 npower Championship Play-Off semi-final first-leg win at Cardiff City on 3 May 2012.

Team news
West Ham United
• Marouane Chamakh could make his debut for the Hammers after signing on loan from Arsenal. Joe Cole is likely to make his second Premier League 'debut' after arriving from Liverpool after impressing against Manchester United.
• Sam Allardyce is expected to make a number of changes after a host of regular first-teamers missed the Manchester United game to help avoid fatigue. However, the likes of Dan Potts, James Tomkins and Alou Diarra will be hoping to keep their places for the Sunderland match after impressing against the Red Devils.
• Winston Reid, Mark Noble, Matt Taylor, Matt Jarvis and Gary O'Neil will all be hoping to earn a recall after missing out on a start last Saturday.
• Joey O'Brien is still struggling with his hamstring injury and if he fails to recover, Potts is the most likely to step in.
• Modibo Maiga will definitely be missing after he travelled away to Mali for the Africa Cup of Nations finals in South Africa.
• Mohamed Diame and Andy Carroll are both near to a return to light training, leaving only George McCartney as the only long-term absentee.
Sunderland
• Sunderland will be without defender Wes Brown and midfielder Lee Cattermole (both knee), while left-back Danny Rose and centre-backs John O'Shea and Carlos Cuellar (both hamstring) could also miss the game. O'Shea did return to training on Thursday, however.
• Attacking midfielder Stephane Sessegnon is hoping to be available after suffering an ankle problem.
• France Under-21 midfielder Alfred N'Diaye could make his Black Cats debut after joining from Turkish club Bursaspor in midweek if international clearance is received in time.

Old boys
• George McCartney has enjoyed two spells with Sunderland. The Northern Irishman initially moved to the north east as a 17-year-old in 1998, quickly establishing himself in the first team and captaining the Black Cats to promotion to the Premier League and being voted Player of the Year in 2005. In all, he made 157 appearances for Sunderland before joining West Ham United in 2006. After two seasons, the left-back returned to the Stadium of Light to make a further 46 appearances before re-joining the Hammers, initially on loan, in August 2011.
• Sunderland defender Matt Kilgallon made four appearances for West Ham United on loan from Leeds United between August and November 2003.
• Bryan 'Pop' Robson spent two spells with West Ham United and three with hometown club Sunderland. Robson, who started his career with Newcastle United, netted 104 goals in 254 appearances for the Hammers and 67 in 174 games for Sunderland - scoring in a 2-0 win over Leicester City in his final Black Cats appearance in May 1984 that kept the club in the old Division One.
• Don Hutchison enjoyed two spells with West Ham United, netting 17 times in 110 matches. The Scotland midfielder also represented Sunderland during the 2000/01 season, scoring an impressing ten goals in 39 games.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Dick Bell, Gary Breen, Clive Clarke, Keith Coleman, Ernest England, Anton Ferdinand, John Foreman, Harry Forster, Jack Foster, Harry Hooper, Mick McGiven, Andy Melville, Billy Moore and Dave Swindlehurst.

General Information
• Tickets will be available on the day at the Stadium of Light. For the latest ticket information, click here.
• The weather forecast for Saturday is for light rain with maximum temperatures reaching 4C (40F).

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Hammers snap up Wellington Paulista
WHUFC.com
Brazilian forward Wellington Paulista has become West Ham United's fourth January signing
11.01.2013

West Ham United are pleased to announce the signing of Brazilian striker Wellington Paulista. The 29-year-old has joined the Hammers on an initial six-month loan deal from Brazilian Serie A club Cruzeiro, with the option for a further three years. Paulista has enjoyed a prolific career since joining the Belo Horizonte-based side from Botafogo in 2009, netting 39 goals in 110 Serie A and Copa Libertadores matches, plus 36 in 50 State Championship, Brazilian Cup and other matches. The versatile forward, who holds an EU passport and will therefore not require a work permit, is aiming to make his mark in English football. "I am really happy to be here at West Ham United," he told West Ham TV. "Everyone has been very kind to me since I have been at the club this week. I think I can do my best here and I am coming to England to prove to everyone that I am one of the best strikers in Brazil and to get better and better. "I am strong, I am a fighter and I can score with both feet. I run a lot on the pitch and I can play as either as first or second striker."

Having played in the Brazilian Serie A, Copa Libertadores and scored against Barcelona in the Camp Nou, Paulista is used to performing in a high-pressure environment. For that reason, the Barclays Premier League holds no fears. "The pressure will not be a problem for me because I am used to it from my time in Brazil, where the fans were really addicted to the club. The manager also put pressure on the players too, so it will be the same playing here. "What I am interested in is the passion of the supporters for their team, the way they keep going with the club and the way they make the players perform better."

Joint-Chairman David Sullivan welcomed Paulista to the Boleyn Ground, suggesting the player could have the same impact as a number of the Board's previous striker signings. He said: "I'd like to welcome Wellington Paulista to east London and West Ham United. He is another exciting player to add to our squad and although he may not be that well known on these shores, he comes with an excellent track record in Brazil. His arrival is similar to some of the other 'wildcard' players we have signed before like in Demba Ba and Ilan. They both made significant contributions and if he can match their efforts he will be an excellent acquisition for West Ham United."

Born in Sao Paulo, Paulista joined Clube Atletico Juventus in his home city as a schoolboy before gaining first-team experience with Mirassol, Parana and Santos, scoring nine goals in 30 appearances for Pele's former club. The 6'0 tall forward's goalscoring form at Santos tempted Spanish side Deportivo Alaves to bring him to Europe in 2006, for whom he scored a fine goal in a Copa del Rey tie with Barcelona at the Camp Nou. Paulista returned to Brazil with Serie A side Botafogo in 2008, netting seven league goals in 28 appearances as the club won the Rio Cup. The skilful frontman enjoyed his most productive season on joining Cruzeiro in 2009. He bagged an impressive 21 times in 38 appearances in all competitions as the club finished fourth in Serie A and won the Mineiro State Championship. That haul included five in ten Copa Libertadores ties - South America's equivalent of the UEFA Champions League - as the Brazilians reached the final before being edged out by Argentinean club Estudiantes. The following year, 2010, Paulista's nine goals in 30 appearances helped Cruzeiro to finish second in Serie A and reach the Copa Libertadores quarter-finals. After a less productive 2011 campaign, during which he was loaned to Palmeiras, the forward returned to form last year, scoring 28 goals in 40 appearances in all matches.

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Vaz Te West Ham TV exclusive!
WHUFC.com
Ricardo Vaz Te sat down with West Ham TV for an exclusive and wide-ranging interview
11.01.2013

Ricardo Vaz Te enjoyed a fairytale first six months in a West Ham United shirt. The forward arrived at the Boleyn Ground in January before going on to score 12 goals in 18 appearances - climaxed with his unforgettable late winner in the npower Championship final victory over Blackpool at Wembley in May. The No12 continued his good form at the start of the current campaign, scoring his maiden Barclays Premier League goal for the club at Queens Park Rangers on 1 October as the Hammers settled into the top half of the table. Five days later, Vaz Te's dream start to life as a Hammer ended when he dislocated his shoulder in the 3-1 home league defeat by Arsenal, with the initial prognosis ruling him out for three months. The 26-year-old showed typical determination to return to first-team duty two weeks ahead of schedule. Now he is aiming to make up for lost time by helping West Ham to regain their place in the top ten - starting with victory at Sunderland on Saturday. The popular Portuguese sat down with West Ham TV for a wide-ranging interview ahead of this weekend's trip to the Stadium of Light.

"I'm delighted to be back. It has been a bit frustrating at times, but now I'm just working hard to get back to where I left off, really, and trying to push on," said Vaz Te."It's never easy to deal with any injury, especially at the stage I was at before I hurt my shoulder, picking up form in the Premier League. I had a long absence when I felt like I was growing with every game. "I had put in six good performances and I had just started scoring as well, so I thought I could just carry on and things were picking up. To get injured at that stage was not really ideal."

The versatile attacker returned to action at Reading on 29 December before starting the 2-1 Barclays Premier League win over Norwich City and 2-2 FA Cup with Budweiser third-round draw with Manchester United at the Boleyn Ground. Now, Vaz Te is looking forward to a busy period that could potentially see the Hammers play a further six fixtures before the end of January - and setting high standards for himself and for the team. "I was very disappointed against Reading because I felt I could give a bit more and I should have finished the chance that I had. Again, I was still a bit rusty and I had not had many training sessions before that game, but I still apologise for the fans.

"My main aim is to help the club get back into the top ten. I believe that is where the club belongs. With the size of West Ham, that is what we should aim and push for. I am delighted we are doing so well. We have drifted off a little bit but I am hoping I can help the club to get back to the top ten." During a revealing discussion, Vaz Te also discussed his flourishing on-pitch relationship with right-back Guy Demel and his recent interview with a national newspaper in which he talked about his unique upbringing and the determination it gave him to succeed. The popular Portuguese closed by answering a number of questions posed by supporters on the club's official twitter feed @whufc_official. To see if your question was one of those answered now, log in or subscribe now by clicking on the link below.

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Joint-Chairman on the mend
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Joint-Chairman David Gold is recovering in hospital after being taken ill on Tuesday
11.01.2013

Joint-Chairman David Gold has thanked his family, West Ham United supporters, players and staff for their support after being taken ill. Mr Gold was admitted to a central London hospital on Tuesday and was put on intravenous antibiotics and Tamiflu. The Joint-Chairman, who received hundreds of messages of support from Hammers fans via social networking site twitter and a large card signed by Sam Allardyce and his players and coaching staff, has been visited regularly by his two daughters Jacqueline and Vanessa and other members of his family. On Friday morning, Mr Gold had recovered sufficiently to tweet a thank-you message to all those who have wished him well: "Good morning. I'm over the worst. Still on intravenous antibiotics but feeling better. Thank you so much for your kind words of support. dg"

The previous evening, Jacqueline joked that her father would be desperate to be at the Stadium of Light this weekend, despite being poorly. She tweeted: "Thank you to everyone for your support. [Dad] knows life won't be worth living if he even thinks about going to football but I'm sure three points on Saturday will help his recovery."

Vanessa also tweeted her gratitude for the goodwill directed towards the Joint-Chairman from supporters and friends alike: "Thank you for all your get well wishes for Dad."

Everybody at West Ham United wishes Mr Gold a speedy recovery and looks forward to welcoming him back to the Boleyn Ground and Chadwell Heath soon

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Sunderland v West Ham
KO 15:00
11 January 2013
Last updated at 13:58
By Conor McNamara
BBC Match of the Day commentator

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Stadium of Light Date: Saturday, 12 January


TEAM NEWS

Sunderland duo Carlos Cuellar and Danny Rose are out with hamstring injuries. John O'Shea and Stephane Sessegnon are doubtful, while new signing Alfred N'Diaye will only play if he receives international clearance in time.
West Ham striker Modibo Maiga is away on international duty but Marouane Chamakh could make his debut after joining on loan from Arsenal. Andy Carroll and George McCartney remain injured and Joey O'Brien is doubtful with a knee problem.

MATCH PREVIEW

When Sunderland beat Manchester City on Boxing Day, many at the Stadium of Light were hoping it would prove to be a turning point in their season. Since then Martin O'Neill's side have lost at home to Tottenham, suffered a heavy defeat at Anfield, and been held to a draw by a side from a lower division in the FA Cup. Sunderland have a small buffer zone between themselves and the relegation zone, but that four-point gap is still too small for comfort. O'Neill has been particularly unfortunate with injuries to experienced players. For most of the campaign John O'Shea, Wes Brown and Lee Cattermole have all been unavailable at the same time. However, the acquisition of French under-21 international Alfred N'Diaye adds cover in both midfield and defence.

West Ham have also dipped their toes in the transfer market. Sam Allardyce had a fine record of regenerating the careers of players who were underperforming elsewhere during his time at Bolton . Joe Cole and Marouane Chamakh are hoping he can do the same to help them rediscover some form. And it is worth mentioning that the return of Jack Collison has also felt like a new signing. West Ham have only had two victories in their last 10 games, but the FA Cup draw against Manchester United last weekend was a decent follow-up to the win over Norwich on New Year's Day. Both those matches were at Upton Park, and now the challenge is to play to that standard away from home. Their last away win did come in the North East against Newcastle, but West Ham have only managed five goals on their league travels this season - fewer than any other club in the top flight. Captain Kevin Nolan certainly enjoys playing Sunderland. He has scored five goals in his last three games against them, including a 90th-minute equaliser in September to salvage a home draw for West Ham.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
The Hammers have won five of their last 11 games at the Stadium of Light in all competitions.
West Ham have won 32 of the previous 83 league and cup encounters, with Sunderland claiming victory on 30 occasions.

Sunderland
Defeat would mean the Black Cats lose three successive league games for the first time under Martin O'Neill. The last time they lost three in a row was in April 2011, when they suffered four successive defeats.
Sunderland drew six of their first eight Premier League matches this season, but have shared the points only once in 13 subsequent games.
Martin O'Neill's men have gained one point from losing positions this season, fewer than any other top-flight side.
Only 10% of the league goals Sunderland have scored this term have been headers, while only 3% of their goals against are headers. Both figures are the lowest in the Premier League this season.

West Ham
The Hammers are winless in their last four away games (D1, L3), failing to score in the last three matches.
Their last away victory was the 1-0 win at Newcastle on 11 November.
They have conceded three league goals from set-pieces this season, fewer than any other team.

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West Ham sign Brazilian Wellington Paulista on loan
BBC.co.uk
By Frank Keogh

West Ham have completed a six-month loan deal for striker Wellington Paulista from Brazilian club Cruzeiro. The Hammers have the option for a further three-year contract. Paulista has scored 75 goals in 160 games for Cruzeiro although some of those were in the state championships against inferior opposition.
He is Hammers boss Sam Allardyce's fourth January recruit after midfielder Joe Cole and strikers Marouane Chamakh and Sean Maguire. For some three-and-a-half years now, Premier League managers have had visits from agents carrying DVDs showing off the skills of Wellington Paulista. They were seeking to cash in on his successful campaign in the 2009 version of the Copa Libertadores, South America's Champions League, when with five goals he was top scorer for beaten finalists Cruzeiro. The fact that the tournament top marksman was Mauro Boselli (who flopped at Wigan) of winners Estudiantes shows that Premier League success is not guaranteed. "I think I can do my best here and I am coming to England to prove to everyone that I am one of the best strikers in Brazil and to get better and better," Paulista told West Ham's official website . David Sullivan, West Ham's joint-chairman, likened the striker to other players that have had an impact at the club in recent years. "His arrival is similar to some of the other 'wildcard' players we have signed before, like in Demba Ba and Ilan," he said. "They both made significant contributions and if he can match their efforts he will be an excellent acquisition for West Ham United."

Tim Vickery, the BBC's South American football expert, said Paulista has the speed to work the flanks and can play as a support striker as well as centre-forward. "A late developer by Brazilian standards, he was 23 before he made a mark on his country's first division, scoring nine goals for Santos in 2006," he said. "He then spent a few months in Spain with Alaves, returning home to join Botafogo in 2008 and Cruzeiro the following year - where he has been ever since, with the exception of an unsuccessful few months with Palmeiras in 2011. "He was Cruzeiro's top scorer (with 10 goals) in the recently completed Brazilian Championship. After two mediocre years the club need to rebuild, and at last, he has the chance to show the English public what he can do."

Wellington would be competing with Carlton Cole, Ricardo Vaz Te and fellow loanees Chamakh and Andy Carroll for a place in West Ham's attack. Carroll is expected to return from a knee injury within the next fortnight, but fellow striker Modibo Maiga is likely to miss several matches as he joins up with Mali for the Africa Cup of Nations. Maguire, who was signed from Irish side Waterford United, is likely to start off in the Hammers' development squad.

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Wellington Paulista signs six-month loan deal
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 11th January 2013
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United have completed the signing of Brazilian striker Wellington Paulista on a six-month loan. The 29-year-old, who is contracted to Brazilian Serie A club Cruzeiro will remain in East London for the rest of the 2012/13 campaign with the option of a three-year contract thereafter. Speaking to West Ham TV, Paulista said: "I am really happy to be here at West Ham United. Everyone has been very kind to me since I have been at the club this week. "I think I can do my best here and I am coming to England to prove to everyone that I am one of the best strikers in Brazil and to get better and better. I am strong, I am a fighter and I can score with both feet. "I run a lot on the pitch and I can play as either as first or second striker." KUMB.com revealed last week that West Ham had agreed a deal to take the player on loan after Cruzeiro director of football Alexandre Mattos confirmed that the player was on his way to England.
"Cruzeiro would like to thank Wellington a lot, he is a great professional," said Mattos. "He always honoured and liked Cruzeiro a lot, as Cruzeiro liked him also. The clubs doors are always open for him." News of Paulista's move to England met with mixed reports from fans of his parent club; whilst some wished him well, others were delighted to part company with a player whom one described as "a ridiculous player".

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Premier League: Sunderland looking to get back to winning ways against West Ham
Last Updated: January 11, 2013 11:50am
SSN

Sunderland will want to start pulling clear of trouble again when they welcome West Ham to the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats have suffered back-to-back defeats in the Premier League to sit just four points clear of the relegation zone. Now is the time for them to start stringing positive results together and push towards the mid-table standing they feel they are deserving of. West Ham currently occupy such a perch, with Sam Allardyce's side having fared admirably during their first season back in the big time.

The Hammers have not been at their best, though, on the road and will be looking to right a few wrongs on Wearside. There is, however, likely to be little between the two sides, with a 1-1 draw at Upton Park earlier in the campaign suggesting they are evenly matched.

Sunderland
Last 6
2-2
3-0
1-2
1-0
0-1
3-1

Stephane Sessegnon could return for Sunderland after being forced to sit out last weekend's FA Cup third round clash with Bolton with an ankle problem.
Carlos Cuellar, Wes Brown and Danny Rose will miss out, meaning Titus Bramble and Matt Kilgallon are likely to be paired together at the heart of the Black Cats' four as they attempt to negotiate a defensive injury crisis. John O'Shea returned to training on Thursday, but is not 100 per cent, while international clearance is yet to be received for new signing Alfred N'Diaye.

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

New West Ham striker Marouane Chamakh goes straight into the Hammers squad for Saturday. The 28-year-old Morocco international has been signed on loan from Arsenal and could make his debut at the Stadium of Light. Modibo Maiga is missing as he links up with Mali ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations while fellow forward Andy Carroll (knee) is also absent. Defender Joey O'Brien remains a doubt with a hamstring problem but George McCartney (knee) is definitely out.

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Sam Allardyce says Black Cats are better than their results have shown
Last Updated: January 11, 2013 1:44pm
SSN

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce believes his team will have to reproduce the sort of form they showed against Manchester United last weekend if they want to take any points from the Stadium of Light on Saturday. Allardyce travels to Wearside to face a team that is three places further down the league than the Hammers and also four points worse off. But Allardyce believes the Black Cats have performed better than their results have shown. He said: "It's not been about the performance but the results haven't come because they have not converted enough of the chances that they've created. "I don't think they've had too many goalscorers apart from the magnificent start (Steven) Fletcher made. "I think they have paid a price for that in result terms but performances, particularly at Sunderland,have always been very, very good - according to our reports. "It will be a tough game as always away from home. We want to be playing as well as we did against Manchester United to achieve a result at Sunderland. Anything less than that will make life difficult for us." In last week's FA Cup clash against the Reds at Upton Park, it needed a last-gasp equaliser from Robin van Persie to salvage a replay for United.

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Wellington pulls on Hammers boots
Published: 3 hrs ago
The Sun

BRAZILIAN striker Wellington Paulista has joined West Ham on loan until the end of the season. The 29-year-old hitman has signed from Cruzeiro for an initial six-month spell but the Hammers have an option to extend it to a three-year contract. He becomes Sam Allardyce's fourth signing of the January transfer window after Joe Cole, Sean Maguire and Marouane Chamakh. Wellington said: "I think I can do my best here and I am coming to England to prove to everyone that I am one of the best strikers in Brazil and to get better and better. "I am strong, I am a fighter and I can score with both feet. I run a lot on the pitch and I can play as either as first or second striker. "The pressure will not be a problem for me because I am used to it from my time in Brazil, where the fans were really addicted to the club. "The manager also put pressure on the players too, so it will be the same playing here."

West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan described Wellington as a 'wildcard' signing. He said: "He is another exciting player to add to our squad and although he may not be that well known on these shores, he comes with an excellent track record in Brazil. "His arrival is similar to some of the other 'wildcard' players we have signed before like in Demba Ba and Ilan. "They both made significant contributions and if he can match their efforts he will be an excellent acquisition for West Ham United."

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I'm one of the best strikers in Brazil and I will prove it, says West Ham new-boy Paulista
PUBLISHED: 19:55, 11 January 2013 | UPDATED: 19:57, 11 January 2013
Daily Mail

West Ham have completed the loan signing of Brazilian forward Wellington Paulista from Cruzeiro. The 29-year-old has signed for the Hammers on an initial six-month loan deal but the club have an option to extend that to a three-year contract. Wellington has been linked with a move to Upton Park for a number of weeks and becomes Sam Allardyce's fourth signing of the January transfer window following the acquisitions of Joe Cole, Sean Maguire and Marouane Chamakh. Wellington, who can play as a main striker or operate on either wing, will now be competing with Chamakh, Andy Carroll and Carlton Cole for a berth in West Ham's attack. The Hammers have struggled to find goals from their forwards for much of the season with midfielders Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble leading the scoring charts with nine goals between them. Allardyce will be hoping Wellington could be the answer to the lack of firepower, with the Brazilian having finished last season as Cruzeiro's top scorer with an impressive 27 goals. Wellington said he has moved to West Ham to showcase his talents outside his home country and is not worried by the pressure of playing in the Barclays Premier League. 'I think I can do my best here and I am coming to England to prove to everyone that I am one of the best strikers in Brazil and to get better and better,' he told West Ham TV. 'I am strong, I am a fighter and I can score with both feet. I run a lot on the pitch and I can play as either as first or second striker. 'The pressure will not be a problem for me because I am used to it from my time in Brazil, where the fans were really addicted to the club. The manager also put pressure on the players too, so it will be the same playing here.'

West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan labelled the signing of Wellington as a 'wildcard' but is sure he will be a hit at Upton Park. 'I'd like to welcome Wellington Paulista to east London and West Ham United,' Sullivan said. 'He is another exciting player to add to our squad and although he may not be that well known on these shores, he comes with an excellent track record in Brazil. 'His arrival is similar to some of the other 'wildcard' players we have signed before like in Demba Ba and Ilan. 'They both made significant contributions and if he can match their efforts he will be an excellent acquisition for West Ham United.'

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Carlton's not a happy bunny! Can you guess why Hammers striker will receive a 'massive fine'?
By RIK SHARMA
PUBLISHED: 10:49, 11 January 2013 | UPDATED: 13:28, 11 January 2013
Daily Mail

Carlton Cole has revealed he will be on the end of a 'massive fine' after being late to West Ham training. The striker complained on Twitter about the punishment he will receive, as the Hammers prepare to face Sunderland on Saturday afternoon. He wrote: 'I'm late this morning, FML (an acronym of 'f*** my life')! That's a massive fine for me. Not a happy bunny.' He later tweeted that he had been on the receiving end of some 'banter' from the 'lads' but was now back on track and up north with the squad. Saturday's clash at the Stadium of Light could see Marouane Chamakh introduced from the bench to make his West Ham debut. The Arsenal striker who has moved on loan to Upton Park has been backed by Hammers boss Sam Allardyce to make an impact. Allardyce said: 'He's itching and hungry to get back and show what he can do. We'll try and get him to be that goal threat that he was ultimately at Bordeaux. Obviously he's been very disappointed with his lack of involvement at Arsenal. 'I think Arsene Wenger must've thought he's good enough for Arsenal and we'll play to his strengths. With Emmanuel Adebayor they used to cross balls so I don' t know why they didn't for Chamakh. 'Now with Olivier Giroud, they will cross balls for him. Obviously it hasn't worked there but hopefully it will work for us.' 'We'll give him the platform by feeding him the right type of balls. You provide the service he needs in terms of how he plays. 'He's exceptionally good in the air and he's really good at getting between defenders from crosses. We can provide the ammunition for him to hopefully get a few goals.'


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Sunderland v West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 12th January 2013
By: Preview Percy

Next up it's the long trek up the various bits of road that constitute the A1 & A1 (M) to the daftly-named Stadium of Light where we will be hosted by Sunderland for a 3pm kick-off on Saturday. Hint: if it feels warm, sunny and just about everyone is wearing shorts and talking Portuguese, you may have programmed the wrong Stadium of Light into the satnav. Easily done.

Our hosts currently sit in 14th place with 22 points from 21 games. That's three places and four points behind us with us having played a game fewer. In the league current form is a nice easy won three lost three split. The wins came at home against Man City (1-0) and Reading (3-0) and away at Southampton (1-0). The defeats came away at Liverpool (3-0) and Man Utd (3-1) and at home to Spurs (1-2).

Last weekend they drew 2-2 in the cup at Bolton, having been 2-0 down well into the second half. Like us a few weeks back they were a bit short handed due to injuries and were only able to name six on the subs' bench. Something that boss Martin O'Neill denied was an exercise in making a point over squad depth to chairman Ellis Short. Of course not Martin.

Whether or not O'Neill was making a point, they've made their first signing of the January window. Midfielder/defender Alfred N'Diaye has arrived from Turkish side Bursaspor. This is a signing of which I wholeheartedly approve. Here at the Avram Grant Rest Home For The Bewildered we reckon that there are not nearly enough players with good old fashioned names like Alfred in the league. Ok his surname isn't Blenkinsop or something else suitably northern but every little helps.

N'Diyae (or Alf as I hope they'll call him) spent two years in Turkey having signed from French outfit Nancy (yes, yes you can say he was a Nancy boy if you must). The fee has been reported as €4.7m. I have no idea how much that is in real money. Just think yourself fortunate that Matron remembered how to get the "€" symbol, even if it was as a result of her sitting on the keyboard. Alf's appearance on Saturday (or otherwise) is dependent on the arrival of international clearance.

Common wisdom has it that they could do with further reinforcement in defence. Wes Brown is injured – knee ligaments are his problem. John O'Shea, who apparently hasn't had the best of seasons, has a hamstring problem as has Carlos Cuellar, who picked his up during the Bolton cup-tie. This leaves a potential centre-back pairing of Titus "Crimewatch" Bramble and ex-Hammer (albeit on loan) Matthew Kilgallon. Kilgallon made three appearances during a loan spell in 2003. Apparently. Can't say any of them stuck in the mind. With the biting wit and intelligence beloved of professional footballers, he is apparently known as "Killa".

Elsewhere in defence there were worries that the on-loan (from Spurs) Danny Rose might be recalled to White Hart Lane. A bit academic really since he too has caught "hamstring" and is another absentee.

Top scorer thus far is Steven Fletcher with eight. He got their goal in the 1-1 draw at the Boleyn in September. They started off the season rather dependant on Fletcher. In fact, from the start of the season they had to wait until the meeting with Newcastle on 21st October for anyone else to score for them – and even that was an o.g. prompting Tyneside wags to note that Dember Ba was the Mackems' second top scorer. They then had to wait until 10 November for anyone else to get a league goal for them when Adam Johnson scored in the 2-1 defeat at Everton.

Fletcher has tended to operate as a lone striker up front with Stephane Sessegnon operating in a sort of free role in and around Fletcher. Benin international Sessegnon is another doubt for this match having missed the Bolton cup match with an ankle injury, a problem with which he was struggling at the start of the season.

In Sessignon's absence they went with Craig Gardner in the free role against Bolton. Gardner has been a bit confused over the years. A graduate of the Villa academy he apparently claimed to have been a lifelong Villa fan until his transfer to Birmingham City, whereupon he suddenly remembered that it was Birmingham who he'd supported all along. This lifelong love for the Blues didn't stop him leaving for Sunderland in 2011 as soon as Birmingham had been relegated.

Gardner's early days on Wearside weren't the happiest period of his life amid rumours of a falling out with Steve Bruce which, given that Bruce is an ignorant twit of the lowest order, is hardly the hardest thing to do. Bruce's sacking (STILL funny after all this time) and the subsequent arrival of O'Neill saw an improvement in his mood, though there have still been rumours of homesickness for the West Midlands, as if such a thing were possible.

As an alternative to playing a lone striker plus a nomad it's possible that they might go for a more orthodox two up front. 19-year-old Conor Wickham came on in that role against Bolton and scored, prompting O'Neill to comment on how good the partnership with Fletcher had looked. There was a lot of hype coming out of Ipswich in Wickham's early days there, with some even suggesting that the then just turned 17 years old striker might be worth taking to the 2010 World Cup. If the intention was for all the hyperbole to push up the player's sale price for a transfer it certainly had the desired effect, with Ipswich managing to persuade Sunderland to part with £8m for the player's services – the fee possibly rising to £12m with add-ons. He's been in and out of the side and the goal against Bolton was only the second goal of his career on Wearside and the majority of the player's appearances have come from the bench.

So what of us? Good performance last week in the Cup wasn't it and I thought we were a tad unlucky not to be through to the next round to be honest. Although the lateness of the equaliser made the result feel like a defeat at the time, the passing of a week has added a dose of perspective to proceedings and there was a lot of that 90 minutes to feel good about.

On the injury front it's about a week early for both Diame and Carroll. Linda's ligaments will be a while yet. The problem left back slot may still be an issue and Joey O'Brien is a doubt with his hamstring problem. Some sources suggest that he may be available for selection but it's not something I'd like to invest any money on. Also on the injured list will be co-Chairman David Gold who is suffering from pneumonia. I guess a trip to somewhere as cold as Sunderland is the last thing you'd need as a pneumonia-sufferer.

At the time of writing we're still trying to agree a fee with Blackburn for Martin Olsson so, unless anything has changed between me writing this and the editors picking it up, we may see young Potts fill that position again. The lad had a decent game – admirably helped by the senior pros – against the Salford whingers and I wouldn't be too worried to see him start this one.

Elsewhere at the back I'd expect Mr Allardyce to revert to his preferred pairing of Collins and Reid in the middle of defence, with Tomkins reverting to the bench. Tomkins has been linked with a move away to Newcastle – something that I reckon would be a mistake, though if push came to shove one couldn't blame the player for wanting more regular starts. I guess it's all a matter of patience.

There are interesting selection issues in midfield. Assuming that the skipper is treated as the one behind in a 4-4-1-1, that leaves Noble, Collison, Cole (J), Diarra, Vaz Te, Taylor, O'Neil, Jarvis all looking for space, with Diame to throw into the mix in a week or two. Whether or not Joe Cole would have started last weekend had the match been a league match rather than a cup-tie is debatable. However, I'd say that he did enough in the time he was on the pitch to warrant another start, though traditionally Mr Allardyce tends to take a more cautious approach to life on the road, which may see the player start on the bench. Collison's return from his knee injury has been good enough to warrant a continued starting place (assuming that his knee is up to it) and with Noble on auto-select the selection in the other positions will say a lot about our attitude to this match.

Up front we can now add the on-loan Marouane Chamakh to proceedings. With Cole (C) in decent shape, Chamakh'll be occupying the spot on the bench vacated by Mo Maiga, who will be away on African Cup of Nations duty with Mali. Until earlier today, there'd been no news on the arrival of Wellington Paulista, who was on his way from Cruzeiro. The last I heard he was still in the Shaun Wright-Phillips Memorial Medical Centre with a plethora of people in white coats tapping his knee with those little rubber hammers. Before he signed, of course.

Prediction? I fancy a rare top flight away win for this one. Even with a full squad they've not been the most prolific of scorers, averaging a goal a game in the league. Ok, so we've not been over goal-happy on the road ourselves – the five we've got away from the Boleyn is the lowest figure in the league. However, with a severely depleted defence to play against we really ought to be targeting three points from this one. For that reason the Avram Grant Rest Home Fund to repair the keyboard that matron broke by sitting on (€2.50) will be placed on a 2-0 win to us.

Enjoy the game!


When Last We Met On Wearside: Lost 1-0 (December 2010). A Jordan Henderson strike on 34 minutes was enough to send us to the bottom of the league. This happened only three days after we'd stuck four past Moan Utd without response in the League Cup. Did I hear "typical West Ham"?

Referee: Neil Swarbrick. Last seen in the middle handling our 4-1 demolition of Southampton in October, though he also had the 4th official role at West Brom and Newcastle. NB did anyone else note how the idiot who did the Everton match was "punished" with a League Cup Semi Final? Way to go PGMO. Not.

Danger Man: Steven Fletcher. Top scorer and the player on whom they depend for their goals.

Daft Fact Of The Week: The first rectangular police box was installed in Sunderland in 1923. The unit contained a telephone with which the constabulary could contact the base police station. This phone was accessible from the outside enabling the general public to contact the police in case of emergency. The interior effectively acted as a mini-police station, containing an incident book, a first aid kit and a miniature black hole enabling the device to travel through both time and space. Sadly the advanced technology proved too much for the people of Sunderland, and the telephone remained unused for 40 years until the box suddenly disappeared with a horrible grinding noise.


Stat man John: Northcutt's corner

Head to Head
Pld 83; West Ham Utd 32, Sunderland 30, Draws 21.

First Meeting
25th August 1923: Sunderland 0-0 West Ham Utd (Roker Park, Division One)

Last Meeting
22nd September 2012 West Ham Utd 1-1 Sunderland (Boleyn Ground, Premier League)

Biggest Win(s)
19th October 1968: West Ham Utd 8-0 Sunderland (Boleyn Ground, Division One)

Heaviest Defeat(s)
5th March 1977: Sunderland 6-0 West Ham Utd (Roker Park, Division One)

Biggest Win(s)
19th October 1968: West Ham Utd 8-0 Sunderland (Boleyn Ground, Division One)
On 19th October 1968, West Ham United's smallest crowd of the season gathered at the Boleyn Ground to witness what became a record-breaking First Division match for a number of reasons. Firstly, West Ham's 8-0 win equalled the club's record win; secondly, goalscorer Geoff Hurst achieved a feat that hasn't been matched in the ensuing 44 years by scoring six of them and thirdly, he also achieved the rare feat of scoring a hat-trick in each half (which is also unlikely to have been repeated). Hurst admitted post-match that the first of his record haul (on 18 minutes) was deliberate handball. However there was nothing dubious about any of the remaining five, which arrived in the 34th, 44th, 48th, 61st and 71st minute.

Friendlies
October 1953: West Ham Utd 2-0 Sunderland (Sexton, Dixon)

Early baths
2011/12: Joey O'Brien (a); 2011/12: Jack Collison (a).

They Played For Both
Richard Bell; Gary Breen; Clive Clarke; Keith Coleman; Ernie England; John Foreman; Harry Forster; Jack Foster; Harry Hooper; Don Hutchison; Mattie Kilgallon; George McCartney; Billy Moore; Bryan 'Pop' Robson; Dave Swindlehurst; Tal Ben Haim; Wayne Bridge; Danny Collins; Anton Ferdinand; Andy Melville.

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Big Sam's window pain
The Sun
By PAT SHEEHAN
Last Updated: 12th January 2013

SAM ALLARDYCE has admitted he is facing the sack if he does not get his transfers right in the January window. The West Ham boss reckons the club will have been offered THOUSANDS of players during the window he regards as a nightmare. Allardyce, who takes his team to Sunderland today, revealed: "Mistakes cost you your job, don't they? "If I make mistakes in the transfer window and bring in players that fail, it costs me my job. It gets me the sack."

West Ham's joint chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan, chief executive Karren Brady, Allardyce, head of recruitment Martin Glover and club coaching staff started getting offered players once the clock hits midnight on December 31. Allardyce explained: "I will be able to tell you exactly how many players West Ham have been offered when the window closes at the end of the month because I keep a note of everything. "Right now I can tell you that it will run into the thousands but the window has always been out of control since it started 10 years ago. It has never been in control. "It has never been an ideal situation in any way, shape or form during the season. "It's obviously a very disruptive time of the year, the back end of December and the beginning of January. "I try very hard not to let the window use up all my time — I pass it all on to Martin — and he is panicking a bit at the moment because he can't get any sleep at all."

Most Premier League clubs now have a sophisticated scouting system so nothing is left to chance with players' off-field activities as crucial as those on it in a bid to make sure the 'right characters' are signed. Allardyce said: "It is not luck — you cannot rely on luck. "You have got to rely on the information you can gather and try to make a calculated choice that this is the right one for you. "In January you need to get in what you wanted at the beginning of the season. "In the summer I wanted six players but, apart from Mohamed Diame, I didn't get them for a variety of reasons. "When we didn't get any of those six targets we moved on to the next level and the next until we finally got what we got — which was still pretty good talent but they were not the targets we first had in mind.
"All clubs miss out because sometimes they do not know certain players are available to buy or they did not want to come. Then, as it goes on, people do become available and sometimes you take a player and then you get a player come back to you that you have been negotiating with and you kick yourself and think, 'If I had just waited a few days longer'."

So far this month, Allardyce has brought in Hammers old-boy Joe Cole from Liverpool and picked up Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh on loan. But the Hammers boss reckons his worst miss in the transfer market was Bolton's failure to sign Samuel Eto'o, who went on to become one of the game's biggest stars. He explained: "We could have got Eto'o for £6.5million from Mallorca but the chairman was too tight to pay at the time, even though I said there was a £20m player on a plate for him."

The Cameroon striker eventually joined Barcelona and spent five successful years at the Nou Camp before joining Inter Milan. He is now reputedly the world's highest-paid footballer on an alleged £350,000 a week at Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala The Hammers' main target in this window is a left-sided player and Allardyce confirmed the SunSport exclusive that he is chasing Blackburn's Martin Olson. Allardyce admitted: "We have made an enquiry... negotiations are ongoing at the moment. "In terms of what we're doing at the moment, we're as active as everybody else. "If there's a player out there that we think can improve our squad, we'll try and move on him."

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Crem de la Prem
By KARREN BRADY
Published: 11th January 2013
The Sun

Saturday, January 5

UPTON PARK is like an Oscars party today. We have movie stars, catwalk models, a world icon, dozens of millionaires and the odd billionaire. Our icon, David Beckham, missed Robin van Persie's replay-earning goal for Man U. Did he leave to catch an early bus? I thought the Hammers more than matched United and Joe Cole underlined how much a club loses when they are forced to sell a favourite son. Just like Arsenal and Van Persie, really.

Sunday, January 6

ON TV, I catch up with Joe Hart having his hair shampooed as if it were during a match. If I were him I'd wash the ad right out of my hair. I can tell him that by the time he has been called Dan Druff 1,000 times he's really going to have an itchy scalp. Perhaps he can take it. I hope so because the product is going to profit more than he does. Remember Diamond Lights, Hoddle and Waddle? I rest my case!

Monday, January 7

BUY early, buy smart is our philosophy for the transfer window. Having got Joe Cole and Marouane Chamakh, we try for a defender but our bid is rejected.
I remember at Birmingham we had to stand by, horrified, as we slid to the Championship after ruling out shopping in January 2006. David Sullivan and David Gold vowed then they would never again be caught with their shorts down.

Tuesday, January 8

LIONEL MESSI may only be 25 but his fourth consecutive award of the Ballon d'Or as World Player of the Year qualifies him as Old Goldenballs. Spanish football has such a grip on the FIFA panel that no other league is represented — not even in the world team of the year. This is not just a slap in the face for the Premier League, it's a school of wet kippers. Yet when it comes to watching on the telly, it's to the Prem that easily the most turn. Viewers love the sweeping competitiveness of games in England.

Wednesday, January 9

MICHU, at £2million, could yet be the deal of the decade. Finding bargain players in top-level football is often as unrewarding as panning for gold. So buying an attacking midfielder from a small club in Spain and moulding him into the scorer of 16 goals halfway through the season is an amazingly creative piece of business. Well done to the behind-the-scenes people at Swansea for that. Tonight, Michu's sole shot against Chelsea, a pinpoint winner, was the kind of goal Fernando Torres used to score when he was on a streak at Liverpool. It made him a £50million player. That's enough to turn Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins cross-eyed.

Thursday, January 10

A NEWLY single Premier League director is going out to dinner tonight with a friend of a friend of mine on what, I guess, you'd call a blind date. He calls me in a panic at lunchtime today saying he may have to cancel as a big sty has come up on his eye and it looks dreadful and he doesn't want to put her off. Don't worry, I say. Just cover it up with your wallet and all will be fine and dandy!

Friday, January 11

THE FA offer of an £18,000-a-year contract hasn't exactly caused our women's international players to chain themselves to Buckingham Palace gates — but they aren't happy. Players' union chief Gordon Taylor takes up rolling pins on their behalf, calling the offer "embarrassing". Some will doubt that in a year of domestic football their matches will see as many fans as tomorrow's two Prem games. I have a suggestion. Taylor should dig into his union's coffers and pay the top girls a few thousand more.

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Cole shovel: West Ham tell striker Carlton to find himself another club
The Mirror
11 Jan 2013 22:30

Carlton Cole is fuming after being told he can leave West Ham. With on-loan Liverpool striker Andy Carroll soon to be fit again and having borrowed Marouane Chamakh from Arsenal for the rest of the season, Upton Park chiefs are ready to listen to offers for Cole. The club are understood to have tried to convince his representatives that his future lies elsewhere. But Cole remains determined to stay and fight for his place. Hammers manager Sam Allardyce prefers both Chamakh and Carroll to Cole, who has scored twice in 19 games so far this season. But Carroll has scored just once in 14 appearances for the east London club. Chamakh scored two in four appearances for the Gunners this season - after managing one in 21 games in the previous campaign - and his departure was widely welcomed by Arsenal fans. Reading and Norwich are both keen on Cole. The former 29-year-old England striker moved to Upton Park from Chelsea after loan spells at Wolves, Charlton and Aston Villa. Meanwhile, Allardyce has blasted the transfer-window system.

* WEST HAM and Southampton have both made an enquiry to take Manchester City's John Guidetti on loan, writes John Cross. The 20-year-old striker is wanted by Italians Fiorentina too, but City want him to gain Premier League experience.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 11th January 2013

Big Sam on: Sunderland
WHUFC.com
The manager has spoken to the media ahead of West Ham United's visit to the
Stadium of Light
10.01.2013

Sam Allardyce wants West Ham United to extend their unbeaten start to 2013
when they travel to Sunderland in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday.
The Hammers opened the New Year by overcoming Norwich City 2-1 before
holding Manchester United to a thrilling 2-2 FA Cup with Budweiser
third-round draw at the Boleyn Ground last weekend. Now, Big Sam is hoping
his team can overcome the absence of a number of important players through
injury by scoring a positive result against Martin O'Neill's men at the
Stadium of Light.

Sam, could you start by giving us your team news ahead of Saturday's trip to
the Stadium of Light?

SA: "We've got the same squad as last week and we've added Marouane Chamakh
on loan from Arsenal, who we obviously hope will play a big part in us
getting some good results between now and the end of the season. He is also
cover for Modibo Maiga, who went off to the Africa Cup of Nations last week.
Other than that, we've got the same squad as Andy Carroll, George McCartney,
Mo Diame and Joey O'Brien are not fit yet. Dan Potts is with us and he did a
great job last week and hopefully he'll continue in that position, continue
to improve and perform as he did against Manchester United."

How much longer do you expect Andy to be out for?

SA: "It's difficult to put an actual timescale on it. I would expect it
would be no longer than a couple of weeks now. He is doing some
straight-line running and has been doing that for a few days. If he doesn't
feel anything, then we'll progress onto interval running and some change of
direction work and then introduce the ball. Then, he'll hopefully come back
with the other players as quickly as possible. It could be a few days or it
could be a bit longer than that, depending on his progression. We're
assessing him day-by-day now."

What do you expect Marouane Chamakh to contribute to the cause?

SA: "We have got a lot of games coming up. He won't be able to play in the
FA Cup replay at Manchester United because he wasn't registered in time for
the first game. From there on and from this Saturday, he'll be available."

How will you manage Joe Cole's workload between now and the end of the
season?

SA: "We will take it game-by-game. Part of every manager's job is managing
players for their sake. It's not always about joining in training every day
and every week for me, and it hasn't been for many years for me. Lots of
players don't come together in the squad until Thursday and Friday and then
play on the Saturday because they need to do other things during the week to
maintain their level of fitness. I have a prevention policy rather than a
cure policy which has obviously been tested to the hilt recently with the
number of injuries we've had. Saying that, they have been more trauma
injuries than muscle tears, so we'll do what is needed with Joe as we do
with many players."

Do you have a message for Joint-Chairman David Gold, who has been taken ill
this week?

SA: "All the players wish him well. We found out on Wednesday that he is
poorly so we'll get a message to him and we obviously wish him a speedy
recovery."

The transfer window is open. What can you update us on in terms of possible
targets?

SA: "In terms as what we're doing at the moment, we're as active as everyone
else. If there is a player there who we feel will improve the squad, we'll
try to move for him. If I was strengthening anywhere at the moment, it would
be in the left-back position because of our injury problems in that area.
We're only looking at that position at the minute."

Are you surprised with how Sunderland have performed this season?

SA: "I don't know why they haven't kicked on after last season, but I do
know they have improved over Christmas and that has given their team a lot
more confidence. It has been results rather than performances that have not
come because they have not converted the chances they have created. They
have not got too many goalscorers apart from Steven Fletcher and they have
sort of paid a price for that in result terms. Performances, particularly at
home, have been very good according to our reports, so it'll be a tough game
away from home. We want to play as well as we did against Manchester United
to achieve a result at Sunderland - anything less than that will make it
difficult for us."

Steven Fletcher has been a success story for Sunderland since joining them
last summer. What have you made of his impact?

SA: "He's been tremendous. When you see where Sunderland would be if he
hadn't scored the goals he scored, his goals have been like gold in terms of
the results they have brought Sunderland this season. Without those goals,
they'd have struggled more than they already have. The importance of a
goalscorer is massive. If you've got that goalscorer, then it's a massive
bonus for you."

Finally, you have started 2013 well. Are you happy with how things are
going?

SA: "I'm happy that we've recovered well from a disappointing Christmas
based on results and the loss of lots of players to injury, which has made
life difficult for us. I think we've performed exceptionally well against
Norwich and Manchester United in our last two games, so I hope we will
continue to produce displays like that on a consistent basis in the New
Year."

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Club to raise £50k for Bobby Moore Fund
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are targeting to raise 50,000 pounds for the Bobby Moore
Fund for Cancer Research UK this season
08.01.2013

West Ham United are delighted to announce a target to raise £50,000 for the
Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK this season. Since being established
in memory of the legendary West Ham and England captain by his widow
Stephanie Moore MBE in 1993, the charity has raised nearly £19million for
research and to raise awareness of bowel cancer - the disease which took the
life of the great centre-back at the age of 51. In the two decades since
Moore's passing, more than 300,000 people have lost their lives to bowel
cancer in the UK alone. The club, which has worked closely with the charity
for many years, has already raised more than £20,000.

To kick-start the initiative, Joint-Chairman David Sullivan has made a
generous personal donation of £10,000. Manager Sam Allardyce followed suit
by has kindly agreeing to donate the fee he receives for his weekly Evening
Standard column to the Fund over the course of the 2012/13 season, raising
more than £5,000 so far.

The club's Principal Partner SBOBET also got behind the initiative by
marking the fourth anniversary of their partnership activity by donating
£5,000.
Two home fixtures have also been designated as Bobby Moore Fund Awareness
Matches - the Barclays Premier League visits of Tottenham Hotspur and
Manchester United on 25 February and 9 March 2013 respectively. The Spurs
fixture will mark 20 years since Moore's tragic and untimely passing and the
club is planning a fitting tribute to the great defender involving
supporters and members of the Moore family.

Ricardo Vaz Te has also got in on the act, donating the boots in which he
scored his unforgettable npower Championship Play-Off final winner for
auction. The No12 has signed the footwear, and supporters should keep a
close eye on the official website - whufc.com - for details of how and where
to bid for a unique piece of Hammers memorabilia.

West Ham United Joint-Chairman David Sullivan said the club was delighted to
be working closely with a charity that is close to the hearts of everyone
associated with the Hammers. "I am very proud that West Ham United and the
Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK will once again be working in
partnership. Everyone at the club holds Bobby in the highest esteem and is
committed to fighting the disease which robbed England of its finest-ever
defender and captain. "The work the Fund does is tremendous and for such an
important cause and there is no doubt that It helps to save lives every
single year. While raising the profile of such a worthy cause, we will be
able to ensure Bobby's legacy lives on at the heart of his club."

Bobby Moore Fund Senior Manager Ali Cleveland welcomed the club's
announcement, saying: "The Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK is
grateful to be the beneficiary of West Ham's target to raise £50,000 for
vital bowel cancer research and looks forward to working with the club this
season."

You can also get involved by taking part in one of the many fundraising
events and projects organised by the club.

Earlier this month, the Hammers further boosted their fundraising total by
purchasing a table at the Bobby Moore Fund Celebrity Sports Quiz enabling
assistant
manager Neil McDonald, first-team squad members George Moncur, Sebastian
Lletget and Matthias Fanimo as well Hammers fan and Olympic rowing Gold
medallist Mark Hunter to attend the high-profile event. The event, which
attracted around 500 people and was hosted by ITV football commentator Clive
Tyldesley and Sky Sports presenters Jeff Stelling, Clare Tomlinson and Max
Rushden and BBC Sport presenter Hazel Irvine, raised £224,202 for the
charity.
In January, manager Sam Allardyce will be among the diners at a Dining With
The Stars evening at the Grade I listed Gibson Hall in the heart of the City
of London, when an exquisite five-course meal will be cooked by a group of
Michelin starred chefs. Prices start from £250 per ticket, with VIP tickets
and Chef's table tickets also available. To book tickets, or to discuss
sponsorship opportunities, please email davina.yanful@cancer.org.uk

If you would like to help West Ham to reach their £50,000 fundraising target
and raise valuable funds for the Bobby Moore Fund, please email
officialcharitiesBMF@westhamunited.co.uk
For more information about the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK,
click here.

About the Bobby Moore Fund
• The Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK raises vital funds for
research into bowel cancer and increases public awareness of the disease
• The Fund was set up by Stephanie Moore MBE in memory of her husband,
footballer Bobby Moore, after his death from the disease in 1993, at just 51
• Since it was set up, the Fund has gone from strength to strength and now
raises over £1.5 million every year through a variety of fundraising events
with over £18.8 million pounds raised in total
• The charity also raises awareness through hard hitting campaigns such as
'There is Moore to know' featuring members of the England football team and
delivered in partnership with the England Footballers Foundation
• For more information click here or visit the Bobby Moore Fund Facebook
page here.

About Cancer Research UK
• Cancer Research UK is the world's leading cancer charity dedicated to
saving lives through research
• The charity's pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment
of cancer has helped save millions of lives
• Cancer Research UK receives no government funding for its life-saving
research. Every step it makes towards beating cancer relies on every pound
donated
• Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of the progress that has already
seen survival rates in the UK double in the last forty years.
• Cancer Research UK supports research into all aspects of cancer through
the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses
• Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is
to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.

For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how
to support the charity, please call 0300 123 1861,

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Not strictly WHU , but you gotta love Paolo!

Paolo Di Canio on hand of Suarez, paying for players and tiramisu
BBC.co.uk
Swindon manager Paolo Di Canio, one of football's most controversial and
colourful characters, gives his views in his latest column for BBC Sport.


Sportsmanship is a dying art

Luis Suarez has received a lot of criticism for handling the ball before
scoring Liverpool's second against Mansfield in the FA Cup. For me, a
player has to be genuine at all times. If, after one second, a player
realised what he had done was dishonest, then he should tell the referee. It
is not fair to take advantage of such a situation. So if Suarez did it
intentionally and realised he was wrong, then in my opinion he should have
confessed. But we are all different. Would I act if one of my players did
something that was seen as bad sportsmanship? It depends on the seriousness
of the situation, but obviously if it is something really wrong and is far
from the idea of good sportsmanship, I would consider taking action. I won
the Fifa Fair Play award in 2001 when I decided to catch the ball rather
than shoot while then Everton goalkeeper Paul Gerrard was injured, but sadly
I don't think we will see that kind of act often in the future. It seems to
me that the new generation has grown up with the idea that you are
intelligent and more clever than others if you benefit from a bad action or
situation. You see it on reality television shows, where some people become
famous just for acting in a bad way. In football, we are seeing more
players diving at minimal contact. Of course, not every player is dishonest,
but I don't think we will see many acts of good sportsmanship in the future.
Maybe when a team is winning 3-0 and players do it to receive praise, but
otherwise I cannot see it.

Less money, more glory

Last weekend, I said I would use my money to keep players at Swindon. I was
very serious when I said that. If using my own money helps Swindon achieve
promotion, then it is something I will do. Money has never been a priority
for me. Obviously, I still need to be paid, but it is more important for me
to live my life with a bit less money and have more glory. This is my view
in football and also in life. Anything I can do to achieve this I will do.
Already this season I donated my image rights to Villa Stuart - a sport
clinic in Rome that is one of the best in Europe - in exchange for free
treatment and rehabilitation for my injured players. We only pay for the
surgery, but the use of expertise, machinery and accommodation is all free
and all thanks to Paolo Di Canio. I do this because I want success for
myself and my players, so I don't mind having a little less money to do
this. I would feel ashamed to know that something could be achieved if I
invest some money, but I didn't. Football can be greedy. That is typical in
an industry where there is a chance to make lots of money. But I would
rather be paid one pound to manage a team that has a good plan to achieve
success than be paid lots of money to manage a club where the team and plan
is not very good. I have to confess, though, I have not always been like
this. When I was a boy, I stole my brother's bike and sold it to buy some
pick-and-mix sweets for me and my friend. I did share the sweets, so it was
one bad action and one good action.

Barthez tried to confuse me

I would love to see West Ham get a result at Manchester United in their FA
Cup replay on Wednesday because it would be great to see their fans
celebrating at Old Trafford again. The game will bring back very good
memories for me because I scored the winning goal there for West Ham, also
in the FA Cup in 2001, when Manchester United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez
stood with his hand in the air, claiming I was offside. He tried to stop me
and confuse me by putting his hand up like directors do in theatre when
actors are auditioning, but my view in life is always to act first, then
discuss the consequences. I brought this into my football career, so my
only thought at the time was to put the ball in the net and then check what
the linesman was doing.

One of my team-mates in that game was Joe Cole, and I am delighted to see he
has gone back to West Ham. I played alongside Roberto Baggio. For me, Cole
was as good as him at 16. He was an amazing talent and the fact he did very
well at West Ham and moved to Chelsea proved that he was a very good player.

He was one of the most talented players at West Ham and the fact his
development was while Paolo Di Canio was there I am sure helped him. He
will probably say it didn't, but a lot of young players, like Michael
Carrick for instance, have said that Paolo Di Canio helped them, so I am
happy to think that in their achievements there is a little bit of Paolo Di
Canio in them.

Paolo cooks the best

I like tradition in England, so on Christmas Day I tried to mix a
traditional turkey dinner with Italian food. I cooked a roast, which was
beautiful, and also a Tiramisu, which I make a lot because it is the best. I
tried not to eat too much, though, because I am on a diet. Before
Christmas, I also went to Stonehenge for the winter solstice. Swindon had
just beaten Tranmere 5-0 and I waited until 4am before going there to see
the sunrise. It was raining and I didn't see anything, so I left and went
straight to training.

Paolo Di Canio was speaking to BBC Sport's Gary Rose.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chairman David Gold's condition improving
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 10th January 2013
By: Staff Writer

The daughter of co-Chairman David Gold, who is in hospital suffering with
pneumonia, has revealed that her father's condition is slowly improving.
Jacqueline Gold, the eldest of David Gold's two daughters has revealed that
her father's condition has stabalised and that there has been some
improvement since he was first admitted 48 hours ago. Speaking via Twitter
today, Ms Gold said: "I have spoken to my dad who sounds much better after a
good night. He continues to sound better in himself. Thank you to everyone
for your support." Ms Gold's younger sister Vanessa also took to the social
network to thank well-wishers for their messages of support.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Di Canio backing West Ham for Old Trafford surprise
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 10th January 2013
By: Staff Writer

Former Hammer Paolo Di Canio hopes that West Ham can defy the odds and win
their FA Cup replay against Manchester United - just as Harry Redknapp's
underdogs did 12 years ago. 12 years ago this month, Di Canio struck in the
76th minute to score the only goal of a tightly-fought fourth round contest
in front of 10,000 delirious Hammers fans. And the Italian forward, now
exceeding all expectations as manager of Swindon hopes that history can
repeat itself when the current West Ham side attempt to emulate that famous
victory. "I would love to see West Ham get a result at Manchester United in
their FA Cup replay on Wednesday because it would be great to see their fans
celebrating at Old Trafford again," he told the BBC i nhis weekly column.
"The game will bring back very good memories for me because I scored the
winning goal there when Manchester United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez stood
with his hand in the air, claiming I was offside. "He tried to stop me and
confuse me by putting his hand up like directors do in theatre when actors
are auditioning, but my view in life is always to act first, then discuss
the consequences. "I brought this into my football career, so my only
thought at the time was to put the ball in the net and then check what the
linesman was doing."

And key to West Ham's chances, says Di Canio, is former team mate Joe Cole
who is the only player from Sam Allardyce's squad who was involved on that
historic day. "I am delighted to see he has gone back to West Ham," said Di
Canio. "I played alongside Roberto Baggio and for me, Cole was as good as
him at 16. He was an amazing talent and the fact he did very well at West
Ham and moved to Chelsea proved that he was a very good player."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll: return imminent
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 10th January 2013
By: Staff Writer

Andy Carroll should be back in action within "a couple of weeks", according
to Sam Allardyce. The England striker has been out of action since the end
of November and was initially expected to be sidelined until the beginning
of February. However according to Allardyce, the 23-year-old - who is on
loan at the Boleyn Ground until the end of the season - should be back in
contention for a first team spot within a fortnight. "It's difficult to put
an actual timescale on it, but I would expect it would be no longer than a
couple of weeks now," Allardyce, speaking to the press ahead of the trip to
Sunderland, said. "He is doing some straight-line running and has been doing
that for a few days. If he doesn't feel anything, then we'll progress onto
interval running and some change of direction work and then introduce the
ball. "Then he'll hopefully come back, with the other players, as quickly
as possible. It could be a few days or it could be a bit longer than that,
depending on his progression. We're assessing him day-by-day now."

Allardyce also revealed that there were no set dates for the return of Mo
Diame, George McCartney or Joey O'Brien - although the former is also
expected to challenge for a first team place within the next two weeks.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce confirms interest in Blackburn's Martin Olsson
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 10th January 2013
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce has revealed that negotiations with Blackburn Rovers over
defender Martin Olsson are continuing, despite the Championship club placing
a £7million price tag on the Swedish defender. It was revealed earlier this
week that West Ham had bid around £2million for the 24-year-old, an offer
that was immediately rejected by the Ewood Park-based club. However
Allardyce, speaking to the press this morning ahead of this weekend's trip
to Sunderland, admitted that he was still interested in acquiring the
services of the Swedish international. "We have made an enquiry.
Negotiations are ongoing at the moment," he said. "I think that if I was
strengthening anywhere at the moment it would be in the left back position
because of our injury problems in that area."
However Allardyce denied reports that he was looking to strengthen in other
areas - such as in goal, a position with which Olsson's team mate at
Blackburn, Paul Robison, has been heavily linked with. "We are only looking
at that position at the minute," he said.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Blackburn considering bid from West Ham for defender Martin Olsson
By Graeme Bailey - Tweet me: @graemebailey. Last Updated: January 10,
2013 2:09pm
SSN

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has confirmed the club are chasing the
signature of Sweden defender Martin Olsson from Blackburn Rovers. The
Hammers have long been linked with a move for Olsson as Allardyce knows him
well from his time in charge at Ewood Park. The 24-year-old has never hidden
his desire to move back to the Premier League following Rovers' relegation
and the east Londoners believe a deal can be done. A figure of around
£7million has been reported in the media but Allardyce dismissed that number
and said: "I don't think that's true, no. "Negotiations are ongoing."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham forward Andy Carroll could be fit again by the end of the month
Last Updated: January 10, 2013 4:21pm
SSN

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is hopeful of having Andy Carroll back in
full training in the next few weeks. The England striker is on loan from
Liverpool but has not featured since the defeat to Manchester United in
November due to a knee problem. Allardyce is optimistic that Carroll will be
involved again soon, although his progress is being monitored day by day.
"It's a bit difficult to put an actual time on it but I would expect it will
be no longer than a couple of weeks now," said the Hammers boss. "He's doing
some straight line running, has been doing that for a few days. "If he
doesn't feel anything then we'll progress on to interval running and change
of direction, then introduce the ball, then hopefully come back with the
players as soon as possible. "It could be a few days. It could be a bit
longer than that just depending on his progression day by day now."

Problems

Joe Cole is another arrival from Liverpool who has had his injury problems
and his new manager is keen not to push the midfielder too hard despite his
starring role against United on Saturday. "We'll take that game by game,"
added Allardyce. "A part of everybody's management is about managing your
players for their sake. It's not always about joining in training every day
of every week for me and it hasn't been for many years now. "Lots of players
don't come together in our squad till Thursday or Friday then play on the
Saturday because they need to do other things in the week to make sure they
maintain their level of fitness. "We try to have a prevention policy rather
than a cure policy."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Marseille midfielder Charles Kabore keen on making a move to the Premier
League
By Giscard Gourizro. Last Updated: January 10, 2013 1:24pm
SSN

Marseille midfielder Charles Kabore has declared that he would welcome the
opportunity to complete a switch to England. Premier League clubs have been
credited with holding an interest in Kabore in the past, and speculation
suggests Stoke and West Ham could be tempted to make a move. The Burkina
Faso international is currently away on Africa Cup of Nations duty, but a
deal could be put in place which will allow him to link up with a new
employer upon his return to Europe. A move to Turkey has been touted, but
Kabore admits his preference would be to head for English shores. The
24-year-old still has over two years left to run on his current contract at
Marseille, but reports suggest he could be bought out of that agreement for
around £2million. "I have a contract with Marseille until June 2015 so I can
hold out for a move to England," said Kabore. "I love English football. I
have contacts with some clubs in other leagues, but my priority is to play
in the best league in the world."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Fortress Upton Park - a vital cliché
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 10th January 2013
By: Lucy Woolford

Cast your eye back 12 months to January 2012, when West Ham United were
kicking off the second half of their nPower Championship season.

We were coming off the back of a poor December consisting of four points
from five games. January saw us gain a positive nine points out of a
possible 12. But we were about to enter a period that would see us crowned
'draw specialists' at our very own Upton Park, which saw the pressure mount
on Sam Allardyce and co.

In February and March 2012, we drew five home games in a row followed by a
loss and another draw. In fact, after beating Millwall during a lunch-time
kick off on February 4th, we didn't win another game at the Boleyn until
April 14th when we thumped Brighton 6-0. It does pose the question of what
could have been, and how we could have showed that league who was boss, but
as it was at the time, Upton Park just wasn't as daunting to traveling teams
as it should have been. It was a good opportunity for them to come at us and
we just didn't deal with that pressure.

Now we find ourselves doing reasonably well in the Premier League. I accept
we've had a dip in form after what was a fantastic start to a season from
which we expected little, but that's no surprise with the long list of
injuries and suspensions we have been plagued by. We have however, managed
to turn around this negativity that surrounded our home ground last season,
and on many occasions before that. Whilst it's great to win away league
fixtures, they key to an all round season is to be consistent at your home
ground.

If, like me, you find that commentators referring to Upton Park as a
"fortress" is a bit of a habit, then maybe it's about time it returned to
its previous glory. It's not far off it now.

This season we have picked up 15 points out of the 33 available to us at
home (45 per cent). That doesn't sound brilliant as a statistic, I know, but
compare it to the eight we have taken from 27 available at away grounds (30
per cent) and it's not bad. It is understandable that during a time when we
couldn't win at home for love nor money, home fans got frustrated,
questioned why they paid x-amount every other week to watch a former Premier
League side draw against Championship level opponents - but now our home
matches are drawing more positivity.

Unfortunately I don't get to many home games these days, but I've attended
three away games this season; two were terrible games (Wigan and West Brom)
but the trip to St James' Park was much better. Luckily for me a lot of our
home matches have been broadcast on television, and some of the games I have
watched at Upton Park have produced the best football I think I've ever seen
us play.

I think I am still in disbelief about the way we played against Fulham back
in September. I have never been stunned into silence at half time, but I
was. We may have caught Fulham on a bad day, but still, I've seen us catch
teams on bad days and not capitalise the way we did on that day. The
passing, movement and brains on show that day were pure class and the Boleyn
Ground had the atmosphere to match. That captured what our ground stands for
and how players and crowd feed off each other.

I fully support the call to sing Sam Allardyce's name (however we manage to
fit it into a chant!). I have heard murmurs coming through the speakers, but
I want more. We've found a man who can actually turn this club around (with
the help of decent financial backing) and who seems to be enjoying himself.
I see him as a good long term investment, not the usual interim that we have
had in the last few years. He has installed belief in the players and staff
and introduced a more relaxed way about the side, encouraging them to enjoy
their football in front of their own 30,000 supporters.

Maybe the term "fortress" won't be applied to the Olympic Stadium, so we
should absolutely make the most of what so many teams see as a difficult
ground to come to. We need to make it intimidating, because if our away form
keeps dipping then home points will be vital in holding a decent league
position.

We've hosted a lot of "big" teams already this season so in theory we should
have an easier home run to the end of the season. However, the team must not
take that for granted as they so often do. It seems as though our ability to
gain points (or at least put in a performance) against bigger clubs is
there, it's just against teams who we should beat that we struggle.

I definitely believe that the Boleyn Ground holds the keys to a good season,
whether that be this one or the next. "Fortress Upton Park" may be a cheesy
cliché, but it's a phrase that we'd like to keep. For years to come, even
after we have (maybe) moved, let us say: "I used to go to the fortress".

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Gold illness will not affect West Ham's January transfer business
insists Sam Allardyce
Co-chairman is in hospital recovering from pneumonia
MARK BRYANS THURSDAY 10 JANUARY 2013
Independent

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce does not believe the illness of the club's
co-chairman David Gold will affect business in the January transfer window.
Gold, 76, is in hospital recovering from pneumonia after being taken ill
following the FA Cup third-round clash with Manchester United. Allardyce
said he had yet to speak to Gold, who also needed hospital treatment for
cholangitis and septicaemia in March 2011, but wished him well and moved to
assure supporters the club's recruitment drive will not falter in his
absence. "Myself and all the players will be wishing him well today. I only
found out yesterday that he was poorly," Allardyce said. "We will get a
message to him in the very near future and wish him a speedy recovery. "I
think that there's always a communication line to him if David needs to (be
contacted). In terms of what we're doing at the moment, we're as active as
everybody else. "If there's a player there that we think can improve the
squad we'll try to move on him."

One player who is certainly a target for the Hammers is Blackburn left-back
Martin Olsson. Reports earlier in the week had suggested Rovers wanted at
least £7million for the 24-year-old Sweden international but Allardyce
reckons that is wide of the mark. "I don't think that's true, no, but we
have made an enquiry," he said. Allardyce said there were "ongoing
negotiations" and added: "I think that if I was strengthening anywhere at
the moment it would be in the left-back position because of our injury
problems in that area at the moment. We are only looking at that position at
the minute."

Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh completed a loan move to Upton Park earlier
this week and Allardyce confirmed he will go straight into his squad for
this weekend's Barclays Premier League clash at Sunderland. Fellow loanee
Andy Carroll remains sidelined through injury but Allardyce is hopeful to
have the England forward back by the end of the month. "It's a bit difficult
to put an actual time on it but I would expect it will be no longer than a
couple of weeks now," Allardyce said. "He's doing some straight line
running, has been doing that for a few days. If he doesn't feel anything
then we'll progress on to interval running and change of direction, then
introduce the ball, then hopefully come back with the players as soon as
possible. "It could be a few days. It could be a bit longer than that just
depending on his progression day by day now."

Chamakh signed a week after Allardyce secured a deal to take Joe Cole back
to West Ham, with the former Chelsea and Liverpool midfielder making an
impressive return in the FA Cup draw with United. The 31-year-old has
struggled with injuries in recent years and could not break into the
Liverpool side on a regular basis after spending last season on loan at
French Ligue 1 outfit Lille. Cole scored for the Reds in their 3-2 win at
Upton Park last month but Allardyce is keen not to push the England
international too much. "We'll take that game by game," he said. "A part of
everybody's management is about managing your players for their sake. It's
not always about joining in training every day of every week for me and it
hasn't been for many years now. "Lots of players don't come together in our
squad till Thursday or Friday then play on the Saturday because they need to
do other things in the week to make sure they maintain their level of
fitness. "We try to have a prevention policy rather than a cure policy."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Can West Ham Get the Best Out of Marouane Chamakh?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

Sam Allardyce has been reported as stating that he feels that Arsenal did
not, perhaps, make best use of Marouane Chamakh's strengths as a striker. He
pointed out that Chamakh is a striker, who excels at getting between
defenders to win and convert balls crossed in from the wide areas. That was
a feature of his play during his prior successful spell in French football,
yet Arsenal did not play to his strengths by getting the pre-requisite
crosses in to him. And this is something that Allardyce will look to put
right during Chamakh's time at West Ham!

Another encouraging point made recently by the West Ham manager is that, in
effect, a meritocracy will govern the selection of our strikers. Carroll,
Cole and Chamakh will each be given their opportunities to lead the line.
The player who retains the position will be the one who performs
consistantly well. If standards slip then that player is out and one of the
other two will get their chance and then the same criteria will apply to
them and so on. This is what West Ham have lacked far too often in the past,
genuine competition for places that drives up overall performance levels.
it's great to see it in place at long last. Presumably, the same stringent
selection criteria will also apply to the other ten first team positions as
well?

Talking of performance levels, the club have confirmed that Joe Cole will
have a tailored fitness regime to meet his specific needs as a player, with
a prior history of injury absence. This could mean that during the week, he
follows a separate fitness programme and joins the rest of the squad for
full training on the Thursday before a match. It is a sensible approach and
one designed to reduce the risk of wear and tear and unnecessary stress on
the player's joints and soft tissue. Joe Cole needs to be fit to play
matches, he is no good to us marooned on the sidelines with reccurring,
niggling injuries. It does, however, beg the question whether he will be
able to play two full 90 minute matches a week in future, if required to do
so? Or, maybe, it is just a matter of structuring and managing the training
sessions? Whatever the case, lets manage Joe Cole carefully to secure the
best possible outputs from him on the field of play. He is a key player that
can make a big difference to the quality of our play and the club must do
whatever it takes to maximize his number of competitive matches during the
course of the season..

With rumours of Paul Robinson possibly signing for the club, what of,
Stephen Henderson, our keeper out on loan?. Well, he has returned to West
Ham this week for treatment to a foot injury. However, the Ipswich Town
Manager, Mick McCarthy, has stated his intention to try to get Henderson
back on loan at Portman Road, once he has recovered from injury. Apparently,
Henderson is also keen to return there, so could his days be numbered at
Upton Park. If so, expect a new keeper to sign fo sign for us in the January
window. Will it be Robinson, from Blackburn Rovers, quite possibly? In which
case, the predicted double signing from Rovers could materialise, if the
current negotiations over a deal for Martin Olsson are successfully
concluded?

Elsewhere, in terms of the ongoing flow of transfer speculation, we were
linked with a fresh name yesterday. This time it was 24 year old, defensive
midfielder, Charles Kabore, of Marsailles. Apparently, Marsailles are open
to selling the player, who they are keen to move off the books because of
his relatively high salary. He has certainly had a good season so far with
Marsailles. But is there a genuine interest in the player from Upton Park?
It's another one of those wait and see situations?

Finally, Paolo Di Canio has predicted that the current West Ham side could
emulate the achievements of the Hammers side 12 years ago, which went to Old
Trafford and won a famous Third Round FA Cup Tie. That match has gone down
in Hammers folklore for the nature of the victory and, more particularly,
the winning goal by the magical Di Canio. Lets hope that Di Canio is right
that a repeat could be on the cards this coming Wednesday evening!

SJ. Chandos.

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Carroll's back for Hammers
Exclusive
By CHARLIE WYETT and PAT SHEEHAN
Published: 6 hrs ago
The Sun

ANDY CARROLL is set to return for West Ham on Saturday week. The on-loan
striker has made a quicker recovery than expected after being sidelined
since November 28 with a knee injury. West Ham feared Carroll, 24, could be
out until early February but he has responded to treatment. While the FA Cup
replay at Manchester United next Wednesday will come too early, he will be
ready for the home Premier League clash with QPR. Carroll has scored just
once for West Ham since being farmed out on loan by Liverpool. Fellow
Hammers strike ace Marouane Chamakh is set to make his debut at Sunderland
on Saturday on loan from Arsenal. And boss Sam Allardyce reckons he will get
more out of the striker than Arsene Wenger — despite being written off as a
flop. But Big Sam said: "It's about him proving to himself and helping us by
scoring more goals and producing performances we can get excited about.
"He's good in the air and getting between defenders from crosses. We can
provide the materials and ammunition for him to get a few goals."

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You're missing a trick with Chamakh, Arsene! Big Sam backs Arsenal flop to
shine at West Ham
By LAURIE WHITWELL
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 10 January 2013 | UPDATED: 22:30, 10 January 2013
Daily Mail

Arsenal missed a trick with Marouane Chamakh by failing to give him the
right type of chances. That is the view of Sam Allardyce, who believes the
Moroccan striker can rediscover the form which fired Bordeaux to the French
title at West Ham. Chamakh scored 56 goals in Ligue 1 as well as netting
five times in the Champions League in 2009/10. But after moving to the
Emirates on a free transfer three years ago he has failed to spark, scoring
just one goal all last season.
He has two in four appearances this campaign and signed a six-month loan
deal at Upton Park. Allardyce said: 'He's itching and hungry to get back
and show what he can do. We'll try and get him to be that goal threat that
he was ultimately at Bordeaux. Obviously he's been very disappointed with
his lack of involvement at Arsenal. 'I think Arsene Wenger must've thought
he's good enough for Arsenal and we'll play to his strengths. With Emmanuel
Adebayor they used to cross balls so I don' t know why they didn't for
Chamakh. Now with Olivier Giroud, they will cross balls for him. Obviously
it hasn't worked there but hopefully it will work for us. 'We'll give him
the platform by feeding him the right type of balls. You provide the service
he needs in terms of how he plays. He's exceptionally good in the air and
he's really good at getting between defenders from crosses. We can provide
the ammunition for him to hopefully get a few goals.' Chamakh, who could
make his debut on Saturday at Sunderland, will battle Carlton Cole and Andy
Carroll, when he is fit, for the sole striking spot.
'For all three of them there's a challenge for places,' he said. 'Play your
best and keep the shirt. If you don't play your best you lose the shirt. All
three of them will get the chance to play and whoever plays the best will
stay in for me.'

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