Carroll welcomes fans' accolade
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll was delighted to pick up the SBOBET Player of the Month award
for March
22.04.2013
Andy Carroll reckons hard graft and a clean bill of health have paved the
way for his purple patch, after collecting the SBOBET Player of the Month
award for March. West Ham United's No8 was presented with his accolade by
SBOBET's finance director Raye Wong, prior to Saturday's 2-0 Barclays
Premier League win over Wigan Athletic. While Carroll was rightly thrilled
to earn recognition for several fine displays of late, he was similarly
quick to point to an outstanding collective effort that has seen the Hammers
climb back into the top half. He told West Ham TV: "It's obviously great,
I've been working hard this month and I've got the award to show for it. All
the lads have worked hard, got the results and we're on a good run at the
minute. "I just needed to keep myself fit and performances would start
coming, as they have been. I've been scoring goals and creating goals and it
has been a great month."
The Liverpool loanee played another vital hand in the weekend win over
Wigan, not least by setting up his colleague and friend Kevin Nolan to
settle the contest with a crucial second goal. It was an exquisite finish
from the Hammers skipper, but nothing more than Carroll expects from his
former Newcastle United teammate. He added: "It was a great ball straight up
from James Collins, I just knocked it on for Kevin and it was a great finish
from him to get his 100th goal. That's what he thrives on, balls in the box
like that. Anything around the box or the goalkeeper, he's going to put the
ball in the back of the net for you, as he did on Saturday. "Our finishing
has been on form at the minute and we knew as soon as we got a chance we'd
put it away."
While Carroll and co are certainly producing the goods in front of goal,
Saturday's success owed just as much, if not more, to another immaculate
rear-guard action. "We knew they were going to pass it around and we just
had to sit back and obviously defend as we did and we did it really well.
The defence has been great. Jussi [Jaaskelainen] has kept us in a lot of
games in the last couple of months. He has made some tremendous saves and
there were another couple on Saturday that kept them from scoring. So the
defence worked really well and it showed with the clean sheet."
As for the season's final four games, Carroll is pinning his hopes on
scoring the goals to fire the Hammers to a top-ten Barclays Premier League
finish.
"Confidence is sky high at the minute and it showed again against Wigan.
We're more or less safe and we just want to get into the top half. We're
pushing on really strong to get that position. "Obviously I want more goals
but top goalscorer is not really an issue for me and I don't think it is for
Kevin either, just a couple more goals will be good."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Parkes catches Olympic Stadium buzz
WHUFC.com
West Ham United goalkeeping great Phil Parkes is right behind the Club's
move to Stratford in 2016
22.04.2013
West Ham United goalkeeping great Phil Parkes has caught the buzz
surrounding the Hammers' proposed move to the Olympic Stadium. Parkes spent
12 seasons with West Ham, lifting the FA Cup in 1980 and helping the club to
reach their highest-ever league finish of third in 1986. While the former
stopper spent the entirety of his career in claret and blue at the Boleyn
Ground, the 62-year-old believes moving to Stratford in 2016 could see
further silverware make its way to east London. At the same time, Parkes
believes the 54,000-seater Olympic Stadium will provide a fitting home for
the Club he called his own between 1979 and 1990, making 444 appearances and
being voted Hammer of the Year in 1981. "Having seen the plans, they look
absolutely fabulous," said Parkes. "The roof has been extended and it does
look amazing. It's a transparent roof, so it's going to let light in and
keep the water out. It really does look like a top-class stadium. "The fact
is, with a roof over the top of it, it will bounce the sound back down to
the players on the pitch, so it could even generate more noise. It could
amplify the noise more, rather than disperse it. "Looking at the plans, it's
going to be a fabulous stadium and a UEFA Category Four stadium as well.
There are not many of them around, so it's absolutely superb."
Like the supporters who have so many cherished memories of their time at the
Boleyn Ground, Parkes was initially concerned that the club would lose
something by moving the short distance to Stratford. However, he is now
right behind the plans and believes the fans should feel similarly positive
about the bright future that awaits the Hammers at the Olympic Stadium. "My
heart says 'No', because all my memories and history are here at the Boleyn
Ground and I'll be sad to leave, but my head says 'Yes'. We've got to do it
because we want to become a bigger club and a sustainable club for the
future for the fans. After all, they are the ones that come week in week out
and they deserve the best that we can give them. "You've got to take the
history with you to the new stadium, you just can't forget it. That's all
got to go as well, that's part of the club no matter where they play."
With a capacity far in excess of that which the Club currently enjoys at the
Boleyn Ground, Parkes is excited about the prospect of West Ham attracting
more world-class players to east London. The Sedgley-born stopper also
believes the move could create a cycle of success, on and off the pitch. "It
always comes down to the team. Whatever the team's doing at the time,
they're the ones who are going to fill that stadium. And if we can get a
side that plays their heart out for the badge, for West Ham and for the
fans, then we'll fill that stadium and can move onto better things. "It's
going to be very special because everyone wants to play at the highest level
and at the best stadia. "There's going to me affordable seating, because
there are going to be more seats. Bringing it into the reach of everyone's
pocket can only be better. So we're going to have almost another 20,000
seats that we can fill, so it will get the normal working person to come
along."
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Tuesday, April 23
Monday, April 22
Daily WHUFC News - 22nd April 2013
Boleyn goal thrills Jarvis
WHUFC.com
West Ham United winger Matt Jarvis was delighted to net his first home goal
on Saturday
21.04.2013
Hammers winger Matt Jarvis found the back of the net for the first time at
the Boleyn Ground on Saturday after his cross eluded the Wigan defence and
was allowed to drift into the far bottom corner of the net. Despite both
Mohamed Diame and Kevin Nolan attempting to make contact with the ball on
the way past Latics keeper Joel, Jarvis' effort added a second goal to his
West Ham tally. "I was just pleased to see it go in at the far post," he
told West Ham TV. "I was trying to get a good cross in and hope that if it
does miss everyone, it goes in. I'm delighted with it. "Generally that's the
area you want to hit and luckily today it went in. "I'm very pleased because
to chip in with a goal is always nice and it's been something that I've
really wanted to do. "Wigan are a great passing team and we had to really
dig deep today and show what a good defensive side we are. "They were on top
for long periods of the game but we took our chances and punished them, but
we had to really work hard to keep the clean sheet. Our back four have
excellent all season and today was no different."
Saturday's victory over Roberto Martinez's side sees the Hammers edge past
the 40-point mark and Jarvis admitted the dressing room was buzzing. "It's
brilliant! It's one those when you come in at full time and the manager is
delighted. All of the players are relieved we got the three points and now
we can look ahead to the next fixture." Nolan notched up his 100th career
goal when his slick volley gave the claret and blue army a 2-0 advantage and
Jarvis was quick to praise his the skipper. He added: "Kevin [Nolan] is a
fantastic player and a great leader and I am delighted for him to get his
100th career goal. It's very much deserved. We've all seen him finish like
that many times before, he does it all of the time." "I think we have shown
all season what a good side we are, particularly at home and we can use our
recent form to push us on in the remaining games of the season and get as
high up the league as we can. "It's a tough game to go next, away to
Manchester City but we can take a lot from this and it's a great result."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Maguire's debut delight
WHUFC.com
Sean Maguire celebrated a first start for the Development Squad with his
first Hammers goal
21.04.2013
Sean Maguire is thrilled to be up and running for West Ham United after
marking his full debut with the opening goal in a topsy-turvy 3-2 Barclays
Under-21 Premier League win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. The 18-year-old
forward has had to wait his turn since making the switch from Waterford
United in January, having made just four substitute appearances prior to
Friday night. But now that the Republic of Ireland youth international has a
first start and goal under his belt, he is setting his sights on a
productive end to an already eventful campaign. He told West Ham TV: "I'm
very happy to be honest with you. It has been a good while coming, before
that an ankle injury had me out for about four weeks and I'm delighted now
to actually be starting. "It kicks on from here and hopefully that will be
the first of many. I'm looking forward to the upcoming games and hopefully
we can end the season strongly. "I thought I had been training well the last
few weeks and the goal was just the icing on the cake. I'm planning to kick
on now and get a few more goals before the end of the season."
Maguire needed just eleven minutes to open his Hammers account, showing all
his composure in front of goal to seize on a defensive mishap and slot home.
It was the highlight of an excellent all-round display for the teenage
frontman, who had experienced defender George Elokobi for company in the
first half.
He continued: "The goal was a mistake, the defender tried to head it back to
the keeper and I thought I'd take a chance and luckily enough it fell
straight to me. I took it around the 'keeper, it was a tight angle and it
took forever to go in. I was just standing there watching, but fortunately
it went in and I was just delighted "Nick [Haycock] said he was pleased with
my performance and personally I thought I did very well. At times I could
have done better, I could have held it up better. But it's my first 90
minutes in a while and my calves started to cramp up but I kept going. "It
was a good experience coming up against George Elokobi. It's a once in a
lifetime opportunity coming up against a top-class defender. He looks like a
rugby player! But he's a very good player as well, so it was good to play
against him."
Maguire joins an already strong Irish contingent at the Boleyn Ground and
the Kilkenny forward reckons his fellow countrymen have made it a whole lot
easier to settle into east London life. "It's very different to back home in
Kilkenny but I think I'm adapting to it well. The lads are all making me
feel very welcome. They're all great and I don't have a bad word to say
about any of them. "Joey O'Brien and Stephen Henderson both talk to me as
well and I'm really good pals with Eoin Wearen, who has helped me to settle
into the club. [Fellow Republic of Ireland U19 international] Kieran Sadlier
lives me with in digs, so I couldn't really be any happier."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
42 Points and 10th place, the job is virtually done!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
So, it was third time lucky with Wigan! After suffering the 1-4 home defeat
in the League Cup and the 2-1 reverse in the PL fixture up at Wigan. The
team looked a little jaded after their sterling efforts against Man Utd on
Wednesday evening, but they were pretty ruthless in taking their chances.
Regardless whether the performance fell below that in mid-week, the fact is
that they delivered the three points and virtually guaranteed our survival
this season. Now, they must attempt to push on and ensure a top 10 finish.
To do that we should aim for a minimum of a six point return from our final
four fixtures. Basically, that probably means winning the two home fixtures
against Newcastle Utd and Reading. Anything from the away fixtures at Man
City and Everton would be a nice bonus. If we exceed that target or get
their via another route, i.e. winning one of the away fixtures, then fine.
I see that Sam Allardyce let off some steam about all the fallacies about
West Ham's playing style under him. After the Man Utd match he pointed out
how well the team passed the ball and the fact that the direct ball from the
back was only utilised when necessary. Absolutely right, West Ham played
some good passing football on Wednesday night, as they have done on other
occasions this season. My view on Allardyce is well known, he is a
pragmatist, who utilises the tactics that he fells will work best. If he can
pass it he will, if he needs to go direct then so be it. As Alan Hanson said
on a recent MoTD programme (quoting Bob Paisley) its not about the long ball
or the short ball, its about the playing the right ball. I have enjoyed West
Ham's home performances this season, although I concede that the away
performances have been somewhat more functional. I agree with those that
state that they would have liked to see a bit more adventure in the away
fixtures. Ideally, what we need is more pace in the team, so that we can
play an effective, fast counter-attacking game on our travels. We have pace
in the form of Jarvis and Diame, but it is noticeable that, too often this
season, when we have got a break away the support and the options are
invariably not there.
Two of the highlights of recent matches have been the good form of both
Carroll and Jarvis. Both players have hit a rich vein of form and have been
instrumental in our current unbeaten run of results. Another highlight was
the good form shown by James Tomkins, a defender who is destined for the
top. He possesses all the assets of a good defender and just needs to work
on some key aspects of his game (i.e. positioning and avoiding playing too
square when marking forwards) but he will get there. Unfortunately, in
keeping with the stop-start nature of his season, he has picked up an injury
just as he started to shine again. I sincerely hope that the injury has not
ended his season and he gets a chance to play again before pre-season. Two
players who have been unsung heroes this season are O'Brien and O'Neill.
Joey O'Brien has been quietly effective at full-back and I know that he is
highly rated by his team mates. While Gary O'Neill has been a model
professional, being patient and coming in and doing a good job whenever
called upon to do so. He is one of those players that does the graft that
allows other to play; while also being very efficient in his use of the
ball. Indeed, his pass completion rate this season has consistently been 80%
plus and that is a telling statistic. Similarly, hats off to Jussi for his
recent displays between the sticks, he has put in some outstanding displays.
But for me, the winner of the Hammer of the Year title is between Winston
Reid and Mo Diame. My vote is for Reid, who has been excellent all season,
with Diame a close runner up.
Finally, it was good to see the focus upon the activities of the West Ham
United Community Sports Trust (WHUCST) at the Wigan match. I am sure that a
lot of fans did not realise that West Ham's community work was led by a
charitable Trust, linked to the club. Well, the actual situation is
perfectly clear now and the match programme gave a comprehensive break down
of the good work undertaken by WHUCST. In 2012-13 they have interacted with
15,000 local youngsters via their training/mentoring scheme and related
events; provided learning support to 6,000 under-achieving children via
their WHUi Learning Zone; engaged with 10,000 Newham and 8,000 Tower Hamlets
kids via their Kickz football coaching/social inclusion-community cohesion
schemes; delivered weekly disability football sessions for children with
Autism and Downs Syndrome, with more than 475 participants; a comprehensive
programme of football courses (including school based activity, breakfast
clubs and after school sessions; and health promotion programmes for local
people.
All in all, I find this work admirable and pretty impressive. Apparently,
there is a West Ham 'community feature' on the Match of The Day (MoTD)
re-run on Sunday, 28 April 2013, starting 7.35am. Probably a bit early for
most of us, but well worth recording on Sky plus or Virgin's Tivo, if you
have it. You can also check out their activities, on a regular basis, at
www.community.whufc.com. If you want to donate by text, you can do so by
texting WHUE13 £1 to 70070.
I think the WHUCST deserves the support of Hammers fans and that is why I
have included the above information here. As well as helping youngsters in
East London and Essex, the Trust will obviously have an important role to
play in delivering the London 2012 Olympic Legacy. And that legacy has to be
inclusive of all of the communities in the locality. Speaking of which, I
was sitting in the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand on Saturday and it was great to
see such diversity amongst the youngsters and adults sitting in that part of
the ground. Talking to some of them, at half-time, it appears that the
club/WHUCST have been reaching out to difference communities to encourage
them to attend matches and connect with the club via community programmes.
To me, that is excellent and real progress in making West Ham inclusive for
all sections of our community; as well as making perfect business sense in
terms extending the fan base and attracting hitherto untapped support.
All in all, with all this community focus, PL safety and the excellent plans
to adapt the Olympic Stadium I am feeling very positive about all thing
claret and blue at the moment. Everything is undoubtedly moving in a
positive direction. I know not all supporters share my view on the playing
style, but hopefully this summer will see us adding the additional quality
to the squad that will enable us to adopt a more pacy, expansive style
(especially away from home) in 2013-14, thereby addressing some genuine
concerns amongst sections of our fan base.
SJ. Chandos.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United winger Matt Jarvis was delighted to net his first home goal
on Saturday
21.04.2013
Hammers winger Matt Jarvis found the back of the net for the first time at
the Boleyn Ground on Saturday after his cross eluded the Wigan defence and
was allowed to drift into the far bottom corner of the net. Despite both
Mohamed Diame and Kevin Nolan attempting to make contact with the ball on
the way past Latics keeper Joel, Jarvis' effort added a second goal to his
West Ham tally. "I was just pleased to see it go in at the far post," he
told West Ham TV. "I was trying to get a good cross in and hope that if it
does miss everyone, it goes in. I'm delighted with it. "Generally that's the
area you want to hit and luckily today it went in. "I'm very pleased because
to chip in with a goal is always nice and it's been something that I've
really wanted to do. "Wigan are a great passing team and we had to really
dig deep today and show what a good defensive side we are. "They were on top
for long periods of the game but we took our chances and punished them, but
we had to really work hard to keep the clean sheet. Our back four have
excellent all season and today was no different."
Saturday's victory over Roberto Martinez's side sees the Hammers edge past
the 40-point mark and Jarvis admitted the dressing room was buzzing. "It's
brilliant! It's one those when you come in at full time and the manager is
delighted. All of the players are relieved we got the three points and now
we can look ahead to the next fixture." Nolan notched up his 100th career
goal when his slick volley gave the claret and blue army a 2-0 advantage and
Jarvis was quick to praise his the skipper. He added: "Kevin [Nolan] is a
fantastic player and a great leader and I am delighted for him to get his
100th career goal. It's very much deserved. We've all seen him finish like
that many times before, he does it all of the time." "I think we have shown
all season what a good side we are, particularly at home and we can use our
recent form to push us on in the remaining games of the season and get as
high up the league as we can. "It's a tough game to go next, away to
Manchester City but we can take a lot from this and it's a great result."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Maguire's debut delight
WHUFC.com
Sean Maguire celebrated a first start for the Development Squad with his
first Hammers goal
21.04.2013
Sean Maguire is thrilled to be up and running for West Ham United after
marking his full debut with the opening goal in a topsy-turvy 3-2 Barclays
Under-21 Premier League win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. The 18-year-old
forward has had to wait his turn since making the switch from Waterford
United in January, having made just four substitute appearances prior to
Friday night. But now that the Republic of Ireland youth international has a
first start and goal under his belt, he is setting his sights on a
productive end to an already eventful campaign. He told West Ham TV: "I'm
very happy to be honest with you. It has been a good while coming, before
that an ankle injury had me out for about four weeks and I'm delighted now
to actually be starting. "It kicks on from here and hopefully that will be
the first of many. I'm looking forward to the upcoming games and hopefully
we can end the season strongly. "I thought I had been training well the last
few weeks and the goal was just the icing on the cake. I'm planning to kick
on now and get a few more goals before the end of the season."
Maguire needed just eleven minutes to open his Hammers account, showing all
his composure in front of goal to seize on a defensive mishap and slot home.
It was the highlight of an excellent all-round display for the teenage
frontman, who had experienced defender George Elokobi for company in the
first half.
He continued: "The goal was a mistake, the defender tried to head it back to
the keeper and I thought I'd take a chance and luckily enough it fell
straight to me. I took it around the 'keeper, it was a tight angle and it
took forever to go in. I was just standing there watching, but fortunately
it went in and I was just delighted "Nick [Haycock] said he was pleased with
my performance and personally I thought I did very well. At times I could
have done better, I could have held it up better. But it's my first 90
minutes in a while and my calves started to cramp up but I kept going. "It
was a good experience coming up against George Elokobi. It's a once in a
lifetime opportunity coming up against a top-class defender. He looks like a
rugby player! But he's a very good player as well, so it was good to play
against him."
Maguire joins an already strong Irish contingent at the Boleyn Ground and
the Kilkenny forward reckons his fellow countrymen have made it a whole lot
easier to settle into east London life. "It's very different to back home in
Kilkenny but I think I'm adapting to it well. The lads are all making me
feel very welcome. They're all great and I don't have a bad word to say
about any of them. "Joey O'Brien and Stephen Henderson both talk to me as
well and I'm really good pals with Eoin Wearen, who has helped me to settle
into the club. [Fellow Republic of Ireland U19 international] Kieran Sadlier
lives me with in digs, so I couldn't really be any happier."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
42 Points and 10th place, the job is virtually done!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
So, it was third time lucky with Wigan! After suffering the 1-4 home defeat
in the League Cup and the 2-1 reverse in the PL fixture up at Wigan. The
team looked a little jaded after their sterling efforts against Man Utd on
Wednesday evening, but they were pretty ruthless in taking their chances.
Regardless whether the performance fell below that in mid-week, the fact is
that they delivered the three points and virtually guaranteed our survival
this season. Now, they must attempt to push on and ensure a top 10 finish.
To do that we should aim for a minimum of a six point return from our final
four fixtures. Basically, that probably means winning the two home fixtures
against Newcastle Utd and Reading. Anything from the away fixtures at Man
City and Everton would be a nice bonus. If we exceed that target or get
their via another route, i.e. winning one of the away fixtures, then fine.
I see that Sam Allardyce let off some steam about all the fallacies about
West Ham's playing style under him. After the Man Utd match he pointed out
how well the team passed the ball and the fact that the direct ball from the
back was only utilised when necessary. Absolutely right, West Ham played
some good passing football on Wednesday night, as they have done on other
occasions this season. My view on Allardyce is well known, he is a
pragmatist, who utilises the tactics that he fells will work best. If he can
pass it he will, if he needs to go direct then so be it. As Alan Hanson said
on a recent MoTD programme (quoting Bob Paisley) its not about the long ball
or the short ball, its about the playing the right ball. I have enjoyed West
Ham's home performances this season, although I concede that the away
performances have been somewhat more functional. I agree with those that
state that they would have liked to see a bit more adventure in the away
fixtures. Ideally, what we need is more pace in the team, so that we can
play an effective, fast counter-attacking game on our travels. We have pace
in the form of Jarvis and Diame, but it is noticeable that, too often this
season, when we have got a break away the support and the options are
invariably not there.
Two of the highlights of recent matches have been the good form of both
Carroll and Jarvis. Both players have hit a rich vein of form and have been
instrumental in our current unbeaten run of results. Another highlight was
the good form shown by James Tomkins, a defender who is destined for the
top. He possesses all the assets of a good defender and just needs to work
on some key aspects of his game (i.e. positioning and avoiding playing too
square when marking forwards) but he will get there. Unfortunately, in
keeping with the stop-start nature of his season, he has picked up an injury
just as he started to shine again. I sincerely hope that the injury has not
ended his season and he gets a chance to play again before pre-season. Two
players who have been unsung heroes this season are O'Brien and O'Neill.
Joey O'Brien has been quietly effective at full-back and I know that he is
highly rated by his team mates. While Gary O'Neill has been a model
professional, being patient and coming in and doing a good job whenever
called upon to do so. He is one of those players that does the graft that
allows other to play; while also being very efficient in his use of the
ball. Indeed, his pass completion rate this season has consistently been 80%
plus and that is a telling statistic. Similarly, hats off to Jussi for his
recent displays between the sticks, he has put in some outstanding displays.
But for me, the winner of the Hammer of the Year title is between Winston
Reid and Mo Diame. My vote is for Reid, who has been excellent all season,
with Diame a close runner up.
Finally, it was good to see the focus upon the activities of the West Ham
United Community Sports Trust (WHUCST) at the Wigan match. I am sure that a
lot of fans did not realise that West Ham's community work was led by a
charitable Trust, linked to the club. Well, the actual situation is
perfectly clear now and the match programme gave a comprehensive break down
of the good work undertaken by WHUCST. In 2012-13 they have interacted with
15,000 local youngsters via their training/mentoring scheme and related
events; provided learning support to 6,000 under-achieving children via
their WHUi Learning Zone; engaged with 10,000 Newham and 8,000 Tower Hamlets
kids via their Kickz football coaching/social inclusion-community cohesion
schemes; delivered weekly disability football sessions for children with
Autism and Downs Syndrome, with more than 475 participants; a comprehensive
programme of football courses (including school based activity, breakfast
clubs and after school sessions; and health promotion programmes for local
people.
All in all, I find this work admirable and pretty impressive. Apparently,
there is a West Ham 'community feature' on the Match of The Day (MoTD)
re-run on Sunday, 28 April 2013, starting 7.35am. Probably a bit early for
most of us, but well worth recording on Sky plus or Virgin's Tivo, if you
have it. You can also check out their activities, on a regular basis, at
www.community.whufc.com. If you want to donate by text, you can do so by
texting WHUE13 £1 to 70070.
I think the WHUCST deserves the support of Hammers fans and that is why I
have included the above information here. As well as helping youngsters in
East London and Essex, the Trust will obviously have an important role to
play in delivering the London 2012 Olympic Legacy. And that legacy has to be
inclusive of all of the communities in the locality. Speaking of which, I
was sitting in the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand on Saturday and it was great to
see such diversity amongst the youngsters and adults sitting in that part of
the ground. Talking to some of them, at half-time, it appears that the
club/WHUCST have been reaching out to difference communities to encourage
them to attend matches and connect with the club via community programmes.
To me, that is excellent and real progress in making West Ham inclusive for
all sections of our community; as well as making perfect business sense in
terms extending the fan base and attracting hitherto untapped support.
All in all, with all this community focus, PL safety and the excellent plans
to adapt the Olympic Stadium I am feeling very positive about all thing
claret and blue at the moment. Everything is undoubtedly moving in a
positive direction. I know not all supporters share my view on the playing
style, but hopefully this summer will see us adding the additional quality
to the squad that will enable us to adopt a more pacy, expansive style
(especially away from home) in 2013-14, thereby addressing some genuine
concerns amongst sections of our fan base.
SJ. Chandos.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Sunday, April 21
Daily WHUFC News - 21st April 2013
Big Sam basks in Wigan victory
WHUFC.com
Manager Sam Allardyce hailed his ruthless Hammers after a 2-0 win over
struggling Wigan
20.04.2013
Sam Allardyce was left revelling in his side's newfound clinical edge, after
battling to a 2-0 Barclays Premier League victory over Wigan Athletic.
Though the Hammers had to be patient against a Latics side renowned for
their possession football, Matt Jarvis' 21st minute opener and Kevin Nolan's
late second proved plenty to earn Big Sam's men yet another home win.
Perhaps not the prettiest, the three points were still hugely satisfying for
the Hammers boss, who insists his team are learning how to win, even when
they're not at their fluent best. He told West Ham TV: "I've been talking
about that need for clinical finishing for a number of weeks prior to this
run we've been on. I think that the quality of our finishing has gone up to
such a level now, that we've become a team that can play well and win, and
play not so well and still win. "We didn't play well, particularly in
possession, against Wigan but we've won the game 2-0. Wigan kept the ball an
awful lot, so we knew we'd have to defend deep and in numbers, because
they're very adventurous in what they do. "But what it did do is leave them
so weak defensively and my disappointment is that had we passed the ball a
little better in a counter-attacking situation, we'd have created a lot more
than we actually did, but we've created enough because we won 2-0."
It was Jarvis who got the ball rolling with only his second West Ham goal
and Big Sam was in no doubt whatesover of the critical part that the winger
plays.
"Matt has been outstanding. He has the best crossing stats in the Premier
League and not in just terms of quantity but the regular quality. So it
shows what a valuable player he has been for us this season. It was a
massive move for him, because it was a reasonable size fee for him, not a
big one. He has to live with that a little bit and find his way in and now
he has come to life for me. "The good thing is that Matt Jarvis gives our
players a rest, because when he gets it, he's going to turn and run at
opposition defenders. He's going to run to the opposition's box, do his
tricks and nine times out of ten he's going to produce a cross. It's a huge,
huge asset for us, when you've got a player who can hang onto the ball as
long as he can."
It was left to skipper Kevin Nolan to make it safe with a spectacular
volley, one that chalked up his 100th career goal and seventh of the
campaign. "What a blistering start Kevin had to this season. In goal terms
he scored five in the first ten. He scored at Fulham which put him on 99 and
he has had to wait until now to get his 100th, which has preyed on his mind
a little bit, which has been a shame for him and us. Because of that start,
I'd have expected him to get about 12 for us this season. He has got that
one out the way now and let's hope he can bag a few more in the last four.
"He reads and feeds off Andy Carroll brilliantly. He gets on the move and
anticipates where Andy might actually drop the ball, which he did, and then
the technique is there for all to see. It was outstanding technique in front
of goal, which is the hardest place to produce technique, in the
opposition's penalty area. Great finish."
The three points takes the Hammers to 42, and, just as importantly, up to
tenth in the Barclays Premier League and Big Sam sees no reason why his side
can't continue in this vein until the season's end. "We've got to make sure
we continue this fantastic run of performances and results at home. In
actual fact, this was one of our worst performances at home all season, but
we've still won 2-0. That says something about the character. We've only
lost four in the entire season at home. The fans have got to remember that
this is our first season back in the Barclays Premier League."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Nolan's delight at ton up
WHUFC.com
West Ham United skipper thrilled with three points and 100th career goal in
Wigan win
20.04.2013
Not only did the Hammers claim three vital points on Saturday, but skipper
Kevin Nolan also reached a major landmark with his 100th career goal. The
30-year-old made the points safe for the Hammers with his fine finish on the
turn with ten minutes remaining, as Sam Allardyce's men registered a 2-0
victory over struggling Wigan Athletic. West Ham moved back into the top
half of the Barclays Premier League with the triumph, and Nolan was thrilled
with the twin delight of breaching the 40-point barrier and reaching his
personal milestone. "I'm absolutely delighted," he beamed. "To get to 42
points and to reach 100 goals too was nice. "I was able to celebrate it and
dedicate it to the memory of two people who were close to my family - my
friend Peter and my auntie who have passed away in the last couple of weeks.
"100 goals from anyone is a good turnout from anyone's career so I'm really
delighted to get there. Hopefully I'm not finished yet, I'm looking for 101
now and that's the main thing. It won't hit me for a few days, but I'll be
able to look back, really enjoy it and savour the moment."
Nolan's goal came following an acrobatic assist from Andy Carroll and the
Geordie has proved a fruitful playing partner for Nolan both at the Boleyn
Ground and from their time together at Newcastle United. He continued: "We
have combined for quite a few goals - he keeps reminding me and saying that
it's never the other way around! The big man's been fantastic since he's
come back into the team. "He's looking really sharp and fit - he had another
couple of good chances on Saturday. We seem to get on really well on and off
the pitch, we just click and that's helped us with our games. "You only have
to look at how many games we've played and how many goals we've scored to
see that. We feel we can score against anyone and cause anyone problems. I'm
delighted that he's here and I'm hoping he will be for as long as I'm here."
Having passed the 40-point mark that boss Allardyce believes will secure
Premier League football for another season, Nolan is looking forward to
attempting to nail down the Hammers' position in the top ten over the final
four matches of the campaign. He added: "We can enjoy it but you have to
remember we still have games in the Premier League to play. We're five
unbeaten and we want to carry that on until the end of the season. "When we
looked at each other as a squad in the pre-season, we thought we would be
very worthy of being in and around that top ten. "We're doing fantastically
well - there was a little blip in the middle, but that was only due to
injuries and the fact that we were still growing as a team. "Although we've
got a lot of experienced individuals, you still have to grow as a team and
that's what we've been doing. We've worked really hard to make sure we can
do that, we want to stay where we are now because that would be a very good
start to life back in the Premier League."
Of Saturday's success, Nolan felt the Hammers had to show a grittier side to
their game to overcome the challenge of Wigan. He explained: "We're
resilient and that's the mark of a good team. You've got to be resilient
sometimes. When Chelsea won the league and they had all those points, I
remember playing against them and they were like robots. "If you were on top
of them they were resilient and wouldn't give you the space. That's what
we've got to learn - we can't be brilliant every week and all on top of our
game, so when we're not and when it's not going quite right for us we've got
to be dogged and determined.
"There's not a lot of things more satisfying than walking off that pitch
with no goals conceded. Another clean sheet is brilliant, the back four were
fantastic with us in front working our socks off. "That's the quality you
need to be successful in the Premier League because you're going to get
those days when you can go and play well, like we did on Wednesday night.
Against Wigan, we were dogged and determined and got two fantastic goals.
The second one settled us down and I thought we saw the game out really
well."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Wigan win sends Hammers tenth
WHUFC.com
West Ham United stretched their unbeaten run to five with a 2-0 win over
Wigan Athletic
20.04.2013
West Ham United climbed into the top ten of the Barclays Premier League
thanks to a hard-fought 2-0 win over relegation-threatened Wigan Athletic.
Goals in either half courtesy of Matt Jarvis and Kevin Nolan helped the
Hammers to an eighth home win of the campaign, while taking their tally
beyond the magical 40-point mark to 42. Though Sam Allardyce's side by no
means had it all their own way against a fluent, if wasteful Wigan outfit,
the three points were just reward for another first-class defensive showing.
In typical Wigan style, the visitors were soon into their silky stride, with
Antolin Alcaraz the first to try his luck, shooting straight at Jussi
Jaaskelainen from 20 yards. At the other end, Gary O'Neil's right-wing
corner was flicked on at the near post by James Collins, though skipper
Kevin Nolan could only balloon his header over the bar. Seconds later, Shaun
Maloney raced onto Callum McManaman's inch-perfect through ball, but slammed
straight at the Hammers' Finnish stopper. It very nearly proved costly, as
Nolan forced a smart one-handed stop from Joel, firing goal-ward on the turn
from O'Neil's cute free-kick.
With little more than quarter-of-an-hour played, Roberto Martinez was forced
into an early change, when the injured Alcaraz made way for Jean Beausejour.
But the early reshuffle didn't appear to do the hosts a great deal of harm,
as they twice went close in the next couple of minutes. Firstly, Maloney's
free-kick rippled the netting atop Jaaskelainen's goal, before Arouna Kone
skipped past a flimsy challenge or two, before lashing over. Stung into
action, Sam Allardyce's men drew first blood in the 21st minute, courtesy of
record-signing Matt Jarvis' first goal at the Boleyn Ground. The Hammers No7
cut inside onto his right foot, whipping in a centre that evaded Mo Diame,
Nolan and then, crucially, Wigan 'keeper Joel, before nestling in the far
corner. The game's first goal seemed to suck the life out of the struggling
Latics and the Hammers might well have doubled their lead prior to the
interval. The best chance fell to Ricardo Vaz Te, but his near-post header
from O'Neil's cross flew high and wide.
An untidy start to the second half saw Wigan make all the running and after
Jordi Gomez had driven straight at Jaaskelainen, Kone's 20-yarder sped
ominously goalward but narrowly missed the angle of post and bar. The
Latics' quick start prompted Allardyce to introduce Mark Noble for O'Neil.
It did the trick, as West Ham, for the most part, managed to stem the tide.
In fact, the hosts nearly got the all-important second in the 57th minute,
when Nolan ran across Diame's curler, but failed to apply the telling touch,
allowing Joel to gather. Back came Wigan, this time through Emmerson Boyce,
who, having stooped to head Maynor Figueroa's cross, was again foiled by
Jaaskelainen. The Latics continued to pour forward in search of the leveller
and came uncomfortably close with 72 minutes on the clock. The ever-bright
Maloney's cut-back picked out McArthur, whose side-foot looked destined for
the bottom corner, but for Jaaskelainen's intervention. Not able to gather,
however, the ball squirmed away, somehow eluding the waiting Kone. Eight
minutes later and West Ham settled it, thanks to Nolan's stunning acrobatic
effort. The Hammers' skipper reacted quickest to Carroll's flick, before
taking to the air to volley into the far corner and notch his 100th career
goal. Though it mattered not, Carroll might have made it three late on, but
fired wide of the near post with only Joel to beat.
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Collins, Reid, O'Brien, O'Neil (Noble
52), Vaz Te (J Cole 62), Nolan, Diame (Collison 75), Jarvis, Carroll
Subs: Henderson, C Cole, Taylor, Pogatetz
Goals: Jarvis 21, Nolan 80
Booked: Carroll, J Cole
Wigan Athletic: Joel, Alcaraz (Beausejour 16), Caldwell, Boyce, Figueroa,
McCarthy, Maloney, Gomez (Di Santo 86), Scharner, Kone, McManaman (McArthur
46)
Subs: Al-Habsi, Henriquez, Espinoza, Stam
Booked: Caldwell
Referee: Neil Swarbrick
Attendance: 34,544
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Spirited Dev Squad delight Haycock
WHUFC.com
Haycock saluted the influence of frontman Sean Maguire as he notched his
first West Ham goal
20.04.2013
Nick Haycock hailed the impact of Irish centre-forward Sean Maguire, as the
18-year-old marked his maiden start with a first goal, to help the
Development Squad get back to winning ways in a 3-2 success over
Wolverhampton Wanderers. After Maguire's 11th-minute opener, Elliot Lee
struck within just 18 seconds of the second half to seemingly put the
Hammers on course for a first victory since 8 February. But it was not to
prove plain sailing thereafter, as the visitors rallied, netting twice in
the space of 12 second half minutes, courtesy of Sam Winnall and then Lee
Evans' deflected leveller. Nervy though it was, a spirited West Ham were not
to be denied, bagging the winner with just nine minutes to play, when
Sebastian Lletget slid home George Moncur's cut-back. Haycock subsequently
admitted it could easily have gone either way, but was nevertheless
impressed with the character on display. He told West Ham TV: "The last 20
minutes became a battle. In the end it's a game we've won but we could
equally have lost it at that stage. It was great character, because we've
got a young side out there, with as many as nine youth team players involved
in the squad. "To be fair to Wolves they played Monday night and with our
game unfortunately being called off due to Jake Larkin's accident, I felt
we'd be a little fresher. The game plan was to get out the traps quickly,
shut them down from the front and play the game in their half. "In fairness,
I normally like my teams to build the ball from the back, wherever we
possibly can, because we're trying to develop quality players to play in the
Premier League. "But on a night like this and with the surface the way it
is, I just told them to play the game in the opposition half. We played two
up front with that in mind. We fed the ball to the front players, worked the
ball into wide areas and got into good goal-scoring positions. "At times
they had to dig in there but it's a great learning curve. To have the
character to come back and win the game, I'm delighted for them because
they're a great group of lads to work with."
Haycock was similarly effusive in his praise of young forward Maguire, who
has had to bide his time since joining from Waterford United at the turn of
the year. "To be fair to Sean, he has been patient and he has listened,"
Haycock added. "He has come over from Ireland as a part-time player and it
has taken him a while to adapt to the intensity we work at. We work the boys
hard during the week and it ended with him cramping up towards the end of
the game. "He's had a couple of games with Ireland and the manager saw
something in him when he came over on trial. You can see he's lively in and
around the edge of the box. It's not a surprise to me, because I've seen it
in training. But he jumps, he runs, he goes up against people, he runs off
players, and in between players.
"I think him and Elliot could develop a decent relationship up there. I'm
delighted for him because he's a fantastic young man as well."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Olympic Stadium Q&A - Part 4
WHUFC.com
The Board answer another set of supporters' questions about the Olympic
Stadium move
18.04.2013
THE email address yourosquestions@westhamunited.co.uk has been set up to
enable you to ask any question you wish in relation to the West Ham United's
historic move to the Olympic Stadium. We know how important it is that you
are given the opportunity to have your questions answered. Every single
question is read by the Vice-Chairman personally as well as members of our
executive team. As you will appreciate, many of the most pertinent and
frequently asked questions are shared by a large number of you and we are
working through them all, starting with the most popular and topical. We
greatly appreciate the quality of your questions and please appreciate that
sometimes they are so detailed that they require us to seek further
information from the LLDC or other third parties but rest assured we are
holding nothing back. We are sharing all the information we have with you as
we get it. Due to the sheer volume and duplication of questions we cannot
send personal replies but are publishing the answers on whufc.com on a
weekly basis.
What will happen to the Supporters' Club?
The E20 LLP (a joint venture between the LLDC and Newham Council) will be
tasked with the letting of other concessions in the Stadium and the LLDC
will also be tasked with the letting of units in and round the Queen
Elizabeth Olympic Park. It is our understanding that while some of these
units will be let by, for example, the catering partner, that consideration
is being given to ensuring that there are both small local business and
community uses. The Club has met with members of the Supporters' Club and
has championed their case to the relevant members of the E20 LLP. Club
officials have met with key officials from the committee and discussions
regarding how the Club can further support the Supporters' Club are ongoing.
Will the stadium naming rights be sold?
Yes, it is the intention that the stadium naming rights will be sold. This
is fast becoming the expectation of any big club with a stadium of the
stature that would attract a naming rights partner. It is apparent from
those Premier League elite clubs that already have a stadium with a naming
rights partner that it does not in any way adversely impact upon the Club's
ability to retain its sense of identity.
Are matchday travel discounts a possibility?
It has always been our vision that the Club will play its part in ensuring
that the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park becomes a day-out 'destination' to the
benefit of its visitors and most importantly for our supporters. This was a
key feature of West Ham United's bid. Discussions are underway with the
area's key stakeholders to fully explore the cross-marketing possibilities
with the Park's stakeholders to ensure it becomes a thriving success and its
regular visitors can benefit.
If the Club get relegated, will the Olympic Stadium tenancy agreement impact
on the Club financially?
The core focus of our Board strategy is to ensure West Ham United remains a
Premier League club. As a Board we acknowledge that the Stadium must have a
team that befits it. We have extensive business experience and are
absolutely astute when it comes to managing the Club's finances both as its
custodians and to create the revenue required to pay down the debt and
invest in the squad and its development. We take our responsibility very
seriously.
The Club's turnover has grown year on year since 2010. By the time we play
our first match turnover is forecast to have doubled since 2010.
The Club will ALWAYS be able to afford its annual rent. Whilst we do not
intend to focus on relegation, the deal is structured in such a way that the
annual usage fee is reduced should the Club be relegated.
Where will the away supporters sit?
While we have identified some options for the away supporters' area, this is
one of the key areas that we want to consult with our supporters about.
The areas identified will of course be as a result of operational
considerations, such as segregation and access. We have already received
some fantastic suggestions. Our priority must be our own home supporters and
their matchday experience. We are aware that the atmosphere at the stadium
will form a key part of their enjoyment of the matchday experience. We are
also keen to create a ground that visiting supporters want to travel to for
us to proudly host them and to enhance the overall atmosphere.
Will there be better facilities such as WCs etc than at present?
Categorically yes. Many of the issues experienced at the Boleyn Ground due
to the infrastructure and age of the stadium will be resolved by the stadium
move. The ability to offer a world-class modern football stadium with all
the associated amenities for our supporters was a key driver for the move
due to the restrictions in developing the current stadium. The Boleyn Ground
has 283 WCs while the Olympic Stadium will have 995. It will also have more
than double the number of food and catering units than at the Boleyn Ground.
Will there be an opportunity to honour legends such as Billy Bonds and Geoff
Hurst?
Absolutely, and this is an essential part of our plans to make the stadium
our home. We have already confirmed that we will once again be able to name
a stand after our legends Bobby Moore and Sir Trevor Brooking and there are
also other exciting tributes for former players that will be announced soon.
This again is the kind of consultation that we intend to have with
supporters once we have gauged their overall feelings towards the move - who
would they like to see honoured and how?
Will the Club offices be there?
Yes, the Club offices will of course need to move to the Stadium to offer a
year-round location from which to run the Club and service our supporters.
Does the Club lose out commercially by being a tenant?
No, one of the main benefits of the move is that that Club will have a
platform from which, with our sustained hard work and commitment, we are
able to grow our revenue. This will be without having to carry the burden of
further debt which would follow if we were to the make the initial
significant outlay for a new stadium. For West Ham United this opportunity
would simply have not been possible any other way. Not only do we have a
unique opportunity to continue paying down our debt but with attendances
which could regularly top 50,000 and a further 1,000 hospitality places, the
Club has a real opportunity to grow.
The Club also retains all commercial control and revenue from its own assets
such as shirt sponsorship, retail and ticketing. It will also take a share
of catering income and naming rights. The hard work we have put in to grow
our business year on year as we have since 2010 will need to continue, but
the move presents a real platform for us to move the Club to new levels.
This revenue would be re-invested in the squad, youth development and
facilities to achieve our footballing ambitions.
Will local businesses such as pie and mash shops be able to move?
This will be down to the individual businesses. They are all privately owned
so they will need to decide whether they want to relocate with the Club or
not.
There are numerous retail and catering opportunities available in and around
the park and the Club would encourage any local business that wants to move
with the Club to explore those options. As above the E20 LLP (a joint
venture between the LLDC and Newham Council) will be tasked with the letting
of other concessions in the Stadium and the LLDC will also be tasked with
the letting of units in and round the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. It is
our understanding that while some of these units will be let by, for
example, the catering partner that consideration is being given to a
strategy that ensures there are both small local business and community
uses.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 2 Wigan 0
20 April 2013
Last updated at 17:22
By Alistair Magowan
BBC Sport
West Ham's clinical victory over Wigan appeared to end any lingering worries
they had about relegation but caused further anxiety for the Latics. The
irrepressible Shaun Maloney had an effort stopped by Jussi Jaaskelainen
before Matt Jarvis was fortunate to find the bottom corner from his cross.
Wigan had a host of chances after the break with James McArthur closest.
Kevin Nolan's late volley then came against the run of play, keeping Wigan
in the Premier League's bottom three.
Wigan's Premier League run-in
27 April: Tottenham (h)
4 May: West Brom (a)
7 May: Swansea (h)
14 May: Arsenal (a)
19 May: Aston Villa (h)
Andy Carroll fired wide with a late effort after latching onto a long ball
from the back, for what would have been a truly unrepresentative scoreline.
But Wigan will feel frustrated by their inability to make their second-half
dominance count, wasting a chance to close in on relegation rivals Aston
Villa who play Manchester United on Monday. Villa sit three points above
Wigan, but with Stoke and Sunderland both winning, it was a poor day for
Latics boss Roberto Martinez who last weekend watched his side secure a
place in the FA Cup final. Thoughts about that occasion must now be put to
one side as the Spaniard aims to secure his team's Premier League safety,
starting with the visit of Tottenham next Saturday. His position is far
different from West Ham boss Sam Allardyce, whose team are now five league
games unbeaten and sit 11 points above the relegation zone with four games
left. In what turned out to be a reflection of the game, Wigan enjoyed a
dominant spell of possession in the first 20 minutes. Maloney began brightly
and had the the visitors' best chance to open the scoring when he was
slipped through the middle by Callum McManaman, but Jaaskelainen was quick
to come off his line and save the Scot's effort. West Ham appeared content
to remain compact rather than chase the ball and before the goal they were
limited in their attacking forays. Andy Carroll has been involved in five
goals (three goals, two assists) in his last four Premier League
appearances. In contrast to Wigan's short-sharp passing, Carroll was eager
to profit from any set-pieces and he went into the book early on for what
looked like a petty reaction to Gary Caldwell's attentions. That was soon
forgotten, though, when the Hammers took the lead as Jarvis advanced down
the left, cut back, and his cross carried all the way into the bottom corner
as Mohamed Diame attempted to poke it in against his former club. The goal
gave the hosts an instant boost and Carroll increased his influence while
Nolan had a penalty appeal waved away by referee Neil Swarbrick.
Wigan recovered after the break when Martinez's decision to replace
McManaman with McArthur allowed Jordi Gomez to play further forward and the
Spanish midfielder tested Jaaskelainen. Efforts from Emmerson Boyce,
McArthur and Jean Beausejour were all then saved by West Ham's Finnish
goalkeeper, with another to deny McArthur following Maloney's cut-back the
best of the bunch. Maloney was a menace in the second half and Allardyce's
team struggled to get out of their own half, much to the home supporters'
frustration. But they were soon singing their famous 'I'm forever blowing
bubbles' song when from a long-free-kick, Carroll chested the ball down,
hooked it over his head and Nolan stole in to volley his 100th career goal.
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce: "While it wasn't the best performance, the
bottom line is, if you score your goals and take your chances, you win
football matches. "Their possession was better than ours but the chances
they had they either missed or Jussi Jaaskelainen saved them. We knew Wigan
would push forward which left them defensively weakened and we exposed
them."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce on... Wigan Athletic
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 20th April 2013
By: Staff Writer
A jovial Sam Allardyce looks back at a game in which his team may have been
second best, but still produced a win...
Sam: Not the best of performances today, but you got the right result with
some clinical finishing by Nolan?
There's no doubt that if you can win a game in the Premier League and not be
playing your best, it's a measure of your determination and capabilities
when things aren't quite going your way. We stayed in the game until we got
the opportunity to finish them off, which is exactly what we did.
It ended up being a far more difficult game than Manchester United was on
Wednesday, but I think that's because of the effort by the players on
Wednesday; it took its toll a little bit today. I thought we looked fatigued
going into the last half-an-hour of the game, didn't pass the ball very well
and made life very difficult for ourselves.
But in all fairness, the game's about two things - what you do with the ball
and how good you are when you haven't got it. When we didn't have it - which
was for long periods - we were excellent, defensively, today. Very resilient
and very dogged. Our quality of finishing has won us the game 2-0 in the end
and we're absolutely delighted to be on 42 points with four games to play.
You said in your programme notes today that a win would make you safe; is
that mission accomplished?
I think so. Mathematically we're not safe and everybody wants to be that. We
have 42 points now and I can't see us not getting any more than that. I know
we've got difficult games away at Man City and Everton, but we've got
Newcastle - who are still down around there [the relegation zone] - and
Reading at home. So I can see us picking more points up between now and the
end of the season.
Are you safe enough for you to sign your new contract yet?
I don't know whether the owners want me to be mathematically safe...
[laughs]
Is the contract sorted? It is sorted.
Have you signed it though?
I will.
When are you going to sign that then?
Probably when we're mathematically safe! [laughs]
Andy [Carroll] has been involved in five goals in his last four games. Is
this the most confident you've seen him?
He didn't score today but I thought he was very good even with the limited
supply that we gave him. There's times when he's had a bit of a tussle with
the opposition sticking a man in front of him, fouling him, and the referee
not giving him the right protection. Then all of a sudden Andy gets booked
instead of the opposition player getting booked or conceding a foul.
Obviously it's a tactic used by the opposition to try and stop Andy and his
aerial prowess.
His movement today - and especially his movement off the ball - was very
good. I thought he was going to score right at the end when Matt Jarvis
stood that one up for him, I thought he was going to smash it in the back of
the net.
I'm pleased for Kevin more than anybody else. The 99 goals must have been
playing on his mind subconsciously because he's waited so long to get the
hundredth. Now he's got it with a great clinical finish. Jussi Jasskelainen
and the back four, they were brilliant today. They've played against a team
that's kept possession brilliantly and they've defended very well today, to
keep Wigan out.
Does each impressive performance by Andy improve or lessen your chances of
keeping him?
I think it improves it. Whether it can be done at the end of the season or
not we'll have to wait and see, but it proves we're buying a player who we
might have in our camp that's critical to our moving forward in terms of our
development programme.
We have to be better next season than this season so first and foremost, if
we haven't got Andy Carroll next year then we have to go out and produce a
big money signing to get somebody with his quality.
Thank you.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Martinez on....West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 20th April 2013
By: Staff Writer No.2
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez reflects on his side's 2-0 defeat at the Boleyn
in the post-match press conference which we bring you, as ever, exclusively
in full here on kumb.com.....
Roberto, in the wake of other results elsewhere in the country could today
have gone any worse for you?
No. The way that we are in the season it's not about the other results. It's
about affecting our points tally. We're disappointed that we didn't get any
points today because we're obviously getting to that critical moment of the
season. We've still got a game in hand on everyone else. The negative today
was the injury today to Antolin Alcaraz which changed the way we wanted to
play, the way we prepared the game. After 15 minutes that's a
disappointment. We were very soft in terms of keeping that clean sheet. We
knew what West Ham can do and the goalscoring ability that they have and I
don't think that we were strong enough to keep that. Apart from that we beat
West Ham in every single department.
I enjoyed the second half performance. I thought that was as dominant as
you're going to see an away team. [The] two teams were a little bit tired
because both played on Wednesday but we had to be the one that was getting
on the ball and wasting energy and being creative. But I felt proud of the
way the players adjusted in the second half and dominated the game. I won't
be able to explain how we lost!
We need to make sure that we regenerate, that we recover quickly and get
ready for Saturday. It's been a very demanding period for us - four away
games in different competitions probably took their toll on us a little bit
but I was very proud in the way we were the better side today against such a
club with such an incredible football tradition.
James McArthur came on today and Ali Al-Habsi is usually your starting
'keeper. Are they being rested with a view to the Cup Final?
[Laughs] I don't think we can rest anyone! We've got a healthy squad, good
numbers. Three games in a week is a huge task. We went to the Etihad against
the Champions and physically that's going to be demanding so we have to
share the demands. Ali and Joel [Robles] have been phenomenal all season. At
the moment Joel is playing in the league and Ali played in the Cup. Earlier
in the season it's been the other way round. Everything is up for grabs on a
game by game basis.
Do you think that your experience in this kind of scenario - it seems to be
annual - do you think that it will be an asset to you in weeks to come, with
other teams not used to it?
It's not the other teams. Internally as a club we know how to cope with it.
As you could see today the team needs a little bit of TLC, a little bit of
warmth and we're looking forward to seeing our fans at the stadium. We know
what to expect. There is no margin of error. We've got five games - we need
to get something like, probably, three wins I would say and that's something
we can achieve. If you look at our performance today we were the better side
over the 90 minutes. Yes we need to address not conceding goals as cheaply
as we have done today but every other department with a little bit of luck
it should have been an easy and comfortable away win. Funnily enough it was
exactly the same against Manchester City at their place. I am very happy
with the attitude of the players, the workrate, the mentality and it's an
exciting challenge for us.
You must be very happy with Shaun Maloney - man of the match on a losing
side for me
Shaun is a special footballer. He's one of those footballers who relies on
his natural talent. I think technically he gave a lesson to any young
players watching the game in how to receive the ball be aware around you and
how you turn. He's a phenomenal footballer. It was a shame that he got in a
great position one v one with Jaaskalainen - and he was superb today. Shaun
Maloney is one of those players you'd pay big money to watch on a regular
basis and we're very fortunate to have him.
That chance could have changed the game..
Yeah clearly. Remember the first goal today was going to dictate a lot. The
grass was very long - I don't know if there was a problem with the machines
[laughter] and after playing on Wednesday the team that had to come out and
be creative and expose was going to find it difficult. From us nearly
scoring a goal to West Ham scoring a goal it changed the roles in the game.
But I was very proud at the way in the second half we applied ourselves. The
crowd was phenomenal - very supportive of the home team - but I never saw
such a dominant display from a team away from home in the Premier League for
a long time.
How is Antolin [Alcaraz]
It's a soft tissue injury. His left hamstring. Probably an accumulation of
games more than anything. Nothing serious but with soft tissue injuries
you're probably talking about anything from 7-10 days. We'll see how it is
tomorrow.
Thank you!
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Hammers to face Teutonic test
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 20th April 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are set to face Bundesliga club SV Hamburg in a pre-season friendly
this July. The Hammers will face HSV, one of Germany's oldest and most
famous clubs as part of a five-day pre-season training programme that will
see them visit the country from 19th-24th of July. One of a select few never
to have been relegated from the top tier of German fooball - and the only
team never to have been relegated from the Bundesliga since its inception in
1963 - HSV have won the German title six times, but not since 1983. Prior to
the 2011/12 campaign, the club had finished in the Bundesliga's top ten on
each of the nine preceeding seasons. Eighth in the current standings with 44
points from 30 games, HSV are on course to complete a top ten finish once
again. The game between HSV and West Ham is set to be played in the
Flensburg Stadium, which is situated around 100 miles north of Hamburg on
the German and Danish border.
We'll have more details and ticket news for you once details have been
confirmed.
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West Ham see off relegation-haunted Wigan at Upton Park
Last Updated: April 20, 2013 6:41pm
SSN
Kevin Nolan netted his 100th career goal as West Ham United pushed Wigan
Athletic a little deeper into the relegation mire with a 2-0 victory at
Upton Park.
A cross from Matt Jarvis which was allowed to slip past a clutch of bodies
in a crowded penalty area and into the bottom corner opened the scoring
during a tight first half.
Best of the match...
Man of the match: James Collins. Put himself in the way of everything as
West Ham were forced to defend for long periods.
Goal of the match: Kevin Nolan did really well to turn an acrobatic volley
into the corner after Andy Carroll had flicked on.
Save of the match: Jussi Jasskelainen produced a brilliant stop to deny
James McArthur when the Hammers were only 1-0 in front.
Moment of the match: Shaun Maloney squandered an early opportunity for
Wigan, and they were made to pay.
Talking point: Can West Ham now finish in the top-half after ending any
relegation fears? Have Wigan got enough left in the tank to steer a course
to safety?
The Hammers netted their second of the afternoon 10 minutes from time when
Nolan turned an acrobatic volley into the back of the net - and they are now
through the 40-point mark for the season while the Latics continue to
languish in the bottom three. Wigan started brightly and were the first side
to create an opening as Antolin Alcaraz - who was replaced after 15 minutes
due to injury - fired a low shot straight at Jussi Jaaskelainen. Hammers
skipper Nolan had found the net just once since the turn of the year before
the clash with Wigan, but he had two half chances to open the scoring as the
hosts came back into the game. Firstly he could not rise high enough to make
meaningful contact with a Gary O'Neil corner that had been flicked into his
path by James Collins before latching onto a free-kick and seeing his volley
pushed clear by Wigan goalkeeper Joel Robles. Dead-ball specialist Shaun
Maloney put a 22-yard free-kick just over Jaaskelainen's bar with both sides
still in search of the opening goal.
It came just four minutes later when Jarvis' cross from the left flank
evaded both Mohamed Diame and Nolan before sneaking inside Robles' far post.
West Ham then had strong claims for a penalty following an exchange of
passes between Ricardo Vaz Te and Nolan, with James McCarthy appearing to
trip Nolan as he prepared to shoot. Roberto Martinez made his second change
at half-time as he introduced James McArthur in place of Callum McManaman.
The visitors came out attacking with both Jordi Gomez and Arouna Kone having
strikes at Jaaskelainen's goal within two minutes of the re-start. Wigan
finally created a decent opportunity as Maynor Figueroa lofted a ball over
the West Ham defence and Emmerson Boyce's diving header was kept out by
Jaaskelainen. That effort seemed to galvanise Martinez's side and they
dominated for the next 15 minutes, culminating with substitute James
McArthur forcing a smart save out of the Finnish goalkeeper with 20 minutes
remaining. Paul Scharner then headed straight at Jaaskelainen when free
inside the area with the home fans starting to show their tension as their
fragile lead continued to be threatened. But those worries were put to bed
with a little over 10 minutes remaining as Nolan latched on to Carroll's
pass to volley West Ham into a two-goal lead and score his seventh goal of
the season. Carroll should have added a third himself after bursting into
the area but he put his shot wide.
Roberto Martinez claimed afterwards that luck had deserted Wigan once again,
but is confident they can steer clear of trouble if they maintain their
current performance level. He told Sky Sports: "The two goals that we
conceded are a little bit soft, but if you look at the overall balance of
play and the amount of chances that we created, we deserved to get much more
than what we got today. "Sometimes you have moments like that in a season
when you play very well and luck doesn't allow you to collect the rewards
that you deserve. If we keep performing like that, we will get the points
that we need."
Sam Allardyce believes West Ham are now safe and is looking for them to keep
their foot on the gas and wrap up a top-half finish. He told Sky Sports:
"It's our first season back in the big league and if we can finish around
this position, this was our maximum finish for us this season. We felt that
our absolute maximum would be around tenth, if we could get there. "I know
mathematically we are still not safe and people will say I shouldn't say
this, but it's been a long, long time since someone went down with 42
points."
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Sam Allardyce is looking for West Ham to maintain their top-half standing
Last Updated: April 20, 2013 8:46pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce is looking for West Ham United to cling on to their lofty
perch after rising into the top half of the Premier League table. The
Hammers made their way into 10th place on Saturday on the back of a 2-0
victory over Wigan Athletic. Allardyce's side have found form at just the
right time, with a five-match unbeaten run taking them through the 40-point
barrier and ending any lingering relegation fears. The target now is to
maintain those standards and end the campaign inside the top 10. Allardyce
told Sky Sports: "Very pleased, and tenth in the Premier League. It's our
first season back in the big league and if we can finish around this
position, this was our maximum finish for us this season. We felt that our
absolute maximum would be around tenth, if we could get there.
"It's our first season back in the big league and if we can finish around
this position, this was our maximum finish for us this season." "We have
had a really good run, I think in the last 10 games we have lost only three
of those 10, won four and drawn three. "We have put a really good stint in
at the end of the season after a difficult time with all the injuries we had
in December. We have really stepped up to the mark again and we have done a
clinical job today, a professional job. "We made life very difficult for
Wigan, even with all the possession they had to create open and clear cut
chances. At the other end, we showed that we have become more clinical in
our finishing over the last few weeks, and that's why we are picking up wins
instead of the losses through December. "The clinical finishing today -
Matt Jarvis' cross-cum-goal and Kevin Nolan's finish for his 100th goal -
edged us just ahead of Wigan and got us a very valuable three points to take
us to 42. "I know mathematically we are still not safe and people will say I
shouldn't say this, but it's been a long, long time since someone went down
with 42 points."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Manager Sam Allardyce hailed his ruthless Hammers after a 2-0 win over
struggling Wigan
20.04.2013
Sam Allardyce was left revelling in his side's newfound clinical edge, after
battling to a 2-0 Barclays Premier League victory over Wigan Athletic.
Though the Hammers had to be patient against a Latics side renowned for
their possession football, Matt Jarvis' 21st minute opener and Kevin Nolan's
late second proved plenty to earn Big Sam's men yet another home win.
Perhaps not the prettiest, the three points were still hugely satisfying for
the Hammers boss, who insists his team are learning how to win, even when
they're not at their fluent best. He told West Ham TV: "I've been talking
about that need for clinical finishing for a number of weeks prior to this
run we've been on. I think that the quality of our finishing has gone up to
such a level now, that we've become a team that can play well and win, and
play not so well and still win. "We didn't play well, particularly in
possession, against Wigan but we've won the game 2-0. Wigan kept the ball an
awful lot, so we knew we'd have to defend deep and in numbers, because
they're very adventurous in what they do. "But what it did do is leave them
so weak defensively and my disappointment is that had we passed the ball a
little better in a counter-attacking situation, we'd have created a lot more
than we actually did, but we've created enough because we won 2-0."
It was Jarvis who got the ball rolling with only his second West Ham goal
and Big Sam was in no doubt whatesover of the critical part that the winger
plays.
"Matt has been outstanding. He has the best crossing stats in the Premier
League and not in just terms of quantity but the regular quality. So it
shows what a valuable player he has been for us this season. It was a
massive move for him, because it was a reasonable size fee for him, not a
big one. He has to live with that a little bit and find his way in and now
he has come to life for me. "The good thing is that Matt Jarvis gives our
players a rest, because when he gets it, he's going to turn and run at
opposition defenders. He's going to run to the opposition's box, do his
tricks and nine times out of ten he's going to produce a cross. It's a huge,
huge asset for us, when you've got a player who can hang onto the ball as
long as he can."
It was left to skipper Kevin Nolan to make it safe with a spectacular
volley, one that chalked up his 100th career goal and seventh of the
campaign. "What a blistering start Kevin had to this season. In goal terms
he scored five in the first ten. He scored at Fulham which put him on 99 and
he has had to wait until now to get his 100th, which has preyed on his mind
a little bit, which has been a shame for him and us. Because of that start,
I'd have expected him to get about 12 for us this season. He has got that
one out the way now and let's hope he can bag a few more in the last four.
"He reads and feeds off Andy Carroll brilliantly. He gets on the move and
anticipates where Andy might actually drop the ball, which he did, and then
the technique is there for all to see. It was outstanding technique in front
of goal, which is the hardest place to produce technique, in the
opposition's penalty area. Great finish."
The three points takes the Hammers to 42, and, just as importantly, up to
tenth in the Barclays Premier League and Big Sam sees no reason why his side
can't continue in this vein until the season's end. "We've got to make sure
we continue this fantastic run of performances and results at home. In
actual fact, this was one of our worst performances at home all season, but
we've still won 2-0. That says something about the character. We've only
lost four in the entire season at home. The fans have got to remember that
this is our first season back in the Barclays Premier League."
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Nolan's delight at ton up
WHUFC.com
West Ham United skipper thrilled with three points and 100th career goal in
Wigan win
20.04.2013
Not only did the Hammers claim three vital points on Saturday, but skipper
Kevin Nolan also reached a major landmark with his 100th career goal. The
30-year-old made the points safe for the Hammers with his fine finish on the
turn with ten minutes remaining, as Sam Allardyce's men registered a 2-0
victory over struggling Wigan Athletic. West Ham moved back into the top
half of the Barclays Premier League with the triumph, and Nolan was thrilled
with the twin delight of breaching the 40-point barrier and reaching his
personal milestone. "I'm absolutely delighted," he beamed. "To get to 42
points and to reach 100 goals too was nice. "I was able to celebrate it and
dedicate it to the memory of two people who were close to my family - my
friend Peter and my auntie who have passed away in the last couple of weeks.
"100 goals from anyone is a good turnout from anyone's career so I'm really
delighted to get there. Hopefully I'm not finished yet, I'm looking for 101
now and that's the main thing. It won't hit me for a few days, but I'll be
able to look back, really enjoy it and savour the moment."
Nolan's goal came following an acrobatic assist from Andy Carroll and the
Geordie has proved a fruitful playing partner for Nolan both at the Boleyn
Ground and from their time together at Newcastle United. He continued: "We
have combined for quite a few goals - he keeps reminding me and saying that
it's never the other way around! The big man's been fantastic since he's
come back into the team. "He's looking really sharp and fit - he had another
couple of good chances on Saturday. We seem to get on really well on and off
the pitch, we just click and that's helped us with our games. "You only have
to look at how many games we've played and how many goals we've scored to
see that. We feel we can score against anyone and cause anyone problems. I'm
delighted that he's here and I'm hoping he will be for as long as I'm here."
Having passed the 40-point mark that boss Allardyce believes will secure
Premier League football for another season, Nolan is looking forward to
attempting to nail down the Hammers' position in the top ten over the final
four matches of the campaign. He added: "We can enjoy it but you have to
remember we still have games in the Premier League to play. We're five
unbeaten and we want to carry that on until the end of the season. "When we
looked at each other as a squad in the pre-season, we thought we would be
very worthy of being in and around that top ten. "We're doing fantastically
well - there was a little blip in the middle, but that was only due to
injuries and the fact that we were still growing as a team. "Although we've
got a lot of experienced individuals, you still have to grow as a team and
that's what we've been doing. We've worked really hard to make sure we can
do that, we want to stay where we are now because that would be a very good
start to life back in the Premier League."
Of Saturday's success, Nolan felt the Hammers had to show a grittier side to
their game to overcome the challenge of Wigan. He explained: "We're
resilient and that's the mark of a good team. You've got to be resilient
sometimes. When Chelsea won the league and they had all those points, I
remember playing against them and they were like robots. "If you were on top
of them they were resilient and wouldn't give you the space. That's what
we've got to learn - we can't be brilliant every week and all on top of our
game, so when we're not and when it's not going quite right for us we've got
to be dogged and determined.
"There's not a lot of things more satisfying than walking off that pitch
with no goals conceded. Another clean sheet is brilliant, the back four were
fantastic with us in front working our socks off. "That's the quality you
need to be successful in the Premier League because you're going to get
those days when you can go and play well, like we did on Wednesday night.
Against Wigan, we were dogged and determined and got two fantastic goals.
The second one settled us down and I thought we saw the game out really
well."
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Wigan win sends Hammers tenth
WHUFC.com
West Ham United stretched their unbeaten run to five with a 2-0 win over
Wigan Athletic
20.04.2013
West Ham United climbed into the top ten of the Barclays Premier League
thanks to a hard-fought 2-0 win over relegation-threatened Wigan Athletic.
Goals in either half courtesy of Matt Jarvis and Kevin Nolan helped the
Hammers to an eighth home win of the campaign, while taking their tally
beyond the magical 40-point mark to 42. Though Sam Allardyce's side by no
means had it all their own way against a fluent, if wasteful Wigan outfit,
the three points were just reward for another first-class defensive showing.
In typical Wigan style, the visitors were soon into their silky stride, with
Antolin Alcaraz the first to try his luck, shooting straight at Jussi
Jaaskelainen from 20 yards. At the other end, Gary O'Neil's right-wing
corner was flicked on at the near post by James Collins, though skipper
Kevin Nolan could only balloon his header over the bar. Seconds later, Shaun
Maloney raced onto Callum McManaman's inch-perfect through ball, but slammed
straight at the Hammers' Finnish stopper. It very nearly proved costly, as
Nolan forced a smart one-handed stop from Joel, firing goal-ward on the turn
from O'Neil's cute free-kick.
With little more than quarter-of-an-hour played, Roberto Martinez was forced
into an early change, when the injured Alcaraz made way for Jean Beausejour.
But the early reshuffle didn't appear to do the hosts a great deal of harm,
as they twice went close in the next couple of minutes. Firstly, Maloney's
free-kick rippled the netting atop Jaaskelainen's goal, before Arouna Kone
skipped past a flimsy challenge or two, before lashing over. Stung into
action, Sam Allardyce's men drew first blood in the 21st minute, courtesy of
record-signing Matt Jarvis' first goal at the Boleyn Ground. The Hammers No7
cut inside onto his right foot, whipping in a centre that evaded Mo Diame,
Nolan and then, crucially, Wigan 'keeper Joel, before nestling in the far
corner. The game's first goal seemed to suck the life out of the struggling
Latics and the Hammers might well have doubled their lead prior to the
interval. The best chance fell to Ricardo Vaz Te, but his near-post header
from O'Neil's cross flew high and wide.
An untidy start to the second half saw Wigan make all the running and after
Jordi Gomez had driven straight at Jaaskelainen, Kone's 20-yarder sped
ominously goalward but narrowly missed the angle of post and bar. The
Latics' quick start prompted Allardyce to introduce Mark Noble for O'Neil.
It did the trick, as West Ham, for the most part, managed to stem the tide.
In fact, the hosts nearly got the all-important second in the 57th minute,
when Nolan ran across Diame's curler, but failed to apply the telling touch,
allowing Joel to gather. Back came Wigan, this time through Emmerson Boyce,
who, having stooped to head Maynor Figueroa's cross, was again foiled by
Jaaskelainen. The Latics continued to pour forward in search of the leveller
and came uncomfortably close with 72 minutes on the clock. The ever-bright
Maloney's cut-back picked out McArthur, whose side-foot looked destined for
the bottom corner, but for Jaaskelainen's intervention. Not able to gather,
however, the ball squirmed away, somehow eluding the waiting Kone. Eight
minutes later and West Ham settled it, thanks to Nolan's stunning acrobatic
effort. The Hammers' skipper reacted quickest to Carroll's flick, before
taking to the air to volley into the far corner and notch his 100th career
goal. Though it mattered not, Carroll might have made it three late on, but
fired wide of the near post with only Joel to beat.
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Collins, Reid, O'Brien, O'Neil (Noble
52), Vaz Te (J Cole 62), Nolan, Diame (Collison 75), Jarvis, Carroll
Subs: Henderson, C Cole, Taylor, Pogatetz
Goals: Jarvis 21, Nolan 80
Booked: Carroll, J Cole
Wigan Athletic: Joel, Alcaraz (Beausejour 16), Caldwell, Boyce, Figueroa,
McCarthy, Maloney, Gomez (Di Santo 86), Scharner, Kone, McManaman (McArthur
46)
Subs: Al-Habsi, Henriquez, Espinoza, Stam
Booked: Caldwell
Referee: Neil Swarbrick
Attendance: 34,544
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Spirited Dev Squad delight Haycock
WHUFC.com
Haycock saluted the influence of frontman Sean Maguire as he notched his
first West Ham goal
20.04.2013
Nick Haycock hailed the impact of Irish centre-forward Sean Maguire, as the
18-year-old marked his maiden start with a first goal, to help the
Development Squad get back to winning ways in a 3-2 success over
Wolverhampton Wanderers. After Maguire's 11th-minute opener, Elliot Lee
struck within just 18 seconds of the second half to seemingly put the
Hammers on course for a first victory since 8 February. But it was not to
prove plain sailing thereafter, as the visitors rallied, netting twice in
the space of 12 second half minutes, courtesy of Sam Winnall and then Lee
Evans' deflected leveller. Nervy though it was, a spirited West Ham were not
to be denied, bagging the winner with just nine minutes to play, when
Sebastian Lletget slid home George Moncur's cut-back. Haycock subsequently
admitted it could easily have gone either way, but was nevertheless
impressed with the character on display. He told West Ham TV: "The last 20
minutes became a battle. In the end it's a game we've won but we could
equally have lost it at that stage. It was great character, because we've
got a young side out there, with as many as nine youth team players involved
in the squad. "To be fair to Wolves they played Monday night and with our
game unfortunately being called off due to Jake Larkin's accident, I felt
we'd be a little fresher. The game plan was to get out the traps quickly,
shut them down from the front and play the game in their half. "In fairness,
I normally like my teams to build the ball from the back, wherever we
possibly can, because we're trying to develop quality players to play in the
Premier League. "But on a night like this and with the surface the way it
is, I just told them to play the game in the opposition half. We played two
up front with that in mind. We fed the ball to the front players, worked the
ball into wide areas and got into good goal-scoring positions. "At times
they had to dig in there but it's a great learning curve. To have the
character to come back and win the game, I'm delighted for them because
they're a great group of lads to work with."
Haycock was similarly effusive in his praise of young forward Maguire, who
has had to bide his time since joining from Waterford United at the turn of
the year. "To be fair to Sean, he has been patient and he has listened,"
Haycock added. "He has come over from Ireland as a part-time player and it
has taken him a while to adapt to the intensity we work at. We work the boys
hard during the week and it ended with him cramping up towards the end of
the game. "He's had a couple of games with Ireland and the manager saw
something in him when he came over on trial. You can see he's lively in and
around the edge of the box. It's not a surprise to me, because I've seen it
in training. But he jumps, he runs, he goes up against people, he runs off
players, and in between players.
"I think him and Elliot could develop a decent relationship up there. I'm
delighted for him because he's a fantastic young man as well."
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Olympic Stadium Q&A - Part 4
WHUFC.com
The Board answer another set of supporters' questions about the Olympic
Stadium move
18.04.2013
THE email address yourosquestions@westhamunited.co.uk has been set up to
enable you to ask any question you wish in relation to the West Ham United's
historic move to the Olympic Stadium. We know how important it is that you
are given the opportunity to have your questions answered. Every single
question is read by the Vice-Chairman personally as well as members of our
executive team. As you will appreciate, many of the most pertinent and
frequently asked questions are shared by a large number of you and we are
working through them all, starting with the most popular and topical. We
greatly appreciate the quality of your questions and please appreciate that
sometimes they are so detailed that they require us to seek further
information from the LLDC or other third parties but rest assured we are
holding nothing back. We are sharing all the information we have with you as
we get it. Due to the sheer volume and duplication of questions we cannot
send personal replies but are publishing the answers on whufc.com on a
weekly basis.
What will happen to the Supporters' Club?
The E20 LLP (a joint venture between the LLDC and Newham Council) will be
tasked with the letting of other concessions in the Stadium and the LLDC
will also be tasked with the letting of units in and round the Queen
Elizabeth Olympic Park. It is our understanding that while some of these
units will be let by, for example, the catering partner, that consideration
is being given to ensuring that there are both small local business and
community uses. The Club has met with members of the Supporters' Club and
has championed their case to the relevant members of the E20 LLP. Club
officials have met with key officials from the committee and discussions
regarding how the Club can further support the Supporters' Club are ongoing.
Will the stadium naming rights be sold?
Yes, it is the intention that the stadium naming rights will be sold. This
is fast becoming the expectation of any big club with a stadium of the
stature that would attract a naming rights partner. It is apparent from
those Premier League elite clubs that already have a stadium with a naming
rights partner that it does not in any way adversely impact upon the Club's
ability to retain its sense of identity.
Are matchday travel discounts a possibility?
It has always been our vision that the Club will play its part in ensuring
that the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park becomes a day-out 'destination' to the
benefit of its visitors and most importantly for our supporters. This was a
key feature of West Ham United's bid. Discussions are underway with the
area's key stakeholders to fully explore the cross-marketing possibilities
with the Park's stakeholders to ensure it becomes a thriving success and its
regular visitors can benefit.
If the Club get relegated, will the Olympic Stadium tenancy agreement impact
on the Club financially?
The core focus of our Board strategy is to ensure West Ham United remains a
Premier League club. As a Board we acknowledge that the Stadium must have a
team that befits it. We have extensive business experience and are
absolutely astute when it comes to managing the Club's finances both as its
custodians and to create the revenue required to pay down the debt and
invest in the squad and its development. We take our responsibility very
seriously.
The Club's turnover has grown year on year since 2010. By the time we play
our first match turnover is forecast to have doubled since 2010.
The Club will ALWAYS be able to afford its annual rent. Whilst we do not
intend to focus on relegation, the deal is structured in such a way that the
annual usage fee is reduced should the Club be relegated.
Where will the away supporters sit?
While we have identified some options for the away supporters' area, this is
one of the key areas that we want to consult with our supporters about.
The areas identified will of course be as a result of operational
considerations, such as segregation and access. We have already received
some fantastic suggestions. Our priority must be our own home supporters and
their matchday experience. We are aware that the atmosphere at the stadium
will form a key part of their enjoyment of the matchday experience. We are
also keen to create a ground that visiting supporters want to travel to for
us to proudly host them and to enhance the overall atmosphere.
Will there be better facilities such as WCs etc than at present?
Categorically yes. Many of the issues experienced at the Boleyn Ground due
to the infrastructure and age of the stadium will be resolved by the stadium
move. The ability to offer a world-class modern football stadium with all
the associated amenities for our supporters was a key driver for the move
due to the restrictions in developing the current stadium. The Boleyn Ground
has 283 WCs while the Olympic Stadium will have 995. It will also have more
than double the number of food and catering units than at the Boleyn Ground.
Will there be an opportunity to honour legends such as Billy Bonds and Geoff
Hurst?
Absolutely, and this is an essential part of our plans to make the stadium
our home. We have already confirmed that we will once again be able to name
a stand after our legends Bobby Moore and Sir Trevor Brooking and there are
also other exciting tributes for former players that will be announced soon.
This again is the kind of consultation that we intend to have with
supporters once we have gauged their overall feelings towards the move - who
would they like to see honoured and how?
Will the Club offices be there?
Yes, the Club offices will of course need to move to the Stadium to offer a
year-round location from which to run the Club and service our supporters.
Does the Club lose out commercially by being a tenant?
No, one of the main benefits of the move is that that Club will have a
platform from which, with our sustained hard work and commitment, we are
able to grow our revenue. This will be without having to carry the burden of
further debt which would follow if we were to the make the initial
significant outlay for a new stadium. For West Ham United this opportunity
would simply have not been possible any other way. Not only do we have a
unique opportunity to continue paying down our debt but with attendances
which could regularly top 50,000 and a further 1,000 hospitality places, the
Club has a real opportunity to grow.
The Club also retains all commercial control and revenue from its own assets
such as shirt sponsorship, retail and ticketing. It will also take a share
of catering income and naming rights. The hard work we have put in to grow
our business year on year as we have since 2010 will need to continue, but
the move presents a real platform for us to move the Club to new levels.
This revenue would be re-invested in the squad, youth development and
facilities to achieve our footballing ambitions.
Will local businesses such as pie and mash shops be able to move?
This will be down to the individual businesses. They are all privately owned
so they will need to decide whether they want to relocate with the Club or
not.
There are numerous retail and catering opportunities available in and around
the park and the Club would encourage any local business that wants to move
with the Club to explore those options. As above the E20 LLP (a joint
venture between the LLDC and Newham Council) will be tasked with the letting
of other concessions in the Stadium and the LLDC will also be tasked with
the letting of units in and round the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. It is
our understanding that while some of these units will be let by, for
example, the catering partner that consideration is being given to a
strategy that ensures there are both small local business and community
uses.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 2 Wigan 0
20 April 2013
Last updated at 17:22
By Alistair Magowan
BBC Sport
West Ham's clinical victory over Wigan appeared to end any lingering worries
they had about relegation but caused further anxiety for the Latics. The
irrepressible Shaun Maloney had an effort stopped by Jussi Jaaskelainen
before Matt Jarvis was fortunate to find the bottom corner from his cross.
Wigan had a host of chances after the break with James McArthur closest.
Kevin Nolan's late volley then came against the run of play, keeping Wigan
in the Premier League's bottom three.
Wigan's Premier League run-in
27 April: Tottenham (h)
4 May: West Brom (a)
7 May: Swansea (h)
14 May: Arsenal (a)
19 May: Aston Villa (h)
Andy Carroll fired wide with a late effort after latching onto a long ball
from the back, for what would have been a truly unrepresentative scoreline.
But Wigan will feel frustrated by their inability to make their second-half
dominance count, wasting a chance to close in on relegation rivals Aston
Villa who play Manchester United on Monday. Villa sit three points above
Wigan, but with Stoke and Sunderland both winning, it was a poor day for
Latics boss Roberto Martinez who last weekend watched his side secure a
place in the FA Cup final. Thoughts about that occasion must now be put to
one side as the Spaniard aims to secure his team's Premier League safety,
starting with the visit of Tottenham next Saturday. His position is far
different from West Ham boss Sam Allardyce, whose team are now five league
games unbeaten and sit 11 points above the relegation zone with four games
left. In what turned out to be a reflection of the game, Wigan enjoyed a
dominant spell of possession in the first 20 minutes. Maloney began brightly
and had the the visitors' best chance to open the scoring when he was
slipped through the middle by Callum McManaman, but Jaaskelainen was quick
to come off his line and save the Scot's effort. West Ham appeared content
to remain compact rather than chase the ball and before the goal they were
limited in their attacking forays. Andy Carroll has been involved in five
goals (three goals, two assists) in his last four Premier League
appearances. In contrast to Wigan's short-sharp passing, Carroll was eager
to profit from any set-pieces and he went into the book early on for what
looked like a petty reaction to Gary Caldwell's attentions. That was soon
forgotten, though, when the Hammers took the lead as Jarvis advanced down
the left, cut back, and his cross carried all the way into the bottom corner
as Mohamed Diame attempted to poke it in against his former club. The goal
gave the hosts an instant boost and Carroll increased his influence while
Nolan had a penalty appeal waved away by referee Neil Swarbrick.
Wigan recovered after the break when Martinez's decision to replace
McManaman with McArthur allowed Jordi Gomez to play further forward and the
Spanish midfielder tested Jaaskelainen. Efforts from Emmerson Boyce,
McArthur and Jean Beausejour were all then saved by West Ham's Finnish
goalkeeper, with another to deny McArthur following Maloney's cut-back the
best of the bunch. Maloney was a menace in the second half and Allardyce's
team struggled to get out of their own half, much to the home supporters'
frustration. But they were soon singing their famous 'I'm forever blowing
bubbles' song when from a long-free-kick, Carroll chested the ball down,
hooked it over his head and Nolan stole in to volley his 100th career goal.
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce: "While it wasn't the best performance, the
bottom line is, if you score your goals and take your chances, you win
football matches. "Their possession was better than ours but the chances
they had they either missed or Jussi Jaaskelainen saved them. We knew Wigan
would push forward which left them defensively weakened and we exposed
them."
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Allardyce on... Wigan Athletic
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 20th April 2013
By: Staff Writer
A jovial Sam Allardyce looks back at a game in which his team may have been
second best, but still produced a win...
Sam: Not the best of performances today, but you got the right result with
some clinical finishing by Nolan?
There's no doubt that if you can win a game in the Premier League and not be
playing your best, it's a measure of your determination and capabilities
when things aren't quite going your way. We stayed in the game until we got
the opportunity to finish them off, which is exactly what we did.
It ended up being a far more difficult game than Manchester United was on
Wednesday, but I think that's because of the effort by the players on
Wednesday; it took its toll a little bit today. I thought we looked fatigued
going into the last half-an-hour of the game, didn't pass the ball very well
and made life very difficult for ourselves.
But in all fairness, the game's about two things - what you do with the ball
and how good you are when you haven't got it. When we didn't have it - which
was for long periods - we were excellent, defensively, today. Very resilient
and very dogged. Our quality of finishing has won us the game 2-0 in the end
and we're absolutely delighted to be on 42 points with four games to play.
You said in your programme notes today that a win would make you safe; is
that mission accomplished?
I think so. Mathematically we're not safe and everybody wants to be that. We
have 42 points now and I can't see us not getting any more than that. I know
we've got difficult games away at Man City and Everton, but we've got
Newcastle - who are still down around there [the relegation zone] - and
Reading at home. So I can see us picking more points up between now and the
end of the season.
Are you safe enough for you to sign your new contract yet?
I don't know whether the owners want me to be mathematically safe...
[laughs]
Is the contract sorted? It is sorted.
Have you signed it though?
I will.
When are you going to sign that then?
Probably when we're mathematically safe! [laughs]
Andy [Carroll] has been involved in five goals in his last four games. Is
this the most confident you've seen him?
He didn't score today but I thought he was very good even with the limited
supply that we gave him. There's times when he's had a bit of a tussle with
the opposition sticking a man in front of him, fouling him, and the referee
not giving him the right protection. Then all of a sudden Andy gets booked
instead of the opposition player getting booked or conceding a foul.
Obviously it's a tactic used by the opposition to try and stop Andy and his
aerial prowess.
His movement today - and especially his movement off the ball - was very
good. I thought he was going to score right at the end when Matt Jarvis
stood that one up for him, I thought he was going to smash it in the back of
the net.
I'm pleased for Kevin more than anybody else. The 99 goals must have been
playing on his mind subconsciously because he's waited so long to get the
hundredth. Now he's got it with a great clinical finish. Jussi Jasskelainen
and the back four, they were brilliant today. They've played against a team
that's kept possession brilliantly and they've defended very well today, to
keep Wigan out.
Does each impressive performance by Andy improve or lessen your chances of
keeping him?
I think it improves it. Whether it can be done at the end of the season or
not we'll have to wait and see, but it proves we're buying a player who we
might have in our camp that's critical to our moving forward in terms of our
development programme.
We have to be better next season than this season so first and foremost, if
we haven't got Andy Carroll next year then we have to go out and produce a
big money signing to get somebody with his quality.
Thank you.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Martinez on....West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 20th April 2013
By: Staff Writer No.2
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez reflects on his side's 2-0 defeat at the Boleyn
in the post-match press conference which we bring you, as ever, exclusively
in full here on kumb.com.....
Roberto, in the wake of other results elsewhere in the country could today
have gone any worse for you?
No. The way that we are in the season it's not about the other results. It's
about affecting our points tally. We're disappointed that we didn't get any
points today because we're obviously getting to that critical moment of the
season. We've still got a game in hand on everyone else. The negative today
was the injury today to Antolin Alcaraz which changed the way we wanted to
play, the way we prepared the game. After 15 minutes that's a
disappointment. We were very soft in terms of keeping that clean sheet. We
knew what West Ham can do and the goalscoring ability that they have and I
don't think that we were strong enough to keep that. Apart from that we beat
West Ham in every single department.
I enjoyed the second half performance. I thought that was as dominant as
you're going to see an away team. [The] two teams were a little bit tired
because both played on Wednesday but we had to be the one that was getting
on the ball and wasting energy and being creative. But I felt proud of the
way the players adjusted in the second half and dominated the game. I won't
be able to explain how we lost!
We need to make sure that we regenerate, that we recover quickly and get
ready for Saturday. It's been a very demanding period for us - four away
games in different competitions probably took their toll on us a little bit
but I was very proud in the way we were the better side today against such a
club with such an incredible football tradition.
James McArthur came on today and Ali Al-Habsi is usually your starting
'keeper. Are they being rested with a view to the Cup Final?
[Laughs] I don't think we can rest anyone! We've got a healthy squad, good
numbers. Three games in a week is a huge task. We went to the Etihad against
the Champions and physically that's going to be demanding so we have to
share the demands. Ali and Joel [Robles] have been phenomenal all season. At
the moment Joel is playing in the league and Ali played in the Cup. Earlier
in the season it's been the other way round. Everything is up for grabs on a
game by game basis.
Do you think that your experience in this kind of scenario - it seems to be
annual - do you think that it will be an asset to you in weeks to come, with
other teams not used to it?
It's not the other teams. Internally as a club we know how to cope with it.
As you could see today the team needs a little bit of TLC, a little bit of
warmth and we're looking forward to seeing our fans at the stadium. We know
what to expect. There is no margin of error. We've got five games - we need
to get something like, probably, three wins I would say and that's something
we can achieve. If you look at our performance today we were the better side
over the 90 minutes. Yes we need to address not conceding goals as cheaply
as we have done today but every other department with a little bit of luck
it should have been an easy and comfortable away win. Funnily enough it was
exactly the same against Manchester City at their place. I am very happy
with the attitude of the players, the workrate, the mentality and it's an
exciting challenge for us.
You must be very happy with Shaun Maloney - man of the match on a losing
side for me
Shaun is a special footballer. He's one of those footballers who relies on
his natural talent. I think technically he gave a lesson to any young
players watching the game in how to receive the ball be aware around you and
how you turn. He's a phenomenal footballer. It was a shame that he got in a
great position one v one with Jaaskalainen - and he was superb today. Shaun
Maloney is one of those players you'd pay big money to watch on a regular
basis and we're very fortunate to have him.
That chance could have changed the game..
Yeah clearly. Remember the first goal today was going to dictate a lot. The
grass was very long - I don't know if there was a problem with the machines
[laughter] and after playing on Wednesday the team that had to come out and
be creative and expose was going to find it difficult. From us nearly
scoring a goal to West Ham scoring a goal it changed the roles in the game.
But I was very proud at the way in the second half we applied ourselves. The
crowd was phenomenal - very supportive of the home team - but I never saw
such a dominant display from a team away from home in the Premier League for
a long time.
How is Antolin [Alcaraz]
It's a soft tissue injury. His left hamstring. Probably an accumulation of
games more than anything. Nothing serious but with soft tissue injuries
you're probably talking about anything from 7-10 days. We'll see how it is
tomorrow.
Thank you!
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Hammers to face Teutonic test
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 20th April 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are set to face Bundesliga club SV Hamburg in a pre-season friendly
this July. The Hammers will face HSV, one of Germany's oldest and most
famous clubs as part of a five-day pre-season training programme that will
see them visit the country from 19th-24th of July. One of a select few never
to have been relegated from the top tier of German fooball - and the only
team never to have been relegated from the Bundesliga since its inception in
1963 - HSV have won the German title six times, but not since 1983. Prior to
the 2011/12 campaign, the club had finished in the Bundesliga's top ten on
each of the nine preceeding seasons. Eighth in the current standings with 44
points from 30 games, HSV are on course to complete a top ten finish once
again. The game between HSV and West Ham is set to be played in the
Flensburg Stadium, which is situated around 100 miles north of Hamburg on
the German and Danish border.
We'll have more details and ticket news for you once details have been
confirmed.
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West Ham see off relegation-haunted Wigan at Upton Park
Last Updated: April 20, 2013 6:41pm
SSN
Kevin Nolan netted his 100th career goal as West Ham United pushed Wigan
Athletic a little deeper into the relegation mire with a 2-0 victory at
Upton Park.
A cross from Matt Jarvis which was allowed to slip past a clutch of bodies
in a crowded penalty area and into the bottom corner opened the scoring
during a tight first half.
Best of the match...
Man of the match: James Collins. Put himself in the way of everything as
West Ham were forced to defend for long periods.
Goal of the match: Kevin Nolan did really well to turn an acrobatic volley
into the corner after Andy Carroll had flicked on.
Save of the match: Jussi Jasskelainen produced a brilliant stop to deny
James McArthur when the Hammers were only 1-0 in front.
Moment of the match: Shaun Maloney squandered an early opportunity for
Wigan, and they were made to pay.
Talking point: Can West Ham now finish in the top-half after ending any
relegation fears? Have Wigan got enough left in the tank to steer a course
to safety?
The Hammers netted their second of the afternoon 10 minutes from time when
Nolan turned an acrobatic volley into the back of the net - and they are now
through the 40-point mark for the season while the Latics continue to
languish in the bottom three. Wigan started brightly and were the first side
to create an opening as Antolin Alcaraz - who was replaced after 15 minutes
due to injury - fired a low shot straight at Jussi Jaaskelainen. Hammers
skipper Nolan had found the net just once since the turn of the year before
the clash with Wigan, but he had two half chances to open the scoring as the
hosts came back into the game. Firstly he could not rise high enough to make
meaningful contact with a Gary O'Neil corner that had been flicked into his
path by James Collins before latching onto a free-kick and seeing his volley
pushed clear by Wigan goalkeeper Joel Robles. Dead-ball specialist Shaun
Maloney put a 22-yard free-kick just over Jaaskelainen's bar with both sides
still in search of the opening goal.
It came just four minutes later when Jarvis' cross from the left flank
evaded both Mohamed Diame and Nolan before sneaking inside Robles' far post.
West Ham then had strong claims for a penalty following an exchange of
passes between Ricardo Vaz Te and Nolan, with James McCarthy appearing to
trip Nolan as he prepared to shoot. Roberto Martinez made his second change
at half-time as he introduced James McArthur in place of Callum McManaman.
The visitors came out attacking with both Jordi Gomez and Arouna Kone having
strikes at Jaaskelainen's goal within two minutes of the re-start. Wigan
finally created a decent opportunity as Maynor Figueroa lofted a ball over
the West Ham defence and Emmerson Boyce's diving header was kept out by
Jaaskelainen. That effort seemed to galvanise Martinez's side and they
dominated for the next 15 minutes, culminating with substitute James
McArthur forcing a smart save out of the Finnish goalkeeper with 20 minutes
remaining. Paul Scharner then headed straight at Jaaskelainen when free
inside the area with the home fans starting to show their tension as their
fragile lead continued to be threatened. But those worries were put to bed
with a little over 10 minutes remaining as Nolan latched on to Carroll's
pass to volley West Ham into a two-goal lead and score his seventh goal of
the season. Carroll should have added a third himself after bursting into
the area but he put his shot wide.
Roberto Martinez claimed afterwards that luck had deserted Wigan once again,
but is confident they can steer clear of trouble if they maintain their
current performance level. He told Sky Sports: "The two goals that we
conceded are a little bit soft, but if you look at the overall balance of
play and the amount of chances that we created, we deserved to get much more
than what we got today. "Sometimes you have moments like that in a season
when you play very well and luck doesn't allow you to collect the rewards
that you deserve. If we keep performing like that, we will get the points
that we need."
Sam Allardyce believes West Ham are now safe and is looking for them to keep
their foot on the gas and wrap up a top-half finish. He told Sky Sports:
"It's our first season back in the big league and if we can finish around
this position, this was our maximum finish for us this season. We felt that
our absolute maximum would be around tenth, if we could get there. "I know
mathematically we are still not safe and people will say I shouldn't say
this, but it's been a long, long time since someone went down with 42
points."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce is looking for West Ham to maintain their top-half standing
Last Updated: April 20, 2013 8:46pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce is looking for West Ham United to cling on to their lofty
perch after rising into the top half of the Premier League table. The
Hammers made their way into 10th place on Saturday on the back of a 2-0
victory over Wigan Athletic. Allardyce's side have found form at just the
right time, with a five-match unbeaten run taking them through the 40-point
barrier and ending any lingering relegation fears. The target now is to
maintain those standards and end the campaign inside the top 10. Allardyce
told Sky Sports: "Very pleased, and tenth in the Premier League. It's our
first season back in the big league and if we can finish around this
position, this was our maximum finish for us this season. We felt that our
absolute maximum would be around tenth, if we could get there.
"It's our first season back in the big league and if we can finish around
this position, this was our maximum finish for us this season." "We have
had a really good run, I think in the last 10 games we have lost only three
of those 10, won four and drawn three. "We have put a really good stint in
at the end of the season after a difficult time with all the injuries we had
in December. We have really stepped up to the mark again and we have done a
clinical job today, a professional job. "We made life very difficult for
Wigan, even with all the possession they had to create open and clear cut
chances. At the other end, we showed that we have become more clinical in
our finishing over the last few weeks, and that's why we are picking up wins
instead of the losses through December. "The clinical finishing today -
Matt Jarvis' cross-cum-goal and Kevin Nolan's finish for his 100th goal -
edged us just ahead of Wigan and got us a very valuable three points to take
us to 42. "I know mathematically we are still not safe and people will say I
shouldn't say this, but it's been a long, long time since someone went down
with 42 points."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Saturday, April 20
Daily WHUFC News - 20th April 2013
Wigan Athletic match preview
WHUFC.com
Key information on Saturday's Barclays Premier League fixture between West Ham United and Wigan Athletic
19.04.2013
WEST HAM UNITED v WIGAN ATHLETIC
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 20 APRIL 2013
KICK-OFF: 3PM
REFEREE: NEIL SWARBRICK
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
iPHONE APP I TWITTER I FACEBOOK I PODCAST
Introduction
• West Ham United return to the Boleyn Ground on Saturday for their second home game of the week. Wednesday night saw them battle out a pulsating 2-2 draw with Manchester United and they will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to five games with a positive result against the Latics.
• The two sides have already met twice this season. West Ham United's Capital One Cup campaign came to an end at the Boleyn Ground when the Latics earned a 4-1 third-round win on 25 September, while Roberto Martinez's men triumphed 2-1 in the league fixture at the DW Stadium on 27 October.
• The Hammers moved up to eleventh in the Barclays Premier League table with their draw against Manchester United in midweek. The stalemate represented a third consecutive one-point haul for the east Londoners and means they have only lost once in their last six outings.
• Roberto Martinez's side reached the FA Cup final with a 2-0 win over Millwall in last weekend's Wembley semi-final, but suffered a 1-0 defeat on their return to league action at Manchester City on Wednesday. Wigan are currently 18th in the Premier League table with 31 points from 32 games.
• Mohamed Diame could face his former club for the second time after being selected for the league fixture between the sides on 27 October..
• West Ham United's clash with Wigan Athletic is one ofseven Barclays Premier League matches on Saturday. The others are all 3pm kick-offs and are as follows: Fulham v Arsenal, Norwich City v Reading, Queens Park Rangers v Stoke City, Sunderland v Everton, Swansea City v Southampton and West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United.
Last time out
Wednesday 17 April
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United 2-2 Manchester United
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Reid, Collins, O'Brien, O'Neil (Noble 68), Vaz Te, Diame (Collison 82), Nolan (Taylor 82), Jarvis, Carroll
Goals: Vaz Te 16, Diame 55
Wednesday 17 April
Barclays Premier League
Manchester City 1-0 Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic: Blazquez, Alcaraz, Boyce, Figueroa, McCarthy, Maloney (Espinoza 89), Gomez (McArthur 85), Beausejour, Scharner, Kone, Di Santo (McManaman 68)
Previous meeting
• West Ham United's last meeting with Wigan Athletic came on 27 October with the Latics claiming the spoils. Ivan Ramis gave the home side an early advantage, with James McArthur adding to that just two minutes after the break. James Tomkins pulled one back in stoppage time, but the Hammers were unable to find an equaliser as Wigan secured a second win of the season over the Hammers. The line-ups that day were:
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Reid, McCartney, Tomkins, Collins, Nolan, Jarvis, Benayoun (Maiga 46), Noble (C.Cole 64), Diame (O'Neil 73), Carroll
Wigan Athletic: Al Habsi, Caldwell, Boyce, Ramis, Figueroa, McCarthy, Maloney, McArthur, Beausejour, Kone, Di Santo (Watson 78)
Background
• West Ham United have faced Wigan Athletic just 20 times and they hold the edge, winning ten of the encounters. Wigan have won eight with two ending in draws.
• West Ham United's biggest win over Wigan Athletic came in the 2003/04 season, Kevin Horlock opened the scoring after four minutes and an own goal from Jason Jarrett made it 2-0 before half-time. Marlon Harewood added a brace in the second half, scoring his second from the spot, to give the Hammers a 4-0 Division One win at the Boleyn Ground on 29 November 2003.
• Wigan Athletic's biggest win in the fixture came at the Boleyn Ground earlier this season when they won 4-1 in the Capital One Cup third round. Prior to that result, their biggest win came in the 2004/05 season when the Latics secured a 3-1 Championship win on 15 August 2004. Nathan Ellington scored a brace with Jason Roberts scoring in-between. Bobby Zamora pulled one back for the Hammers but it was nothing more than a consolation.
Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)
27 October 2012 - Wigan Athletic 2-1 West Ham United
25 September 2012 - West Ham United 1-4 Wigan Athletic (Capital One Cup third round)
15 May 2011- Wigan Athletic 3-2 West Ham United
27 November 2010 - West Ham United 3-1 Wigan Athletic
24 April 2010 - West Ham United 3-2 Wigan Athletic
Overall record v Wigan Athletic (all competitions) W 10 D 2 L 8
Ten-year record
West Ham United
2011/12 Championship 3rd (86 points - promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points - relegated to Championship)
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
2003/04 Division One 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Division One)
2001/02 Premier League 7th (53 points)
Wigan Athletic
2011/12 Premier League 15th (43 points)
2010/11 Premier League 16th (42 points)
2009/10 Premier League 16th (36 points)
2008/09 Premier League 11th (45 points)
2007/08 Premier League 14th (40 points)
2006/07 Premier League 17th (38 points)
2005/06 Premier League 10th (51 points)
2004/05 Championship 2nd (87 points - promoted to the Premier League)
2003/04 Division One 7th (71 points)
2002/03 Division Two 1st (100 points - promoted to Division One)
2001/02 Division Two 10th (64 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 third 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 and the 3-0 defeat at Sunderland on Saturday 12 January.
• 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
• The Hammers were boosted by the return of Winston Reid from a thigh injury for the midweek draw against Manchester United, and he started alongside James Collins in central defence.
• Sam Allardyce is still without George McCartney and James Tomkins, although Mark Noble recovered from his arm injury more quickly than expected and was in the squad on Wednesday.
• Wigan have no fresh injury concerns, but Callum McManaman could come into the starting line-up while Roman Golobart is out with a twisted ankle.
Old boys
• Mohamed Diame is in line to face his former club. The Senegal international made 103 appearances for Wigan Athletic, scoring seven goals, over a period of three years between 2009 and 2012.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Jimmy Bullard, Roy Carroll, Henri Camara, David Unsworth and Bill Wade.
General Information
• Tickets for this fixture have sold out.
• Supporters travelling by tube should be aware that there is no service on the Hammersmith & City line between King's Cross St Pancras and Barking, but the District line is fully operational.
• The weather forecast for Saturday is set fair, with sunny skies over east London and a predicted temperature of 12C at kick-off.
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A message from the Vice-Chairman
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Vice-Chairman Karren Brady presents the plans for the Olympic Stadium
19.04.2013
I have always wanted to share our vision and plans with you but until this point, because of the rules of the process it had not been possible. I had always hoped that I'd be able to present these plans personally to each of you but with 22,000 season ticket holders alone, not to mention those of you on the various different membership schemes and our corporate members, it isn't going to be possible to present to you all personally in the time we have available to gather everyone's opinion.
YouGov and their expert team of independent pollsters have advised us that they have taken meticulous care to ensure that the process is transparent and that views are taken from a representative cross-section of supporters. However, I took the decision to record a short video presentation to ensure you were given the opportunity to have the technical conversion plans, which have been viewed by smaller focus groups such as the Supporter Advisory Board, explained to you by me.
This has been personally emailed to you this morning, and is available to view further up this page. I do hope you'll find an explanation of the drawings useful. We want to give you every tool possible to enable you to make an informed decision when you come to complete the poll.
As requested by the many supporter groups we have been talking to, including the Supporter Advisory Board, our aim is to provide you with as much information as possible in relation to the move, so the first part of the survey will aim to help educate and inform you before you share your views with us.
I'm also pleased to confirm that we will be releasing a stunning new image of the converted East Stand 'Kop' at the Olympic Stadium as part of this process, so please take a look.
Karren Brady
Vice-Chairman
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Vaz starting to feel right
WHUFC.com
Hammers forward Ricardo Vaz Te is getting used to a position on the right wing
19.04.2013
Ricardo Vaz Te opened West Ham United's account in what was so nearly a famous victory over title-chasing Manchester United on Wednesday and admitted it felt terrific to find the back of the net for the first time since scoring the winner at QPR in October. "It's terrific really," he told West Ham TV. "I'm happy to score or to assist. I just want to be involved. Obviously I am not playing in my two main positions, which are forward or left-winger so all season I've had to adapt to the right. "I started the season well but the injury didn't help. After three months out I had to catch up and get back into the routine and then it's getting games again. I think just now I am starting to feel comfortable in that position and I am learning more about it. Hopefully I can kick on from now."
But after only managing a share of the spoils by full time despite twice taking the lead, Vaz Te felt the Hammer's were unlucky not to secure all three points.
He continued: "We're disappointed because we got ourselves in front twice. In the first half I think a draw was fair. In the second half we got ourselves in front again and it was a terrific strike from [Shinji] Kagawa but I think [Robin] van Persie was slightly offside, so looking at that we can be disappointed. "Overall it's a great result and we needed it, a point against Manchester United is always valuable."
Despite Mohamed Diame's second half effort being cancelled out by the Dutch Red Devil, Vaz Te has been impressed with the midfielder's contribution to the Hammers' Premier League campaign so far. He added: "Mo Diame seems to shine against big teams which is great and we need that. We need players who are not afraid to play against big teams. Mo is a terrific player, he's a runner who gets the ball and you can trust him on the ball, anytime, any place. He's been a great signing and hopefully he can keep it up."
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Nobes glad to be back
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble made his comeback from injury in Wednesday night's 2-2 draw with Manchester United
19.04.2013
Mark Noble expected to miss the remainder of the season when he underwent shoulder surgery last month, but recovered quickly to make a comeback in Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Manchester United. The Canning Town-born midfielder entered the fray in the second half to replace Gary O'Neil from the bench and he was thrilled to play his part. Now, with Wigan Athletic visiting the Boleyn Ground on Saturday, Noble is hoping the Hammers can extend their unbeaten run to a fifth game. He told West Ham TV: "To be honest, after the news I got about my arm I sort of wrote this season off because they said they may have had to take my rib out, which was worrying. "When the surgeon went inside he managed to clean all of the scar tissue around the nerve and I managed to get back a lot quicker, so I am over the moon. "It was brilliant to play against Manchester United. I've only trained for the last couple of days so it was nice to get back involved and get some game time under my belt again. As I said, I had written it off so it's lovely to be back and involved with the lads for the last push of the season. "We were disappointed to draw on Wednesday, especially because Robin van Persie's goal was offside at the end and you've worked so hard for a result, then one decision can change the state of a game. "Then again, we would have taken a point against Manchester United all day. I am sure if anyone had asked the manager he would say the same. United needed to win and again against Aston Villa to take the title so our result puts that on the back burner a little bit. But United are up there because they keep going and they've got the quality and they get that little bit of extra strength like they did at the end there.
"To play the four games that we have against United this year and play the way we have, it's a credit to the lads and how far we've come in the last two years."
Noble joined the many praising teammates Ricardo Vaz Te and Mohamed Diame this week for their contribution in the 2-2 draw. He added: "It was lovely from Vaz, it was a great turn and finish. We know Mo has got that in his locker. I thought Nobby had done well to get out of the way, he must have breathed in a little bit and it went straight in the bottom corner. It looked like we were going to hold on but we never. It puts us on 39 points and with four or five games to go it's a good tally to have."
As the countdown to the end of the season begins, Noble still has his sights set on a top-half finish. He explained: "If we can get seven points from the last six games then that would be a great outcome for us and would set us up for the start of next season. We'll obviously go away and have a break and start next season like we did this. "The lads are buzzing and looking forward to another home game on Saturday. "I only trained two or three days this week and came off the bench to play 25 minutes against United. The way the lads are playing at the minute it will be tough to play some part on Saturday. I really did think my season was over so it would be nice to be out there."
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Big Sam on: Wigan Athletic
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce spoke to the press ahead of Saturday's game against Wigan
19.04.2013
Sam Allardyce views Saturday's Barclays Premier League game against Wigan Athletic as more important than Wednesday's visit of runaway league leaders Manchester United. The Hammers produced a magnificent performance to claim a 2-2 draw against the Red Devils and Allardyce wants the intensity displayed there to be replicated at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday.
Sam, could we start with your team news?
SA: "We'll have the same squad as on Wednesday night, there are no [new] injuries to the players, which is great news for us, particularly in the defensive area. We managed to squeeze Winston Reid back in, after the injury to James Tomkins, which was critical to our result on Wednesday. It's about me having a look at the physical condition of the players and whether I do make the odd change, or roll with the same starting eleven and introduce the subs as we go on.
"We've had a good run of results and are on a good run of form, particularly at home. It's home against Wigan and I see it as a bigger game than Manchester United. I hope the players see it the same as I do, because the emphasis on what happens if we can produce a performance that wins us the three points is massive in terms of where we want to be. While it still might not be mathematically impossible for other teams to catch us on 42 points, I don't think anyone will have any chance [of doing it]."
Were you surprised at Sir Alex's [Ferguson] criticism of the referee on Wednesday about Andy Carroll?
SA: "I think it was a clumsy challenge. As I said after the game Andy had committed to it and wasn't going to get there in the end but couldn't stop his momentum. I still consider that to be the case. He wants to go and score, and it was probably an over-committed challenge. At the worst for me he might have got a yellow card, but it shouldn't detract from what was a good performance."
You've mentioned about pulling away from the bottom three, but deep down are you eyeing up that top ten? The table suggests you're not that far away.
SA: "It's a possibility, but the most important thing is to get the three points on Saturday. Wigan are below us and that would stretch the gap. We're not as close to Wigan as some of the other teams but it's still the distance that three points would put between them and us, and at this late stage of the season it would make it very difficult for them to catch us.
You say this is a six-pointer but it's probably a bigger match for Wigan overall. Do you have a responsibility to play well against teams at the bottom? Do you believe in that?
SA: "What you do against the bottom eight determines where you finish in the league - whether you're in it or whether you're above it. They're the teams everyone expects you to get points from and they're the ones where if those teams are struggling at that particular time, you've got to fully focus and deliver your best performances. "In nature, when you're playing the big boys, everyone as a human being has that little bit of fear which makes you do a little bit more. You've got to make sure that's the case when you play the teams in and around you too - you've got to find your top form in those games, because when you play the top teams you can hit your best form and it might not get you a result."
What do you make of Wigan? They can play very well against the big sides and have reached the FA Cup final, but how long can they keep punching above
their weight?
SA: "I think Roberto [Martinez] has the best squad he's assembled in his time there, so I think he'll probably be really disappointed with the league position he's in. They have a new style which they introduced at the back end of last season, and have continued to grow with that style of three or five at the back, however you want to look at it, That developed into this season and they've produced some performances which have been really good, but the bottom line is that when performances have not produced results then you end up with a struggle.
"I think he'll be disappointed that they haven't consistently performed to their best, and if they had they would be in a more comfortable position. When they are at their best they are very, very good. I thought they were excellent against Manchester City [on Wednesday], but like all of us you suffer if you miss your chances, and they missed their chances. They paid the price, as we've done in many games this season in the Premier League."
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On this day - 20 April
WHUFC.com
West Ham United plunge Sunderland into further relegation trouble on this day in 2002
20.04.2013
Classic match
West Ham United 3-0 Sunderland
20 April 2002
Premier League
Glenn Roeder's Hammers consigned Sunderland to a fifth successive away defeat, as a 3-0 win on this day edged Peter Reid's men ever closer to the Premier League's drop zone. In West Ham's penultimate home fixture of the campaign, Trevor Sinclair volleyed the hosts into a 28th-minute lead, flicking it over George McCartney, of all people, before firing low into the corner past Thomas Sorensen. It remained that way until seven minutes after the interval, when Sinclair squared for Northern Ireland international Steve Lomas to side-foot home. And it was left to Jermain Defoe to round off a thoroughly satisfying afternoon for the men in claret and blue, as he poached a third with 77 minutes on the clock. Though the Mackems would draw each of their two remaining fixtures, it proved plenty to preserve their top-flight status, as they finished 17th, four clear of the drop zone. Glenn Roeder's Hammers, meanwhile, ended the campaign in seventh, albeit a colossal eleven points behind sixth-placed Chelsea.
Complete record - 20 April
2002 West Ham United 3-0 Sunderland (Premier League)
1992 West Ham United 0-2 Crystal Palace (Division One)
1991 West Ham United 2-0 Swindon Town (Division Two)
1988 Nottingham Forest 0-0 West Ham United (Division One)
1987 West Ham United 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Division One)
1985 Sunderland 0-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1977 Derby County 1-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1974 Manchester City 2-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1973 West Ham United 4-3 Southampton (Division One)
1968 West Ham United 1-0 Liverpool (Division One)
1963 West Bromwich Albion 1-0 West Ham United (Division One)
1962 West Ham United 4-1 Cardiff City (Division One)
1959 West Ham United 5-1 Manchester City (Division One)
1957 Notts County 4-1 West Ham United (Division Two)
1935 West Ham United 2-1 Southampton (Division Two)
1929 West Ham United 2-2 Derby County (Division One)
Played 16, Won 9, Drawn 3, Lost 4, Scored 29, Conceded 19
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West Ham v Wigan
KO 15:00
19 April 2013
Last updated at 12:11
By Jonathan Pearce
BBC Match of the Day commentator
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Upton Park Date: Saturday, 20 August
Wigan have no fresh injury concerns but manager Roberto Martinez could make changes for the club's third game in a week. Forward Callum McManaman is in line for a recall, but Roman Golobart remains sidelined with a twisted ankle.
West Ham will once more be without Joe Cole, who is struggling to get over a hamstring problem. Defenders James Tomkins and George McCartney are also out with respective calf and knee injuries.
MATCH PREVIEW
For all the rose-tinted romance of Wigan Athletic being in the FA Cup final and Dave Whelan leading them out at Wembley, his club are still trying to clamber up and away from the slimy sink-hole to relegation. They're one of eight clubs battling to stay clear of that final drop spot, including West Ham - who aren't safe yet. "I don't think Wigan will be able to replicate their performance against Manchester City at Upton Park, especially with home striker Andy Carroll in great form. "I'm just worried that if they slipped out of the league they'd struggle to get back."
If games were won on possession alone, Roberto Martinez would have deservedly seen his club safe by now. Wednesday's game at the Etihad Stadium was only the eighth Premier League match this season in which they haven't dominated possession and only the fourth time they haven't bossed the ball away from home. But the Latics have won only one of their last six games on their travels. That suggests a team that can weave admirably pretty, passing patterns but can't convert enough chances. In contrast, West Ham have only dominated the ball in four home games this season. They've had less than 40% of possession in 10 matches at Upton Park! That suggests a team that is content to let the opposition have the ball and then hit them at set-pieces, where the likes of Kevin Nolan are excellent at winning the 'second ball', or on the counter. Sam Allardyce hasn't dramatically changed his managerial style. But the Hammers aren't just a long-ball team and the manager deserves great credit for consolidating them this season. Another couple of wins on the back of their solid run of one defeat in six games will see them finish in mid-table.
Wigan have enough quality to worry West Ham, if they can forget the cup final. But the Irons have extra steel. Mohamed Diame against his old club, if he's fit, could be immense. Kevin Nolan is long overdue a goal. Andy Carroll will be a bludgeoning threat in the air. The Hammers need the win to stop looking over their shoulders. They'll nick it. Wigan's Jekyll and Hyde season will continue.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Only one of the 13 Premier League clashes between these sides has ended all-square - a 1-1 draw at Upton Park in August 2007.
Wigan have won the last two league meetings, both on home soil, but West Ham are unbeaten in the last four meetings at Upton Park (W3, D1).
Wigan's 2-1 win in the corresponding fixture on 27 October was their first home win of the season.
West Ham
Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Manchester United was West Ham's third in a row.
The Hammers have lost just one of their last six home clashes (W3, D2, L1).
They have scored 28 of their 38 league goals this season at Upton Park.
Kevin Nolan needs one more goal to total 100 club goals. However, he has only scored once in his last 21 outings.
Andy Carroll has scored four goals in his last six games, including the equaliser in last weekend's 1-1 draw at Southampton.
Wigan
Wigan's away record (W4, D3, L9) is the 13th best in the Premier League this year.
Despite their reputation as relegation escapologists, the Latics have only won seven of the 33 Premier League games they have played in April.
Wigan have won all five games in which they have kept a clean sheet. Only Manchester United (12 clean sheets, 12 wins) have a better record.
Their 1-0 defeat at Manchester City in midweek was the first time they had failed to score in their last nine Premier League away games.
The Latics have only won one game this season after conceding the opening goal (D3, L16).
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West Ham United v Wigan Athletic
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 19th April 2013
By: Preview Percy
Blimey they're keeping me busy this week. It's two games in four days as we entertain Wigan Athletic in a traditional 3pm kick off at the Boleyn. Lovely.
There's engineering works on the Hammersmith & City/Circle lines which means that if you're one of the two men and a dog that tend to follow Wigan you'll have to select an alternative route from Euston. Note if you actually happen to be the dog it's an Underground rule that one of the two men will have to carry you on the escalators.
The visitors arrive at the Boleyn in a spot of bother in the league. They sit third from bottom with 31 points from their 32 games. That's three points behind Villa who occupy the safety spot, though Wigan do have a game in hand and a three goal advantage on the goal difference front. Current form isn't that bad with three wins, a draw and two defeats coming in their last 6. The victories came away at Reading (3-0), and at home to Newcastle (2-1) and to Norwich (1-0). The draw came courtesy of a last ditch equaliser at QPR (1-1) whilst the defeats came at home to Liverpool (0-4) and on Wednesday night at Man City where a late Tevez effort saw them traipse back up the road pointless.
They have, of course, already got through to the FA Cup final and, in one of those little coincidences that crop up in football from time to time, it was their Cup Final opponents Man City who provided the opposition for their first league match after winning the semi. Sorry Millwall supporters if you've only just noticed that you lost – perhaps you should have been watching the match.
Manager Roberto Martinez seems a decent cove. However, continued close proximity to his chairman seems to have rubbed off on him a bit. Witness his recent comments that qualification for the Cup Final had vindicated his decision not to take over the manager's role at Liverpool last summer. Except that according to Liverpool the only person ever offered the job was Brendan Rodgers. Official sources from Liverpool branded Whelan as a "comedian" over the whole affair, a word which, as I've pointed out, has the exact opposite meaning in Liverpool as it does in the rest of the world (not that they realise it up there). There's a nice bit of what the journos like to refer (incorrectly) as irony over Whelan's continued crowing as to how great his manager is given that he spent half the summer trying to offload him for large amounts of cash. Once Liverpool got fed up with Whelan's arsing about the child slave labourer set about trying to tout him out to Spurs. His "I wouldn't stand in his way if he wanted to manage Tottenham" speech was as subtle as a house brick. Spurs of course had their own ideas but it must be a sobering thought to the two men and a dog who follow Wigan that, had Whelan got his own way Martinez would have been long gone by now.
The other big Wigan news of late was the "McManaman affair". Midfielder Callum McManaman made his first Premier League start against Newcastle and his "tackle" on Massaido Haidara was so bad that, had it occurred in the stands or on the streets he'd be in the dock on GBH charges. The FA – in their usual marvellous manner – decided that they couldn't do anything about it though they rushed to fine a couple of Newcastle and Wigan backroom staff for rowing about it on the touchline. Nice sense of priorities there. Of course there is no subject on which Whelan doesn't have a completely ignorant opinion and his defence of the tackle was breathtakingly disgusting, even by his low standards. You see managers getting fined stupid amounts for questioning poor referees yet Whelan continually eludes punishment for bringing the game into disrepute just about every time he opens his ignorant gob. Go, as our American cousins like to say, figure. In the meantime McManaman scored the second in their defeat of Millwall, a match that, had the FA done its job, would have been the third match of his three match ban. Ker-ching.
There's been a shift in the preferred option in goal where Spaniard Joel Robles has taken over in recent matches from the Omani Ali Al Habsi. Spanish U21 international Robles is currently on the books of Athletico Madrid and arrived on loan in January. With a Cup Final in the offing the goalkeeping training sessions will be interesting over the next few weeks if nothing else. Al Habsi played in the semi-final whilst Robles (otherwise known as Blazquez) returned to the team for the league match at Man City.
Top scorer is Ivorian Arouna Kone. with ten goals from his 28 league appearances this season plus another couple in the Cup. Kone came in during the summer from Spanish side Levante where he was the subject of a bizarre transfer clause. He joined Levante on a loan deal from Seville that was to be made permanent at the end of the 2011/2012 season. Unless he scored "too many goals". Seriously! Seville had a clause inserted in the loan deal that stated the player would have to return to them automatically should he score 18 or more. As the season came to its conclusion he was on 15, whereupon Levante found a convenient minor injury that kept him out of the side for the last three matches. The season ended and Kone became a Levante player. So they cashed in on him and sold him to Wigan for €3.5m. There are rumours that Liverpool put a similar clause in Fernando Torres' transfer documents so that he has to return to Anfield when he's scored a certain number of goals. He is expected back on Merseyside sometime during the 2022/23 season at his current rate of scoring.
Jordi Gomez is the second top scorer this season with 8 in all competitions. Now where Wigan are concerned, given the highly dubious nature of their chairman I look at their dealings with a fair degree of cynicism. So it's with some suspicion that I look at the circumstances of Gomez's transfer from Espanyol to the North West. Gomez had a highly successful spell on loan at Swansea when Martinez was manager. However, Martinez bemoaned the fact that he wouldn't be able to afford to sign the player on a permanent deal. Martinez then left for Wigan where Gomez promptly became one of his first signings. Which prompts me to muse that, had Whelan already been in, cough, "unofficial" contact with Martinez, Martinez might not have tried too hard to sign the player for Swansea. Just a theory mind, but like much that Whelan is involved in it's a bit suspicious.
And now to us. I'm not one to blow my own trumpet – at my age the consequences of some sort of strain don't bear thinking about. However, I do think I ought to point out that my prediction for Wednesday night's match not only went for a 2-2 draw, but also suggested that if we were winning 2-1 their equaliser would come courtesy of a dubious refereeing decision. I was feeling quite smug at my own perspicacity until some of the other inmates here at the Avram Grant Rest Home For The Bewildered pointed out that it's hardly much of a prediction to suggest that Man Utd might benefit from rubbish refereeing. More a nailed on certainty.
It was a cracking match mind – in spite of the officials – and there were some awesome performances from us. Collins and Carroll were particularly impressive as was Diame, whose goal is likely to get my vote for Goal of the Season (unless anyone can improve on it in the next few weeks).
Team news is that there should be no further injury worries – Cole (J), Tomkins and McCartney will all be absent but that seems to be about it. The return to fitness of Mark Noble will give Mr Allardyce an interesting selection poser in midfield. In Nobes' absence Gary O'Neil has performed admirably and it'd be a little bit harsh to see him benched.
Predictions for this one aren't quite as easy as the league table would suggest. They have a historic habit of scraping themselves out of trouble at the death and, from what I saw of the highlights anyway, can consider themselves unlucky to have not got at least a point out of their visit to Manchester City in midweek. They have also been a bit of a bogey team in recent years. Having said that Carroll is in such form at the moment that he's about as scary as Matron here at the Rest Home when she's on the warpath – and trust me that's a terrifying sight. Confidence will be high following the run of good results so I'll look at us to carry on that form. Let's put the Avram Rest Home Fund To Buy The Dog That Attends Wigan Matches With The Two Men A Tin Of Pedigree Chum (£2.50) on a 2-1 home win.
Enjoy the game!
When Last We Met At The Boleyn: Lost 1-4 (League Cup 3rd Round January 2013). Modibo Maiga's early strike put a team mainly made up of kids and reserves (ok "Development Squad Players" if you must) 1-0 up. However, some awful defending let them in four times. "We couldn't defend a fish supper" was Mr Allardyce's memorable summary of the proceedings.
Referee: Mark Clattenburg. Last seen actually having a decent game for once in the New Year's Day defeat of Norwich.
Danger Man:Arouna Kone. Top scorer, though if Levante put a similar mad clause in his transfer papers to the one they had from Seville he might have to miss a few!
Daft Fact Of The Week: This season's FA Cup Final will be the first final since 1963 in which both managers will have the same first name (Roberto). 50 years ago it was Matt (Gilles of Leicester and Busby of Man Utd). NB despite popular myth, the 2007 Cup Final did not count as neither Mourinho nor Ferguson are actually officially called "Twat".
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England coach Roy Hodgson 'scared' to recall Andy Carroll
Last Updated: April 19, 2013 12:53pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce has suggested England coach Roy Hodgson would be 'scared' to recall on-loan West Ham United striker Andy Carroll as 'people would be on his case'. Carroll, who is nearing the end of a season-long loan at West Ham, has not played for England since a substitute appearance in the 5-0 World Cup qualifying win over San Marino at Wembley in October. An impressive performance in Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Manchester United has prompted calls for Carroll to be drafted back into the England fold, but Allardyce believes Hodgson is mindful of the repercussions of such a decision. "Roy would be scared to do it because of the reaction he'd get," said Allardyce. "He would be accused of a direct approach and people would be on his case. "Roy would be scared to do it because of the reaction he'd get. He would be accused of a direct approach and people would be on his case."
Sam Allardyce
"But playing Andy does not make you a long-ball team, it just gives you extra options. He is good on the floor and others can play off him. "Andy and Wayne Rooney together would work very well and it would benefit Wayne, who is often carrying England's hopes all on his own. "It would take the pressure off Wayne, who is still so important to England. "I'm not going for any of that stuff about Rooney being on the way down. Against us I thought he was really good and some of his passing was excellent. He can play anywhere as far as I'm concerned but I do think he works well off a dominant striker. "Michael Owen always used to say he had his most productive spell when he was up front with Emile Heskey. "Heskey did not score many goals but Owen got plenty because of him. And the bonus with Andy Carroll is he is a better goalscorer than Heskey."
Meanwhile, Ricardo Vaz Te has praised Carroll, saying: "I call him a beast. He is great in the air. His accuracy is perfect. On the floor as well he can play and hold the ball. "We need players who are not afraid to play against big teams."
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Mark Noble delighted with early return to action with West Ham
By Alex Hinds. Last Updated: April 19, 2013 5:24pm
SSN
Mark Noble was delighted to make an early comeback from injury to help West Ham United claim a 2-2 draw with Manchester United. The 25 year old, who has been influential for the Hammers this season, underwent shoulder surgery in March to repair a trapped nerve and was not expected to return this season.
However, the midfielder responded well to treatment and was able to play 25 minutes against United on Wednesday, entering the game as a substitute in the second half to replace Gary O'Neil . "To be honest, after the news I got about my arm, I sort of wrote the season off because they said they may have to take my rib out, which was worrying," said Noble. "When the surgeon went inside he managed to clean all of the scar tissue around the nerve and I was able to come back a lot quicker, I am over the moon."
Noble is now preparing for Saturday's clash with Wigan Athletic, as his side look to push for a top-half finish. West Ham sit in 11th place in the Premier League, with 39 points and five games remaining. He added: "If we can get seven points from the last six games then that would be a great outcome for us, setting us up for the start of next season. "The way the lads are playing at the minute, it will be tough for me to play a part on Saturday, but I really thought my season was over so it would be nice to be out there."
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Sam Allardyce claims his reputation for being a long-ball merchant is 'utterly wrong'
Last Updated: April 19, 2013 5:13pm
SSN
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce claims his reputation for being a long-ball merchant is unfair but admits he accepted the label "many years ago". The Hammers remain on target for a mid-table finish as they head into Saturday's home game with Wigan, while the Latics are three points from safety with just six games left. And the accusation that Allardyce's teams play too direct, with a reliance on long-ball tactics, is one that has developed since he took up his first full management role with Blackpool nearly two decades ago. "I don't fight against it (the reputation he has gained), I accepted it many years ago," the West Ham boss said. "I wouldn't encourage anyone to get tagged with that label because once you have got it, it doesn't leave you. "The perception is totally and utterly wrong because we are where we are because we have many different tactical plans. "I have been in management for many years now and I have been able to tactically set up against the opposition whichever way it might be. "At some stage it might be direct. That causes the opposition problems. Manchester United played direct against us on Wednesday night, but everyone chose to ignore it. "But they played direct better than we can because they have better passers so that's plain and simple for everyone to understand. "Our form has been exceptional this season."
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West Ham v Wigan Premier League preview: Latics anxious for points
Last Updated: April 19, 2013 11:36am
SSN
Wigan have the chance to claw their way out of the relegation zone when they visit West Ham on Saturday. With Aston Villa not travelling to play Manchester United until Monday, the Latics know that three points will lift them out of the bottom three. Of course, Roberto Martinez's team are used to producing late charges to get away from trouble, having won seven of their final nine games last season to ease to safety in style. The Spaniard has been encouraged by his side's form this spring too, with his players securing their place at Wembley for next month's FA Cup final, but he knows league points are needed fast.
Martinez said: "We have been in this position before and know what to expect but that doesn't make it easier. For me, it is the hardest battle we have had for a few years but we are ready for it." They can certainly expect a battle when they visit Upton Park, as Sir Alex Ferguson can attest after his United side were on the receiving end of a robust performance from Andy Carroll in midweek. The Hammers have competed well on their return to the top flight and have no relegation concerns of their own having already moved to 39 points with five games remaining. Indeed, Sam Allardyce's side could move above Swansea and Fulham into the top half of the table if results go their way at the weekend and they secure an eighth home win of the campaign. If they achieve that feat on Saturday, Wigan fans will be left wondering whether the focus on their forthcoming FA Cup final could end up distracting them from their very real relegation fears.
West Ham
Last 6
2-2
1-1
0-0
3-1
2-0
0-1
Sam Allardyce could restore midfielder Mark Noble to the starting line-up after he made his first appearance since February in the 2-2 draw at home to Manchester United on Wednesday. But Allardyce is still without Joe Cole for the Hammers as the midfielder continues his recovery from a hamstring injury. James Tomkins is also out with the calf problem that saw him substituted in the draw at Southampton earlier this month.
Wigan
Last 6
1-0
0-2
1-1
1-0
2-1
0-3
Latics boss Roberto Martinez has no new injury worries for his side's third match in a week but may choose to freshen things up again at Upton Park. The Spaniard made just two changes for Wednesday's defeat at Manchester City, bringing back goalkeeper Joel Robles and striker Franco di Santo. Forward Callum McManaman could be set for a recall but Roman Golobart remains out of the picture after twisting an ankle in training.
Opta Facts:
Wigan's last three Premier League goals have come in the closing 10 minutes of games.
Jussi Jaaskelainen has made more saves than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League this season (141).
Andy Carroll has been involved in four goals (three goals, one assist) in his last three Premier League appearances.
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One-man scream
Martinez warns Wigan Hammers are more than just Carroll
The Sun
ROB'S ON THE JOB ... Wigan boss Martinez is trying to keep Wigan up yet again
By LIAM WALSH
Published: 8 hrs ago
ROBERTO MARTINEZ has warned Wigan's relegation battlers not to focus solely on Andy Carroll today. The burly West Ham striker — nicknamed The Beast by his team-mates — gave Manchester United a battering in the 2-2 draw at Upton Park on Wednesday. But Latics boss Martinez insists his side must keep an eye on the Hammers' other stars, who also have the ability to plunge them further into trouble. He said: "Andy has always been a threat. We saw at his two previous clubs his power and his strength — and he showed that for England at the Euros. "I don't think he has surprised anyone with what he is doing now.
"But if we focus too much on one player, then we will leave space and room for others. "West Ham have a lot of players who can hurt you and create opportunities — Matt Jarvis, Momo Diame, Kevin Nolan, they are all playing well. "West Ham are more than being a one-man team and we will be very aware of that."
Martinez is seen as having a cultured approach to the game but he still appreciates Carroll's virtues as an old-fashioned No 9. He said: "I would have him in my team, why not? "We have all seen the power he brings and the way he attacks the ball in the final third. He's one of the best in the business. "He's doing that for West Ham and he looks in full flow."
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Hammers hunt Carroll for just £10m
Exclusive
By ANDREW DILLON
Published: 8 hrs ago
The SUn
WEST HAM have told Liverpool to take a £10million offer for Andy Carroll or risk blowing the deal. The Hammers are desperate to sign the on-loan striker permanently but cannot afford the £17m asking price because of tough incoming financial rules. Carroll, who cost the Reds £35m in 2011, is also paid more than £80,000 a week. And that has put a huge strain on the debt-ridden club's bank balance as the Premier League prepare to impose spending controls from next season. An Upton Park insider said: "Under the new rules the wage bill will be capped at just over £45m. Andy's on £4m a year. If you break the rules there are points deductions. "The only way West Ham could do a deal with Liverpool is by juggling the fee because he shouldn't have to take a wage cut. That means very few clubs can afford him. "Everyone has to live within their means from next season onwards. "He's doing well here now after injury problems and the people upstairs are desperate to try to work something out by juggling the figures. "Whether it is Andy or not, we need two top-class strikers and four or five new players in the summer." Hammers' joint-chairman David Sullivan has halved West Ham's debt from around £100m when he took over three years ago. And he is now working flat out to build a strong squad ahead of the proposed move to the Olympic Stadium in 2016.
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Big deal! Andy Carroll's next move is a crucial one, and hopefully it's to West Ham says Allardyce
19 Apr 2013 22:29
The <Mirror
Ian Walton
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has warned Andy Carroll that his next move will be the biggest of his career - and remains confident he can win the race to clinch the striker's signature, writes Marc Isaacs. Liverpool hitman Carroll seems to be regaining his best form following injury problems that have plagued his season-long loan at Upton Park. The England forward has been troubled by hamstring and knee problems which have forced him to spend a big chunk of the Hammers' campaign on the sidelines. But he has finally put that behind him and, with five goals in his last eight games, is starting to produce the form which saw Liverpool fork out £35million to bring him in from Newcastle two years ago. Newcastle and Tottenham have both been linked with a move for him at the end of the season, but despite the financial constraints surrounding the deal, Allardyce hopes Carroll has already found his new home. Allardyce said of the 24-year-old: "The next move is a critical one for him. It's about playing, improving and scoring goals. That next move has to implement all of that for the team he plays for and him. He, for me, and that team will be successful. "He is still developing and is not in his prime. He is still two or so years from his prime. "Considering what he can grow into with those talents - and something nobody has got which is size; physical presence, with talent - if you marry those together, his threat is a very big talent indeed, and a very difficult one to stop. "We would love it to work out as a long-term prospect. But things need to be done and identified at the end of the season. "I don't see any problem with him being in London. They are good in terms of bonding as a team - he has slipped in really well with Kevin Nolan and others. He is also big buddies with Joey O'Brien."
Allardyce has no doubts that Carroll has put behind him his troubled past and has matured both on and off the field. Since moving down to the capital, the big Geordie has avoided the sort negative headlines away from football which marred his early career - and the West Ham boss has no doubts he has matured as a person. Allardyce added: "You have to live and learn by your experiences in life. In his younger days he was picked out on several occasions. "He has to be careful about portraying himself in the open public domain." Allardyce will make a late decision on whether fit-again Mark Noble replaces Gary O'Neil in midfield for Saturday's home game against Wigan.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Key information on Saturday's Barclays Premier League fixture between West Ham United and Wigan Athletic
19.04.2013
WEST HAM UNITED v WIGAN ATHLETIC
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 20 APRIL 2013
KICK-OFF: 3PM
REFEREE: NEIL SWARBRICK
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
iPHONE APP I TWITTER I FACEBOOK I PODCAST
Introduction
• West Ham United return to the Boleyn Ground on Saturday for their second home game of the week. Wednesday night saw them battle out a pulsating 2-2 draw with Manchester United and they will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to five games with a positive result against the Latics.
• The two sides have already met twice this season. West Ham United's Capital One Cup campaign came to an end at the Boleyn Ground when the Latics earned a 4-1 third-round win on 25 September, while Roberto Martinez's men triumphed 2-1 in the league fixture at the DW Stadium on 27 October.
• The Hammers moved up to eleventh in the Barclays Premier League table with their draw against Manchester United in midweek. The stalemate represented a third consecutive one-point haul for the east Londoners and means they have only lost once in their last six outings.
• Roberto Martinez's side reached the FA Cup final with a 2-0 win over Millwall in last weekend's Wembley semi-final, but suffered a 1-0 defeat on their return to league action at Manchester City on Wednesday. Wigan are currently 18th in the Premier League table with 31 points from 32 games.
• Mohamed Diame could face his former club for the second time after being selected for the league fixture between the sides on 27 October..
• West Ham United's clash with Wigan Athletic is one ofseven Barclays Premier League matches on Saturday. The others are all 3pm kick-offs and are as follows: Fulham v Arsenal, Norwich City v Reading, Queens Park Rangers v Stoke City, Sunderland v Everton, Swansea City v Southampton and West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United.
Last time out
Wednesday 17 April
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United 2-2 Manchester United
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Reid, Collins, O'Brien, O'Neil (Noble 68), Vaz Te, Diame (Collison 82), Nolan (Taylor 82), Jarvis, Carroll
Goals: Vaz Te 16, Diame 55
Wednesday 17 April
Barclays Premier League
Manchester City 1-0 Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic: Blazquez, Alcaraz, Boyce, Figueroa, McCarthy, Maloney (Espinoza 89), Gomez (McArthur 85), Beausejour, Scharner, Kone, Di Santo (McManaman 68)
Previous meeting
• West Ham United's last meeting with Wigan Athletic came on 27 October with the Latics claiming the spoils. Ivan Ramis gave the home side an early advantage, with James McArthur adding to that just two minutes after the break. James Tomkins pulled one back in stoppage time, but the Hammers were unable to find an equaliser as Wigan secured a second win of the season over the Hammers. The line-ups that day were:
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Reid, McCartney, Tomkins, Collins, Nolan, Jarvis, Benayoun (Maiga 46), Noble (C.Cole 64), Diame (O'Neil 73), Carroll
Wigan Athletic: Al Habsi, Caldwell, Boyce, Ramis, Figueroa, McCarthy, Maloney, McArthur, Beausejour, Kone, Di Santo (Watson 78)
Background
• West Ham United have faced Wigan Athletic just 20 times and they hold the edge, winning ten of the encounters. Wigan have won eight with two ending in draws.
• West Ham United's biggest win over Wigan Athletic came in the 2003/04 season, Kevin Horlock opened the scoring after four minutes and an own goal from Jason Jarrett made it 2-0 before half-time. Marlon Harewood added a brace in the second half, scoring his second from the spot, to give the Hammers a 4-0 Division One win at the Boleyn Ground on 29 November 2003.
• Wigan Athletic's biggest win in the fixture came at the Boleyn Ground earlier this season when they won 4-1 in the Capital One Cup third round. Prior to that result, their biggest win came in the 2004/05 season when the Latics secured a 3-1 Championship win on 15 August 2004. Nathan Ellington scored a brace with Jason Roberts scoring in-between. Bobby Zamora pulled one back for the Hammers but it was nothing more than a consolation.
Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)
27 October 2012 - Wigan Athletic 2-1 West Ham United
25 September 2012 - West Ham United 1-4 Wigan Athletic (Capital One Cup third round)
15 May 2011- Wigan Athletic 3-2 West Ham United
27 November 2010 - West Ham United 3-1 Wigan Athletic
24 April 2010 - West Ham United 3-2 Wigan Athletic
Overall record v Wigan Athletic (all competitions) W 10 D 2 L 8
Ten-year record
West Ham United
2011/12 Championship 3rd (86 points - promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points - relegated to Championship)
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
2003/04 Division One 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Division One)
2001/02 Premier League 7th (53 points)
Wigan Athletic
2011/12 Premier League 15th (43 points)
2010/11 Premier League 16th (42 points)
2009/10 Premier League 16th (36 points)
2008/09 Premier League 11th (45 points)
2007/08 Premier League 14th (40 points)
2006/07 Premier League 17th (38 points)
2005/06 Premier League 10th (51 points)
2004/05 Championship 2nd (87 points - promoted to the Premier League)
2003/04 Division One 7th (71 points)
2002/03 Division Two 1st (100 points - promoted to Division One)
2001/02 Division Two 10th (64 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 third 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 and the 3-0 defeat at Sunderland on Saturday 12 January.
• 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
• The Hammers were boosted by the return of Winston Reid from a thigh injury for the midweek draw against Manchester United, and he started alongside James Collins in central defence.
• Sam Allardyce is still without George McCartney and James Tomkins, although Mark Noble recovered from his arm injury more quickly than expected and was in the squad on Wednesday.
• Wigan have no fresh injury concerns, but Callum McManaman could come into the starting line-up while Roman Golobart is out with a twisted ankle.
Old boys
• Mohamed Diame is in line to face his former club. The Senegal international made 103 appearances for Wigan Athletic, scoring seven goals, over a period of three years between 2009 and 2012.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Jimmy Bullard, Roy Carroll, Henri Camara, David Unsworth and Bill Wade.
General Information
• Tickets for this fixture have sold out.
• Supporters travelling by tube should be aware that there is no service on the Hammersmith & City line between King's Cross St Pancras and Barking, but the District line is fully operational.
• The weather forecast for Saturday is set fair, with sunny skies over east London and a predicted temperature of 12C at kick-off.
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A message from the Vice-Chairman
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Vice-Chairman Karren Brady presents the plans for the Olympic Stadium
19.04.2013
I have always wanted to share our vision and plans with you but until this point, because of the rules of the process it had not been possible. I had always hoped that I'd be able to present these plans personally to each of you but with 22,000 season ticket holders alone, not to mention those of you on the various different membership schemes and our corporate members, it isn't going to be possible to present to you all personally in the time we have available to gather everyone's opinion.
YouGov and their expert team of independent pollsters have advised us that they have taken meticulous care to ensure that the process is transparent and that views are taken from a representative cross-section of supporters. However, I took the decision to record a short video presentation to ensure you were given the opportunity to have the technical conversion plans, which have been viewed by smaller focus groups such as the Supporter Advisory Board, explained to you by me.
This has been personally emailed to you this morning, and is available to view further up this page. I do hope you'll find an explanation of the drawings useful. We want to give you every tool possible to enable you to make an informed decision when you come to complete the poll.
As requested by the many supporter groups we have been talking to, including the Supporter Advisory Board, our aim is to provide you with as much information as possible in relation to the move, so the first part of the survey will aim to help educate and inform you before you share your views with us.
I'm also pleased to confirm that we will be releasing a stunning new image of the converted East Stand 'Kop' at the Olympic Stadium as part of this process, so please take a look.
Karren Brady
Vice-Chairman
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Vaz starting to feel right
WHUFC.com
Hammers forward Ricardo Vaz Te is getting used to a position on the right wing
19.04.2013
Ricardo Vaz Te opened West Ham United's account in what was so nearly a famous victory over title-chasing Manchester United on Wednesday and admitted it felt terrific to find the back of the net for the first time since scoring the winner at QPR in October. "It's terrific really," he told West Ham TV. "I'm happy to score or to assist. I just want to be involved. Obviously I am not playing in my two main positions, which are forward or left-winger so all season I've had to adapt to the right. "I started the season well but the injury didn't help. After three months out I had to catch up and get back into the routine and then it's getting games again. I think just now I am starting to feel comfortable in that position and I am learning more about it. Hopefully I can kick on from now."
But after only managing a share of the spoils by full time despite twice taking the lead, Vaz Te felt the Hammer's were unlucky not to secure all three points.
He continued: "We're disappointed because we got ourselves in front twice. In the first half I think a draw was fair. In the second half we got ourselves in front again and it was a terrific strike from [Shinji] Kagawa but I think [Robin] van Persie was slightly offside, so looking at that we can be disappointed. "Overall it's a great result and we needed it, a point against Manchester United is always valuable."
Despite Mohamed Diame's second half effort being cancelled out by the Dutch Red Devil, Vaz Te has been impressed with the midfielder's contribution to the Hammers' Premier League campaign so far. He added: "Mo Diame seems to shine against big teams which is great and we need that. We need players who are not afraid to play against big teams. Mo is a terrific player, he's a runner who gets the ball and you can trust him on the ball, anytime, any place. He's been a great signing and hopefully he can keep it up."
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Nobes glad to be back
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble made his comeback from injury in Wednesday night's 2-2 draw with Manchester United
19.04.2013
Mark Noble expected to miss the remainder of the season when he underwent shoulder surgery last month, but recovered quickly to make a comeback in Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Manchester United. The Canning Town-born midfielder entered the fray in the second half to replace Gary O'Neil from the bench and he was thrilled to play his part. Now, with Wigan Athletic visiting the Boleyn Ground on Saturday, Noble is hoping the Hammers can extend their unbeaten run to a fifth game. He told West Ham TV: "To be honest, after the news I got about my arm I sort of wrote this season off because they said they may have had to take my rib out, which was worrying. "When the surgeon went inside he managed to clean all of the scar tissue around the nerve and I managed to get back a lot quicker, so I am over the moon. "It was brilliant to play against Manchester United. I've only trained for the last couple of days so it was nice to get back involved and get some game time under my belt again. As I said, I had written it off so it's lovely to be back and involved with the lads for the last push of the season. "We were disappointed to draw on Wednesday, especially because Robin van Persie's goal was offside at the end and you've worked so hard for a result, then one decision can change the state of a game. "Then again, we would have taken a point against Manchester United all day. I am sure if anyone had asked the manager he would say the same. United needed to win and again against Aston Villa to take the title so our result puts that on the back burner a little bit. But United are up there because they keep going and they've got the quality and they get that little bit of extra strength like they did at the end there.
"To play the four games that we have against United this year and play the way we have, it's a credit to the lads and how far we've come in the last two years."
Noble joined the many praising teammates Ricardo Vaz Te and Mohamed Diame this week for their contribution in the 2-2 draw. He added: "It was lovely from Vaz, it was a great turn and finish. We know Mo has got that in his locker. I thought Nobby had done well to get out of the way, he must have breathed in a little bit and it went straight in the bottom corner. It looked like we were going to hold on but we never. It puts us on 39 points and with four or five games to go it's a good tally to have."
As the countdown to the end of the season begins, Noble still has his sights set on a top-half finish. He explained: "If we can get seven points from the last six games then that would be a great outcome for us and would set us up for the start of next season. We'll obviously go away and have a break and start next season like we did this. "The lads are buzzing and looking forward to another home game on Saturday. "I only trained two or three days this week and came off the bench to play 25 minutes against United. The way the lads are playing at the minute it will be tough to play some part on Saturday. I really did think my season was over so it would be nice to be out there."
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Big Sam on: Wigan Athletic
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce spoke to the press ahead of Saturday's game against Wigan
19.04.2013
Sam Allardyce views Saturday's Barclays Premier League game against Wigan Athletic as more important than Wednesday's visit of runaway league leaders Manchester United. The Hammers produced a magnificent performance to claim a 2-2 draw against the Red Devils and Allardyce wants the intensity displayed there to be replicated at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday.
Sam, could we start with your team news?
SA: "We'll have the same squad as on Wednesday night, there are no [new] injuries to the players, which is great news for us, particularly in the defensive area. We managed to squeeze Winston Reid back in, after the injury to James Tomkins, which was critical to our result on Wednesday. It's about me having a look at the physical condition of the players and whether I do make the odd change, or roll with the same starting eleven and introduce the subs as we go on.
"We've had a good run of results and are on a good run of form, particularly at home. It's home against Wigan and I see it as a bigger game than Manchester United. I hope the players see it the same as I do, because the emphasis on what happens if we can produce a performance that wins us the three points is massive in terms of where we want to be. While it still might not be mathematically impossible for other teams to catch us on 42 points, I don't think anyone will have any chance [of doing it]."
Were you surprised at Sir Alex's [Ferguson] criticism of the referee on Wednesday about Andy Carroll?
SA: "I think it was a clumsy challenge. As I said after the game Andy had committed to it and wasn't going to get there in the end but couldn't stop his momentum. I still consider that to be the case. He wants to go and score, and it was probably an over-committed challenge. At the worst for me he might have got a yellow card, but it shouldn't detract from what was a good performance."
You've mentioned about pulling away from the bottom three, but deep down are you eyeing up that top ten? The table suggests you're not that far away.
SA: "It's a possibility, but the most important thing is to get the three points on Saturday. Wigan are below us and that would stretch the gap. We're not as close to Wigan as some of the other teams but it's still the distance that three points would put between them and us, and at this late stage of the season it would make it very difficult for them to catch us.
You say this is a six-pointer but it's probably a bigger match for Wigan overall. Do you have a responsibility to play well against teams at the bottom? Do you believe in that?
SA: "What you do against the bottom eight determines where you finish in the league - whether you're in it or whether you're above it. They're the teams everyone expects you to get points from and they're the ones where if those teams are struggling at that particular time, you've got to fully focus and deliver your best performances. "In nature, when you're playing the big boys, everyone as a human being has that little bit of fear which makes you do a little bit more. You've got to make sure that's the case when you play the teams in and around you too - you've got to find your top form in those games, because when you play the top teams you can hit your best form and it might not get you a result."
What do you make of Wigan? They can play very well against the big sides and have reached the FA Cup final, but how long can they keep punching above
their weight?
SA: "I think Roberto [Martinez] has the best squad he's assembled in his time there, so I think he'll probably be really disappointed with the league position he's in. They have a new style which they introduced at the back end of last season, and have continued to grow with that style of three or five at the back, however you want to look at it, That developed into this season and they've produced some performances which have been really good, but the bottom line is that when performances have not produced results then you end up with a struggle.
"I think he'll be disappointed that they haven't consistently performed to their best, and if they had they would be in a more comfortable position. When they are at their best they are very, very good. I thought they were excellent against Manchester City [on Wednesday], but like all of us you suffer if you miss your chances, and they missed their chances. They paid the price, as we've done in many games this season in the Premier League."
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On this day - 20 April
WHUFC.com
West Ham United plunge Sunderland into further relegation trouble on this day in 2002
20.04.2013
Classic match
West Ham United 3-0 Sunderland
20 April 2002
Premier League
Glenn Roeder's Hammers consigned Sunderland to a fifth successive away defeat, as a 3-0 win on this day edged Peter Reid's men ever closer to the Premier League's drop zone. In West Ham's penultimate home fixture of the campaign, Trevor Sinclair volleyed the hosts into a 28th-minute lead, flicking it over George McCartney, of all people, before firing low into the corner past Thomas Sorensen. It remained that way until seven minutes after the interval, when Sinclair squared for Northern Ireland international Steve Lomas to side-foot home. And it was left to Jermain Defoe to round off a thoroughly satisfying afternoon for the men in claret and blue, as he poached a third with 77 minutes on the clock. Though the Mackems would draw each of their two remaining fixtures, it proved plenty to preserve their top-flight status, as they finished 17th, four clear of the drop zone. Glenn Roeder's Hammers, meanwhile, ended the campaign in seventh, albeit a colossal eleven points behind sixth-placed Chelsea.
Complete record - 20 April
2002 West Ham United 3-0 Sunderland (Premier League)
1992 West Ham United 0-2 Crystal Palace (Division One)
1991 West Ham United 2-0 Swindon Town (Division Two)
1988 Nottingham Forest 0-0 West Ham United (Division One)
1987 West Ham United 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Division One)
1985 Sunderland 0-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1977 Derby County 1-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1974 Manchester City 2-1 West Ham United (Division One)
1973 West Ham United 4-3 Southampton (Division One)
1968 West Ham United 1-0 Liverpool (Division One)
1963 West Bromwich Albion 1-0 West Ham United (Division One)
1962 West Ham United 4-1 Cardiff City (Division One)
1959 West Ham United 5-1 Manchester City (Division One)
1957 Notts County 4-1 West Ham United (Division Two)
1935 West Ham United 2-1 Southampton (Division Two)
1929 West Ham United 2-2 Derby County (Division One)
Played 16, Won 9, Drawn 3, Lost 4, Scored 29, Conceded 19
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West Ham v Wigan
KO 15:00
19 April 2013
Last updated at 12:11
By Jonathan Pearce
BBC Match of the Day commentator
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Upton Park Date: Saturday, 20 August
Wigan have no fresh injury concerns but manager Roberto Martinez could make changes for the club's third game in a week. Forward Callum McManaman is in line for a recall, but Roman Golobart remains sidelined with a twisted ankle.
West Ham will once more be without Joe Cole, who is struggling to get over a hamstring problem. Defenders James Tomkins and George McCartney are also out with respective calf and knee injuries.
MATCH PREVIEW
For all the rose-tinted romance of Wigan Athletic being in the FA Cup final and Dave Whelan leading them out at Wembley, his club are still trying to clamber up and away from the slimy sink-hole to relegation. They're one of eight clubs battling to stay clear of that final drop spot, including West Ham - who aren't safe yet. "I don't think Wigan will be able to replicate their performance against Manchester City at Upton Park, especially with home striker Andy Carroll in great form. "I'm just worried that if they slipped out of the league they'd struggle to get back."
If games were won on possession alone, Roberto Martinez would have deservedly seen his club safe by now. Wednesday's game at the Etihad Stadium was only the eighth Premier League match this season in which they haven't dominated possession and only the fourth time they haven't bossed the ball away from home. But the Latics have won only one of their last six games on their travels. That suggests a team that can weave admirably pretty, passing patterns but can't convert enough chances. In contrast, West Ham have only dominated the ball in four home games this season. They've had less than 40% of possession in 10 matches at Upton Park! That suggests a team that is content to let the opposition have the ball and then hit them at set-pieces, where the likes of Kevin Nolan are excellent at winning the 'second ball', or on the counter. Sam Allardyce hasn't dramatically changed his managerial style. But the Hammers aren't just a long-ball team and the manager deserves great credit for consolidating them this season. Another couple of wins on the back of their solid run of one defeat in six games will see them finish in mid-table.
Wigan have enough quality to worry West Ham, if they can forget the cup final. But the Irons have extra steel. Mohamed Diame against his old club, if he's fit, could be immense. Kevin Nolan is long overdue a goal. Andy Carroll will be a bludgeoning threat in the air. The Hammers need the win to stop looking over their shoulders. They'll nick it. Wigan's Jekyll and Hyde season will continue.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Only one of the 13 Premier League clashes between these sides has ended all-square - a 1-1 draw at Upton Park in August 2007.
Wigan have won the last two league meetings, both on home soil, but West Ham are unbeaten in the last four meetings at Upton Park (W3, D1).
Wigan's 2-1 win in the corresponding fixture on 27 October was their first home win of the season.
West Ham
Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Manchester United was West Ham's third in a row.
The Hammers have lost just one of their last six home clashes (W3, D2, L1).
They have scored 28 of their 38 league goals this season at Upton Park.
Kevin Nolan needs one more goal to total 100 club goals. However, he has only scored once in his last 21 outings.
Andy Carroll has scored four goals in his last six games, including the equaliser in last weekend's 1-1 draw at Southampton.
Wigan
Wigan's away record (W4, D3, L9) is the 13th best in the Premier League this year.
Despite their reputation as relegation escapologists, the Latics have only won seven of the 33 Premier League games they have played in April.
Wigan have won all five games in which they have kept a clean sheet. Only Manchester United (12 clean sheets, 12 wins) have a better record.
Their 1-0 defeat at Manchester City in midweek was the first time they had failed to score in their last nine Premier League away games.
The Latics have only won one game this season after conceding the opening goal (D3, L16).
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West Ham United v Wigan Athletic
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 19th April 2013
By: Preview Percy
Blimey they're keeping me busy this week. It's two games in four days as we entertain Wigan Athletic in a traditional 3pm kick off at the Boleyn. Lovely.
There's engineering works on the Hammersmith & City/Circle lines which means that if you're one of the two men and a dog that tend to follow Wigan you'll have to select an alternative route from Euston. Note if you actually happen to be the dog it's an Underground rule that one of the two men will have to carry you on the escalators.
The visitors arrive at the Boleyn in a spot of bother in the league. They sit third from bottom with 31 points from their 32 games. That's three points behind Villa who occupy the safety spot, though Wigan do have a game in hand and a three goal advantage on the goal difference front. Current form isn't that bad with three wins, a draw and two defeats coming in their last 6. The victories came away at Reading (3-0), and at home to Newcastle (2-1) and to Norwich (1-0). The draw came courtesy of a last ditch equaliser at QPR (1-1) whilst the defeats came at home to Liverpool (0-4) and on Wednesday night at Man City where a late Tevez effort saw them traipse back up the road pointless.
They have, of course, already got through to the FA Cup final and, in one of those little coincidences that crop up in football from time to time, it was their Cup Final opponents Man City who provided the opposition for their first league match after winning the semi. Sorry Millwall supporters if you've only just noticed that you lost – perhaps you should have been watching the match.
Manager Roberto Martinez seems a decent cove. However, continued close proximity to his chairman seems to have rubbed off on him a bit. Witness his recent comments that qualification for the Cup Final had vindicated his decision not to take over the manager's role at Liverpool last summer. Except that according to Liverpool the only person ever offered the job was Brendan Rodgers. Official sources from Liverpool branded Whelan as a "comedian" over the whole affair, a word which, as I've pointed out, has the exact opposite meaning in Liverpool as it does in the rest of the world (not that they realise it up there). There's a nice bit of what the journos like to refer (incorrectly) as irony over Whelan's continued crowing as to how great his manager is given that he spent half the summer trying to offload him for large amounts of cash. Once Liverpool got fed up with Whelan's arsing about the child slave labourer set about trying to tout him out to Spurs. His "I wouldn't stand in his way if he wanted to manage Tottenham" speech was as subtle as a house brick. Spurs of course had their own ideas but it must be a sobering thought to the two men and a dog who follow Wigan that, had Whelan got his own way Martinez would have been long gone by now.
The other big Wigan news of late was the "McManaman affair". Midfielder Callum McManaman made his first Premier League start against Newcastle and his "tackle" on Massaido Haidara was so bad that, had it occurred in the stands or on the streets he'd be in the dock on GBH charges. The FA – in their usual marvellous manner – decided that they couldn't do anything about it though they rushed to fine a couple of Newcastle and Wigan backroom staff for rowing about it on the touchline. Nice sense of priorities there. Of course there is no subject on which Whelan doesn't have a completely ignorant opinion and his defence of the tackle was breathtakingly disgusting, even by his low standards. You see managers getting fined stupid amounts for questioning poor referees yet Whelan continually eludes punishment for bringing the game into disrepute just about every time he opens his ignorant gob. Go, as our American cousins like to say, figure. In the meantime McManaman scored the second in their defeat of Millwall, a match that, had the FA done its job, would have been the third match of his three match ban. Ker-ching.
There's been a shift in the preferred option in goal where Spaniard Joel Robles has taken over in recent matches from the Omani Ali Al Habsi. Spanish U21 international Robles is currently on the books of Athletico Madrid and arrived on loan in January. With a Cup Final in the offing the goalkeeping training sessions will be interesting over the next few weeks if nothing else. Al Habsi played in the semi-final whilst Robles (otherwise known as Blazquez) returned to the team for the league match at Man City.
Top scorer is Ivorian Arouna Kone. with ten goals from his 28 league appearances this season plus another couple in the Cup. Kone came in during the summer from Spanish side Levante where he was the subject of a bizarre transfer clause. He joined Levante on a loan deal from Seville that was to be made permanent at the end of the 2011/2012 season. Unless he scored "too many goals". Seriously! Seville had a clause inserted in the loan deal that stated the player would have to return to them automatically should he score 18 or more. As the season came to its conclusion he was on 15, whereupon Levante found a convenient minor injury that kept him out of the side for the last three matches. The season ended and Kone became a Levante player. So they cashed in on him and sold him to Wigan for €3.5m. There are rumours that Liverpool put a similar clause in Fernando Torres' transfer documents so that he has to return to Anfield when he's scored a certain number of goals. He is expected back on Merseyside sometime during the 2022/23 season at his current rate of scoring.
Jordi Gomez is the second top scorer this season with 8 in all competitions. Now where Wigan are concerned, given the highly dubious nature of their chairman I look at their dealings with a fair degree of cynicism. So it's with some suspicion that I look at the circumstances of Gomez's transfer from Espanyol to the North West. Gomez had a highly successful spell on loan at Swansea when Martinez was manager. However, Martinez bemoaned the fact that he wouldn't be able to afford to sign the player on a permanent deal. Martinez then left for Wigan where Gomez promptly became one of his first signings. Which prompts me to muse that, had Whelan already been in, cough, "unofficial" contact with Martinez, Martinez might not have tried too hard to sign the player for Swansea. Just a theory mind, but like much that Whelan is involved in it's a bit suspicious.
And now to us. I'm not one to blow my own trumpet – at my age the consequences of some sort of strain don't bear thinking about. However, I do think I ought to point out that my prediction for Wednesday night's match not only went for a 2-2 draw, but also suggested that if we were winning 2-1 their equaliser would come courtesy of a dubious refereeing decision. I was feeling quite smug at my own perspicacity until some of the other inmates here at the Avram Grant Rest Home For The Bewildered pointed out that it's hardly much of a prediction to suggest that Man Utd might benefit from rubbish refereeing. More a nailed on certainty.
It was a cracking match mind – in spite of the officials – and there were some awesome performances from us. Collins and Carroll were particularly impressive as was Diame, whose goal is likely to get my vote for Goal of the Season (unless anyone can improve on it in the next few weeks).
Team news is that there should be no further injury worries – Cole (J), Tomkins and McCartney will all be absent but that seems to be about it. The return to fitness of Mark Noble will give Mr Allardyce an interesting selection poser in midfield. In Nobes' absence Gary O'Neil has performed admirably and it'd be a little bit harsh to see him benched.
Predictions for this one aren't quite as easy as the league table would suggest. They have a historic habit of scraping themselves out of trouble at the death and, from what I saw of the highlights anyway, can consider themselves unlucky to have not got at least a point out of their visit to Manchester City in midweek. They have also been a bit of a bogey team in recent years. Having said that Carroll is in such form at the moment that he's about as scary as Matron here at the Rest Home when she's on the warpath – and trust me that's a terrifying sight. Confidence will be high following the run of good results so I'll look at us to carry on that form. Let's put the Avram Rest Home Fund To Buy The Dog That Attends Wigan Matches With The Two Men A Tin Of Pedigree Chum (£2.50) on a 2-1 home win.
Enjoy the game!
When Last We Met At The Boleyn: Lost 1-4 (League Cup 3rd Round January 2013). Modibo Maiga's early strike put a team mainly made up of kids and reserves (ok "Development Squad Players" if you must) 1-0 up. However, some awful defending let them in four times. "We couldn't defend a fish supper" was Mr Allardyce's memorable summary of the proceedings.
Referee: Mark Clattenburg. Last seen actually having a decent game for once in the New Year's Day defeat of Norwich.
Danger Man:Arouna Kone. Top scorer, though if Levante put a similar mad clause in his transfer papers to the one they had from Seville he might have to miss a few!
Daft Fact Of The Week: This season's FA Cup Final will be the first final since 1963 in which both managers will have the same first name (Roberto). 50 years ago it was Matt (Gilles of Leicester and Busby of Man Utd). NB despite popular myth, the 2007 Cup Final did not count as neither Mourinho nor Ferguson are actually officially called "Twat".
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England coach Roy Hodgson 'scared' to recall Andy Carroll
Last Updated: April 19, 2013 12:53pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce has suggested England coach Roy Hodgson would be 'scared' to recall on-loan West Ham United striker Andy Carroll as 'people would be on his case'. Carroll, who is nearing the end of a season-long loan at West Ham, has not played for England since a substitute appearance in the 5-0 World Cup qualifying win over San Marino at Wembley in October. An impressive performance in Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Manchester United has prompted calls for Carroll to be drafted back into the England fold, but Allardyce believes Hodgson is mindful of the repercussions of such a decision. "Roy would be scared to do it because of the reaction he'd get," said Allardyce. "He would be accused of a direct approach and people would be on his case. "Roy would be scared to do it because of the reaction he'd get. He would be accused of a direct approach and people would be on his case."
Sam Allardyce
"But playing Andy does not make you a long-ball team, it just gives you extra options. He is good on the floor and others can play off him. "Andy and Wayne Rooney together would work very well and it would benefit Wayne, who is often carrying England's hopes all on his own. "It would take the pressure off Wayne, who is still so important to England. "I'm not going for any of that stuff about Rooney being on the way down. Against us I thought he was really good and some of his passing was excellent. He can play anywhere as far as I'm concerned but I do think he works well off a dominant striker. "Michael Owen always used to say he had his most productive spell when he was up front with Emile Heskey. "Heskey did not score many goals but Owen got plenty because of him. And the bonus with Andy Carroll is he is a better goalscorer than Heskey."
Meanwhile, Ricardo Vaz Te has praised Carroll, saying: "I call him a beast. He is great in the air. His accuracy is perfect. On the floor as well he can play and hold the ball. "We need players who are not afraid to play against big teams."
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Mark Noble delighted with early return to action with West Ham
By Alex Hinds. Last Updated: April 19, 2013 5:24pm
SSN
Mark Noble was delighted to make an early comeback from injury to help West Ham United claim a 2-2 draw with Manchester United. The 25 year old, who has been influential for the Hammers this season, underwent shoulder surgery in March to repair a trapped nerve and was not expected to return this season.
However, the midfielder responded well to treatment and was able to play 25 minutes against United on Wednesday, entering the game as a substitute in the second half to replace Gary O'Neil . "To be honest, after the news I got about my arm, I sort of wrote the season off because they said they may have to take my rib out, which was worrying," said Noble. "When the surgeon went inside he managed to clean all of the scar tissue around the nerve and I was able to come back a lot quicker, I am over the moon."
Noble is now preparing for Saturday's clash with Wigan Athletic, as his side look to push for a top-half finish. West Ham sit in 11th place in the Premier League, with 39 points and five games remaining. He added: "If we can get seven points from the last six games then that would be a great outcome for us, setting us up for the start of next season. "The way the lads are playing at the minute, it will be tough for me to play a part on Saturday, but I really thought my season was over so it would be nice to be out there."
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Sam Allardyce claims his reputation for being a long-ball merchant is 'utterly wrong'
Last Updated: April 19, 2013 5:13pm
SSN
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce claims his reputation for being a long-ball merchant is unfair but admits he accepted the label "many years ago". The Hammers remain on target for a mid-table finish as they head into Saturday's home game with Wigan, while the Latics are three points from safety with just six games left. And the accusation that Allardyce's teams play too direct, with a reliance on long-ball tactics, is one that has developed since he took up his first full management role with Blackpool nearly two decades ago. "I don't fight against it (the reputation he has gained), I accepted it many years ago," the West Ham boss said. "I wouldn't encourage anyone to get tagged with that label because once you have got it, it doesn't leave you. "The perception is totally and utterly wrong because we are where we are because we have many different tactical plans. "I have been in management for many years now and I have been able to tactically set up against the opposition whichever way it might be. "At some stage it might be direct. That causes the opposition problems. Manchester United played direct against us on Wednesday night, but everyone chose to ignore it. "But they played direct better than we can because they have better passers so that's plain and simple for everyone to understand. "Our form has been exceptional this season."
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West Ham v Wigan Premier League preview: Latics anxious for points
Last Updated: April 19, 2013 11:36am
SSN
Wigan have the chance to claw their way out of the relegation zone when they visit West Ham on Saturday. With Aston Villa not travelling to play Manchester United until Monday, the Latics know that three points will lift them out of the bottom three. Of course, Roberto Martinez's team are used to producing late charges to get away from trouble, having won seven of their final nine games last season to ease to safety in style. The Spaniard has been encouraged by his side's form this spring too, with his players securing their place at Wembley for next month's FA Cup final, but he knows league points are needed fast.
Martinez said: "We have been in this position before and know what to expect but that doesn't make it easier. For me, it is the hardest battle we have had for a few years but we are ready for it." They can certainly expect a battle when they visit Upton Park, as Sir Alex Ferguson can attest after his United side were on the receiving end of a robust performance from Andy Carroll in midweek. The Hammers have competed well on their return to the top flight and have no relegation concerns of their own having already moved to 39 points with five games remaining. Indeed, Sam Allardyce's side could move above Swansea and Fulham into the top half of the table if results go their way at the weekend and they secure an eighth home win of the campaign. If they achieve that feat on Saturday, Wigan fans will be left wondering whether the focus on their forthcoming FA Cup final could end up distracting them from their very real relegation fears.
West Ham
Last 6
2-2
1-1
0-0
3-1
2-0
0-1
Sam Allardyce could restore midfielder Mark Noble to the starting line-up after he made his first appearance since February in the 2-2 draw at home to Manchester United on Wednesday. But Allardyce is still without Joe Cole for the Hammers as the midfielder continues his recovery from a hamstring injury. James Tomkins is also out with the calf problem that saw him substituted in the draw at Southampton earlier this month.
Wigan
Last 6
1-0
0-2
1-1
1-0
2-1
0-3
Latics boss Roberto Martinez has no new injury worries for his side's third match in a week but may choose to freshen things up again at Upton Park. The Spaniard made just two changes for Wednesday's defeat at Manchester City, bringing back goalkeeper Joel Robles and striker Franco di Santo. Forward Callum McManaman could be set for a recall but Roman Golobart remains out of the picture after twisting an ankle in training.
Opta Facts:
Wigan's last three Premier League goals have come in the closing 10 minutes of games.
Jussi Jaaskelainen has made more saves than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League this season (141).
Andy Carroll has been involved in four goals (three goals, one assist) in his last three Premier League appearances.
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One-man scream
Martinez warns Wigan Hammers are more than just Carroll
The Sun
ROB'S ON THE JOB ... Wigan boss Martinez is trying to keep Wigan up yet again
By LIAM WALSH
Published: 8 hrs ago
ROBERTO MARTINEZ has warned Wigan's relegation battlers not to focus solely on Andy Carroll today. The burly West Ham striker — nicknamed The Beast by his team-mates — gave Manchester United a battering in the 2-2 draw at Upton Park on Wednesday. But Latics boss Martinez insists his side must keep an eye on the Hammers' other stars, who also have the ability to plunge them further into trouble. He said: "Andy has always been a threat. We saw at his two previous clubs his power and his strength — and he showed that for England at the Euros. "I don't think he has surprised anyone with what he is doing now.
"But if we focus too much on one player, then we will leave space and room for others. "West Ham have a lot of players who can hurt you and create opportunities — Matt Jarvis, Momo Diame, Kevin Nolan, they are all playing well. "West Ham are more than being a one-man team and we will be very aware of that."
Martinez is seen as having a cultured approach to the game but he still appreciates Carroll's virtues as an old-fashioned No 9. He said: "I would have him in my team, why not? "We have all seen the power he brings and the way he attacks the ball in the final third. He's one of the best in the business. "He's doing that for West Ham and he looks in full flow."
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Hammers hunt Carroll for just £10m
Exclusive
By ANDREW DILLON
Published: 8 hrs ago
The SUn
WEST HAM have told Liverpool to take a £10million offer for Andy Carroll or risk blowing the deal. The Hammers are desperate to sign the on-loan striker permanently but cannot afford the £17m asking price because of tough incoming financial rules. Carroll, who cost the Reds £35m in 2011, is also paid more than £80,000 a week. And that has put a huge strain on the debt-ridden club's bank balance as the Premier League prepare to impose spending controls from next season. An Upton Park insider said: "Under the new rules the wage bill will be capped at just over £45m. Andy's on £4m a year. If you break the rules there are points deductions. "The only way West Ham could do a deal with Liverpool is by juggling the fee because he shouldn't have to take a wage cut. That means very few clubs can afford him. "Everyone has to live within their means from next season onwards. "He's doing well here now after injury problems and the people upstairs are desperate to try to work something out by juggling the figures. "Whether it is Andy or not, we need two top-class strikers and four or five new players in the summer." Hammers' joint-chairman David Sullivan has halved West Ham's debt from around £100m when he took over three years ago. And he is now working flat out to build a strong squad ahead of the proposed move to the Olympic Stadium in 2016.
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Big deal! Andy Carroll's next move is a crucial one, and hopefully it's to West Ham says Allardyce
19 Apr 2013 22:29
The <Mirror
Ian Walton
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has warned Andy Carroll that his next move will be the biggest of his career - and remains confident he can win the race to clinch the striker's signature, writes Marc Isaacs. Liverpool hitman Carroll seems to be regaining his best form following injury problems that have plagued his season-long loan at Upton Park. The England forward has been troubled by hamstring and knee problems which have forced him to spend a big chunk of the Hammers' campaign on the sidelines. But he has finally put that behind him and, with five goals in his last eight games, is starting to produce the form which saw Liverpool fork out £35million to bring him in from Newcastle two years ago. Newcastle and Tottenham have both been linked with a move for him at the end of the season, but despite the financial constraints surrounding the deal, Allardyce hopes Carroll has already found his new home. Allardyce said of the 24-year-old: "The next move is a critical one for him. It's about playing, improving and scoring goals. That next move has to implement all of that for the team he plays for and him. He, for me, and that team will be successful. "He is still developing and is not in his prime. He is still two or so years from his prime. "Considering what he can grow into with those talents - and something nobody has got which is size; physical presence, with talent - if you marry those together, his threat is a very big talent indeed, and a very difficult one to stop. "We would love it to work out as a long-term prospect. But things need to be done and identified at the end of the season. "I don't see any problem with him being in London. They are good in terms of bonding as a team - he has slipped in really well with Kevin Nolan and others. He is also big buddies with Joey O'Brien."
Allardyce has no doubts that Carroll has put behind him his troubled past and has matured both on and off the field. Since moving down to the capital, the big Geordie has avoided the sort negative headlines away from football which marred his early career - and the West Ham boss has no doubts he has matured as a person. Allardyce added: "You have to live and learn by your experiences in life. In his younger days he was picked out on several occasions. "He has to be careful about portraying himself in the open public domain." Allardyce will make a late decision on whether fit-again Mark Noble replaces Gary O'Neil in midfield for Saturday's home game against Wigan.
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