Howes hails Tottenham test
WHUFC.com
Academy stopper Sam Howes enjoyed pitting his wits against an experienced Spurs side on Thursday
24.01.2014
Academy goalkeeper Sam Howes is currently studying for his GCSEs this summer, but took on altogether different test on Thursday when turning out in a behind-closed-doors-friendly against Tottenham Hotspur.
In a performance which belied his years, the 16-year-old produced superb saves to deny Lewis Holtby and Paulinho, as a youthful West Ham United XI went down 3-0 to a Spurs outfit containing no fewer than eight internationals.
A pupil at Sackville School in East Grinstead, Howes is knuckling down both on and off the pitch, keen to strike the right balance between football and academic pursuits. And for those still to learn of the goalkeeper's ascent through the Academy, Howes was on hand to fill in the gaps. Speaking after the match against Spurs, he told West Ham TV: "I was born in Sussex and I've lived there all my life. I've been at West Ham for six years now, progressed through the ranks and at the moment I'm playing regularly for the Under-18s and getting chances for the Development Squad. "Obviously games like today have given me the chance to play with players like Guy Demel as well and play against what was pretty much Tottenham's first team, so it was a really good experience for me as a young player. "I'm into my last year at school where I'm doing my GCSEs. Getting the balance between football and school is very important to me. It's going well so far, the Club have been very supportive of me and my studies, so it's been very positive."
On Thursday afternoon, Howes' opposite number was Brad Friedel, a 'keeper who, at 42-years-old, is 26 years his senior. The West Ham stopper did not look out of his depth in the encounter, showing the skills which have made him a regular for Steve Potts' U18s and seen him appear for the Club's Development Squad this season. Combining his studies with a burgeoning football career does not seem to faze the level-headed youngster, who has so far taken it all in his stride. "The school are really good with me and I've dropped a couple of GCSEs, so I'm not doing quite as many as some other students," he explained. "In U21 football I've been coming up here and going to places like Cambridge after school to play, so I've just had to adapt to it really quickly. "I haven't had any problems and my advice to anyone who is in my situation in the future is just to keep your head down and keep focused, that's the best way forward."
Howes will be back in action on Saturday when the U18s take on Chelsea at Littleheath and the gloveman will be hoping to continue the form which has already seen him earn high praise from the Club's staff. The stopper believes that working with the Hammers' goalkeeping coaches has been at the heart of his improvements through the season. He continued: "Shot-stopping is one of my strengths, my decision making is getting better and also my kicking. Confidence-wise I'm pretty confident before every single game. "All the coaches here have been very good to me, especially Jerome John. Obviously Lee Harrison has come in now with Martyn Margetson, so they've all helped me out big time. They've passed a lot of experience onto me and I'm taking on board everything I can so it's all been very good."
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Ross McCormack: West Ham bid for Leeds United captain rejected
BBC.co.uk
Leeds United chairman Salah Nooruddin says they have rejected a bid from West Ham for captain Ross McCormack. Nooruddin wrote on Twitter: "I'd like to reassure all (Leeds) fans that we're working hard for the club and can confirm we've rejected an offer from West Ham for Ross." Leeds will not confirm the details of the bid, which is reported to have been around £3.5m. McCormack, 27, is the Championship's top scorer with 17 goals this season. West Ham have been in the market for a striker, having only just welcomed back striker Andy Carroll from injury. Their pursuit of Monaco striker Lacina Traore failed, with the 23-year-old Ivorian moving to Everton on loan. Leeds managing director David Haigh added: "As a club we showed our intentions as far as Ross is concerned during the summer." Leeds rejected several bids from Championship rivals Middlesbrough earlier this season before the Scottish international signed a new four-year contract.
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And there's more... Hammers poised to land Cameroon midfielder
KUMb.com
Filed: Friday, 24th January 2014
By: Staff Writer
It's been a hectic 48 hours for West Ham on the transfer front - and there was yet more movement tonight with Osasuna's Raoul Loe reported to be on his way to Upton Park. According to sources in Spain, the 24-year-old Osasuna defensive midfielder has flown to London via Bilbao airport this evening to undergo a medical ahead of a €2.2million move. Navarra Sport claim the Hammers will pay €1.1million up front for Loe - who made his sole international appearance last year and has made just seven appearances for the Primera Liga side this season - with the remaining 50 per cent to follow this summer. In other transfer news, former Liverpool midfielder Mohamed Sissoko has claimed he rejected a move to West Ham earlier this week. The 29-year-old, who has not played since last season is now set to join Crystal Palace.
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Leeds confirm McCormack bid
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 24th January 2014
By: Staff Writer
Leeds United confirmed tonight they have rejected an offer from West Ham for their striker and captain Ross McCormack. In a statement posted on leedsunited.com, the Championship club confirmed that a bid - thought to be worth around £3million - had been knocked back. "The London club made an offer for the player on Friday afternoon which was rejected by the club's board," it read. Leeds' director David Haigh added: "We received an offer from West Ham this afternoon for Ross which we have rejected. As a club we showed our intentions as far as Ross is concerned during the summer by offering him a new contract."
The Yorkshire club are thought to be holding out for around £5million for the 27-year-old Scottish international, although a figure somewhere between that and the Hammers' opening gambit is likely to sway Leeds. West Ham already have Carlton Cole, Modibo Maiga and Andy Carroll on the books with Marco Borriello set to become the club's fourth striker this weekend. That sudden abundance of strikers has led to speculation that Sam Allardyce may be looking at a more attacking approach for the remainder of the 2013/14 Premier League season, which has 16 games left to run.
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Italian duo set for medicals
KUMb.com
Filed: Friday, 24th January 2014
By: Staff Writer
Roma striker Marco Borriello is understood to have signed for West Ham United, according to fresh reports. The 31-year-old striker is reported to have put pen to paper on a contract that will see the Italian join West Ham for the remainder of the current season. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Borriello agreed to move to London on a temporary basis this morning and is due to fly to England tomorrow for a medical. His agent, Giuseppe Bozzo is understood to have arranged the contract on behalf of his client. Meanwhile fellow Italian, midfielder Antonio Nocerino, has also flown into England today for talks with representatives of West Ham. The 28-year-old Milan star flew to Gatwick via Turin this morning and is expected to agree a similar deal with the Hammers.
West Ham's next game is against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge next Wednesday, giving the Club plenty of time in which to register one or both deals.
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Leeds United reject West Ham bid for striker Ross McCormack
Last Updated: 24/01/14 10:18pm
SSN
Leeds have rejected a bid from West Ham for their captain Ross McCormack. Sky Sports understands the bid was in the region of £3 million plus add-ons. West Ham are expected to come back with a new offer over the weekend. Sky Sports revealed earlier on Friday that the Hammers had made a bid for the Scotland international striker, who is the top scorer in the Championship with 18 goals to his name already. McCormack signed a new long-term deal last summer, when Leeds fended off multiple bids from rivals Middlesbrough for the the 27-year-old. And on Friday night a statement on Leeds' official website read: "Leeds United have rejected an offer from West Ham United for striker Ross McCormack. "The London club made an offer for the player on Friday afternoon which was rejected by the club's board."
Separately, Leeds' Managing Director David Haigh tweeted: "As a club we showed our intentions as far as Ross is concerned during the summer." And chairman Salah Nouruddin said on Twitter: "I'd like to reassure all #lufc fans that we're working hard for the club and can confirm we've rejected an offer from West Ham for Ross." Sam Allardyce's Hammers, who are desperate to bolster their squad as they battle to avoid relegation, saw McCormack as a potential solution to their goalscoring problems. McCormack has just been made captain at Elland Road by manager Brian McDermott.
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West Ham line up Italians Marco Borriello and Antonio Nocerino
Last Updated: 24/01/14 7:30am
SSN
Sky Sports understands West Ham are in talks to capture Italy internationals Marco Borriello and Antonio Nocerino. 31-year-old striker Borriello is currently with Roma, but is on the fringes of the first team at the Stadio Olimpico. Sky Sports understands that Borriello is due to fly to England in the next 48 hours, subject to him agreeing to a loan deal until the end of the season. A source close to the deal told Sky Sports that they expect Borriello to have a medical on Saturday. Likewise, West Ham are hoping Milan midfielder Nocerino, 28, will agree to move to Upton Park. Nocerino would also be a loan deal until the end of the campaign.
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Alan McNee's column: Just who is advising Roger Johnson and what has he done to deserve West Ham?
Jan 24, 2014 08:070 Comments
The Mirror
In 2004 Buck's Fizz's very own Cheryl Baker had a colonic irrigation broadcast on national telly for Channel 4's The Salon. That same year, cameras whirred as she was pushed out of an aeroplane at 10,000 feet for our delectation. Fun to watch, but I wondered at the time exactly which showbiz agent was advising our glorious Eurovision 'skirt-removing' champ to demean herself like this.
Ten years later, and I feel sure the same person has now transferred his dubious skills to the world of football agent-ing. His latest client? One Roger Johnson, the new West Ham centre back. Roger is a pretty decent defender, so who on earth has brokered the deals that took him to clubs that between them were relegated three times in as many years...er..and now.. to West Ham, teetering on the edge.
Unlike Cheryl - we haven't witnessed any of Roger's colonic expulsions, though Negredo certainly extracted the urine out of him at the Ethiad, the other week. What I'm saying is, the lad deserves better. Come on Rog' ....who's advising you, pal!?
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Leeds reject West Ham's opening £4m bid for McCormack
By SIMON JONES
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 24 January 2014 | UPDATED: 22:57, 24 January 2014
Daily Mail
West Ham have had a bid for Leeds striker Ross McCormack rejected by the Sky Bet Championship club. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has been looking to bring in reinforcements during the January transfer window to aid his side's fight against relegation from the Barclays Premier League. However, an offer for McCormack has been rebuffed, Leeds announced on Friday night. A statement on Leeds' official site read: 'Leeds United have rejected an offer from West Ham United for striker Ross McCormack. 'The London club made an offer for the player on Friday afternoon which was rejected by the club's board.' Scotland international McCormack is the Championship's leading scorer this season with 17 goals, one more than Jordan Rhodes of Blackburn. The 27-year-old was also made Leeds captain just last week. Leeds chairman Salah Nouruddin said on Twitter: "I'd like to reassure all £lufc fans that we're working hard for the club and can confirm we've rejected an offer from West Ham for Ross.' Managing director David Haigh, who in August gave McCormack a new deal amid interest from Middlesbrough, added: 'As a club we showed our intentions as far as Ross is concerned during the summer.' Haigh is currently attempting a takeover at Leeds with his own consortium, having been part of the GFH Capital group which bought Leeds from Ken Bates in December 2012. West Ham are third from bottom in the Premier League with 18 points, the same amount as the two teams below them Sunderland and Cardiff, and one behind Fulham and safety.
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Mohamed Sissoko closes in on Crystal Palace switch after West Ham snub
Evening Standard
ED AARONS
Published: 24 January 2014 Updated: 19:16, 24 January 2014
Mohamed Sissoko is closing in on a switch to Crystal Palace after rejecting the chance to join London rivals West Ham. The former Liverpool and Juventus midfielder, 29, is currently a free agent and held talks with the Eagles on Friday, with boss Tony Pulis reportedly keen to sign him on a short-term deal. But it is also understood that Sissoko, 29, has already turned down the opportunity to join West Ham earlier in the week having met with Hammers officials on Wednesday. Sam Allardyce's men were in pole position to sign him as cover for injured Mohamed Diame but could not agree personal terms. And that has given Pulis the opportunity to sign a player he was linked with during his spell as Stoke manager. Sissoko's agent Jose Segui denied any agreement had been reached on Friday night but talks are thought to be ongoing. The Mali international has been without a club since leaving Paris Saint-Germain in June. He has been offered to several Premier League clubs having reportedly recovered from injury problems. With Allardyce having also failed with a bid to sign Michael Essien on loan from Chelsea, that makes Sissoko the fourth player to turn down West Ham in this window following John Heitinga and Lacina Traore.
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Tony Cottee's column: Either play Ravel or sell him
Date: 24th January 2014 at 6:00 pm
Written by: Tony Cottee | Comments (1)
London 24
Tony Cottee is back with his EXCLUSIVE Forever West Ham column. Read about Tony's thoughts on Ravel Morrison, his career regrets and much, much more.
Capital One Cup
I went to the first-leg, not as a pundit or an ex-pro, but as a fan. I cannot tell you how disappointed I was at the performance – or the lack of it! There was a no passion, which I just cannot accept. I've played in a fair few West Ham teams and you could never accuse us of not trying. I'm not saying it is the right way, but someone like Bonzo or Dicksy or Stewart would've lost their temper, made a reckless challenge and received a yellow card, to show they're fighting for the cause. The fans deserved more. The second-leg was a dead rubber. I was a Sky Sports pundit for the night and it was an eerie experience being in a half empty Upton Park – I still feel that the board should've done more to slash ticket prices and get the numbers through the gates. What's done is done but I can't help but think we've missed an opportunity of a great day out at Wembley. I'm sure we all remember the day against Blackpool and the club and fans deserve a lot more of those moments.
Who is to blame?
I'm sure, like me, you didn't expect West Ham to be in the situation they currently find themselves in. Tensions are high and the fans, quite rightly, want answers; for me, it is a 'full house' with everyone open to criticism. It goes right back to last summer's transfer window policy (a policy that doesn't seem to be improving this window). The board has to take the flak for West Ham's shortcomings in the transfer market, as they're the ones doing the deals. Obviously, as manager, Sam Allardyce is open to a lot of criticism, as it is his players, his formation and his managerial techniques that aren't delivering the desired results.
Ultimately though, the players are the ones who can make a real difference. They continually choose to turn in passionless and below par performances.
Overall, I'm confident we will avoid relegation from the Premier League. There are 11 teams in the relegation dogfight and, on paper, I'm certain we have more than enough talent in the squad to finish at least fourth from bottom.
Ravel Morrison
Find a position for him or sell him, it is that simple. The problem is, Morrison's best position is probably as a 'No.10' but Sam prefers club captain Kevin Nolan.
Ravel does appear to be unsettled and if we aren't going to utilise his qualities properly, then we may as well get the money in and use that towards bringing in other targets.
Transfer Window
It's not looking good and things are starting to get desperate. We all thought we were going to sign Lacina Traore but Everton made an eleventh-hour bid to take him to Goodison Park. Traore's decision is no reflection on West Ham; as everyone knows it is a great club. Everton can just offer the lad more exciting possibilities and, if I take my West Ham hat off, I'd always choose a Champions League push over a relegation battle. There are several areas of the team that need addressing but that needs to be done in the summer. Right now, we are desperate for a goal scoring centre forward and another centre-back. Sadly, I think we will probably end up on transfer deadline day, bringing in two or three players that won't improve our starting XI.
Regrets
I saw Alou Diarra's comments about moving to West Ham being a mistake for his career. I don't really want to get too focused on Diarra's comments – I'm sure you can have an educated guess at my opinion on the matter! However, it did get me thinking, do I have any regrets? It is easy to look back, after you've retired, and say: "I wish I hadn't done that." With hindsight, I would've loved to have stayed at West Ham my whole career, I probably wouldn't have gone to Malaysia and I definitely wouldn't have signed for Millwall. Each decision I made, though was right for me at the time. I made the decisions in good faith and I considered what was best for me financially and what was best for my family. Regrets? None. Things I would've done differently? Most definitely. Tony Cottee was talking to Forever West Ham's Editor
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Borriello: 'Arrivederci Roma!'
By Football Italia staff
Marco Borriello confirmed his imminent move to West Ham by saying goodbye to Roma fans on Twitter. "A salute for all the fans of Roma... These have been fantastic months, crowned by a wonderful record. Thank you all!" It was reported in Italian media today that the 31-year-old had accepted a loan move to the Hammers, pending a medical and personal terms. It's also claimed by Sky Sport Italia that Milan midfielder Antonio Nocerino passed the first part of his West Ham medical and will sign the contract tomorrow.
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Saturday, January 25
Friday, January 24
Daily WHUFC News - 24th January 2014
Chadwell Chatter
WHUFC.com
West Ham United forward Ricardo Vaz Te is targeting a first-team comeback after another successful run out
23.01.2014
Hello everyone,
I am pleased to report that I should be back in action soon. My shoulder has been all right for a few weeks now but, as I have been out for a while, when I came back to training I felt a little pain down my shin so I had to adjust that as well. It was something I was not familiar with, but it has been addressed so I have been training for the last week now. I managed to play 60 minutes in a behind-closed-doors match on Thursday and it's feeling quite all right now. I have no pain, but I'm not as sharp as I should or as I was, but that will come quickly, I've no doubt. I'm feeling good, so I just need a few more training sessions and games and I'll be sweet. I feel like I can play a part, so there is no problem. I didn't make the best of starts to the season, considering what happened in the transfer window and stuff like that, but all that was put aside and we worked out our differences. I went back into the team and I was very pleased. I'm happy to be here and have been from day one, really. I always felt glad to be part of this amazing Club, so I'm happy to be back now and hopefully I can contribute to anything that is positive. I will train for the next week and, barring any setbacks, I will make myself available for selection next week. After that, it is up to the manager because he decides which players will play. As long as I am available, if he plays me then I am ready and if not, I am working so that when he gives me my chance, I take it.
We also have a number of important players who are either back or close to returning. Winston Reid was the Hammer of the Year last season and obviously he has been very important for us and still is. Andy Carroll was very unfortunate with his injury, too.
Injuries happen and you have good times and bad times. This was our dip in the road, so we will address it and there is no need to shy away from it.
We are in a difficult situation. I remember coming here when we were in the Championship and we lost first and second position and had to go through the Play-Offs and people started turning on us. As long as you keep your head up and know what is required, everything will be OK.
The main priority is obviously to stay in the Premier League. Last year, we finished in the top ten, which was OK. Personally, I feel that this Club should be in the top ten. Now things are difficult so we have to make sure we stay in the Premier League, which I think will be no problem whatsoever, and then we'll build on that.
It's easy to lose faith but supporters have been in this place many times. I am sure that nobody is going down. The fans have emotion and if they want to boo, they boo and if they want to cheer, they cheer - hopefully we will give them something to cheer. We want to do that all the time, but it's not always possible.
It's easy to wish we had something else, but let's count our blessings and hopefully things will get better. It is tough at the moment, but I don't think there is anything to worry about. The main thing is to stay positive, because I think we'll be fine.
Enjoy your weekend,
Vaz
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Guy and Vaz feature in friendly
WHUFC.com
West Ham United pair Guy Demel and Ricardo Vaz Te played in a behind-closed-doors game on Thursday
23.01.2014
West Ham United duo Guy Demel and Ricardo Vaz Te returned to action in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday. The pair played for an hour following their recent injury lay-offs as they move closer to full fitness once more. Vaz Te suffered a dislocated shoulder back in October, while Demel has been sidelined with a severe concussion picked up in the Barclays Premier League victory at Cardiff City earlier this month. Now, with a series of important games coming up for Sam Allardyce's men, both will be hoping to play a full part before long. First team coach Ian Hendon said: "Guy and Vaz got an important hour under their belts on Thursday. That's what the game was arranged for - we thought we might have a few more of the seniors available to play, but a lot of those played against Man City. "The main thing was that they came through unscathed. We've got a 16-game season and it's going to be massive to have extra bodies back. The more we have fit and ready to go the easier it'll be. February is going to be a massive month with the games against teams in and around us."
An experienced Spurs side, which included eight internationals who had commanded transfer fees in excess of £60m, saw off the youthful Hammers 3-0, with two goals from Harry Kane and one for Paulinho sealing their victory. Hendon was pleased with how the Hammers applied themselves and felt they were unfortunate not to get on the scoresheet themselves. He added: "There were a few decent performances against a very good Spurs side - that was pretty much their Europa League team, I'd say. It was a good test for the younger lads, but the main objective today was to give Guy and Vaz minutes. "To be fair to the boys, they created a few chances in the second half, but we just couldn't convert them."
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Striker deal agreed - Di Marzio
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 23rd January 2014
By: Staff Writer
Roma striker Marco Boriello has agreed a deal to join West Ham on loan for the remainder of the season, according to reports emanating from Italy tonight.
According to Italian reporter Gianluca Di Marzio, earlier this afternoon Boriello agreed a deal with West Ham that will see him move to London for the remainder of the current campaign, with the relevant paperwork set to be signed tomorrow. Now 31, Boriello played for a number of top flights clubs including Juventus, Milan and Sampdoria prior to arriving at Roma for £10million in 2010. Yet despite the large fee, the 6'1" forward has made just 18 appearances for i Giallorossi since having spent more time out on loan since. Last season Boriello spent the entire season with Genoa for whom he scored 12 times in 28 Serie A appearances. His 11 appearances for his parent club this term have yielded just one goal so far, that coming in the 1-0 win over Chievo at the end of October.
However he has not played a first team fixture since November 25, when he came on as a 69th minute substitute for Alessandro Florenzi in a goalless draw with Chievo.
Here's KUMB member VeniceHammer: "Borriello is two things - a confidence player and a player who thrives in "big fish in a small pond" situations. He quite regularly failed to take his chances in big teams (Roma, Juventus, Milan) but had very good seasons, for example, at Genoa where he felt loved and scored a lot. "I hope that, if he really comes to us, his "too good looking to be a good footballer" fame quiets down a bit because, all in all, he is not a bad player. Decent technique and strong but mobile, the only thing we need to give him is patience and support (and that is what worries me, in our current situation).
"His goalscoring record, when supported, has always been decent. He's not a world beater, but I struggle to see us signing one."
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Hammers make second Serie A raid
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 23rd January 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are poised to snap up a second Serie A star on loan for the rest of the season. Having already agreed a provisional deal with Roma to sign 31-year-old striker Marco Boriello on loan the Hammers are hoping to make a second raid on the Italian league in order to land midfielder Antonio Nocerino from Milan.
According to sources in Italy the two clubs have reached agreement on a loan deal, possibly with view to a permanent transfer should both parties agree. Gianluca Di Marzio, who broke the story adds that West Ham will cover the player's wages during his stay in London and that a medical is expected to take place before the weekend.
28-year-old Nocerino has been at Milan since 2011, since when he has made 87 appearances for the Rossoneri. It is thought that the players favours a move in order to gain first team football and stake a claim for next summer's World Cup Finals in Brazil.
Capped 15 times for Italy since making his international debut in 2007, the midfielder last appeared for his country in the 2012 European Championships and the 0-0 draw with England.
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Hammers fall but duo return
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 23rd January 2014
By: Staff Writer
There was good news for Sam Allardyce today after Guy Demel and Ricardo Vaz Te both came through a behind-closed-doors friendly unscathed.
A West Ham United XI were beaten 3-0 by Tottenham at the Boleyn Ground this afternoon in a match specifically-tailored to allow the duo some important match time, with the Hammers' next fixture - at Chelsea, on Wednesday- still a week away.
The visitors, featuring several first team squad players including Gylfi Sigurdsson, Paulinho and Jan Vertonghen took the lead after 12 minutes through young striker Harry Kane. The 20-year-old had the ball in the net again shortly after but saw his effort ruled out for offside - however £17million summer-signing Paulinho's 36th-minute effort did count, giving his side a 2-0 half time lead.
The only goal of the second half came with just 18 minutes of time remaining and followed a good move involving Sigurdsson, Holtby and goalscorer Kane who picked his spot from inside the box. The striker had previously seen a second effort ruled out for offside.
Despite suffering defeat, First team coach Ian Hendon was pleased with his team's overall performance - and delighted that both Demel and Vaz Te emerged intact. "That's what the game was arranged for," he told whufc.com. "We thought we might have a few more of the seniors available to play, but a lot of those played against Man City [on Tuesday night].
"The main thing was that they came through unscathed. We've got a 16-game season and it's going to be massive to have extra bodies back. The more we have fit and ready to go the easier it'll be. February is going to be a massive month with the games against teams in and around us.
"It was a good test for the younger lads, but the main objective today was to give Guy and Vaz minutes."
Sam Allardyce and the remainder of his senior squad jetted off to Dubai this week for some 'warm weather' training. Hammers fans will be hoping that it has a similar effect to the last two trips to the United Arab Emirates.
Following their mid-season sojourn last year, the Hammers lost 3-2 at home to Tottenham courtesy of Gareth Bale's last-minute wondergoal before losing just one of the next seven games (away to Chelsea).
And in 2012, the Hammers won 2-0 at Cardiff in their first game back through goals from Kevin Nolan and George McCartney before embarking on a seven-match unbeaten run in the Championship.
West Ham Utd: Howes, Demel, Vaz Te, Moncur, Lletget, McCallum, Maguire.
Tottenham: Friedel, Naughton (A McQueen 75), Kaboul (Gallifuoco 60), Vertonghen (Stewart 60), Fryers, Capoue, Paulinho (Ward 60), Sandro (Veljkovic 46), Holtby (Couleybaly 75), Kane, Sigurdsson.
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West Ham defender Winston Reid upbeat over his recovery from injury
Last Updated: 23/01/14 12:19pm
SSN
Injured West Ham defender Winston Reid says he is close to returning to training. The New Zealand international has not played since November 2nd and has missed his club's last 15 matches with an ankle problem. The 25-year-old from Auckland was hurt during training but has now told the club's website he should be back in action very soon. Reid said: "I'm as close as I've ever been to returning to training. We'll just have to see how it feels as to how we play it. "Unfortunately, I had to have an operation and it took a little bit longer than I expected. "There was a ligament torn in my ankle so they had to repair it by putting a screw through it to stabilise the joint. "Now, it's pretty much good to go again. It was painful when it happened and it got even worse in the couple of days afterwards, but after that it settled down. "People probably don't understand but you work hardest when you are injured because the days are pretty long. "I've been working in the gym and trying to get my body back in shape after spending the initial four weeks after the injury doing nothing, because I wasn't allowed to. "I had to keep my foot elevated and off the floor but the last seven-odd weeks I've been working hard to get my fitness back."
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EXCLUSIVE: GUEST POST BY DAVID SULLIVAN: "FANS MISUNDERSTAND OUR LOANS"
By Iain Dale 23 Jan 2014 at 20:00
West Ham Till I Die
From David Sullivan, joint chairman of WHU
To: WHTID readers
I do read your site regularly. People seem to misunderstand our loans. On our loans to the club there is a 'notional interest rate' as it's unrealistic if there isn't, and HMRC might question the loans. However. no interest has been paid or will be paid until the club is solvent/financially self sufficient. It just rolls up as a debt that may or may not ever be paid.
In contrast loans and repayment and interest to the bank have to be paid or the club is declared bankrupt. It is our money that then replaces these loans when they become due to avoid default.
It hurts us when supporters imply we are somehow collecting interest on our loans. In reality we have to put more and more in as the bank loans become due for payment.
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IT IS NOT JUST SAM
By Iain Dale 23 Jan 2014 at 12:38
West Ham Till I Die
Guest Post by iRoNcOrK
I write this as a deeply concerned fan, in an effort to be constructive rather than critical. I have thought many times recently that the club really needs "sorting out" and currently everything is pointing to the need for a root and branch review of the whole organisation, top to bottom.
We all know there is a team management issue which has taken up miles of column space on here but I believe we have deeper problems so I don't want to discuss the merit (?)s of Sam. One of the challenges in any organisation is keeping it fresh and competitive and there is every sign that our club not only has this challenge but is also at a turning point. The question is, will things turn for the better and make us a regular top half club capable, in time, of challenging for a place in Europe or do we face a future of being a regular bottom half club with the inevitable bouts of fighting relegation which the law of averages dictates that you will lose every once in a while?
A perennial problem for shareholders or CEOs is competitiveness. Good, solid performers in any organisation do get stale and though they may do nothing wrong, they often reach a comfort level where they stop driving the organisation forward. Sometimes they also get complacent, where they also start making mistakes, or less than optimal decisions, and the organisation goes into decline.
In the context of West Ham, let's start at the top. The owners are the chairmen. They can do what they wish with the club and whether they stay or go is their choice. Whether we like them or not, that is probably how it should be in most circumstances. However, Karren Brady needs consideration. She is a very smart and capable lady who the owners have worked with for many years, but is she performing to her best ability now? If I owned the club, I would have to ask myself whether she has become involved in too many outside activities to be able to perform at her absolute maximum level in the interests of the club. If the role was perceived as a part time one in the past, it is certainly not now. A proper full time CEO is needed to get to grips with all the off-field issues which are affecting on field results.
Clearly too many contracts, playing and non-playing, have been entered into without full consideration of the likely effects in differing scenarios. Hence Sam's compensation is too expensive to sack him, we will never afford Nolan or Carroll, given their contribution levels, in the Championship, together with players who seemingly hardly play. We also have players on contracts with "interesting" clauses,….interesting but not in our interest. A firmer strategy with scenario planning is needed for all contracts and older players.
Looking at some of the comings and goings over the last couple of years we should be forgiven for thinking that we have been regularly manipulated by agents and/or our own manager in the signing of new players. We have brought in far too many who have not played enough games, either because they were simply not good enough anyway or because they were not given a chance. Some of these have played but been paid far too much for their ability level and contribution. It has to stop. The manager, assuming he chooses the players, needs to be held accountable for those he signs. We need a review of our scouting organisation (do we have one to speak of?), so that we may successfully compete with (often smaller) clubs who seem to regularly discover relatively cheap but outstanding performers from both inside and outside the UK. At the very least we need to know much more about players before we sign them.
The club has three training facilities, Chadwell Heath, Rush Green and Little Heath. There needs to be a long term strategy in place to consolidate these in one location and bring the facilities up to modern Premier League standards. This is not visionary and it is not optional if we want to thrive and be successful. After all, the club's business is the performance of professional athletes. Our performances, injury record and ongoing advances in technology dictate that we should regularly review our facilities, support personnel and treatment regimens. The Andy Carroll debacle alone indicates that. Obviously there is a serious debt issue to resolve before we could take on the costs involved but there should be a plan and there should be a measure of urgency.
We have one of the best academy coaches in the land but the throughput of young players has slowed dramatically so this is another area crying out for a review and new strategy, also linked to scouting, support personnel, facilities and actually giving the youngsters opportunities at the appropriate time.
The club has become something of a laughing stock in terms of its public relations and communications strategy, or lack thereof. The puerile nature of the club's emails has come in for a lot of criticism recently. Also, delegating implementation of information dissemination to a dyslexic thirteen year old is not the hallmark of a professional organisation and it is quite clear that the club's relationship with its fans is adversely affected by this on a regular basis.
If you will pardon the pun, these issues are not indicative of a CEO with her eye on the ball and there are no doubt other matters of serious concern. Often, and I would venture in this case, it is better to bring someone from outside the organisation to review current practices with fresh eyes. Maybe it needs a small team with both football and non-football experience to be brought in, for a limited time, to examine everything the club does – and how it does it – and then come up with recommendations to improve. Maybe it just needs a full time, hands-on CEO who is not trying to juggle too many balls at once in the wider society.
There will be many good things going on inside the club and these need to be not only reinforced but improved upon as well. However, it is quite clear that there are too many areas of the club not performing as they should and the organisational structure is a long way from optimal.
We have too many pressing issues. Karren Brady needs to refocus her attention on West Ham or step aside. The club desperately needs leadership, and leaders must be accountable.
Perhaps Messrs. Gold and Sullivan should appoint a competent and full time CEO to run the club and become less hands on themselves, sit back and enjoy being fans. It may increase their objectivity as their current approach is not working.
If we were flying high it would not be a problem. When we look at all the challenges that are now arising, together with the potential turmoil and indeed opportunities of the Olympic Stadium on the horizon, something has to change, and change fast.
Corky
COYI
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WEST HAM WANDERERS?
By Sean Whetstone 23 Jan 2014 at 08:53
West Ham Till I Die
It has often been claimed West Ham have turned into a sh*t version of Bolton on the pitch since Sam Allardyce's arrival as manager. Whether you agree with that sentiment or not the question now needs to be asked whether we are turning into a version of Bolton off the pitch in financial terms? Earlier this month Bolton Wanderers have admitted their debts have grown to a staggering £163.8m, with £50.7m haemorrhaging during the 12 months to June 2013. There are fears that the club may follow Leeds United and Portsmouth into financial armageddon.
In a statement Bolton's chairman Phil Gartside, said…
"This year's results show the difficulties faced in the football business when a club has enjoyed a sustained and successful period in the Premier League – in our case 11 years – then suffers relegation to the Football League Championship. The ever-widening gap between the two leagues makes the transition extremely difficult, even with the benefit of parachute payments."
The club's financial position underlines the dangers of overspending and dropping out of the Premier League as Wanderers did in May 2012. Bolton is dependent on a single benefactor, the owner Eddie Davies. Yet as £151.3m of the debt is owed to Davies through his company, Moonlight Investment Ltd. Gartside conceded the club's future hinges on Davies' continuing goodwill while admitting that financial fair play rules mean he can no longer support the club as before.
"However, [owners'] financial support is no longer possible in this league without severe penalty. We are responding to a changing environment … " said Gartside.
Owner Davies's decision to charge interest on loans to the club has been questioned. Although he ended the policy in July, Mohamed Al Fayed, for example, never charged interest on loans that left Fulham £193m in debt. Fayed sold Fulham to Shahid Khan last summer.
When West ham got relegated Sullivan & Gold injected £32.5m into the club as we made a loss of £25.5m during our season in the championship. They charge interest on their loans to the club.
David Sullivan was recently quoted as saying "If we go down we cannot afford to subsidise the club any longer"
Since our last relegation Financial Fair Play rules have been implemented in the Championship which change the landscape. Championship clubs are allowed to lose up to £3 million a season, which will incur no sanction or punishment. If a club loses between £3-8 million that season, then the owner of the club is required to cover the loss, which if done, then there are no further sanctions. If the owner cannot or will not cover the loss, then a transfer embargo is placed on the club until they can demonstrate an acceptable financial situation.
If the club loses over £8 million for that season, then the punishment depends on whether they were promoted or not. If promoted, the club will pay a Fair Play Tax out of the revenue produced from competing in the Premier League, with the proceeds going to charity. The Fair Play Tax was controversially applied to FFP in the Championship, with many clubs wanting the Fair Play Tax proceeds going back to the clubs that abide by the rules. Nevertheless, if a club has not been promoted, then the transfer embargo will be placed upon that club until they can demonstrate an acceptable financial situation.
Relegation for West Ham this season could cause our own financial armageddon without the ability to buy ourselves out of the championship like we did last time.
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Big Sam considering swoop for Newcastle outcast
Date: 23rd January 2014 at 3:00 pm
Written by: Irons Maiden | Forever West Ham
Steven TaylorIf West Ham fail to convince Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott to join them, the Telegraph are reporting that Sam Allardyce will turn his attentions to Newcastle United defender Steven Taylor. Newcastle are apparently willing to listen to offers for the 28-year-old, as Alan Pardew continues to prefer the defensive options of Fabricio Coloccini, Mike Williamson and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa. Taylor, who has been at Newcastle since his youth, has only made three Premier League appearances this season. Yet another rumour and still no substantial signings from our beloved West Ham…I'm starting to worry.
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Di Marzio: "Borriello accepts offer from West Ham"0
Danny Hansen Thursday January 23rd, 2014 Latest articles
Sempreinter.com
Marco Borriello has been mentioned as a possible target for Inter during this transfer window but Gianluca Di Marzio reports that the striker is on his way to another club: "It will be the Premier League in the future of Marco Borriello. Right now the striker, in fact, has accepted an offer from West Ham: a loan until the end of the season, a solution that finally convinced the striker who has for some time been about to leave Roma. The signature on the contract is expected to be made tomorrow. There is an ongoing exchange of documents between the two clubs, early on Saturday he could undergo the medical examination. Borriello bids farewell to Roma, Premier League awaits him."
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West Ham United Set For Double Italian Swoop
Forzaitalianfootball.com
West Ham United are reportedly close to sealing deals for AC Milan midfielder Antonio Nocerino and Roma striker Marco Borriello. The duo have been linked away from their current clubs as they have been deemed a surplus to requirements, and it appears they have found a new home in London. Gazzetta.it report that Nocerino has accepted a loan move to the Hammers where he will spend the remainder of the season. Sky Sport Italia report that Borriello has also accepted a move to the London club after weeks of rumours linking him with a move to the Premier League. It is believed Borriello will land in England on Saturday for a medical before completing a loan move. Nocerino has 11 league appearances for Milan this season while Borriello has scored one goal in 11 appearances for Roma.
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Serbian striker in line for Premier League move to West Ham
Labrokes.com
Sam Alllardyce could be set to turn his attentions to in-form Nantes striker Filip Djordjevic this January as West Ham continue their search for a striker to boost the club's ailing fortunes.
The 26-year-old has been in excellent form for the newly-promoted Ligue 1 side, scoring eight goals for Les Canaris in a haul to rival that of PSG forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Monaco man Radamel Falcao.
Equally adept in the air as he is with the ball at his feet, the forward could be the perfect antidote to the Hammers' current malaise under Big Sam, with the Irons struggling for goals in the Premier League at present, having scored just three in their last five competitive fixtures.
It's a tally that, when allied with a run of six losses in their last eight games, has seen West Ham priced at 8/5 to be relegated this term with Allardyce the 6/4 favourite to be the next Premier League manager to leave his post.
Djordjevic could provide some respite though, with the young Serb something of a late bloomer having previously risen through the ranks at Red Star Belgrade before moving to France, where he took time to blossom at Nantes.
Nevertheless his signature could represent something of a coup for West Ham, with Hull City previously close to landing the highly-regarded striker, amid reports of an imminent move last month.
However talk of that deal has subsequently cooled, with Tigers boss Steve Bruce instead turning to Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long this month.
A Hammers move would mean a happy ending to Big Sam's current striker crisis, with the club previously failing to land Lacina Traore on loan, as well as being linked with Birmingham target man Nikola Zigic and former Blackburn goalscorer Yakubu.
Djordjevic, meanwhile, will no doubt relish the chance to test his skills in the English top flight and follow in the footsteps of fellow countrymen Nemanja Vidic and Aleksandar Kolarov.
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Belfodil set to choose QPR as West Ham miss out on ANOTHER striker
HITC.com
Inter Milan striker Ishak Belfodil is set to turn down a move to West Ham in favour of Championship side Queens Park Rangers.
The Algerian international, 22, only joined the Serie A giants in the summer following an impressive season with Parma. Inter Milan paid €7.5m for 50% of the former Lyon striker in a co-ownership deal, yet after struggling to break into Walter Mazzarri's team, Belfodil wants to go out on loan in a bid to play first-team football. He was recently told by his national team coach that his in Algeria's squad for the upcoming World Cup in Brazil is not assured if he does not play regular football.
Fellow Serie A side Sassuolo had lined up a £7m bid for Belfodil, though it is believed that the striker wants to play in London, and subsequently narrowed his choice down to either West Ham United or Queens Park Rangers.
Now, this would seem like an easy decision for any foreign player. West Ham are, whilst currently struggling, a Premier League team, whilst QPR are currently in the Championship following their relegation last season. A no-brainer, right?
Well, it seemingly isn't that simple. Reports today suggest that Belfodil will choose to sign for QPR in a loan deal until the end of the season, becoming the latest player to spurn the advances of Sam Allardyce and his Hammers, after Lacina Traore turned down a move to Upton Park in favour of Roberto Martinez's Everton.
Allardyce desperately needs to land a striker after seeing his side hit just 22 goals in 22 games this season, but has so far struggled to attract any of his targets, and Belfodil can now be added to that particular list. It's incredibly concerning for Hammers fans that Belfodil, a promising striker who made his name in a tough league in Serie A, would rather play in the second tier of English football than move to West Ham.
Perhaps the reasoning for Belfodil's decision is simply because West Ham currently lie 18th in the Premier League table, and are in real danger of being relegated. Meanwhile, Harry Redknapp's QPR are second in the Championship, and are one of the favourites for promotion. At such a young age, it's important to feature in a winning team, and perhaps Belfodil feels this will aid his development as a player.
With the latest rejection fresh in Allardyce's mind, he now has to consider alternatives – but if they can't compete with QPR for signings, how can they expect to land a striker that will score the goals to keep them in the Premier League?
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West Ham United keen on Catania forward Maxi Lopez
5:04pm Thursday 23rd January 2014 in News
East London and West Essex Guardian Series
West Ham United are reportedly keen on signing Catania forward Maxi Lopez. The Argentine striker is understood to want a move away from Italy and would probably welcome a move to the Premier League. Lopez has enjoyed a busy career having played for the likes of AC Milan, Barcelona and River Plate.
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West Ham set sights on Feyenoord striker
By talkSPORT | Thursday, January 23, 2014
Sam Allardyce is desperate to bring in another forward before the transfer window closes at the end of January. The West Ham boss was left fuming when Monaco forward Lacina Traore pulled out of a move to the east London club at the last minute. Allardyce could now switch his attentions to Pelle who has been one of the star performers for Feyenoord and has also attracted interest from both Chelsea and Barcelona. The Italian striker scored an impressive 27 goals in just 29 games last season and would be an ideal choice for West Ham as they look to move out of the bottom three. But Allardyce faces a major battle to clinch his signature as the prolific forward says he is happy to stay in Holland and is enjoying his time at Feyenoord. Pelle told RTV Rijnmond: "It's always an honour to be in the interest of clubs, maybe I deserved that. But right now, I do not think about a transfer. "I have often said that I'm enjoying myself at Feyenoord. I love this club and I'm happy with how the season goes."
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West Ham rule out Ravel Morrison transfer in the current window after rejecting Fulham bid
Jan 23, 2014 22:29 By John Cross
The Mirror
West Ham have told Ravel Morrison he is going nowhere in the current transfer window. Hammers co-owner David Sullivan has made it clear that they will run the risk of losing money on his fee in the summer rather than cash in on him between now and next Friday's deadline. The Upton Park club have knocked back a £4million bid from Fulham for Morrison, even though the England Under-21 international will only have 12 months left on his contract in the summer. They have decided to take a strong stance and resist any temptation to sell Morrison, in the hope he can help them beat relegation back to the Championship.
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Borriello heads to London for talks with West Ham as Allardyce targets striker
By DECLAN WARRINGTON
PUBLISHED: 22:57, 23 January 2014 | UPDATED: 23:05, 23 January 2014
Daily Mail
Marco Borriello is ready to fly to London for talks over a transfer to West Ham. Despite Andy Carroll's return to fitness and Carlton Cole's contract extension, manager Sam Allardyce remains keen on recruiting a striker. Boriello, 31, has agreed a deal in principle to leave Roma, and could become one of several new signings. The striker has scored only one Serie A goal this season, but has been a reliable finisher for Roma, Juventus and Milan in recent years.
West Ham are to also hold talks with Raul Meireles, formerly of Liverpool and Chelsea, though they look set to miss out on Michael Essien, who is close to a loan move to AC Milan. Osasuna's Raoul Loe, who has also been looked at by relegation rivals Crystal Palace, and Milan's Antonio Nocerino are further midfield options.
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Nice work if you can get it
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 24th January 2014
By: Staff Writer
It has been revealed that an unnamed director of West Ham United was paid in excess of £1.6million last season. The huge sum, almost certainly a bonus payment in relation to a particular target being reached was revealed in the latest set of accounts for season 2012/13, which were released this week. From a total of £1,962,000 paid to the Club's directors during the season, £1.634,000 went to just one director. The accounts also revealed that WH Holdings, West Ham United FC's parent company enjoyed a turnover just shy of £90million in 2012/23 - the club's first season back in the Premier League following promotion from the Championship - and recorded an operating profit of £1.05million. However with interest payments taken into account, an overall loss of £3.5million was made. The steady process of shifting debts from the banks into personal loans by the Club's -co-owners, David Gold and David Sullivan, is also clearly evident. And whilst the overall figure owed to creditors stands well in excess of £100million, the vast majority of that sum remains manageable following the refinancing of the Club (a re-arranged loan with Barclays Bank covering some £45million) plus the co-owners' decision to convert a similar amount of debt into personal loans. "My board and I are delighted with the achievements we have made this season," wrote David Sullivan. "During the year we bought Matt Jarvis, Mo Diame, James Collins, Alou Diarra and Modibo Maiga, investing a total of £26.7million. "Subsequent to the year end, we have further invested in the playing staff for the 2013/14 season with the significant purchase of Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing. After the season ended I further invested in the Club by purchasing 25 per cent of the Club from CB Holdings ehf, taking the combined shareholding of myself and David Gold to 86.2 per cent. "This season will bring its own challenges but we continue to believe that we will deliver both on and off the pitch by investing in the team, the brand and managing the business well."
Vice-Chair Karren Brady added: "2012/13 was a very successful year for the Club both on and off the pitch. Off the pitch all areas of income increased, from ticket sales to commercial revenue, creating total additional revenue of £43.6million this year. "The Retail team drove a 25 per cent increase in sale achieving a Club record high in turnover. The Commercial and Sponsorship departments generated £13.9million of revenue, another record. The Marketing team delivered 17 sell-out crowds and the Ticketing team increased match day sales by 32 per cent to £18million. "Through the hard work of a fantastic, dedicated, loyal and determined team the Club has grown in size, revenue and in stature. The management team off the pitch were able to capitalise and maximise on all the opportunities the manager and the team delivered on the pitch."
To see how the latest set of accounts compare with the 2011/12 Championship season, see below...
The 2012/13 Accounts: Main Points
The main changes in the last 12 months
* Turnover UP from £46million to £90million
* Operating Profit UP from -£22million to £1million
* Wage bill UP from £35million to £49million
* Directors' Remuneration UP from £669,000 to £2million
* Net debt UP from £71million to £77million
* Sponsorships (including TV revenue) UP from £20million to £52million
* Shareholders loans UP from zero to £45.7million
* Number of staff DOWN from 586 to 580
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Kuzmanovic turns down West Ham0
Hampus Kärki Friday January 24th, 2014
Sempreinter.com
SportMediaset reports today the Serbian Inter-midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic has caught the eyes of West Ham United, but the Serbian international has already turned down a move to West Ham. Instead, the Hammers will go for Antonio Nocerino from AC Milan.
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Michael Essien rejects late West Ham United offer
Posted On Friday, 24th January 2014
GhanaSoccer.net
By Akyereko Frimpong Manson
Ghana midfielder Michael Essien told West Ham United officials he is not interested in joining the club as he reached a persona terms with AC Milan, GHANAsoccernet.com can exclusively confirm. The Hammers were among top clubs hoping to secure the signature of the 31-year-old by signing him from Chelsea but Essien reportedly told Chelsea officials he is not interested in a move to the Upton Park. Essien has made just five appearances for Chelsea since the start of the season and the Blues re-signed midfielder Nemanja Matic from Benfica which means they were ready to allow the experienced Ghanaian leave the club. West Ham joined Galatasaray, Milan and PSG as clubs hoping to land Essien but he told Chelsea officials he wants to move abroad. He is expected to finalise a move to AC Milan in the next 24 hours.
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WHUFC.com
West Ham United forward Ricardo Vaz Te is targeting a first-team comeback after another successful run out
23.01.2014
Hello everyone,
I am pleased to report that I should be back in action soon. My shoulder has been all right for a few weeks now but, as I have been out for a while, when I came back to training I felt a little pain down my shin so I had to adjust that as well. It was something I was not familiar with, but it has been addressed so I have been training for the last week now. I managed to play 60 minutes in a behind-closed-doors match on Thursday and it's feeling quite all right now. I have no pain, but I'm not as sharp as I should or as I was, but that will come quickly, I've no doubt. I'm feeling good, so I just need a few more training sessions and games and I'll be sweet. I feel like I can play a part, so there is no problem. I didn't make the best of starts to the season, considering what happened in the transfer window and stuff like that, but all that was put aside and we worked out our differences. I went back into the team and I was very pleased. I'm happy to be here and have been from day one, really. I always felt glad to be part of this amazing Club, so I'm happy to be back now and hopefully I can contribute to anything that is positive. I will train for the next week and, barring any setbacks, I will make myself available for selection next week. After that, it is up to the manager because he decides which players will play. As long as I am available, if he plays me then I am ready and if not, I am working so that when he gives me my chance, I take it.
We also have a number of important players who are either back or close to returning. Winston Reid was the Hammer of the Year last season and obviously he has been very important for us and still is. Andy Carroll was very unfortunate with his injury, too.
Injuries happen and you have good times and bad times. This was our dip in the road, so we will address it and there is no need to shy away from it.
We are in a difficult situation. I remember coming here when we were in the Championship and we lost first and second position and had to go through the Play-Offs and people started turning on us. As long as you keep your head up and know what is required, everything will be OK.
The main priority is obviously to stay in the Premier League. Last year, we finished in the top ten, which was OK. Personally, I feel that this Club should be in the top ten. Now things are difficult so we have to make sure we stay in the Premier League, which I think will be no problem whatsoever, and then we'll build on that.
It's easy to lose faith but supporters have been in this place many times. I am sure that nobody is going down. The fans have emotion and if they want to boo, they boo and if they want to cheer, they cheer - hopefully we will give them something to cheer. We want to do that all the time, but it's not always possible.
It's easy to wish we had something else, but let's count our blessings and hopefully things will get better. It is tough at the moment, but I don't think there is anything to worry about. The main thing is to stay positive, because I think we'll be fine.
Enjoy your weekend,
Vaz
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Guy and Vaz feature in friendly
WHUFC.com
West Ham United pair Guy Demel and Ricardo Vaz Te played in a behind-closed-doors game on Thursday
23.01.2014
West Ham United duo Guy Demel and Ricardo Vaz Te returned to action in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday. The pair played for an hour following their recent injury lay-offs as they move closer to full fitness once more. Vaz Te suffered a dislocated shoulder back in October, while Demel has been sidelined with a severe concussion picked up in the Barclays Premier League victory at Cardiff City earlier this month. Now, with a series of important games coming up for Sam Allardyce's men, both will be hoping to play a full part before long. First team coach Ian Hendon said: "Guy and Vaz got an important hour under their belts on Thursday. That's what the game was arranged for - we thought we might have a few more of the seniors available to play, but a lot of those played against Man City. "The main thing was that they came through unscathed. We've got a 16-game season and it's going to be massive to have extra bodies back. The more we have fit and ready to go the easier it'll be. February is going to be a massive month with the games against teams in and around us."
An experienced Spurs side, which included eight internationals who had commanded transfer fees in excess of £60m, saw off the youthful Hammers 3-0, with two goals from Harry Kane and one for Paulinho sealing their victory. Hendon was pleased with how the Hammers applied themselves and felt they were unfortunate not to get on the scoresheet themselves. He added: "There were a few decent performances against a very good Spurs side - that was pretty much their Europa League team, I'd say. It was a good test for the younger lads, but the main objective today was to give Guy and Vaz minutes. "To be fair to the boys, they created a few chances in the second half, but we just couldn't convert them."
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Striker deal agreed - Di Marzio
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 23rd January 2014
By: Staff Writer
Roma striker Marco Boriello has agreed a deal to join West Ham on loan for the remainder of the season, according to reports emanating from Italy tonight.
According to Italian reporter Gianluca Di Marzio, earlier this afternoon Boriello agreed a deal with West Ham that will see him move to London for the remainder of the current campaign, with the relevant paperwork set to be signed tomorrow. Now 31, Boriello played for a number of top flights clubs including Juventus, Milan and Sampdoria prior to arriving at Roma for £10million in 2010. Yet despite the large fee, the 6'1" forward has made just 18 appearances for i Giallorossi since having spent more time out on loan since. Last season Boriello spent the entire season with Genoa for whom he scored 12 times in 28 Serie A appearances. His 11 appearances for his parent club this term have yielded just one goal so far, that coming in the 1-0 win over Chievo at the end of October.
However he has not played a first team fixture since November 25, when he came on as a 69th minute substitute for Alessandro Florenzi in a goalless draw with Chievo.
Here's KUMB member VeniceHammer: "Borriello is two things - a confidence player and a player who thrives in "big fish in a small pond" situations. He quite regularly failed to take his chances in big teams (Roma, Juventus, Milan) but had very good seasons, for example, at Genoa where he felt loved and scored a lot. "I hope that, if he really comes to us, his "too good looking to be a good footballer" fame quiets down a bit because, all in all, he is not a bad player. Decent technique and strong but mobile, the only thing we need to give him is patience and support (and that is what worries me, in our current situation).
"His goalscoring record, when supported, has always been decent. He's not a world beater, but I struggle to see us signing one."
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Hammers make second Serie A raid
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 23rd January 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are poised to snap up a second Serie A star on loan for the rest of the season. Having already agreed a provisional deal with Roma to sign 31-year-old striker Marco Boriello on loan the Hammers are hoping to make a second raid on the Italian league in order to land midfielder Antonio Nocerino from Milan.
According to sources in Italy the two clubs have reached agreement on a loan deal, possibly with view to a permanent transfer should both parties agree. Gianluca Di Marzio, who broke the story adds that West Ham will cover the player's wages during his stay in London and that a medical is expected to take place before the weekend.
28-year-old Nocerino has been at Milan since 2011, since when he has made 87 appearances for the Rossoneri. It is thought that the players favours a move in order to gain first team football and stake a claim for next summer's World Cup Finals in Brazil.
Capped 15 times for Italy since making his international debut in 2007, the midfielder last appeared for his country in the 2012 European Championships and the 0-0 draw with England.
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Hammers fall but duo return
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 23rd January 2014
By: Staff Writer
There was good news for Sam Allardyce today after Guy Demel and Ricardo Vaz Te both came through a behind-closed-doors friendly unscathed.
A West Ham United XI were beaten 3-0 by Tottenham at the Boleyn Ground this afternoon in a match specifically-tailored to allow the duo some important match time, with the Hammers' next fixture - at Chelsea, on Wednesday- still a week away.
The visitors, featuring several first team squad players including Gylfi Sigurdsson, Paulinho and Jan Vertonghen took the lead after 12 minutes through young striker Harry Kane. The 20-year-old had the ball in the net again shortly after but saw his effort ruled out for offside - however £17million summer-signing Paulinho's 36th-minute effort did count, giving his side a 2-0 half time lead.
The only goal of the second half came with just 18 minutes of time remaining and followed a good move involving Sigurdsson, Holtby and goalscorer Kane who picked his spot from inside the box. The striker had previously seen a second effort ruled out for offside.
Despite suffering defeat, First team coach Ian Hendon was pleased with his team's overall performance - and delighted that both Demel and Vaz Te emerged intact. "That's what the game was arranged for," he told whufc.com. "We thought we might have a few more of the seniors available to play, but a lot of those played against Man City [on Tuesday night].
"The main thing was that they came through unscathed. We've got a 16-game season and it's going to be massive to have extra bodies back. The more we have fit and ready to go the easier it'll be. February is going to be a massive month with the games against teams in and around us.
"It was a good test for the younger lads, but the main objective today was to give Guy and Vaz minutes."
Sam Allardyce and the remainder of his senior squad jetted off to Dubai this week for some 'warm weather' training. Hammers fans will be hoping that it has a similar effect to the last two trips to the United Arab Emirates.
Following their mid-season sojourn last year, the Hammers lost 3-2 at home to Tottenham courtesy of Gareth Bale's last-minute wondergoal before losing just one of the next seven games (away to Chelsea).
And in 2012, the Hammers won 2-0 at Cardiff in their first game back through goals from Kevin Nolan and George McCartney before embarking on a seven-match unbeaten run in the Championship.
West Ham Utd: Howes, Demel, Vaz Te, Moncur, Lletget, McCallum, Maguire.
Tottenham: Friedel, Naughton (A McQueen 75), Kaboul (Gallifuoco 60), Vertonghen (Stewart 60), Fryers, Capoue, Paulinho (Ward 60), Sandro (Veljkovic 46), Holtby (Couleybaly 75), Kane, Sigurdsson.
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West Ham defender Winston Reid upbeat over his recovery from injury
Last Updated: 23/01/14 12:19pm
SSN
Injured West Ham defender Winston Reid says he is close to returning to training. The New Zealand international has not played since November 2nd and has missed his club's last 15 matches with an ankle problem. The 25-year-old from Auckland was hurt during training but has now told the club's website he should be back in action very soon. Reid said: "I'm as close as I've ever been to returning to training. We'll just have to see how it feels as to how we play it. "Unfortunately, I had to have an operation and it took a little bit longer than I expected. "There was a ligament torn in my ankle so they had to repair it by putting a screw through it to stabilise the joint. "Now, it's pretty much good to go again. It was painful when it happened and it got even worse in the couple of days afterwards, but after that it settled down. "People probably don't understand but you work hardest when you are injured because the days are pretty long. "I've been working in the gym and trying to get my body back in shape after spending the initial four weeks after the injury doing nothing, because I wasn't allowed to. "I had to keep my foot elevated and off the floor but the last seven-odd weeks I've been working hard to get my fitness back."
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EXCLUSIVE: GUEST POST BY DAVID SULLIVAN: "FANS MISUNDERSTAND OUR LOANS"
By Iain Dale 23 Jan 2014 at 20:00
West Ham Till I Die
From David Sullivan, joint chairman of WHU
To: WHTID readers
I do read your site regularly. People seem to misunderstand our loans. On our loans to the club there is a 'notional interest rate' as it's unrealistic if there isn't, and HMRC might question the loans. However. no interest has been paid or will be paid until the club is solvent/financially self sufficient. It just rolls up as a debt that may or may not ever be paid.
In contrast loans and repayment and interest to the bank have to be paid or the club is declared bankrupt. It is our money that then replaces these loans when they become due to avoid default.
It hurts us when supporters imply we are somehow collecting interest on our loans. In reality we have to put more and more in as the bank loans become due for payment.
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IT IS NOT JUST SAM
By Iain Dale 23 Jan 2014 at 12:38
West Ham Till I Die
Guest Post by iRoNcOrK
I write this as a deeply concerned fan, in an effort to be constructive rather than critical. I have thought many times recently that the club really needs "sorting out" and currently everything is pointing to the need for a root and branch review of the whole organisation, top to bottom.
We all know there is a team management issue which has taken up miles of column space on here but I believe we have deeper problems so I don't want to discuss the merit (?)s of Sam. One of the challenges in any organisation is keeping it fresh and competitive and there is every sign that our club not only has this challenge but is also at a turning point. The question is, will things turn for the better and make us a regular top half club capable, in time, of challenging for a place in Europe or do we face a future of being a regular bottom half club with the inevitable bouts of fighting relegation which the law of averages dictates that you will lose every once in a while?
A perennial problem for shareholders or CEOs is competitiveness. Good, solid performers in any organisation do get stale and though they may do nothing wrong, they often reach a comfort level where they stop driving the organisation forward. Sometimes they also get complacent, where they also start making mistakes, or less than optimal decisions, and the organisation goes into decline.
In the context of West Ham, let's start at the top. The owners are the chairmen. They can do what they wish with the club and whether they stay or go is their choice. Whether we like them or not, that is probably how it should be in most circumstances. However, Karren Brady needs consideration. She is a very smart and capable lady who the owners have worked with for many years, but is she performing to her best ability now? If I owned the club, I would have to ask myself whether she has become involved in too many outside activities to be able to perform at her absolute maximum level in the interests of the club. If the role was perceived as a part time one in the past, it is certainly not now. A proper full time CEO is needed to get to grips with all the off-field issues which are affecting on field results.
Clearly too many contracts, playing and non-playing, have been entered into without full consideration of the likely effects in differing scenarios. Hence Sam's compensation is too expensive to sack him, we will never afford Nolan or Carroll, given their contribution levels, in the Championship, together with players who seemingly hardly play. We also have players on contracts with "interesting" clauses,….interesting but not in our interest. A firmer strategy with scenario planning is needed for all contracts and older players.
Looking at some of the comings and goings over the last couple of years we should be forgiven for thinking that we have been regularly manipulated by agents and/or our own manager in the signing of new players. We have brought in far too many who have not played enough games, either because they were simply not good enough anyway or because they were not given a chance. Some of these have played but been paid far too much for their ability level and contribution. It has to stop. The manager, assuming he chooses the players, needs to be held accountable for those he signs. We need a review of our scouting organisation (do we have one to speak of?), so that we may successfully compete with (often smaller) clubs who seem to regularly discover relatively cheap but outstanding performers from both inside and outside the UK. At the very least we need to know much more about players before we sign them.
The club has three training facilities, Chadwell Heath, Rush Green and Little Heath. There needs to be a long term strategy in place to consolidate these in one location and bring the facilities up to modern Premier League standards. This is not visionary and it is not optional if we want to thrive and be successful. After all, the club's business is the performance of professional athletes. Our performances, injury record and ongoing advances in technology dictate that we should regularly review our facilities, support personnel and treatment regimens. The Andy Carroll debacle alone indicates that. Obviously there is a serious debt issue to resolve before we could take on the costs involved but there should be a plan and there should be a measure of urgency.
We have one of the best academy coaches in the land but the throughput of young players has slowed dramatically so this is another area crying out for a review and new strategy, also linked to scouting, support personnel, facilities and actually giving the youngsters opportunities at the appropriate time.
The club has become something of a laughing stock in terms of its public relations and communications strategy, or lack thereof. The puerile nature of the club's emails has come in for a lot of criticism recently. Also, delegating implementation of information dissemination to a dyslexic thirteen year old is not the hallmark of a professional organisation and it is quite clear that the club's relationship with its fans is adversely affected by this on a regular basis.
If you will pardon the pun, these issues are not indicative of a CEO with her eye on the ball and there are no doubt other matters of serious concern. Often, and I would venture in this case, it is better to bring someone from outside the organisation to review current practices with fresh eyes. Maybe it needs a small team with both football and non-football experience to be brought in, for a limited time, to examine everything the club does – and how it does it – and then come up with recommendations to improve. Maybe it just needs a full time, hands-on CEO who is not trying to juggle too many balls at once in the wider society.
There will be many good things going on inside the club and these need to be not only reinforced but improved upon as well. However, it is quite clear that there are too many areas of the club not performing as they should and the organisational structure is a long way from optimal.
We have too many pressing issues. Karren Brady needs to refocus her attention on West Ham or step aside. The club desperately needs leadership, and leaders must be accountable.
Perhaps Messrs. Gold and Sullivan should appoint a competent and full time CEO to run the club and become less hands on themselves, sit back and enjoy being fans. It may increase their objectivity as their current approach is not working.
If we were flying high it would not be a problem. When we look at all the challenges that are now arising, together with the potential turmoil and indeed opportunities of the Olympic Stadium on the horizon, something has to change, and change fast.
Corky
COYI
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WEST HAM WANDERERS?
By Sean Whetstone 23 Jan 2014 at 08:53
West Ham Till I Die
It has often been claimed West Ham have turned into a sh*t version of Bolton on the pitch since Sam Allardyce's arrival as manager. Whether you agree with that sentiment or not the question now needs to be asked whether we are turning into a version of Bolton off the pitch in financial terms? Earlier this month Bolton Wanderers have admitted their debts have grown to a staggering £163.8m, with £50.7m haemorrhaging during the 12 months to June 2013. There are fears that the club may follow Leeds United and Portsmouth into financial armageddon.
In a statement Bolton's chairman Phil Gartside, said…
"This year's results show the difficulties faced in the football business when a club has enjoyed a sustained and successful period in the Premier League – in our case 11 years – then suffers relegation to the Football League Championship. The ever-widening gap between the two leagues makes the transition extremely difficult, even with the benefit of parachute payments."
The club's financial position underlines the dangers of overspending and dropping out of the Premier League as Wanderers did in May 2012. Bolton is dependent on a single benefactor, the owner Eddie Davies. Yet as £151.3m of the debt is owed to Davies through his company, Moonlight Investment Ltd. Gartside conceded the club's future hinges on Davies' continuing goodwill while admitting that financial fair play rules mean he can no longer support the club as before.
"However, [owners'] financial support is no longer possible in this league without severe penalty. We are responding to a changing environment … " said Gartside.
Owner Davies's decision to charge interest on loans to the club has been questioned. Although he ended the policy in July, Mohamed Al Fayed, for example, never charged interest on loans that left Fulham £193m in debt. Fayed sold Fulham to Shahid Khan last summer.
When West ham got relegated Sullivan & Gold injected £32.5m into the club as we made a loss of £25.5m during our season in the championship. They charge interest on their loans to the club.
David Sullivan was recently quoted as saying "If we go down we cannot afford to subsidise the club any longer"
Since our last relegation Financial Fair Play rules have been implemented in the Championship which change the landscape. Championship clubs are allowed to lose up to £3 million a season, which will incur no sanction or punishment. If a club loses between £3-8 million that season, then the owner of the club is required to cover the loss, which if done, then there are no further sanctions. If the owner cannot or will not cover the loss, then a transfer embargo is placed on the club until they can demonstrate an acceptable financial situation.
If the club loses over £8 million for that season, then the punishment depends on whether they were promoted or not. If promoted, the club will pay a Fair Play Tax out of the revenue produced from competing in the Premier League, with the proceeds going to charity. The Fair Play Tax was controversially applied to FFP in the Championship, with many clubs wanting the Fair Play Tax proceeds going back to the clubs that abide by the rules. Nevertheless, if a club has not been promoted, then the transfer embargo will be placed upon that club until they can demonstrate an acceptable financial situation.
Relegation for West Ham this season could cause our own financial armageddon without the ability to buy ourselves out of the championship like we did last time.
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Big Sam considering swoop for Newcastle outcast
Date: 23rd January 2014 at 3:00 pm
Written by: Irons Maiden | Forever West Ham
Steven TaylorIf West Ham fail to convince Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott to join them, the Telegraph are reporting that Sam Allardyce will turn his attentions to Newcastle United defender Steven Taylor. Newcastle are apparently willing to listen to offers for the 28-year-old, as Alan Pardew continues to prefer the defensive options of Fabricio Coloccini, Mike Williamson and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa. Taylor, who has been at Newcastle since his youth, has only made three Premier League appearances this season. Yet another rumour and still no substantial signings from our beloved West Ham…I'm starting to worry.
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Di Marzio: "Borriello accepts offer from West Ham"0
Danny Hansen Thursday January 23rd, 2014 Latest articles
Sempreinter.com
Marco Borriello has been mentioned as a possible target for Inter during this transfer window but Gianluca Di Marzio reports that the striker is on his way to another club: "It will be the Premier League in the future of Marco Borriello. Right now the striker, in fact, has accepted an offer from West Ham: a loan until the end of the season, a solution that finally convinced the striker who has for some time been about to leave Roma. The signature on the contract is expected to be made tomorrow. There is an ongoing exchange of documents between the two clubs, early on Saturday he could undergo the medical examination. Borriello bids farewell to Roma, Premier League awaits him."
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West Ham United Set For Double Italian Swoop
Forzaitalianfootball.com
West Ham United are reportedly close to sealing deals for AC Milan midfielder Antonio Nocerino and Roma striker Marco Borriello. The duo have been linked away from their current clubs as they have been deemed a surplus to requirements, and it appears they have found a new home in London. Gazzetta.it report that Nocerino has accepted a loan move to the Hammers where he will spend the remainder of the season. Sky Sport Italia report that Borriello has also accepted a move to the London club after weeks of rumours linking him with a move to the Premier League. It is believed Borriello will land in England on Saturday for a medical before completing a loan move. Nocerino has 11 league appearances for Milan this season while Borriello has scored one goal in 11 appearances for Roma.
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Serbian striker in line for Premier League move to West Ham
Labrokes.com
Sam Alllardyce could be set to turn his attentions to in-form Nantes striker Filip Djordjevic this January as West Ham continue their search for a striker to boost the club's ailing fortunes.
The 26-year-old has been in excellent form for the newly-promoted Ligue 1 side, scoring eight goals for Les Canaris in a haul to rival that of PSG forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Monaco man Radamel Falcao.
Equally adept in the air as he is with the ball at his feet, the forward could be the perfect antidote to the Hammers' current malaise under Big Sam, with the Irons struggling for goals in the Premier League at present, having scored just three in their last five competitive fixtures.
It's a tally that, when allied with a run of six losses in their last eight games, has seen West Ham priced at 8/5 to be relegated this term with Allardyce the 6/4 favourite to be the next Premier League manager to leave his post.
Djordjevic could provide some respite though, with the young Serb something of a late bloomer having previously risen through the ranks at Red Star Belgrade before moving to France, where he took time to blossom at Nantes.
Nevertheless his signature could represent something of a coup for West Ham, with Hull City previously close to landing the highly-regarded striker, amid reports of an imminent move last month.
However talk of that deal has subsequently cooled, with Tigers boss Steve Bruce instead turning to Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long this month.
A Hammers move would mean a happy ending to Big Sam's current striker crisis, with the club previously failing to land Lacina Traore on loan, as well as being linked with Birmingham target man Nikola Zigic and former Blackburn goalscorer Yakubu.
Djordjevic, meanwhile, will no doubt relish the chance to test his skills in the English top flight and follow in the footsteps of fellow countrymen Nemanja Vidic and Aleksandar Kolarov.
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Belfodil set to choose QPR as West Ham miss out on ANOTHER striker
HITC.com
Inter Milan striker Ishak Belfodil is set to turn down a move to West Ham in favour of Championship side Queens Park Rangers.
The Algerian international, 22, only joined the Serie A giants in the summer following an impressive season with Parma. Inter Milan paid €7.5m for 50% of the former Lyon striker in a co-ownership deal, yet after struggling to break into Walter Mazzarri's team, Belfodil wants to go out on loan in a bid to play first-team football. He was recently told by his national team coach that his in Algeria's squad for the upcoming World Cup in Brazil is not assured if he does not play regular football.
Fellow Serie A side Sassuolo had lined up a £7m bid for Belfodil, though it is believed that the striker wants to play in London, and subsequently narrowed his choice down to either West Ham United or Queens Park Rangers.
Now, this would seem like an easy decision for any foreign player. West Ham are, whilst currently struggling, a Premier League team, whilst QPR are currently in the Championship following their relegation last season. A no-brainer, right?
Well, it seemingly isn't that simple. Reports today suggest that Belfodil will choose to sign for QPR in a loan deal until the end of the season, becoming the latest player to spurn the advances of Sam Allardyce and his Hammers, after Lacina Traore turned down a move to Upton Park in favour of Roberto Martinez's Everton.
Allardyce desperately needs to land a striker after seeing his side hit just 22 goals in 22 games this season, but has so far struggled to attract any of his targets, and Belfodil can now be added to that particular list. It's incredibly concerning for Hammers fans that Belfodil, a promising striker who made his name in a tough league in Serie A, would rather play in the second tier of English football than move to West Ham.
Perhaps the reasoning for Belfodil's decision is simply because West Ham currently lie 18th in the Premier League table, and are in real danger of being relegated. Meanwhile, Harry Redknapp's QPR are second in the Championship, and are one of the favourites for promotion. At such a young age, it's important to feature in a winning team, and perhaps Belfodil feels this will aid his development as a player.
With the latest rejection fresh in Allardyce's mind, he now has to consider alternatives – but if they can't compete with QPR for signings, how can they expect to land a striker that will score the goals to keep them in the Premier League?
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West Ham United keen on Catania forward Maxi Lopez
5:04pm Thursday 23rd January 2014 in News
East London and West Essex Guardian Series
West Ham United are reportedly keen on signing Catania forward Maxi Lopez. The Argentine striker is understood to want a move away from Italy and would probably welcome a move to the Premier League. Lopez has enjoyed a busy career having played for the likes of AC Milan, Barcelona and River Plate.
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West Ham set sights on Feyenoord striker
By talkSPORT | Thursday, January 23, 2014
Sam Allardyce is desperate to bring in another forward before the transfer window closes at the end of January. The West Ham boss was left fuming when Monaco forward Lacina Traore pulled out of a move to the east London club at the last minute. Allardyce could now switch his attentions to Pelle who has been one of the star performers for Feyenoord and has also attracted interest from both Chelsea and Barcelona. The Italian striker scored an impressive 27 goals in just 29 games last season and would be an ideal choice for West Ham as they look to move out of the bottom three. But Allardyce faces a major battle to clinch his signature as the prolific forward says he is happy to stay in Holland and is enjoying his time at Feyenoord. Pelle told RTV Rijnmond: "It's always an honour to be in the interest of clubs, maybe I deserved that. But right now, I do not think about a transfer. "I have often said that I'm enjoying myself at Feyenoord. I love this club and I'm happy with how the season goes."
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West Ham rule out Ravel Morrison transfer in the current window after rejecting Fulham bid
Jan 23, 2014 22:29 By John Cross
The Mirror
West Ham have told Ravel Morrison he is going nowhere in the current transfer window. Hammers co-owner David Sullivan has made it clear that they will run the risk of losing money on his fee in the summer rather than cash in on him between now and next Friday's deadline. The Upton Park club have knocked back a £4million bid from Fulham for Morrison, even though the England Under-21 international will only have 12 months left on his contract in the summer. They have decided to take a strong stance and resist any temptation to sell Morrison, in the hope he can help them beat relegation back to the Championship.
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Borriello heads to London for talks with West Ham as Allardyce targets striker
By DECLAN WARRINGTON
PUBLISHED: 22:57, 23 January 2014 | UPDATED: 23:05, 23 January 2014
Daily Mail
Marco Borriello is ready to fly to London for talks over a transfer to West Ham. Despite Andy Carroll's return to fitness and Carlton Cole's contract extension, manager Sam Allardyce remains keen on recruiting a striker. Boriello, 31, has agreed a deal in principle to leave Roma, and could become one of several new signings. The striker has scored only one Serie A goal this season, but has been a reliable finisher for Roma, Juventus and Milan in recent years.
West Ham are to also hold talks with Raul Meireles, formerly of Liverpool and Chelsea, though they look set to miss out on Michael Essien, who is close to a loan move to AC Milan. Osasuna's Raoul Loe, who has also been looked at by relegation rivals Crystal Palace, and Milan's Antonio Nocerino are further midfield options.
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Nice work if you can get it
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 24th January 2014
By: Staff Writer
It has been revealed that an unnamed director of West Ham United was paid in excess of £1.6million last season. The huge sum, almost certainly a bonus payment in relation to a particular target being reached was revealed in the latest set of accounts for season 2012/13, which were released this week. From a total of £1,962,000 paid to the Club's directors during the season, £1.634,000 went to just one director. The accounts also revealed that WH Holdings, West Ham United FC's parent company enjoyed a turnover just shy of £90million in 2012/23 - the club's first season back in the Premier League following promotion from the Championship - and recorded an operating profit of £1.05million. However with interest payments taken into account, an overall loss of £3.5million was made. The steady process of shifting debts from the banks into personal loans by the Club's -co-owners, David Gold and David Sullivan, is also clearly evident. And whilst the overall figure owed to creditors stands well in excess of £100million, the vast majority of that sum remains manageable following the refinancing of the Club (a re-arranged loan with Barclays Bank covering some £45million) plus the co-owners' decision to convert a similar amount of debt into personal loans. "My board and I are delighted with the achievements we have made this season," wrote David Sullivan. "During the year we bought Matt Jarvis, Mo Diame, James Collins, Alou Diarra and Modibo Maiga, investing a total of £26.7million. "Subsequent to the year end, we have further invested in the playing staff for the 2013/14 season with the significant purchase of Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing. After the season ended I further invested in the Club by purchasing 25 per cent of the Club from CB Holdings ehf, taking the combined shareholding of myself and David Gold to 86.2 per cent. "This season will bring its own challenges but we continue to believe that we will deliver both on and off the pitch by investing in the team, the brand and managing the business well."
Vice-Chair Karren Brady added: "2012/13 was a very successful year for the Club both on and off the pitch. Off the pitch all areas of income increased, from ticket sales to commercial revenue, creating total additional revenue of £43.6million this year. "The Retail team drove a 25 per cent increase in sale achieving a Club record high in turnover. The Commercial and Sponsorship departments generated £13.9million of revenue, another record. The Marketing team delivered 17 sell-out crowds and the Ticketing team increased match day sales by 32 per cent to £18million. "Through the hard work of a fantastic, dedicated, loyal and determined team the Club has grown in size, revenue and in stature. The management team off the pitch were able to capitalise and maximise on all the opportunities the manager and the team delivered on the pitch."
To see how the latest set of accounts compare with the 2011/12 Championship season, see below...
The 2012/13 Accounts: Main Points
The main changes in the last 12 months
* Turnover UP from £46million to £90million
* Operating Profit UP from -£22million to £1million
* Wage bill UP from £35million to £49million
* Directors' Remuneration UP from £669,000 to £2million
* Net debt UP from £71million to £77million
* Sponsorships (including TV revenue) UP from £20million to £52million
* Shareholders loans UP from zero to £45.7million
* Number of staff DOWN from 586 to 580
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Kuzmanovic turns down West Ham0
Hampus Kärki Friday January 24th, 2014
Sempreinter.com
SportMediaset reports today the Serbian Inter-midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic has caught the eyes of West Ham United, but the Serbian international has already turned down a move to West Ham. Instead, the Hammers will go for Antonio Nocerino from AC Milan.
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Michael Essien rejects late West Ham United offer
Posted On Friday, 24th January 2014
GhanaSoccer.net
By Akyereko Frimpong Manson
Ghana midfielder Michael Essien told West Ham United officials he is not interested in joining the club as he reached a persona terms with AC Milan, GHANAsoccernet.com can exclusively confirm. The Hammers were among top clubs hoping to secure the signature of the 31-year-old by signing him from Chelsea but Essien reportedly told Chelsea officials he is not interested in a move to the Upton Park. Essien has made just five appearances for Chelsea since the start of the season and the Blues re-signed midfielder Nemanja Matic from Benfica which means they were ready to allow the experienced Ghanaian leave the club. West Ham joined Galatasaray, Milan and PSG as clubs hoping to land Essien but he told Chelsea officials he wants to move abroad. He is expected to finalise a move to AC Milan in the next 24 hours.
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Thursday, January 23
Daily WHUFC News - 23rd January 2014
Reid close to return
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid is close to a return to full training following his injury
lay-off
22.01.2014
Winston Reid is set to return to training with the first-team squad after
nearly four months on the sidelines. The West Ham United centre-back has not
played since suffering a high ankle sprain in training at the end of
October. Reid underwent surgery to stabilise his joint before spending a
month resting and embarking on his rehabilitation. The No2 has missed West
Ham's last 15 games and was also forced out of New Zealand's FIFA World Cup
Intercontinental Play-Off defeat by Mexico in November. However, there is
now clear light at the end of the tunnel for the Hammer of the Year, who
revealed that he is just days away to returning to full training. "I
suffered a high ankle sprain and there was a ligament that was torn in
there, so they had to repair it by putting a screw through it to stabilise
the joint," Reid explained. "Now, it's pretty much good to go again. "It was
painful when it happened and it got even worse in the couple of days
afterwards, but after that it settled down and I thought it was OK.
Unfortunately I had to have an operation and it took a little bit longer
than I expected. "People probably don't understand but you work hardest when
you are injured because the days are pretty long. I've been working in the
gym and trying to get my body back in shape after spending the initial four
weeks after the injury doing nothing, because I wasn't allowed to. "I had to
keep my foot elevated and off the floor, but the last seven-odd weeks I've
been working hard to get my fitness back."
The injury occurred at an inopportune moment for both Reid and the Club,
coming as it did after the defender had helped West Ham to keep six clean
sheets in their opening ten Barclays Premier League matches. "Injuries never
really come at a good time, but that's part of football and I've got over it
and I'm looking to finish off the season well. "I'm as close as I've ever
been to returning to training, so hopefully in a week or so I'll be out
there again. We'll just have to see how it feels as to how we play it."
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Johnson gearing up for key month
WHUFC.com
West Ham United defender Roger Johnson says February will be a key period
for his new side
22.01.2014
Roger Johnson says West Ham United are facing a massive month in their bid
to turn the 2013/14 season around. Last Saturday's defeat to Newcastle
United saw the Hammers drop into the Barclays Premier League bottom three,
but February pits them against three sides in the bottom half of the table,
with two of those fixtures - against Swansea City and Norwich City - at the
Boleyn Ground. Johnson, who arrived at the Hammers on loan from
Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier in January, is looking forward to playing
his part as the Hammers look to climb the standings. He told whufc.com:
"We'll go to Chelsea in our next game and try to cause an upset. Their
record speaks for itself, but like any other game we'll go there looking to
win it. Certainly after that we've got Swansea and Norwich at home - those
kind of games decide your season. "Then we'll have Southampton at home too,
so February is a humongous month. "I think this team is strong enough to
stay up, the manager is looking to add too, which will help. We're near the
top of the clean sheet record, and if we'd won a couple of the games we
ended up drawing the league would look different. The manager is looking to
strengthen and we'll see what goes on in the window. It's a massive football
club and I'm honoured to be here. It's tough to make that transition back to
the top flight, I've been out of the Premier League for two-and-a-half
seasons, but I know in my head that I can do it and thankfully the manager
has given me the chance to try and prove that. "The sprirt is good, they
players are a good bunch and nobody wants to get relegated. Everyone knows
what we've got to do - start putting points on the board and winning here
because it was a fortress last year, I'm told. "The manager's trying to drum
that into us. We know what's expected of us, we've got to do it and quick,
because we are running out of games."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Big Interview - Kevin Nolan
WHUFC.com
Captain Kevin Nolan is fully focused on the fight to keep West Ham United in
the top flight
22.01.2014
West Ham United skipper Kevin Nolan is determined to right the wrongs of a
turbulent last six months, vowing to fire the Hammers to Barclays Premier
League safety. The experienced midfielder returned from suspension in
Tuesday's 3-0 Capital One Cup semi-final second leg home defeat by
Manchester City, a result on which he has no plans to dwell. The midweek
cup exit saw Nolan link up with Andy Carroll for the first time since May
and the 32-year-old insists the duo will be working doubly hard on the
training field to rekindle their prolific partnership. With only two goals
to his name this term, Nolan is desperate to get back to his clinical best
in front of goal and is confident that in Carroll and Carlton Cole, he has
the two perfect foils.
Kevin, first things first, I should think you're just glad to be back out
there?
KN: "Yes, of course. It feels like a long time, obviously all through my own
fault. It's just nice to get 90 minutes under my belt. It was always going
to be a tough ask on Tuesday, especially with their quality. "Sometimes
you've just got to admire the quality of those two up front. Tuesday just
showed what they are about, quality, top-end quality and world class
players."
In spite of the result, it was much a better performance than at their place
and probably deserved at least a goal on the night.
KN: "Listen, it's always easier when you're not at the Etihad! Although
we've gone 3-0 down, I think we could have cut out two of them, quite
simply, through [cutting out] mistakes of our own. But again, it's the
quality they show. Having forced the mistake, the quality of finishing is
why you pay those hundreds of millions of pounds for that top quality. "But
I though the lads battled on well and continued to try and do the right
things. Hopefully we'll look and try to take a few positives out if it, but
it's gone now. We've got one focus and that's just to stay in the Premier
League. There are going to be so many battles now, from now until the end of
the season. We're firmly up for it and we're looking forward to it. I'm
relishing it and hoping to prove a lot of people wrong come May."
How much did you enjoy linking up with the big man again? It has been a
while!
KN: "Yes, probably too long for his and my liking, but I think you've seen
glimpses on Tuesday of the way he is. We came off on Tuesday and said we're
going to have to start working on a bit of stuff on our own, after training,
link-up play and things like that. Just to get that little chemistry back,
the little bits and bobs and the sharpness around the box. Hopefully that's
going to pay dividends in the coming weeks and I've just to make sure that I
try to force my way back into the team. "Once we're in there, we'll start
doing what we normally do and that's bagging goals. That's what we want to
do. Our record speaks for itself in that respect, so hopefully, we'll get
our chance and when we do, we'll start taking them."
Has it given you a boost in confidence to have Andy back in and around the
first-team squad?
KN: "Of course, it's always nice when you're going through a bit of a tough
patch yourself that you've got someone who you work well with in tandem. I
make no secret about it, it has been a tough time and obviously it has been
a tough time for myself anyway for the last six months - with a return of
only two goals, it probably should have been more, with a few great saves
against me here and there and a few bad finishes when I've had the chances.
"But I'm hoping now to put it behind me, look forward and for the next four
months, I'm hoping to put what has been a fairly average season behind me
and make into a good one. One which I can look back on and say, 'at least I
did perform and gave something to the team in the latter part of the
season.'"
With slightly better fortune you could have scored a couple yourself on
Tuesday?
KN: "That's the pleasing thing about it and having Coley [Carlton Cole]
there too was a good thing. I think obviously Coley's now fit, the fittest
he has been and he has been brilliant over the last couple of weeks. With
him, being able to work off him is going to be great. So I'm really looking
forward to having that focal point and with me being able to use my main
attributes, hopefully I'll start scoring some goals."
A full week now to prepare for Chelsea and lots of hard work to be done…
KN: "Of course, there's lots of hard work to be done, from now until
Chelsea, then onto the next game and until the end of the season. One thing
we've got to do is stick together, keep that camaraderie going, keep the
unity and togetherness. It's going to be a load of battles now and hopefully
we'll enjoy it and win the war come the end of the season."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bad luck frustrates Driver
WHUFC.com
Callum Driver felt luck had played a part as the Development Squad lost to
Fulham on Monday night
22.01.2014
Development Squad captain Callum Driver was left feeling hard done by after
the young Hammers were defeated by Fulham at Motspur Park on Monday night.
One goal was all it took to separate two of the Barclays Under-21 Premier
League's top sides with the Cottagers maintaining their unbeaten record with
a narrow victory. The winning goal came after 37 minutes as Lyle Della Verde
cut-in from the right-hand side before his shot took a deflection off two
Hammers' defenders, wrong-footing Raphael Spiegel who could only watch as
the ball rolled past him. Driver told West Ham TV that he felt the goal was
unfortunate but still thought his side could have found a way to take
something from the match. "We're all very disappointed. We wanted to have a
comeback from the West Brom game last week when we lost 3-0 but instead
we're here very disappointed with a 1-0 loss here tonight. "We feel hard
done by with a lucky goal and we felt that we maybe could have snatched one
at the end but we didn't get that chance."
Defeat to Fulham extends a winless start to the year for the U21s who were
knocked out of the U21 Premier League Cup by Chelsea before West Bromwich
Albion recorded a 3-0 win at Rush Green in their last league encounter. On
paper, Fulham was the squad's hardest match of the season with their hosts
yet to lose a league game in eleven outings. As it turned out, the Hammers
could well have taken the points back to east London had Matthias Fanimo or
Elliot Lee converted good chances as the away side pushed late-on for a
levelling goal. Captain Driver felt the team's failure to capitalise on
their opportunities cost them dearly on Monday night. "I think they're
unbeaten, and have drawn two, so we were hoping to get a result because
we're up there too. "We wanted to give them a good game and I think we did
that but we just didn't take our opportunities tonight. "We got the ball in
the box a few times in the last five or ten minutes but it just wouldn't
drop to us for us to get the opportunity for a shot on target."
The full-back is now keen to ensure the U21s produce a response when they
next take to the field against Blackburn Rovers on 31 January. The Hammers
have home advantage at Rush Green and will be looking to move back into the
top four places in the league. "We've had a bit of a kick so we're hoping to
bounce back as soon as we get into training this week and try and get as fit
as we possibly can ahead of the next game against Blackburn Rovers."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Gold: West Ham are at a low point in their history
BBC.co.uk
West Ham co-chairman David Gold says his club are at "a low point" in their
history and face a "tough battle" to stay in the Premier League. West Ham
were beaten 9-0 on aggregate by Manchester City in the Capital One Cup
semi-finals and are 18th in the Premier League table. "We must regroup and
prepare for a tough relegation battle," said Gold, 77. "[But] players are
returning from injury and together we can survive." Gold added on Twitter:
"We are out of both cup competitions having been beaten 5-0 and 9-0 - this
is a low point in the history of our great club." Sam Allardyce's side have
lost seven of their last nine matches in all competitions and have won just
four Premier League games all season. Gold and his fellow co-owner David
Sullivan issued an open letter to fans in support of boss Sam Allardyce
following the 5-0 FA Cup defeat by Nottingham Forest and they are continuing
to stand by their manager. Striker Andy Carroll made his first start of the
season on Tuesday, after nearly eight months out with a foot injury.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
This is a low
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 22nd January 2014
By: Staff Writer
David Gold has called West Ham two recent Cup exits "a low point" in the
Club's 114-year history. The co-owner spoke out this afternoon in the wake
of more heavy criticism aimed at the owners and manager Sam Allardyce
following another insipid showing against Manchester City at the Boleyn
Ground last night.
Already 6-0 ahead from the first leg, it took the visitors just three
minutes to extend their lead before running out 3-0 winners on the night,
giving them a 9-0 aggregate win - a new competition record for a semi final.
That followed the earlier humiliation at Championship side Nottingham
Forest, where a patchwork team were humbled 5-0 in the 3rd Round of the FA
Cup - a competition still valued and cherished by Hammers fans, if not those
of some other clubs. Speaking via Twitter, Gold made no excuses for the
defeats - but insisted that this awful season could yet have a happy ending.
"We are out of both cup competitions having been beaten 5-0 and 9-0. This is
a low point in the history of our great club," he said. "We must regroup and
prepare ourselves for a tough relegation battle. Players are returning from
injury and together we can survive."
Gold and co-owner David Sullivan released a statement in the first week of
January in which they stated that the club were close to signing two
highly-regarded players - a striker and a defender. However West Ham's only
signings so far this January have been back-up defender Roger Johnson from
League One Wolves, future prospect Jaanai Gordon from Peterborough United
and Carlton Cole, who signed a new 18-month deal last week. That failure to
bring in any players to improve upon those already in the squad has led to a
great deal of frustration both within the club and amongst supporters, many
of whom are highly critical of the Board for their failure to land targets
both now and in previous transfer windows.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham captain Kevin Nolan says red cards were 'out of character'
Last Updated: 22/01/14 8:30am
SSN
West Ham United captain Kevin Nolan is determined to repay people's faith
following the two red cards he has described as 'out of character'. Nolan
served a three-match ban after being sent off against Liverpool in early
December before being suspended for four games after his dismissal at Fulham
on New Year's Day. The 31-year-old returned from his latest ban in Tuesday
night's 3-0 home defeat by Manchester City in the second leg of the Capital
One Cup semi-final which saw West Ham lose 9-0 on aggregate. Former
Newcastle midfielder Nolan has acknowledged it has been a tough time in
recent weeks and he is eager to demonstrate he has put his disciplinary
issues behind him. "The last few weeks have been among the most difficult of
my career - certainly on a par with when I joined Newcastle and they got
relegated," Nolan told the Evening Standard. "What's happened to me over the
last month was very out of character. I've never been through anything like
that before, but I have now and I'm hoping to prove, by the end of the
season, that I've come through it. "Things have been made easier by the
support I've had from my family, friends and Lee Richardson, the club
psychologist. It's at times like this you appreciate who is next to you, who
is around you, and my support system is fantastic. "I've had to take it on
the chin, it's been dealt with, the gaffer has had his say and rightly so,
he's told me what he expects of me and now it's up to me. I have to deal
with it and I'm big enough, strong enough and ugly enough to do that. "I've
apologised to all the lads and they've said, 'we all make mistakes, let's
just forget about it and get on with it'. If it had happened to anyone else
they would have got the same reaction from me but it was nice to know I had
the full support of all those boys. "I've been pretty low but thankfully I
had my family and friends. Without them, you don't know how dark it could
have got. I hope I can repay the faith of people."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
CHINESE TAKEOVER ANYONE?
By Sean Whetstone 22 Jan 2014 at 17:41
West Ham Till I Die
The Daily Mirror are reporting China's richest man is poised to make a
takeover bid at Southampton. Chinese billionaire Wang Jianlin, boss of the
Dalian Wanda group, who could make any club he buys the richest club in the
Premier League. Wang's property development company is worth £19billion and
his own personal fortune around half that figure. Now, Wang, 59, wants to
break into English football to add to the company's growing portfolio and
is believed to be lining up a £175million bid for Southampton. Forbes
magazine ranked him the 128th richest person in the world as he is worth US
$8.6 billion in 2013. In August 2013, he was listed by Bloomberg as the
wealthiest person in China. No disrespect to Southampton but if the Chinese
billionaire is willing to splash the cash wouldn't a London club with the
Olympic stadium be a better investment for him?
In 2012 West Ham co-owner David Gold has admitted he'd sell some of his
stake in the club if he can find an Upton Park sugar-daddy. He was quoted as
saying He said: "You have to be a billionaire to make a major difference and
there aren't many of them about. How many Roman Abramovichs are there?"
Well it appears Wang Jianlin is out there, he almost as rich as Roman
Abramovich and he wants to buy a English premier league club. David Gold
went on to say "Of course, I'd welcome a Father Christmas. But then you look
and discover that it might not be the real Father Christmas. And you know
why? Because there isn't a real Father Christmas. He doesn't exist.In an
ideal world, though, if you ask what I'd like to see happen, I would like a
very wealthy person to come and join us. David and myself are wealthy by
normal standards, but not by football standards."
I wonder whether Mr Gold and Mr Sullivan would consider selling up to let
the club experience the kind of financial investment Manchester City and
Chelsea have enjoyed. David Sullivan was recently quoted as saying "If we go
down we cannot afford to subsidise the club any longer" If they sold up for
£175 million they would re-coup the money they invested and allow the club
they say they love to move on to a new chapter.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
ALOU DIARRA WANTS OUT!
By Sean Whetstone 22 Jan 2014 at 08:30
West Ham Till I Die
Alou Diarra wants out of West ham this January transfer window.
Diarra told L'Equipe: "When I talk with other Frenchmen, I would have loved
to experience the same as them – but there is a whole world between us. The
great excitement of the Premier League – I am not experiencing it at all.
Since the very first day people wanted me to accept that I am second choice.
I'm in a dead end. It was a bad career choice and I need a real challenge. A
January departure? Yes it is very likely. To France? I've explored it all."
Diarra added: "The fact I was back from broken knee ligaments after six
weeks without having surgery? Some people could hardly believe it. Anyway my
situation has not changed. I am not fooled. I quickly understood he
(Allardyce) didn't rely on me, as I am again confined to the bench."
West Ham are believed to have paid a fee of around £2.5 million in August
2012 for Diarra from Marseille who were keen to get his hefty £60,000 a week
wages of their books.
In January last year his days seemed numbered after he claimed he was lied
to by West Ham & agents.
After just five appearances in a West Ham shirt, Diarra claimed he was
deceived by West Ham when they tried to lure him to Upton Park..
'The speeches were so positive,' Diarra told L'Equipe. 'I was told that I
was a priority for the manager' 'At 31-years-old, I wanted to find another
league, and Marseille needed to reduce their wage bill, so it suited
everyone 'It was England, London, West Ham, a popular club with a true
identity. It was an opportunity to settle in the Premier League. I did not
ask, I trusted. 'After a few weeks, I realised that there were a lot of
lies. This agent has fooled me. Some people have made money on my back.
Admittedly, I have three year contract but I'm not unhappy financially, but
I came to play, not to take an early retirement. I am positively at breaking
point.'
Allardyce responded at the time saying "It is a fact of life, I look at the
situation and play what I consider the best team, and because of Alou's
long-standing injury he has found it hard to adjust to what is needed in the
Premier League. If he is unhappy, he just has to tell me what he wants to do
and we'll see how we go from there. We'll have that discussion and we'll
make a decision after that on his future."
Not long after these exchange of words in the media he was shipped out to
Rennes on a six month loan and his West Ham career seemed at an end.
In pre-season training he seemed ready to make peace with West Ham. He told
the club website "I want to fight this season with West Ham, I'll give 100
per cent in training and I'll wait for my chance.I want to give my best for
West Ham and we'll see. I'm ready to play in the Premier League
now.Pre-season has gone well. We work hard every day, and we've only lost
one game so it has been a good start for us"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham skipper Kevin Nolan seeks help from club psychologist to improve
discipline problems
Jan 22, 2014 13:44 By Liam Prenderville
The Mirror
West Ham United captain Kevin Nolan has promised his recent red-card madness
will not happen again, after having sessions with the club's sports
psychologist. The midfielder has missed seven games in the past two months,
after being sent off against Liverpool in December, before suffering the
same punishment against Fulham just three games later. His acts of lunacy
infuriated boss Sam Allardyce, who even considered stripping Nolan of his
captaincy at Upton Park. However, he returned to the fold for last night's
Capital One Cup second-leg defeat to Manchester City and revealed he went
through counselling to work on his discipline. Nolan told the Express: "What
happened to me over the last month was very out of character. "Things have
been made easier by the support I've had from my family, friends and Lee
Richardson, the club psychologist. "I've not been through anything like that
before - but I have now and I'm hoping to prove, by the end of the season,
that I've come through it."
His first dismissal came at Anfield for a needless lunge at Jordan Henderson
late on in a 4-1 defeat, before being shown his marching orders at Fulham on
New Year's Day for an off-the-ball incident. Nolan was fined two weeks'
wages for his behaviour with boss Allardyce - who has also managed him at
Bolton - revealing his anger. He said after the Fulham loss: "Our captain
was irresponsible. Not just today but for the future because he is
suspended. "He's let everyone down and himself. I just don't quite
understand where he's lost his cool and why it's happened."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United linked with move for AC Milan midfielder Antonio Nocerino
5:50pm Wednesday 22nd January 2014 in News
East London and West Essex Guardian Series
Antonio Nocerino has become the latest player to be linked with a move to
West Ham in the transfer window. Reports from Italy claim the Hammers are
interested in the AC Milan midfielder, who has been limited to just seven
Serie A starts this season. It is claimed that new Milan manager Clarence
Seedorf is looked to move on Nocerino amid suggestions Chelsea midfielder
Michael Essien could be on his way to the San Siro.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Kevin Nolan backs Joleon Lescott transfer as two Serie A strikers
are eyed on loan
Jan 22, 2014 22:30 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror
Kevin Nolan has jokingly confessed he tried to tap up Joleon Lescott as they
played against each other in the Capital One Cup semi-final on Tuesday. West
Ham captain Nolan, back from suspension, saw his side beaten 9-0 on
aggregate as Lescott's Manchester City team confirmed their place in the
final at Wembley on March 2. Lescott, however, is still weighing up an offer
to move to Upton Park on loan with a view to a permanent deal in the summer.
Nolan, seen deep in discussion with the England centre-back, said: "We were
having a laugh and joke. That was me trying to tell him to come and help us
out! He laughed and said, 'You're joking aren't you?' "He didn't really say
that - I was only winding you up - but we did have a little bit of laughter
and a giggle and I was trying to persuade him, because he is a top quality
player and adding another one doesn't do any harm. It will only make us
stronger. "I am hoping that a bit of business can be done in the next couple
of weeks. If not, we just have to get on with it."
Mirror Sport understands the Hammers' move for Southampton striker Rickie
Lambert has been blocked by the Saints' owner, Katharina Liebherr. West Ham
felt then-executive chairman Nicola Cortese had been open to selling Lambert
before his own dramatic departure from St Mary's a week ago. The Hammers are
now considering loan moves for Italy-based forwards Maxi Lopez and Marco
Borriello. Lopez, 29, has scored one goal in 12 league appearances for
Catania this season while 31-year-old Borriello has one in 11 at Roma. The
frustrated Londoners have had offers rejected by out-of-favour Everton
defender Johnny Heitinga and young Inter Milan forward Ishak Belfodil. Nolan
went on: "We don't want those players, simple as. I don't want to play with
a player who, once someone else comes in for him, his head is turned, or a
player who doesn't fancy the challenge. "We only want players who are going
to go out there and put their hand on their heart and say, 'Listen, I am
here for the club.' We want them to be here. If you don't want to be here,
don't bother."
Struggling West Ham are poised to have Ricardo Vaz Te, Guy Demel, Joey
O'Brien, George McCartney and Winston Reid all back from injury within the
week.
Boss Sam Allardyce believes the fit-again players will provide a massive
boost to the club's fight against relegation. "If you give me all them fit
from as quickly as possible until the end of the season, I think we'll come
out of this." he said. "Forty (points) is the safe zone over more than 10
years now. It's got to be 22 points minimum for me in the last 16 (games)."
The Hammers are waiting for Mo Diame's injury to settle down before they can
scan it. The midfielder was taken off on a stretcher late in Tuesday's
match.
The groin injury which ended teammate Joe Cole's involvement, meanwhile, is
not thought to be serious.
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WHUFC.com
Winston Reid is close to a return to full training following his injury
lay-off
22.01.2014
Winston Reid is set to return to training with the first-team squad after
nearly four months on the sidelines. The West Ham United centre-back has not
played since suffering a high ankle sprain in training at the end of
October. Reid underwent surgery to stabilise his joint before spending a
month resting and embarking on his rehabilitation. The No2 has missed West
Ham's last 15 games and was also forced out of New Zealand's FIFA World Cup
Intercontinental Play-Off defeat by Mexico in November. However, there is
now clear light at the end of the tunnel for the Hammer of the Year, who
revealed that he is just days away to returning to full training. "I
suffered a high ankle sprain and there was a ligament that was torn in
there, so they had to repair it by putting a screw through it to stabilise
the joint," Reid explained. "Now, it's pretty much good to go again. "It was
painful when it happened and it got even worse in the couple of days
afterwards, but after that it settled down and I thought it was OK.
Unfortunately I had to have an operation and it took a little bit longer
than I expected. "People probably don't understand but you work hardest when
you are injured because the days are pretty long. I've been working in the
gym and trying to get my body back in shape after spending the initial four
weeks after the injury doing nothing, because I wasn't allowed to. "I had to
keep my foot elevated and off the floor, but the last seven-odd weeks I've
been working hard to get my fitness back."
The injury occurred at an inopportune moment for both Reid and the Club,
coming as it did after the defender had helped West Ham to keep six clean
sheets in their opening ten Barclays Premier League matches. "Injuries never
really come at a good time, but that's part of football and I've got over it
and I'm looking to finish off the season well. "I'm as close as I've ever
been to returning to training, so hopefully in a week or so I'll be out
there again. We'll just have to see how it feels as to how we play it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Johnson gearing up for key month
WHUFC.com
West Ham United defender Roger Johnson says February will be a key period
for his new side
22.01.2014
Roger Johnson says West Ham United are facing a massive month in their bid
to turn the 2013/14 season around. Last Saturday's defeat to Newcastle
United saw the Hammers drop into the Barclays Premier League bottom three,
but February pits them against three sides in the bottom half of the table,
with two of those fixtures - against Swansea City and Norwich City - at the
Boleyn Ground. Johnson, who arrived at the Hammers on loan from
Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier in January, is looking forward to playing
his part as the Hammers look to climb the standings. He told whufc.com:
"We'll go to Chelsea in our next game and try to cause an upset. Their
record speaks for itself, but like any other game we'll go there looking to
win it. Certainly after that we've got Swansea and Norwich at home - those
kind of games decide your season. "Then we'll have Southampton at home too,
so February is a humongous month. "I think this team is strong enough to
stay up, the manager is looking to add too, which will help. We're near the
top of the clean sheet record, and if we'd won a couple of the games we
ended up drawing the league would look different. The manager is looking to
strengthen and we'll see what goes on in the window. It's a massive football
club and I'm honoured to be here. It's tough to make that transition back to
the top flight, I've been out of the Premier League for two-and-a-half
seasons, but I know in my head that I can do it and thankfully the manager
has given me the chance to try and prove that. "The sprirt is good, they
players are a good bunch and nobody wants to get relegated. Everyone knows
what we've got to do - start putting points on the board and winning here
because it was a fortress last year, I'm told. "The manager's trying to drum
that into us. We know what's expected of us, we've got to do it and quick,
because we are running out of games."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Big Interview - Kevin Nolan
WHUFC.com
Captain Kevin Nolan is fully focused on the fight to keep West Ham United in
the top flight
22.01.2014
West Ham United skipper Kevin Nolan is determined to right the wrongs of a
turbulent last six months, vowing to fire the Hammers to Barclays Premier
League safety. The experienced midfielder returned from suspension in
Tuesday's 3-0 Capital One Cup semi-final second leg home defeat by
Manchester City, a result on which he has no plans to dwell. The midweek
cup exit saw Nolan link up with Andy Carroll for the first time since May
and the 32-year-old insists the duo will be working doubly hard on the
training field to rekindle their prolific partnership. With only two goals
to his name this term, Nolan is desperate to get back to his clinical best
in front of goal and is confident that in Carroll and Carlton Cole, he has
the two perfect foils.
Kevin, first things first, I should think you're just glad to be back out
there?
KN: "Yes, of course. It feels like a long time, obviously all through my own
fault. It's just nice to get 90 minutes under my belt. It was always going
to be a tough ask on Tuesday, especially with their quality. "Sometimes
you've just got to admire the quality of those two up front. Tuesday just
showed what they are about, quality, top-end quality and world class
players."
In spite of the result, it was much a better performance than at their place
and probably deserved at least a goal on the night.
KN: "Listen, it's always easier when you're not at the Etihad! Although
we've gone 3-0 down, I think we could have cut out two of them, quite
simply, through [cutting out] mistakes of our own. But again, it's the
quality they show. Having forced the mistake, the quality of finishing is
why you pay those hundreds of millions of pounds for that top quality. "But
I though the lads battled on well and continued to try and do the right
things. Hopefully we'll look and try to take a few positives out if it, but
it's gone now. We've got one focus and that's just to stay in the Premier
League. There are going to be so many battles now, from now until the end of
the season. We're firmly up for it and we're looking forward to it. I'm
relishing it and hoping to prove a lot of people wrong come May."
How much did you enjoy linking up with the big man again? It has been a
while!
KN: "Yes, probably too long for his and my liking, but I think you've seen
glimpses on Tuesday of the way he is. We came off on Tuesday and said we're
going to have to start working on a bit of stuff on our own, after training,
link-up play and things like that. Just to get that little chemistry back,
the little bits and bobs and the sharpness around the box. Hopefully that's
going to pay dividends in the coming weeks and I've just to make sure that I
try to force my way back into the team. "Once we're in there, we'll start
doing what we normally do and that's bagging goals. That's what we want to
do. Our record speaks for itself in that respect, so hopefully, we'll get
our chance and when we do, we'll start taking them."
Has it given you a boost in confidence to have Andy back in and around the
first-team squad?
KN: "Of course, it's always nice when you're going through a bit of a tough
patch yourself that you've got someone who you work well with in tandem. I
make no secret about it, it has been a tough time and obviously it has been
a tough time for myself anyway for the last six months - with a return of
only two goals, it probably should have been more, with a few great saves
against me here and there and a few bad finishes when I've had the chances.
"But I'm hoping now to put it behind me, look forward and for the next four
months, I'm hoping to put what has been a fairly average season behind me
and make into a good one. One which I can look back on and say, 'at least I
did perform and gave something to the team in the latter part of the
season.'"
With slightly better fortune you could have scored a couple yourself on
Tuesday?
KN: "That's the pleasing thing about it and having Coley [Carlton Cole]
there too was a good thing. I think obviously Coley's now fit, the fittest
he has been and he has been brilliant over the last couple of weeks. With
him, being able to work off him is going to be great. So I'm really looking
forward to having that focal point and with me being able to use my main
attributes, hopefully I'll start scoring some goals."
A full week now to prepare for Chelsea and lots of hard work to be done…
KN: "Of course, there's lots of hard work to be done, from now until
Chelsea, then onto the next game and until the end of the season. One thing
we've got to do is stick together, keep that camaraderie going, keep the
unity and togetherness. It's going to be a load of battles now and hopefully
we'll enjoy it and win the war come the end of the season."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bad luck frustrates Driver
WHUFC.com
Callum Driver felt luck had played a part as the Development Squad lost to
Fulham on Monday night
22.01.2014
Development Squad captain Callum Driver was left feeling hard done by after
the young Hammers were defeated by Fulham at Motspur Park on Monday night.
One goal was all it took to separate two of the Barclays Under-21 Premier
League's top sides with the Cottagers maintaining their unbeaten record with
a narrow victory. The winning goal came after 37 minutes as Lyle Della Verde
cut-in from the right-hand side before his shot took a deflection off two
Hammers' defenders, wrong-footing Raphael Spiegel who could only watch as
the ball rolled past him. Driver told West Ham TV that he felt the goal was
unfortunate but still thought his side could have found a way to take
something from the match. "We're all very disappointed. We wanted to have a
comeback from the West Brom game last week when we lost 3-0 but instead
we're here very disappointed with a 1-0 loss here tonight. "We feel hard
done by with a lucky goal and we felt that we maybe could have snatched one
at the end but we didn't get that chance."
Defeat to Fulham extends a winless start to the year for the U21s who were
knocked out of the U21 Premier League Cup by Chelsea before West Bromwich
Albion recorded a 3-0 win at Rush Green in their last league encounter. On
paper, Fulham was the squad's hardest match of the season with their hosts
yet to lose a league game in eleven outings. As it turned out, the Hammers
could well have taken the points back to east London had Matthias Fanimo or
Elliot Lee converted good chances as the away side pushed late-on for a
levelling goal. Captain Driver felt the team's failure to capitalise on
their opportunities cost them dearly on Monday night. "I think they're
unbeaten, and have drawn two, so we were hoping to get a result because
we're up there too. "We wanted to give them a good game and I think we did
that but we just didn't take our opportunities tonight. "We got the ball in
the box a few times in the last five or ten minutes but it just wouldn't
drop to us for us to get the opportunity for a shot on target."
The full-back is now keen to ensure the U21s produce a response when they
next take to the field against Blackburn Rovers on 31 January. The Hammers
have home advantage at Rush Green and will be looking to move back into the
top four places in the league. "We've had a bit of a kick so we're hoping to
bounce back as soon as we get into training this week and try and get as fit
as we possibly can ahead of the next game against Blackburn Rovers."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Gold: West Ham are at a low point in their history
BBC.co.uk
West Ham co-chairman David Gold says his club are at "a low point" in their
history and face a "tough battle" to stay in the Premier League. West Ham
were beaten 9-0 on aggregate by Manchester City in the Capital One Cup
semi-finals and are 18th in the Premier League table. "We must regroup and
prepare for a tough relegation battle," said Gold, 77. "[But] players are
returning from injury and together we can survive." Gold added on Twitter:
"We are out of both cup competitions having been beaten 5-0 and 9-0 - this
is a low point in the history of our great club." Sam Allardyce's side have
lost seven of their last nine matches in all competitions and have won just
four Premier League games all season. Gold and his fellow co-owner David
Sullivan issued an open letter to fans in support of boss Sam Allardyce
following the 5-0 FA Cup defeat by Nottingham Forest and they are continuing
to stand by their manager. Striker Andy Carroll made his first start of the
season on Tuesday, after nearly eight months out with a foot injury.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
This is a low
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 22nd January 2014
By: Staff Writer
David Gold has called West Ham two recent Cup exits "a low point" in the
Club's 114-year history. The co-owner spoke out this afternoon in the wake
of more heavy criticism aimed at the owners and manager Sam Allardyce
following another insipid showing against Manchester City at the Boleyn
Ground last night.
Already 6-0 ahead from the first leg, it took the visitors just three
minutes to extend their lead before running out 3-0 winners on the night,
giving them a 9-0 aggregate win - a new competition record for a semi final.
That followed the earlier humiliation at Championship side Nottingham
Forest, where a patchwork team were humbled 5-0 in the 3rd Round of the FA
Cup - a competition still valued and cherished by Hammers fans, if not those
of some other clubs. Speaking via Twitter, Gold made no excuses for the
defeats - but insisted that this awful season could yet have a happy ending.
"We are out of both cup competitions having been beaten 5-0 and 9-0. This is
a low point in the history of our great club," he said. "We must regroup and
prepare ourselves for a tough relegation battle. Players are returning from
injury and together we can survive."
Gold and co-owner David Sullivan released a statement in the first week of
January in which they stated that the club were close to signing two
highly-regarded players - a striker and a defender. However West Ham's only
signings so far this January have been back-up defender Roger Johnson from
League One Wolves, future prospect Jaanai Gordon from Peterborough United
and Carlton Cole, who signed a new 18-month deal last week. That failure to
bring in any players to improve upon those already in the squad has led to a
great deal of frustration both within the club and amongst supporters, many
of whom are highly critical of the Board for their failure to land targets
both now and in previous transfer windows.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham captain Kevin Nolan says red cards were 'out of character'
Last Updated: 22/01/14 8:30am
SSN
West Ham United captain Kevin Nolan is determined to repay people's faith
following the two red cards he has described as 'out of character'. Nolan
served a three-match ban after being sent off against Liverpool in early
December before being suspended for four games after his dismissal at Fulham
on New Year's Day. The 31-year-old returned from his latest ban in Tuesday
night's 3-0 home defeat by Manchester City in the second leg of the Capital
One Cup semi-final which saw West Ham lose 9-0 on aggregate. Former
Newcastle midfielder Nolan has acknowledged it has been a tough time in
recent weeks and he is eager to demonstrate he has put his disciplinary
issues behind him. "The last few weeks have been among the most difficult of
my career - certainly on a par with when I joined Newcastle and they got
relegated," Nolan told the Evening Standard. "What's happened to me over the
last month was very out of character. I've never been through anything like
that before, but I have now and I'm hoping to prove, by the end of the
season, that I've come through it. "Things have been made easier by the
support I've had from my family, friends and Lee Richardson, the club
psychologist. It's at times like this you appreciate who is next to you, who
is around you, and my support system is fantastic. "I've had to take it on
the chin, it's been dealt with, the gaffer has had his say and rightly so,
he's told me what he expects of me and now it's up to me. I have to deal
with it and I'm big enough, strong enough and ugly enough to do that. "I've
apologised to all the lads and they've said, 'we all make mistakes, let's
just forget about it and get on with it'. If it had happened to anyone else
they would have got the same reaction from me but it was nice to know I had
the full support of all those boys. "I've been pretty low but thankfully I
had my family and friends. Without them, you don't know how dark it could
have got. I hope I can repay the faith of people."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
CHINESE TAKEOVER ANYONE?
By Sean Whetstone 22 Jan 2014 at 17:41
West Ham Till I Die
The Daily Mirror are reporting China's richest man is poised to make a
takeover bid at Southampton. Chinese billionaire Wang Jianlin, boss of the
Dalian Wanda group, who could make any club he buys the richest club in the
Premier League. Wang's property development company is worth £19billion and
his own personal fortune around half that figure. Now, Wang, 59, wants to
break into English football to add to the company's growing portfolio and
is believed to be lining up a £175million bid for Southampton. Forbes
magazine ranked him the 128th richest person in the world as he is worth US
$8.6 billion in 2013. In August 2013, he was listed by Bloomberg as the
wealthiest person in China. No disrespect to Southampton but if the Chinese
billionaire is willing to splash the cash wouldn't a London club with the
Olympic stadium be a better investment for him?
In 2012 West Ham co-owner David Gold has admitted he'd sell some of his
stake in the club if he can find an Upton Park sugar-daddy. He was quoted as
saying He said: "You have to be a billionaire to make a major difference and
there aren't many of them about. How many Roman Abramovichs are there?"
Well it appears Wang Jianlin is out there, he almost as rich as Roman
Abramovich and he wants to buy a English premier league club. David Gold
went on to say "Of course, I'd welcome a Father Christmas. But then you look
and discover that it might not be the real Father Christmas. And you know
why? Because there isn't a real Father Christmas. He doesn't exist.In an
ideal world, though, if you ask what I'd like to see happen, I would like a
very wealthy person to come and join us. David and myself are wealthy by
normal standards, but not by football standards."
I wonder whether Mr Gold and Mr Sullivan would consider selling up to let
the club experience the kind of financial investment Manchester City and
Chelsea have enjoyed. David Sullivan was recently quoted as saying "If we go
down we cannot afford to subsidise the club any longer" If they sold up for
£175 million they would re-coup the money they invested and allow the club
they say they love to move on to a new chapter.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
ALOU DIARRA WANTS OUT!
By Sean Whetstone 22 Jan 2014 at 08:30
West Ham Till I Die
Alou Diarra wants out of West ham this January transfer window.
Diarra told L'Equipe: "When I talk with other Frenchmen, I would have loved
to experience the same as them – but there is a whole world between us. The
great excitement of the Premier League – I am not experiencing it at all.
Since the very first day people wanted me to accept that I am second choice.
I'm in a dead end. It was a bad career choice and I need a real challenge. A
January departure? Yes it is very likely. To France? I've explored it all."
Diarra added: "The fact I was back from broken knee ligaments after six
weeks without having surgery? Some people could hardly believe it. Anyway my
situation has not changed. I am not fooled. I quickly understood he
(Allardyce) didn't rely on me, as I am again confined to the bench."
West Ham are believed to have paid a fee of around £2.5 million in August
2012 for Diarra from Marseille who were keen to get his hefty £60,000 a week
wages of their books.
In January last year his days seemed numbered after he claimed he was lied
to by West Ham & agents.
After just five appearances in a West Ham shirt, Diarra claimed he was
deceived by West Ham when they tried to lure him to Upton Park..
'The speeches were so positive,' Diarra told L'Equipe. 'I was told that I
was a priority for the manager' 'At 31-years-old, I wanted to find another
league, and Marseille needed to reduce their wage bill, so it suited
everyone 'It was England, London, West Ham, a popular club with a true
identity. It was an opportunity to settle in the Premier League. I did not
ask, I trusted. 'After a few weeks, I realised that there were a lot of
lies. This agent has fooled me. Some people have made money on my back.
Admittedly, I have three year contract but I'm not unhappy financially, but
I came to play, not to take an early retirement. I am positively at breaking
point.'
Allardyce responded at the time saying "It is a fact of life, I look at the
situation and play what I consider the best team, and because of Alou's
long-standing injury he has found it hard to adjust to what is needed in the
Premier League. If he is unhappy, he just has to tell me what he wants to do
and we'll see how we go from there. We'll have that discussion and we'll
make a decision after that on his future."
Not long after these exchange of words in the media he was shipped out to
Rennes on a six month loan and his West Ham career seemed at an end.
In pre-season training he seemed ready to make peace with West Ham. He told
the club website "I want to fight this season with West Ham, I'll give 100
per cent in training and I'll wait for my chance.I want to give my best for
West Ham and we'll see. I'm ready to play in the Premier League
now.Pre-season has gone well. We work hard every day, and we've only lost
one game so it has been a good start for us"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham skipper Kevin Nolan seeks help from club psychologist to improve
discipline problems
Jan 22, 2014 13:44 By Liam Prenderville
The Mirror
West Ham United captain Kevin Nolan has promised his recent red-card madness
will not happen again, after having sessions with the club's sports
psychologist. The midfielder has missed seven games in the past two months,
after being sent off against Liverpool in December, before suffering the
same punishment against Fulham just three games later. His acts of lunacy
infuriated boss Sam Allardyce, who even considered stripping Nolan of his
captaincy at Upton Park. However, he returned to the fold for last night's
Capital One Cup second-leg defeat to Manchester City and revealed he went
through counselling to work on his discipline. Nolan told the Express: "What
happened to me over the last month was very out of character. "Things have
been made easier by the support I've had from my family, friends and Lee
Richardson, the club psychologist. "I've not been through anything like that
before - but I have now and I'm hoping to prove, by the end of the season,
that I've come through it."
His first dismissal came at Anfield for a needless lunge at Jordan Henderson
late on in a 4-1 defeat, before being shown his marching orders at Fulham on
New Year's Day for an off-the-ball incident. Nolan was fined two weeks'
wages for his behaviour with boss Allardyce - who has also managed him at
Bolton - revealing his anger. He said after the Fulham loss: "Our captain
was irresponsible. Not just today but for the future because he is
suspended. "He's let everyone down and himself. I just don't quite
understand where he's lost his cool and why it's happened."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United linked with move for AC Milan midfielder Antonio Nocerino
5:50pm Wednesday 22nd January 2014 in News
East London and West Essex Guardian Series
Antonio Nocerino has become the latest player to be linked with a move to
West Ham in the transfer window. Reports from Italy claim the Hammers are
interested in the AC Milan midfielder, who has been limited to just seven
Serie A starts this season. It is claimed that new Milan manager Clarence
Seedorf is looked to move on Nocerino amid suggestions Chelsea midfielder
Michael Essien could be on his way to the San Siro.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Kevin Nolan backs Joleon Lescott transfer as two Serie A strikers
are eyed on loan
Jan 22, 2014 22:30 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror
Kevin Nolan has jokingly confessed he tried to tap up Joleon Lescott as they
played against each other in the Capital One Cup semi-final on Tuesday. West
Ham captain Nolan, back from suspension, saw his side beaten 9-0 on
aggregate as Lescott's Manchester City team confirmed their place in the
final at Wembley on March 2. Lescott, however, is still weighing up an offer
to move to Upton Park on loan with a view to a permanent deal in the summer.
Nolan, seen deep in discussion with the England centre-back, said: "We were
having a laugh and joke. That was me trying to tell him to come and help us
out! He laughed and said, 'You're joking aren't you?' "He didn't really say
that - I was only winding you up - but we did have a little bit of laughter
and a giggle and I was trying to persuade him, because he is a top quality
player and adding another one doesn't do any harm. It will only make us
stronger. "I am hoping that a bit of business can be done in the next couple
of weeks. If not, we just have to get on with it."
Mirror Sport understands the Hammers' move for Southampton striker Rickie
Lambert has been blocked by the Saints' owner, Katharina Liebherr. West Ham
felt then-executive chairman Nicola Cortese had been open to selling Lambert
before his own dramatic departure from St Mary's a week ago. The Hammers are
now considering loan moves for Italy-based forwards Maxi Lopez and Marco
Borriello. Lopez, 29, has scored one goal in 12 league appearances for
Catania this season while 31-year-old Borriello has one in 11 at Roma. The
frustrated Londoners have had offers rejected by out-of-favour Everton
defender Johnny Heitinga and young Inter Milan forward Ishak Belfodil. Nolan
went on: "We don't want those players, simple as. I don't want to play with
a player who, once someone else comes in for him, his head is turned, or a
player who doesn't fancy the challenge. "We only want players who are going
to go out there and put their hand on their heart and say, 'Listen, I am
here for the club.' We want them to be here. If you don't want to be here,
don't bother."
Struggling West Ham are poised to have Ricardo Vaz Te, Guy Demel, Joey
O'Brien, George McCartney and Winston Reid all back from injury within the
week.
Boss Sam Allardyce believes the fit-again players will provide a massive
boost to the club's fight against relegation. "If you give me all them fit
from as quickly as possible until the end of the season, I think we'll come
out of this." he said. "Forty (points) is the safe zone over more than 10
years now. It's got to be 22 points minimum for me in the last 16 (games)."
The Hammers are waiting for Mo Diame's injury to settle down before they can
scan it. The midfielder was taken off on a stretcher late in Tuesday's
match.
The groin injury which ended teammate Joe Cole's involvement, meanwhile, is
not thought to be serious.
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Wednesday, January 22
Daily WHUFC News - 22nd January 2014
Haycock rues narrow loss
WHUFC.com
Nick Haycock was disappointed after the U21s suffered a 1-0 defeat against
Fulham on Monday night
21.01.2014
Nick Haycock felt the Development Squad came up just short against Fulham on
Monday night as they went down by a single goal at Motspur Park. The
visitors arrived hoping to inflict a first Barclays Under-21 Premier League
defeat on the Cottagers but left having been beaten by Lyle Della Verde's
deflected shot which found a way past Raphael Spiegel after 37 minutes.
Elliot Lee and Matthias Fanimo went close to finding an equaliser but their
efforts were ultimately fruitless, leaving Haycock to ponder what might have
been. He told West Ham TV: "I thought it was a tight game. They were
probably the better team in the first half. I thought they had more control
of the game whilst we played off shape and on the counter-attack. "I just
thought we were naïve when we won the ball. I thought the boys were in good
shape when we won it, but I don't think we opened the pitch up enough when
we passed it. "We had a chance after 60 minutes where Matthias Fanimo
toe-poked it too hard over the bar, had that gone in that might have given
us more confidence. As the game wore on we made a couple of substitutions to
change the game slightly and I think it paid off and we could have got the
equaliser near the end. "I thought Fulham probably deserved it on the night
as they controlled possession a bit more and that's the disappointing thing
because it's what we're normally good at."
Defeat to the Cottagers means the Hammers are still yet to experience the
winning feeling in 2014, a feeling which was a regular part of a strong
first half of the season. That strong start had put the Hammers third coming
into the match against table-topping Fulham, but they were always likely to
present the Development Squad with a tough challenge. "I think they're a
good team, I wouldn't necessarily say the best. I thought that we could have
asked more questions of them. "I just said to the boys in there that they
can't use the excuse that they haven't had enough games because the whole of
the U21 programme had a lack of games over the Christmas period. "I didn't
think that our fitness levels looked sharp enough tonight, the speed to open
the game up wasn't right and tactically being not bright enough at times."
Haycock believed that some of his squad may have got carried away after the
first half of the season and is keen to see them return to the things which
made them successful. "We've got two players who are involved in the first
team squad tomorrow night who could've played tonight and sometimes that
hurts your preparation for the game, but again it's not a moan because we
want them in the first team. "Neil McDonald gave a few of the lads a few
home truths about the standards he expects. We've got an ownership programme
at the Club where the players own their programme and I think one or two
have just got carried away with what we did in the first part of the season.
"They need to remember what got them there in the first place and that's
getting the basics right, off the pitch making sure they're watching the
games back, making sure they're topping their fitness levels up and not
being reminded by staff all the time is the way forward."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big Sam reflects on semi-final exit
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce spoke to West Ham TV following Wednesday's Capital One Cup
semi-final second leg defeat
21.01.2014
Sam Allardyce was encouraged by aspects of West Ham United's display,
despite their 3-0 Capital One Cup semi-final second leg defeat by Manchester
City at the Boleyn Ground. The Hammers ended up 9-0 aggregate losers to
Manuel Pellegrini's high-fliers, but Big Sam was trying to take the
positives afterwards, pointing to the returns of Kevin Nolan and James
Tomkins and a successful 45-minute run out for Andy Carroll. There was
further better news from the manager, who revealed that a knee injury that
saw Mohamed Diame stretchered off in the closing stages may not be as
serious as it first appeared. On a less positive note, the manager lamented
the poor defending that allowed Alvaro Negredo to nod City in front inside
three minutes, as well as his own players' inability to turn chances into
goals. "I thought we'd got a goal. It would have done Kevin and everyone the
power of good if his [offside] goal [after six minutes] had stood after the
disappointing start we had made, when we easily conceded that first goal,"
said Big Sam. "It would have made for that little bit more excitement for
the fans if we'd got that one goal back and made it 1-1. That poor defending
would have been overcome and it would have lifted us. "In the end, we got
into the final third against Manchester City quite often and Andy got a
decent 45 minutes in again and cause their defenders some real problems. In
the second half, Carlton Cole had two really good chances with the
one-on-one with the 'keeper and the header that went wide, so we have got to
believe that sooner or later we'll start putting more balls in the back of
the net. "We've had more clean sheets away than at home, so that becomes an
ultimate problem that we've got to do better. We've got to protect our goal
better and, while that might be harsh in this game, it's about making sure
we make teams work much harder for the goals that they score. Ultimately, if
you give a team like this the chances we gave them, then they are going to
punish you and they did.
"We did create chances, but once you lose the ball you've got to get back in
and be defensively sound. In more games coming up, when we play teams of
lesser ability than Man City, that's going to be even more important -
getting the attacking side of it going and the defensive side right. We made
two errors for two of their goals on Tuesday. "City have scored 19 goals and
conceded one to get to the final, which shows you the quality of their team,
but I was a little disappointed with the way we conceded the goals."
The manager was pleased to see Nolan, Tomkins and Carroll back in his
starting XI, while an eye-catching display from Ravel Morrison also gave him
encouragement. The No15 was always available and never afraid to run at the
City defence, forcing a last-ditch block from Joleon Lescott and being
denied a convincing penalty shout for a foul by the same player. "Rav looked
all right. He was comfortable and tries to find the right space and the
right pass. He worked quite hard, which is always important, so we'll look
for him to keep that up. "Of course, Rav should have had a penalty but the
way it is for me, we aren't going to get one even if a penalty of their
players punches one of our players in the face! Everything is conspiring
against us, but we have to keep our heads up and play some of the football
we played with an effective finish and tighter at the back. "Obviously we
were disappointed to lose Joe Cole and Mo Diame to injuries, but we'll have
to see how serious they are. I spoke to Mo afterwards and it seems it might
not have been as serious as it first looked."
West Ham now have eight days to prepare for a Barclays Premier League trip
to Chelsea on Wednesday 29 January. There, Big Sam is hoping to have a
number of injured players available following a behind-closed-doors friendly
later this week. "Guy Demel and Joey O'Brien should be back and both will
play in the behind-closed-doors game, as should Ricardo Vaz Te. Andy got
through 45 minutes, which is on the schedule for the way he has to progress
with us, so his match-fitness has lifted up a little bit more. A better
quality of touch and pass and finish will all come naturally as he gets that
match-fitness. He was a little rusty but was still competitive and
frightening defenders. Andy is going to be important to us."
In closing, the manager was asked whether the Club are getting any closer to
adding to the squad, with the transfer window set to close at the end of the
month. "Well, this is another scenario for me. I've never experienced
negotiating for so many players and not clinching one [deal]. From my point
of view, every which way we turn, we cannot keep it as quiet as we want to -
I think we might have signed more players had it not leaked into the press
and alerted other people. That seems to be the case for every football
club. "We will keep trying and we have to continue to keep trying to improve
the squad if we can, with the right quality of player - and there are not
too many players available of the quality we need. If there are, can we
afford them? If we can, do they want to come? "We will be pursuing that area
both in Europe and in this country from a loan point of view, or a buy point
of view if we get the opportunity."
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Hammers suffer second leg defeat
WHUFC.com
Manchester City completed their Capital One Cup semi-final victory with a
3-0 win over West Ham on Tuesday
21.01.2014
West Ham United 0-3 (0-9 agg) Manchester City
Capital One Cup semi-final second leg
West Ham United were comfortably beaten by Manchester City for the second
time in as many weeks as their Capital One Cup run was brought to an end at
the semi-final stage on Tuesday night. Already trailing 6-0 from the Eithad
Stadium first leg, City's power up front told once again as Alvaro Negredo
notched a brace to sandwich Sergio Aguero's effort. The Hammers did offer
more of an attacking threat than in Manchester City, but were still unable
to find a goal of their own as City claimed a final aggregate score of 9-0.
The second leg began just as the first ended, with City both on the front
foot and the scoresheet.
Just three minutes were on the clock when Marcos Lopes crossed from the left
and Negredo snuck in between James Tomkins and Razvan Rat to plant a header
beyond Jussi Jaaskelainen. Now seven goals behind, the Hammers looked to
rouse themselves with a response and Mo Diame smashed a right-footed effort
over the angle of post and bar with eleven minutes on the clock. Diame
turned provider four minutes later when he sent over a cross from his right
flank, and Andy Carroll ran across Joleon Lescott to win the header, but the
ball flew over the top. At the other end, Jaaskelainen had to get down
sharply to his right to touch Aguero's long-range daisy-cutter around the
post, but he could do little to prevent the Argentine from doubling the
advantage with his next chance on 24 minutes. Youngster Lopes played a big
part in the goal, making a forceful run from midfield to take Tomkins and
Roger Johnson out of the equation, leaving Aguero to take over, see off the
combined attention of Rat and Matt Taylor, and clip over Jaaskelainen's
dive.
Carroll was withdrawn at the break after giving the first 45-minute run-out
since his return from injury, as Carlton Cole took over in attack, Stewart
Downing also came off the bench shortly afterwards, and he was involved on
51 minutes, sliding a ball through to Cole, who forced a save from Costel
Pantilimon with his effort from a tight angle. However, City were able to
add to their lead further just before the hour when Negredo notched his
fifth goal of the tie, surging through a gap between Johnson and Taylor to
evade the former's slide and dink home. Ravel Morrison almost picked a route
through the City defence to pull one back for the hosts, but Lescott threw
himself in front of his shot to block. Carlton Cole also headed wide from a
Matt Taylor corner, but there were also chances at the other end as Navas
fired wide at the near post after being fed in down the right. An already
miserable evening worsened for the Hammers in the final minute when Diame
departed the action on a stretcher, while City could not force their tenth
goal of a disappointingly one-sided tie.
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen; Taylor, Johnson, Tomkins, Rat; Morrison,
Diarra, Nolan; Diame (Collison 89), Carroll (C.Cole 46), J.Cole (Downing 47)
Subs: Adrian, Jarvis, Noble, Chambers
Booked: Diarra
Manchester City: Pantilimon; Boyata, Lescott, Nastasic, Clichy; Navas
(Kolarov 78), Garcia (Rodwell 63), Fernandinho, Lopes; Aguero (Jovetic 65),
Negredo
Subs: Hart, Zabaleta, Dzeko, Demichelis
Goals: Negredo 3, Aguero 24, Negredo 59
Booked: Aguero, Clichy
Referee: Chris Foy
Attendance: 14,390
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Diame demands parity with top earners
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 21st January 2014
By: Staff Writer
Central midfielder Mo Diame is understood to have told West Ham to "double
my money or I'm off". KUMB.com has learned that the Senegalese midfielder,
who arrived at West Ham on a free transfer from Wigan in the summer of 2012
has asked for a salary increase that would put him in the same wage bracket
as Andy Carroll, the club's current highest-paid player at circa
£70,000-per-week. Further, it is also believed that the 26-year-old has
informed West Ham that if they fail to comply with his demands he will seek
a move elsewhere. Diame moved to east London in July 2012 whereupon he was
hailed by Sam Allardyce as "a very exciting addition to the squad." However
that has rarely been the case this season, with the midfielder having faced
the occasional spell on the sidelines as a result of some
less-than-impressive performances. Two months ago he insisted that he wanted
to remain at West Ham for several years, with the impending move to
Stratford a major lure. "I imagine myself playing at the Olympic Stadium and
I hope to sort my contract as soon as possible to make sure I play there,"
he said. "With the transfer window [looming] we will start to talk. At the
moment we are not talking, but I hope it is possible soon."
Fulham have most recently been linked with a move for Diame and are believed
to have had one double bid for the midfielder and team mate Ravel Morrison -
said to be worth around £7million - rejected already. Diame's current
three-year deal with West Ham runs until the summer of 2015. It is well
documented that his existing contract contains a minimum fee release clause
of £3.5million which has alerted a string of clubs - although none prior to
Fulham are believed to have made a concrete bid.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham striker Modibo Maiga wanted by Sivasspor
Last Updated: 21/01/14 5:44pm
SSN
Modibo Maiga's agent has told Sky Sports that Turkish club Sivasspor have
expressed an interest in the West Ham striker. The 26-year-old joined West
Ham from Sochaux in the summer of 2012 and arrived at Upton Park on the back
of a solid goalscoring record in France where he bagged 24 goals in just 42
starts.
However, Maiga has scored just three goals in 31 Premier League appearances
for West Ham after often being played out of position and has started only
13 times. West Ham are reportedly ready to let Maiga move on before the
transfer window closes and Sivasspor are not the only club chasing his
signature, according to his representative Willie McKay. "Sivasspor have
expressed an interest in Maiga and we are talking to them and several other
clubs," McKay told Sky Sports. "There are other Turkish clubs, French clubs
and two in the UK who are interested in him. "West Ham are ready to let him
leave and it could be a permanent deal. "Modibo might go out later this week
to Turkey for talks and have a look around the clubs who are interested."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Midfielder Alou Diarra is hoping to leave West Ham this month
By Patrick Haound | Last Updated: 21/01/14 12:37pm
SSN
Alou Diarra thinks joining West Ham was a "bad career choice" and is hoping
to leave Upton Park in this month's window. Diarra joined the Hammers from
Marseille for £2million in August 2012 - but struggled to make an impact at
Upton Park and spent the last half of the 2012/13 season on loan with
Rennes.
He suffered a serious injury in their Capital One Cup second-round victory
over Cheltenham earlier this season, with the France international being
stretchered off in the 34th minute with an anterior cruciate ligament
problem. Sam Allardyce feared at the time that Diarra would be out for the
season - but he is back to full fitness and played in the 2-1 defeat at
Fulham, albeit at centre-back rather than his preferred midfield position.
That was a rare outing for the 32-year-old, who is desperate to depart Upton
Park in January but is not too keen on a return to France. Diarra, who has
played for Le Havre, Bastia, Lens, Lyon and Bordeaux - where he scored 11
goals in 132 appearances - told L'Equipe: "When I talk with other Frenchmen,
I would have loved to experience the same as them - but there is a whole
world between us. The great excitement of the Premier League - I am not
experiencing it at all. "Since the very first day people wanted me to accept
that I am second choice. I'm in a dead end. "It was a bad career choice and
I need a real challenge. "A January departure? Yes it is very likely. To
France? I've explored it all." Diarra added: "The fact I was back from
broken knee ligaments after six weeks without having surgery? Some people
could hardly believe it. "Anyway my situation has not changed. I am not
fooled. I quickly understood he (Allardyce) didn't rely on me, as I am again
confined to the bench."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce again not happy with West Ham defending
Last Updated: 21/01/14 10:26pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce admits West Ham's defending was again not good enough as they
lost 3-0 to Manchester City in the second leg of their Capital One Cup
semi-final. Goals from Sergio Aguero and a brace from Alvaro Negredo gave
City a 9-0 aggregate success over the Hammers to send them to Wembley. And
while West Ham put in an improved performance in comparison to the first leg
drubbing, Allardyce admits that their defending was still poor as they went
behind just three minutes into the return leg at Upton Park. "The most
disappointing thing was the defensive unit doing what it did in the first
few minutes," Allardyce told Sky Sports. "Man City are a super, super team -
but that was not a super, super goal - that was bog standard defending not
done correctly and that was really disappointing. "I thought we may have
come back through Kevin Nolan's goal straightaway but as our season is going
that was offside. "You can't do mistakes at this level to the level we did,
far too many errors in our half - there was a fair bit of action in Man
City's box, but no clear cut chances for the amount of time we had in their
final third." Allardyce admits a potential serious injury to Mo Diame was
the real disappointment on the night, with the midfielder stretchered off
late on. On the injuries, he added: "I thought we might have done better and
the real killer for us is that. "First Joe Cole, which is a groin which
shouldn't be too long, but it is Mo Diame, which looks serious, really
serious."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham goalkeeper Adrian says he is loving life in London
Last Updated: 21/01/14 10:14am
SSn
Goalkeeper Adrian has admitted he is loving life in London, despite enduring
a difficult start to his West Ham career. The 27-year-old stopper has
shipped 20 goals in six games since coming into the side, including six at
Manchester City in the Capital One Cup semi-final first-leg. And despite the
daunting prospect of facing the Premier League leaders again in the second
leg on Tuesday night, the Spaniard insists he has no regrets over moving to
England. "I have fallen in love with London," Adrian told The Sun.
"Everybody looks at a keeper after big defeats but all the lads and the fans
have been brilliant."
The former Sevilla 'keeper has won the praise of boss Sam Allardyce despite
the Hammers suffering a poor run of form. With just one win in their last
eight in all competitions, the pressure is mounting on Allardyce to turn
things around, but Adrian had nothing but positive things to say about his
manager. "I'm so grateful for the gaffer's kind words - and faith in me,"
Adrian added. "He flew to Seville in the summer to speak to me personally
and persuade me to sign. That's why I came here. "I'm sure we can lift
ourselves up the table after tonight's cup game."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham sweat on transfer moves for Arsenal's Thomas Vermaelen and Joleon
Lescott of Manchester City
Jan 21, 2014 22:29 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror
West Ham are waiting for a response from Arsenal to an audacious bid to take
captain Thomas Vermaelen on loan. The Belgium international defender has
been unable to break into the Gunners' first team this season as Per
Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny have been outstanding as a centre-back
pair. Vermaelen has made just 12 appearances this season, despite being
skipper, with a World Cup just months away. Allardyce has moved for the
28-year-old, with West Ham having kept just three clean sheets in their last
13 games. The Hammers are are also waiting for Manchester City defender
Joleon Lescott to decide on whether he actually wants to move to Upton Park,
having already agreed to a loan deal until the end of the season with a
three-year option thereafter.
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Diame injury 'very serious'
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 22nd January 2014
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce has been rocked by the news of another potential long-term
injury - this time to Mo Diame. The midfielder sustained the injury with
less than two minutes of normal time remaining in tonight's 3-0 Carling Cup
semi final, second leg home defeat to Manchester City. After receiving
treatment on the pitch, Diame was stretchered off - before finding out the
bad news. "Mo Diame looks very serious," admitted a crestfallen Allardyce.
"We won't know for sure for another couple of days until the scans of his
knee come in, but the pain he was in when he was stretchered off means it's
a very serious injury indeed.
"I've never had anything resembling this in my entire career. You will
always have a period when a number of players are out with injury or
suspension, but it's never as long as we're enduring at the moment. "Any
player that gets injured is one more than we can stand at the moment. We
thought we were just about to come out of it, but after today the number of
players we have out is too high again. We can't stand to have any more."
Allardyce, speaking to the press after tonight's humbling defeat also
revealed that Joe Cole had sustained a knock that saw him substituted with
the second half barely two minute old. "Fortunately it doesn't appear to be
too serious, but it's a groin injury which will still see him out for a
couple of weeks," he confirmed.
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WHUFC.com
Nick Haycock was disappointed after the U21s suffered a 1-0 defeat against
Fulham on Monday night
21.01.2014
Nick Haycock felt the Development Squad came up just short against Fulham on
Monday night as they went down by a single goal at Motspur Park. The
visitors arrived hoping to inflict a first Barclays Under-21 Premier League
defeat on the Cottagers but left having been beaten by Lyle Della Verde's
deflected shot which found a way past Raphael Spiegel after 37 minutes.
Elliot Lee and Matthias Fanimo went close to finding an equaliser but their
efforts were ultimately fruitless, leaving Haycock to ponder what might have
been. He told West Ham TV: "I thought it was a tight game. They were
probably the better team in the first half. I thought they had more control
of the game whilst we played off shape and on the counter-attack. "I just
thought we were naïve when we won the ball. I thought the boys were in good
shape when we won it, but I don't think we opened the pitch up enough when
we passed it. "We had a chance after 60 minutes where Matthias Fanimo
toe-poked it too hard over the bar, had that gone in that might have given
us more confidence. As the game wore on we made a couple of substitutions to
change the game slightly and I think it paid off and we could have got the
equaliser near the end. "I thought Fulham probably deserved it on the night
as they controlled possession a bit more and that's the disappointing thing
because it's what we're normally good at."
Defeat to the Cottagers means the Hammers are still yet to experience the
winning feeling in 2014, a feeling which was a regular part of a strong
first half of the season. That strong start had put the Hammers third coming
into the match against table-topping Fulham, but they were always likely to
present the Development Squad with a tough challenge. "I think they're a
good team, I wouldn't necessarily say the best. I thought that we could have
asked more questions of them. "I just said to the boys in there that they
can't use the excuse that they haven't had enough games because the whole of
the U21 programme had a lack of games over the Christmas period. "I didn't
think that our fitness levels looked sharp enough tonight, the speed to open
the game up wasn't right and tactically being not bright enough at times."
Haycock believed that some of his squad may have got carried away after the
first half of the season and is keen to see them return to the things which
made them successful. "We've got two players who are involved in the first
team squad tomorrow night who could've played tonight and sometimes that
hurts your preparation for the game, but again it's not a moan because we
want them in the first team. "Neil McDonald gave a few of the lads a few
home truths about the standards he expects. We've got an ownership programme
at the Club where the players own their programme and I think one or two
have just got carried away with what we did in the first part of the season.
"They need to remember what got them there in the first place and that's
getting the basics right, off the pitch making sure they're watching the
games back, making sure they're topping their fitness levels up and not
being reminded by staff all the time is the way forward."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big Sam reflects on semi-final exit
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce spoke to West Ham TV following Wednesday's Capital One Cup
semi-final second leg defeat
21.01.2014
Sam Allardyce was encouraged by aspects of West Ham United's display,
despite their 3-0 Capital One Cup semi-final second leg defeat by Manchester
City at the Boleyn Ground. The Hammers ended up 9-0 aggregate losers to
Manuel Pellegrini's high-fliers, but Big Sam was trying to take the
positives afterwards, pointing to the returns of Kevin Nolan and James
Tomkins and a successful 45-minute run out for Andy Carroll. There was
further better news from the manager, who revealed that a knee injury that
saw Mohamed Diame stretchered off in the closing stages may not be as
serious as it first appeared. On a less positive note, the manager lamented
the poor defending that allowed Alvaro Negredo to nod City in front inside
three minutes, as well as his own players' inability to turn chances into
goals. "I thought we'd got a goal. It would have done Kevin and everyone the
power of good if his [offside] goal [after six minutes] had stood after the
disappointing start we had made, when we easily conceded that first goal,"
said Big Sam. "It would have made for that little bit more excitement for
the fans if we'd got that one goal back and made it 1-1. That poor defending
would have been overcome and it would have lifted us. "In the end, we got
into the final third against Manchester City quite often and Andy got a
decent 45 minutes in again and cause their defenders some real problems. In
the second half, Carlton Cole had two really good chances with the
one-on-one with the 'keeper and the header that went wide, so we have got to
believe that sooner or later we'll start putting more balls in the back of
the net. "We've had more clean sheets away than at home, so that becomes an
ultimate problem that we've got to do better. We've got to protect our goal
better and, while that might be harsh in this game, it's about making sure
we make teams work much harder for the goals that they score. Ultimately, if
you give a team like this the chances we gave them, then they are going to
punish you and they did.
"We did create chances, but once you lose the ball you've got to get back in
and be defensively sound. In more games coming up, when we play teams of
lesser ability than Man City, that's going to be even more important -
getting the attacking side of it going and the defensive side right. We made
two errors for two of their goals on Tuesday. "City have scored 19 goals and
conceded one to get to the final, which shows you the quality of their team,
but I was a little disappointed with the way we conceded the goals."
The manager was pleased to see Nolan, Tomkins and Carroll back in his
starting XI, while an eye-catching display from Ravel Morrison also gave him
encouragement. The No15 was always available and never afraid to run at the
City defence, forcing a last-ditch block from Joleon Lescott and being
denied a convincing penalty shout for a foul by the same player. "Rav looked
all right. He was comfortable and tries to find the right space and the
right pass. He worked quite hard, which is always important, so we'll look
for him to keep that up. "Of course, Rav should have had a penalty but the
way it is for me, we aren't going to get one even if a penalty of their
players punches one of our players in the face! Everything is conspiring
against us, but we have to keep our heads up and play some of the football
we played with an effective finish and tighter at the back. "Obviously we
were disappointed to lose Joe Cole and Mo Diame to injuries, but we'll have
to see how serious they are. I spoke to Mo afterwards and it seems it might
not have been as serious as it first looked."
West Ham now have eight days to prepare for a Barclays Premier League trip
to Chelsea on Wednesday 29 January. There, Big Sam is hoping to have a
number of injured players available following a behind-closed-doors friendly
later this week. "Guy Demel and Joey O'Brien should be back and both will
play in the behind-closed-doors game, as should Ricardo Vaz Te. Andy got
through 45 minutes, which is on the schedule for the way he has to progress
with us, so his match-fitness has lifted up a little bit more. A better
quality of touch and pass and finish will all come naturally as he gets that
match-fitness. He was a little rusty but was still competitive and
frightening defenders. Andy is going to be important to us."
In closing, the manager was asked whether the Club are getting any closer to
adding to the squad, with the transfer window set to close at the end of the
month. "Well, this is another scenario for me. I've never experienced
negotiating for so many players and not clinching one [deal]. From my point
of view, every which way we turn, we cannot keep it as quiet as we want to -
I think we might have signed more players had it not leaked into the press
and alerted other people. That seems to be the case for every football
club. "We will keep trying and we have to continue to keep trying to improve
the squad if we can, with the right quality of player - and there are not
too many players available of the quality we need. If there are, can we
afford them? If we can, do they want to come? "We will be pursuing that area
both in Europe and in this country from a loan point of view, or a buy point
of view if we get the opportunity."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers suffer second leg defeat
WHUFC.com
Manchester City completed their Capital One Cup semi-final victory with a
3-0 win over West Ham on Tuesday
21.01.2014
West Ham United 0-3 (0-9 agg) Manchester City
Capital One Cup semi-final second leg
West Ham United were comfortably beaten by Manchester City for the second
time in as many weeks as their Capital One Cup run was brought to an end at
the semi-final stage on Tuesday night. Already trailing 6-0 from the Eithad
Stadium first leg, City's power up front told once again as Alvaro Negredo
notched a brace to sandwich Sergio Aguero's effort. The Hammers did offer
more of an attacking threat than in Manchester City, but were still unable
to find a goal of their own as City claimed a final aggregate score of 9-0.
The second leg began just as the first ended, with City both on the front
foot and the scoresheet.
Just three minutes were on the clock when Marcos Lopes crossed from the left
and Negredo snuck in between James Tomkins and Razvan Rat to plant a header
beyond Jussi Jaaskelainen. Now seven goals behind, the Hammers looked to
rouse themselves with a response and Mo Diame smashed a right-footed effort
over the angle of post and bar with eleven minutes on the clock. Diame
turned provider four minutes later when he sent over a cross from his right
flank, and Andy Carroll ran across Joleon Lescott to win the header, but the
ball flew over the top. At the other end, Jaaskelainen had to get down
sharply to his right to touch Aguero's long-range daisy-cutter around the
post, but he could do little to prevent the Argentine from doubling the
advantage with his next chance on 24 minutes. Youngster Lopes played a big
part in the goal, making a forceful run from midfield to take Tomkins and
Roger Johnson out of the equation, leaving Aguero to take over, see off the
combined attention of Rat and Matt Taylor, and clip over Jaaskelainen's
dive.
Carroll was withdrawn at the break after giving the first 45-minute run-out
since his return from injury, as Carlton Cole took over in attack, Stewart
Downing also came off the bench shortly afterwards, and he was involved on
51 minutes, sliding a ball through to Cole, who forced a save from Costel
Pantilimon with his effort from a tight angle. However, City were able to
add to their lead further just before the hour when Negredo notched his
fifth goal of the tie, surging through a gap between Johnson and Taylor to
evade the former's slide and dink home. Ravel Morrison almost picked a route
through the City defence to pull one back for the hosts, but Lescott threw
himself in front of his shot to block. Carlton Cole also headed wide from a
Matt Taylor corner, but there were also chances at the other end as Navas
fired wide at the near post after being fed in down the right. An already
miserable evening worsened for the Hammers in the final minute when Diame
departed the action on a stretcher, while City could not force their tenth
goal of a disappointingly one-sided tie.
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen; Taylor, Johnson, Tomkins, Rat; Morrison,
Diarra, Nolan; Diame (Collison 89), Carroll (C.Cole 46), J.Cole (Downing 47)
Subs: Adrian, Jarvis, Noble, Chambers
Booked: Diarra
Manchester City: Pantilimon; Boyata, Lescott, Nastasic, Clichy; Navas
(Kolarov 78), Garcia (Rodwell 63), Fernandinho, Lopes; Aguero (Jovetic 65),
Negredo
Subs: Hart, Zabaleta, Dzeko, Demichelis
Goals: Negredo 3, Aguero 24, Negredo 59
Booked: Aguero, Clichy
Referee: Chris Foy
Attendance: 14,390
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Diame demands parity with top earners
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 21st January 2014
By: Staff Writer
Central midfielder Mo Diame is understood to have told West Ham to "double
my money or I'm off". KUMB.com has learned that the Senegalese midfielder,
who arrived at West Ham on a free transfer from Wigan in the summer of 2012
has asked for a salary increase that would put him in the same wage bracket
as Andy Carroll, the club's current highest-paid player at circa
£70,000-per-week. Further, it is also believed that the 26-year-old has
informed West Ham that if they fail to comply with his demands he will seek
a move elsewhere. Diame moved to east London in July 2012 whereupon he was
hailed by Sam Allardyce as "a very exciting addition to the squad." However
that has rarely been the case this season, with the midfielder having faced
the occasional spell on the sidelines as a result of some
less-than-impressive performances. Two months ago he insisted that he wanted
to remain at West Ham for several years, with the impending move to
Stratford a major lure. "I imagine myself playing at the Olympic Stadium and
I hope to sort my contract as soon as possible to make sure I play there,"
he said. "With the transfer window [looming] we will start to talk. At the
moment we are not talking, but I hope it is possible soon."
Fulham have most recently been linked with a move for Diame and are believed
to have had one double bid for the midfielder and team mate Ravel Morrison -
said to be worth around £7million - rejected already. Diame's current
three-year deal with West Ham runs until the summer of 2015. It is well
documented that his existing contract contains a minimum fee release clause
of £3.5million which has alerted a string of clubs - although none prior to
Fulham are believed to have made a concrete bid.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham striker Modibo Maiga wanted by Sivasspor
Last Updated: 21/01/14 5:44pm
SSN
Modibo Maiga's agent has told Sky Sports that Turkish club Sivasspor have
expressed an interest in the West Ham striker. The 26-year-old joined West
Ham from Sochaux in the summer of 2012 and arrived at Upton Park on the back
of a solid goalscoring record in France where he bagged 24 goals in just 42
starts.
However, Maiga has scored just three goals in 31 Premier League appearances
for West Ham after often being played out of position and has started only
13 times. West Ham are reportedly ready to let Maiga move on before the
transfer window closes and Sivasspor are not the only club chasing his
signature, according to his representative Willie McKay. "Sivasspor have
expressed an interest in Maiga and we are talking to them and several other
clubs," McKay told Sky Sports. "There are other Turkish clubs, French clubs
and two in the UK who are interested in him. "West Ham are ready to let him
leave and it could be a permanent deal. "Modibo might go out later this week
to Turkey for talks and have a look around the clubs who are interested."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Midfielder Alou Diarra is hoping to leave West Ham this month
By Patrick Haound | Last Updated: 21/01/14 12:37pm
SSN
Alou Diarra thinks joining West Ham was a "bad career choice" and is hoping
to leave Upton Park in this month's window. Diarra joined the Hammers from
Marseille for £2million in August 2012 - but struggled to make an impact at
Upton Park and spent the last half of the 2012/13 season on loan with
Rennes.
He suffered a serious injury in their Capital One Cup second-round victory
over Cheltenham earlier this season, with the France international being
stretchered off in the 34th minute with an anterior cruciate ligament
problem. Sam Allardyce feared at the time that Diarra would be out for the
season - but he is back to full fitness and played in the 2-1 defeat at
Fulham, albeit at centre-back rather than his preferred midfield position.
That was a rare outing for the 32-year-old, who is desperate to depart Upton
Park in January but is not too keen on a return to France. Diarra, who has
played for Le Havre, Bastia, Lens, Lyon and Bordeaux - where he scored 11
goals in 132 appearances - told L'Equipe: "When I talk with other Frenchmen,
I would have loved to experience the same as them - but there is a whole
world between us. The great excitement of the Premier League - I am not
experiencing it at all. "Since the very first day people wanted me to accept
that I am second choice. I'm in a dead end. "It was a bad career choice and
I need a real challenge. "A January departure? Yes it is very likely. To
France? I've explored it all." Diarra added: "The fact I was back from
broken knee ligaments after six weeks without having surgery? Some people
could hardly believe it. "Anyway my situation has not changed. I am not
fooled. I quickly understood he (Allardyce) didn't rely on me, as I am again
confined to the bench."
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Sam Allardyce again not happy with West Ham defending
Last Updated: 21/01/14 10:26pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce admits West Ham's defending was again not good enough as they
lost 3-0 to Manchester City in the second leg of their Capital One Cup
semi-final. Goals from Sergio Aguero and a brace from Alvaro Negredo gave
City a 9-0 aggregate success over the Hammers to send them to Wembley. And
while West Ham put in an improved performance in comparison to the first leg
drubbing, Allardyce admits that their defending was still poor as they went
behind just three minutes into the return leg at Upton Park. "The most
disappointing thing was the defensive unit doing what it did in the first
few minutes," Allardyce told Sky Sports. "Man City are a super, super team -
but that was not a super, super goal - that was bog standard defending not
done correctly and that was really disappointing. "I thought we may have
come back through Kevin Nolan's goal straightaway but as our season is going
that was offside. "You can't do mistakes at this level to the level we did,
far too many errors in our half - there was a fair bit of action in Man
City's box, but no clear cut chances for the amount of time we had in their
final third." Allardyce admits a potential serious injury to Mo Diame was
the real disappointment on the night, with the midfielder stretchered off
late on. On the injuries, he added: "I thought we might have done better and
the real killer for us is that. "First Joe Cole, which is a groin which
shouldn't be too long, but it is Mo Diame, which looks serious, really
serious."
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West Ham goalkeeper Adrian says he is loving life in London
Last Updated: 21/01/14 10:14am
SSn
Goalkeeper Adrian has admitted he is loving life in London, despite enduring
a difficult start to his West Ham career. The 27-year-old stopper has
shipped 20 goals in six games since coming into the side, including six at
Manchester City in the Capital One Cup semi-final first-leg. And despite the
daunting prospect of facing the Premier League leaders again in the second
leg on Tuesday night, the Spaniard insists he has no regrets over moving to
England. "I have fallen in love with London," Adrian told The Sun.
"Everybody looks at a keeper after big defeats but all the lads and the fans
have been brilliant."
The former Sevilla 'keeper has won the praise of boss Sam Allardyce despite
the Hammers suffering a poor run of form. With just one win in their last
eight in all competitions, the pressure is mounting on Allardyce to turn
things around, but Adrian had nothing but positive things to say about his
manager. "I'm so grateful for the gaffer's kind words - and faith in me,"
Adrian added. "He flew to Seville in the summer to speak to me personally
and persuade me to sign. That's why I came here. "I'm sure we can lift
ourselves up the table after tonight's cup game."
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West Ham sweat on transfer moves for Arsenal's Thomas Vermaelen and Joleon
Lescott of Manchester City
Jan 21, 2014 22:29 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror
West Ham are waiting for a response from Arsenal to an audacious bid to take
captain Thomas Vermaelen on loan. The Belgium international defender has
been unable to break into the Gunners' first team this season as Per
Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny have been outstanding as a centre-back
pair. Vermaelen has made just 12 appearances this season, despite being
skipper, with a World Cup just months away. Allardyce has moved for the
28-year-old, with West Ham having kept just three clean sheets in their last
13 games. The Hammers are are also waiting for Manchester City defender
Joleon Lescott to decide on whether he actually wants to move to Upton Park,
having already agreed to a loan deal until the end of the season with a
three-year option thereafter.
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Diame injury 'very serious'
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 22nd January 2014
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce has been rocked by the news of another potential long-term
injury - this time to Mo Diame. The midfielder sustained the injury with
less than two minutes of normal time remaining in tonight's 3-0 Carling Cup
semi final, second leg home defeat to Manchester City. After receiving
treatment on the pitch, Diame was stretchered off - before finding out the
bad news. "Mo Diame looks very serious," admitted a crestfallen Allardyce.
"We won't know for sure for another couple of days until the scans of his
knee come in, but the pain he was in when he was stretchered off means it's
a very serious injury indeed.
"I've never had anything resembling this in my entire career. You will
always have a period when a number of players are out with injury or
suspension, but it's never as long as we're enduring at the moment. "Any
player that gets injured is one more than we can stand at the moment. We
thought we were just about to come out of it, but after today the number of
players we have out is too high again. We can't stand to have any more."
Allardyce, speaking to the press after tonight's humbling defeat also
revealed that Joe Cole had sustained a knock that saw him substituted with
the second half barely two minute old. "Fortunately it doesn't appear to be
too serious, but it's a groin injury which will still see him out for a
couple of weeks," he confirmed.
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