Kouyate up for PFA award
WHUFC.com
Vote for Cheikhou to win the PFA Fans' Player of the Month for February
24.02.2015
The nominations for the February PFA Fan's Player of the Month powered by
90min have been announced and the top contenders are:
· Harry Kane
· Branislav Ivanovic
· Cheikhou Kouyaté
· James Milner
· Philippe Coutinho
· Olivier Giroud
Fans can vote for their favourite player to win by clicking here.
http://fanawards.90min.com/
The PFA Fans' Player of the Month award which is powered by 90min is
designed to give a strong voice to the supporters who are the lifeblood of
the game. The awards are endorsed by the players and supported by the clubs.
Each month, one lucky fan will meet and present the award to the player on
the side of the pitch before the game. Voting closes at midnight on Saturday
28 February with the winner to be announced on Monday 2 March.
Follow on Twitter at #POTM, @90min_Football and @PFA
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Bobby Moore OBE 1941-1993
WHUFC.com
West Ham United and England's finest-ever captain Bobby Moore OBE died on
this day 22 years ago
24.02.2015
Bobby Moore OBE, West Ham United's most famous player and England's 1966
World Cup-winning captain, sadly passed away on this day 22 years ago. The
central defender made 646 league and cup appearances for the Hammers,
scoring 27 goals. Moore was born in Barking on 12 April 1941, making his
debut for his local club in a 3-2 win over Manchester United at the Boleyn
Ground as a 17-year-old on 8 September 1958. It was the start of a
glittering career that is remembered fondly by football fans the world over
As a West Ham player, Moore lifted the FA Cup in 1964 and the European Cup
Winners' Cup in 1965. A year later, he was back at Wembley to complete an
unforgettable hat-trick by lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy following
England's 4-2 victory over West Germany. Moore would go on to star at the
1970 World Cup finals in Mexico before moving to Fulham, for whom he played
against the Hammers in the 1975 FA Cup final. Following his retirement,
Moore moved first into management and then into the world of broadcasting
before his life was cut short by cancer in February 1993. He was just 51.
Fellow Hammers legend Billy Bonds MBE recalls Bobby's memory fondly. He
said: "Mooro was an absolute icon. I respected a lot of team-mates and
opponents down the years but he was the only person in my entire career, who
made me feel that way. "He was fantastic to me from the day that I arrived
and I loved him as a player and as a person. Bobby Moore had a presence both
off and on the field. "There was no side to him at all and, having lifted
the World Cup, he'd been the most famous person on the planet on that July
afternoon at Wembley in 1966 but, despite all of that, Bobby wasn't the
slightest bit lairy. Mooro treated everyone the same, no matter who they
were. "Bobby Moore wasn't a particularly good header of the ball and he
wasn't very quick either but, boy, his timing was impeccable. He didn't need
to be good in the air or fast because he could read the game so well - he
always seemed to be in the right place at the right time to nick the ball
off a centre-forward. "And he was just so good at bringing the ball out of
defence and starting attacks, too."
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Mediawatch - 24 February
WHUFC.com
Our daily look at West Ham United in the news
24.02.2015
The BBC cover the story of men thought to be West Ham United fans who were
filmed chanting abusive songs on a train in North London, along with the
Club's response that 'if any individual is found to have behaved in an
inappropriate way, the club's simple zero-tolerance policy dictates that
they will face the strongest possible action, including the option of a life
ban from the Boleyn Ground.' On Sky Sports' website, Hammers boss Sam
Allardyce says that Nene could make his debut on Saturday against Crystal
Palace after Carlton Cole picked up a hamstring injury.
This story also appears in the Mail Online.
Meanwhile, The Sun (£) carry a story where Tottenham's Nabil Bentaleb claims
that the Hammers' disappointment over a final minue penalty award to his
team is unjustified.
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Jenko - We deserved more
WHUFC.com
Carl Jenkinson felt the Hammers deserved the three points on Sunday
24.02.2015
West Ham United defender Carl Jenkinson said the Hammers were very
unfortunate to come away from White Hart Lane without three points, having
been on top for most of Sunday's London derby. The Hammers took a deserved
lead through goals from Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho, and they looked
to have secured a vital win in their push for a European qualification spot,
however Harry Kane's 95th minute penalty rescued Tottenham a point after
Danny Rose's goal had given them a lifeline. Speaking after the game, the
23-year-old right back, on loan from Arsenal said: "I couldn't see us
conceding another goal. I thought we were comfortable at 2-1 and they didn't
really look like scoring. "Obviously they've equalised with the last kick
off the game, it's unbelievable really. That's the way it goes sometimes but
it was very unfortunate."
Having been on top for large parts of the game, Jenkinson clearly felt that
the Hammers deserved all three points. However, a highly entertaining match
was to end in high drama as, in the 95th minute of the game, Alex Song was
adjudged to have tripped Harry Kane inside the box. The in-form Tottenham
striker picked himself up to take the spot kick - which was brilliantly
saved by Adrian - before the 23-year-old tucked away the rebound. Speaking
about the award of the penalty, Jenkinson continued: "There were quite a few
players in between me and the tackle so I couldn't see it to be honest. "For
me it felt like extra time was an eternity. I didn't have a watch on my
wrist but it seemed like a very long time. I asked the referee not long
before the end how much longer and he said one minute. It definitely seemed
like more than a minute. I think a few things went against us. "We dominated
the game, and they couldn't get near us to be honest with you. I thought we
were the better side. We went 2-0 up and deservedly so, we could've been 3
or 4-0 up. "Obviously we've ended up drawing 2-2 and I can't get my head
round it. It's massively disappointing for everyone involved."
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From the Academy
WHUFC.com
Terry Westley keeps us updated with all the goings on at the West Ham United
Academy
24.02.2015
Hello,
As ever, it's been a busy time for everyone at the Academy, particularly
with the half-term just gone, it gives us a great opportunity to work with
some of the younger age groups. Across last week we had a number of
different age groups in at Rush Green together working on a number of
different areas of the game including tactical sessions, positional work and
in-game scenarios. It's great at any stage of a player's development to
train with players who are slightly older than them. You can't really put a
value on it as they are constantly learning, and in the long run it can only
help them to reach their potential. As well as that some of our most
promising players have been called away on international duty. Left-back
Vashon Neufville and attacking midfielder Anthony Scully were both away with
the England U16s were they played against Switzerland, Slovakia and France
in games at St. George's Park. Another hugely talented player called on
international duty is centre-midfielder Declan Rice, who played for his
native Republic of Ireland. As well as Declan, Reece Oxford and Jahmal
Hector-Ingram were both involved in a tournament in Portugal, where they
played Germany, Portugal and Holland. It's a great achievement for anyone to
represent their country at any level, and everyone at the Academy is very
proud of their achievements. As Director of the Academy, we hope they
continue to play for their countries for many years to come. As long as they
continue to apply themselves and put in the dedication we've seen so far, I
see no reason why they won't. As well as that, we've made our selection for
scholars for next year which include Oxford, Powell, Neufville, Scully and
Tunji Akinola. We've also offered Jake Eggleton, a very exciting right-back,
the option of doing his A levels while continuing to be a full time player.
It's a very strong group of players with several internationals in there.
They've all played above their age in U18s and even for the U21s. They're
all still young and we have to be patient, by we hope one day they'll have
an impact on the first team. As for the U21s, they haven't had a league game
for a while but we've kept them busy, including a friendly against Dagenham
& Redbridge. It was a great opportunity for a number of younger players to
demonstrate what they can do, and against a side made of predominantly
professional players, I thought they played very well. Away from the pitch,
the U21s have been involved in various community projects. First, a
selection of the squad went to the University of East London to learn about
the importance of healthy eating and how to prepare food properly.
They're at an age where some of them are moving into their own accommodation
so they need to know what to eat, when to eat. As athletes, eating the right
balance of carbohydrates and protein is absolutely essential to make sure
they can perform to their best. Knowing how this changes depending on their
schedule, i.e. preparing for a game or recovering afterwards is also vital.
Another event was a half-term training session at the David Lloyd Leisure
near Gidea Park. This included Dan Potts, Leo Chambers, Lewis Page, Marcus
Browne and Kieran Bywater where they coached 30 kids during their half term
break. It was great to see the kids enjoy themselves, and I know the players
enjoyed the experience just as much. The session is another example of the
good relationship we are building with the centre, and the community as a
whole.
All the best,
Terry
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Noble: 'Europe is still possible'
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble said a European spot is possible if West Ham perform like they
did against Spurs
23.02.2015
West Ham United midfielder Mark Noble said the Hammers can still finish in a
European qualifying position if they play like they did against Tottenham
Hotspur in their remaining 12 league games. The Hammers stormed to a 2-0
lead, with Noble, who was captaining the team, playing an important role in
both goals. First, Cheikhou Kouyate headed his third goal of the season
powerfully past Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris before Diafra Sakho doubled
their advantage in the second half. However, Tottenham got a foothold in the
game after Danny Rose's mistimed shot nestled in the far corner before Spurs
were awarded a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time, where Harry
Kane was on hand to pull Spurs level at the second attempt after Adrian had
saved the initial spot kick. Speaking after the match, the 27-year-old
midfielder said: "To be 2-0 up and not win is massively disappointing but I
still think we played well. "We put a lot of effort into the Manchester
United game and then had nine men for 20 minutes away at Southampton, West
Brom was one game too many really. "But today was much better, we showed
what we can do when we're all fully fit. If we play like that for the rest
of the season we still have a great chance of Europe."
Having conceded a late equaliser against Manchester United on Sunday 8
February, the Hammers have lost ground on their rivals for a European
qualification spot, drawing their last three league matches. While clearly
disappointed with the result, Noble insisted there were several positives
for the Hammers as they prepare for their match with Crystal Palace on
Saturday 28 February. "That's four points dropped recently. But we played
well, got a point away at Spurs and we'll move onto to the next game against
Crystal Palace at home. "It's a special game for me and the fans, I love
playing in the London derbies. I was enjoying the game, I always love coming
here. It was a good atmosphere and at 2-0 I thought we were fully in
control. They didn't look like hurting us and if anything we had a good
chance to wrap it up when Enner went close. "I'm not sure what went wrong
really, I think we probably invited too much pressure onto us and that made
it difficult. I was too far away from the penalty so I don't know if it was
or not. Last minute at White Hart Lane it's difficult to take."
Since former West Ham United manager Alan Pardew took over at Crystal
Palace, they have won five of their nine games, including wins over
Tottenham and Southampton. Looking ahead to Saturday's game, another London
derby, Noble is expecting a tough game: "It'll be nice to see Pards again. I
watched their game against Arsenal and they played well. "They're a good
side with exciting players so it'll be tough but if we play like we did
today, we have every chance of winning."
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U18s defeat disappoints Phillips
WHUFC.com
Mark Phillips was disappointed with the U18s 2-1 defeat by Norwich City on
Saturday
24.02.2015
West Ham United U18s coach Mark Phillips was disappointed with Saturday's
Barclays U18 Premier League defeat to Norwich City as it could seriously
damage their push for a top four place. After falling behind to a Harley
Black free kick with just two minutes on the clock, the Hammers worked hard
and pulled level when England U17 international striker Jahmal Hector-Ingram
coolly finished into the top corner.
The Hammers hopes of entering the top four play-off stages alongside seven
of the best Academy teams in the country were then dented when Norwich
substitute Benny Ashley-Seal benefited from a defensive mistake to steal the
points for the Canaries. "I'm not just disappointed with the result but also
the fact that I think it will now stop us finishing in the top four in the
league," admitted Phillips. "It was a very disjointed performance if I'm
honest. "In the first half, we got behind their defence quite a few times
and fair enough to Norwich, they defended it well. I think that we were a
little too careless with the final ball in and around their penalty area.
"Even after we went 1-0 down, I was still confident that we could have gone
on to score three or four goals because of the amount of chances we were
creating. "Our play started to become more impatient and anxious and we were
looking for gaps through the middle where there wasn't any spaces. "Again,
fair play to Norwich because they were filling the gaps that our lads should
have realised they needed to push wide and create chances a different way."
The hosts had a strong squad available for the visit of the Norfolk-based
team to Little Heath, with recent first team substitute Reece Oxford
available for Phillips' side. Phillips revealed though that although it's
beneficial to have a strong selection of players to choose from, it doesn't
mean anything if the effort isn't put in on the pitch. "Without a shadow of
a doubt, conceding a goal after just two minutes was a real kick in the
teeth because on paper, we were probably at our strongest," continued
Phillips. "The only players we were perhaps missing from our team was Vashon
Neufville and Anthony Scully because they were both away on England duty.
"It's nice having a strong team on paper but it's about how you perform on
the pitch that is important. I never felt like we were going to push on and
win the game during the second half because although we had the lion share
of possession, we didn't do anything with it in the final third.
"I didn't feel like we would lose it though and it was just a mistake that
let their lad run through and score the goal. In all honesty, I thought it
would end in a draw and I think both teams would've been happy with that."
The Hammers host Reading U18 at Little Heath on Saturday 28 February as they
aim to finish the season by leapfrogging several other teams to a top four
finish. Parking and admission are both completely FREE at Little Heath.
After the Reading game, the Hammers will join a play-off stage alongside the
teams in their final position group in both the North and South sections.
For example, those that finish 1st-4th in both the Northern and Southern
divisions will play each other in a further seven fixtures, with the same
process applying for those that finish in 5th-8th and 9th-12th.
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Man offended on behalf of someone else reports incident he didn't see or
hear
KUMb.com
Filed: Tuesday, 24th February 2015
By: Staff Writer
TV pundit Kevin Kilbane has reported West Ham United supporters for using
derogatory language during Sunday's televised London derby with Tottenham.
The former Irish international is reported to have registered a complaint
with the FA after complaining that travelling fans sang a song aimed at
Harry Kane mocking his speech impediment. Kilbane told the Daily Mirror that
fans sang: "Harry Kane talks like a mong and plays like one too". He has
complained on the basis that the term 'mong' - which first emerged in the
1980s as a slang reference to people with Downs Syndrome - mocks the
disabled. The former Everton winger is understood to have raised the
complaint after being informed of the chant by a friend who was present at
the game and whose daughter has Downs. "I spoke to him and he was extremely
upset," said Kilbane. "I felt I had to report it. No family should have to
put up with it at football matches. "It is also extremely offensive towards
Harry Kane, who is only a young lad, starting out in the game and who does
not deserve that kind of disgusting abuse just because he is a footballer.
"I am sure they understand they are causing offence," he continued. "You
cannot sweep it under the carpet and label it as ignorance. It is visible
and clear and, like racist or homophobic chanting, it is intended to cause
offence. "I want to be able to take my kids to football matches and when
Elsie gets older she will understand about her condition and I would not
want her to hear that kind of chanting. If her sister Isla heard it, she
would be devastated too, as my friend's sons were. "This is a wider society
problem, not just a problem with football, and idiots are using football as
a tool to show their ignorance and discrimination. "I have spoken to the FA
and they have assured me they will investigate it thoroughly. In all my time
playing and watching football I have never heard this before. Hopefully we
can do something to make sure it isn't again and this awful chant does not
spread."
The FA - and football's equality and inclusion organisation Kick It Out -
have been deluged with complaints since Sunday's match between Spurs and
West Ham - which finished 2-2 -ended. A Tottenham fan started the ball
rolling on Sunday evening by posting a video of some unidentified men, which
he claimed were West Ham supporters, singing an offensive song on a train
(further investigations point to the video being several years old). After
that it was Spurs' turn to feel the heat when a video of their supporters
singing "no noise from the pikey boys" - 'pikey' being a derogatory term for
members of the travelling community - during Sunday's match emerged. Last
night it was revealed that a number of Tottenham fan forums were full of
similar offensive terminology, before the news that Kilbane had reported
West Ham fans to the FA was divulged.
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He ain't heavy, he's my brother
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 24th February 2015
By: Gordon Thrower
Gordon Thrower, KUMB.com's Deputy Editor has a brother with Downs Syndrome.
Here's what he had to think about the Harry Kane song - and resulting
furore...
Some of you will know that my youngest brother Geoff has Downs Syndrome. He
is now 43 and for the last 24 years he has held down a proper full time job
at a branch of Sainsbury's. He's held down that job uninterrupted (which is
more than I can say for my own career).
He plays cricket for the Hants Disabled side – some of you kindly voted for
them in the National Lottery awards a few years back. He's clever,
intelligent and funny and has a warped sense of humour (can't work out where
he got that from). He has two big brothers who think the world of him and
spoil him rotten.
Anyone who knows me will know just how proud I and the rest of the family
are of all he has achieved in his life since the day in 1972 when a doctor
told Mum and Dad to stick him away in a home because he'd never be much more
than a "cabbage" (yes a genuine doctor used that exact word).
As a result of all that, I probably have a different point of reference for
all this.
With reference to the use of the word "mong", I tend to have a contextual
filter. It's not a word I would use myself and were I to catch someone using
that directly at my brother in the street in my presence let's just say the
red mist might just take over.
However, I'd find it difficult to raise a complaint about its use at a
football match I wasn't at.
I mean, where would I draw the line? I'd be willing to bet that at just
about every ground in the country last weekend someone, somewhere, said or
sang something that I personally would find distasteful. Perhaps I should
send out for tapes of each match to see if I can be offended by anything so
I can report it.
Joking aside, I'm not going to slate Kevin Kilbane though. I actually don't
mind the bloke.
Over the years he'd probably be one of the first to admit that, as a player,
he made the most of a limited amount of talent go a long way – over 100 caps
for the Republic Of Ireland is good going for someone who never had any
obvious claims to being "world class" – and he was known to take the
nickname "Zinadine" in the good-humoured spirit of irony in which it was
coined.
As a pundit he concentrates on commenting on what he has seen rather than
trying to be controversial for controversy's sake (yes, you Savage) and he
doesn't seem one to say something, anything even when he hasn't a clue what
he's talking about (I'm pointing at you for a reason Carragher).
I even met him once on a very proud day for me when he presented me with a
medal for dragging my carcass around the Boleyn in a charity tournament. (A
tournament at which, incidentally, a referee threatened to report everyone
involved to the FA because one side included a girl with Downs Syndrome who
was technically too old to be included in a mixed gender side under FA rules
– now THAT'S an offensive attitude). I had a chat with him about stuff in
general and found him to be likeable and intelligent.
I guess that his aim in reporting this was probably to highlight the matter
and, as we can see from here, it's certainly provoked a discussion. I can
only presume that he thought that the best way to bring the matter into
public view was to report it to the FA as a potential offence.
I'm not sure I'd agree with that – as the boss's headline points out, his
position as "man offended on behalf of someone else reports incident he
didn't see or hear" kind of reduces the impact of what he is trying to
highlight. Think of Mary Whitehouse who turned "taking offence" into a
profession to the extent that nobody took her seriously.
Think how stupid Malcolm Muggeridge and the Bishop Of Southwark looked when
admitting that, although they had never seen Monty Python's Life Of Brian,
they were damn well going to fight to have it banned anyway. However, as I
say, as a way of raising the debate it certainly worked – it's just that I
think that there were probably better ways of doing so.
I will say one final thing about the matter. There is one aspect of all this
that does offend me and it's this: Geoff is as honest as the day is long.
He's been known to hand in 10p pieces found in the car-park when he's on
trolley duty. He'd no more try to cheat or con anyone than I would request a
DJ to play "Build Me Up Buttercup".
Which is why I'm sure Geoff would be offended if he realised that he was
being put in the same category as a diving cheat of a footballer, who conned
a referee in order to save his side a point last weekend.
Perhaps I should complain to the FA on his behalf?
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West Ham's Winston Reid condemns football fans' racism
Last Updated: 24/02/15 8:11pm
SSN
West Ham defender Winston Reid says there can be 'no excuses' for any
football fan making racist chants. Police are currently investigating video
footage which has emerged allegedly showing West Ham fans singing
anti-Semitic songs before their 2-2 Premier League draw at Tottenham on
Sunday. The footage and subsequent complaint made by anti-racism and
discrimination organisation Kick It Out came just days after Police
announced they were hunting several alleged Chelsea supporters who prevented
a black man from entering a train on the Paris Metro following their
Champions League tie at Paris St Germain. Reid, who is expected to leave
West Ham when his contract expires at the end of the season, condemned the
Paris incident and said: "There can be no excuses for the actions of fans
singing racist songs. "What happened on the Metro in Paris was absolutely
unacceptable and it was a shame because there is so much work that gets put
into eradicating it from the game that it simply shouldn't happen.
"Ultimately no one wants to go to a football match where stupid people are
saying stupid stuff. It only takes three or four people to ruin it for two
or three thousand. "As a player I've not experienced any fans chanting
racism towards me but it has to be something that football continues to
address and will hopefully end one day. "The positive thing is that the
issue in general is getting better. There are fewer incidents cases and the
number of campaigns that are trying to tackle the issue seems to be having
an effect. "We are a lot further along than 20 years ago, and social media
is making it easy for people to see who is responsible. Hopefully the work
that organisations like the PFA do means that one day the issue won't be an
issue at all."
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Redknapp talks on Irons job
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Harry Redknapp has warned off anybody from backing him to become the next
West Ham boss. The former Upton Park chief has been installed as a 4/1
favourite in some places to take over from Sam Allardyce at the end of the
season. But speaking exclusively to ClaretandHugh the 67 year old declared:
"Tell everybody to keep their money in their pockets. It's not going to
happen. "I don't even know what's going on at the club as far as Sam
Allardyce is concerned. I read the reports but we will have to wait and see.
"What I do think is he has done a great job but predicting what is likely to
happen in this game is a fool's game. However, should a vacancy become
available at the Boleyn I can promise you I won't be filling it. "
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Iron lays FA racism charge at Spurs fans
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
A West Ham fan has laid an official complaint against Spurs after a new
video emerged showing the north London fans chanting racist terms at Irons
supporters. The supporter wants to remain anonymous but contacted
ClaretandHugh to reveal he had laid an official complaint with both the
game's ruling body and then Kick it Out campaign. It follows Kevin
Kilbane's complaint to the FA over reports that Hammers followers were using
the word "mong" in chants at White Hart on Sunday. The Hammers fan rold
ClaretandHugh: "In the current climate there must be zero tolerance in all
cases of racism with the new video showing Spurs fans roaring the words
'pikey boys' at Irons fans.
The Show Racism the Red Card campaign says: "Gyppo and Pikey are extremely
racist and offensive towards anybody from any of the Traveller groups as
both of them have a history of being used to hurt and offend people. "These
words should never be used even if it is towards someone who is not a Gypsy
or Traveller."
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Man City scouting West Ham star
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Manchester City are heavily scouting West Ham's hugely impressive left back
Aaron Cresswell. ClaretandHugh learned the player remains the focus of City
attention as they look at their home grown player quota for next season.
Cresswell has had a brilliant first campaign becoming a Hammers ever-present
with 30 games so far in his first season. It's no surprise to hear of
City's interest after the plaudits he has received from most observers and
pundits this season who have been freely tipping him for international
honours. ClaretandHugh has learned that City have had an eye on him for
three years since Brian Marwood was Director of Football – may be set to
launch a summer raid. The club are ready to allow Aleksander Kolorov to move
on and are looking at both Cresswell and Monaco left sided back four man
Leyvia Kurzarwa. A decision to go for the Monaco star would of course leave
City looking elsewhere in the squad to beef up the British connection.
Hammers source told ClaretandHugh: "It would take a huge offer to even tempt
us as Ipswich also get a chunk if we ever sold on which really isn't in our
thinking.".
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REMEMBERING MOORO: 1941 – 1993
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Twenty two years ago today the club's greatest hero – Mooro – passed away.
Tragically he was only 51 years old. Those of us who lived through that era
and watched him from the Upton Park terraces were truly blessed – he was
unarguably the greatest footballer we have ever – and probably – will ever
see. Many of us barely see a day go by without remembering the man…in my
case he was my last true footballing hero. The 1966 World Cup-winning
captain, sadly passed away on this day 22 years ago. He made 646 league and
cup appearances for the Hammers, scoring 27 goals. Born in Barking on 12
April 1941, he made his debut for his local club in a 3-2 win over
Manchester United at the Boleyn Ground as a 17-year-old on 8 September 1958.
It was the start of a glittering career that is remembered fondly by
football fans the world over. He lifted the FA Cup in 1964 and the European
Cup Winners' Cup in 1965. A year later, he was back at Wembley to complete
an unforgettable hat-trick by lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy following
England's 4-2 victory over West Germany.
Fellow Hammers legend Billy Bonds MBE admitted to ClaretandHugh: " When I
arrived from Charlton I was absolutely over awed by him. The feeling never
really went away. He was a hero to me and an icon. He was an unforgettable
footballer and man. To have known him was incredible – to have played with
him was a fantastic honour."
Mooro as an immortal – Bob, YOU ARE NEVER FORGOTTEN!
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World Cup may cause Irons stadium switch
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 24, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
The FIFA task force looking into dates for the Qatar World Cup has
recommended the tournament to be staged in November and December 2022, the
head of the Asian Football Confederation has confirmed today, while
unconfirmed reports have suggested that the final will be held the day
before Christmas Eve. If ratified by the FIFA executive committee in March
this would inevitably lead to an extension of the Premier League season into
June 2022. This potentially pushes the football season into the athletics
season. West Ham are technically the Winter anchor stadium concessionaires
on a 99 year lease with UK Athletics holding the Summer anchor tenancy for
50 years. New Olympic Stadium operator Vinci would need to sort out any
dispute with it's concessionaires and tenants but there remains a
possibility of re-scheduling or playing some games in another stadium should
no compromise be found.
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Parma crisis could help West Ham land reported January target
HITC
Jack Beresford
The Hammers had been linked with a mid-season move for Parma striker Ishak
Belfodil and developments at the Italian club could play into their hands.
Former PSG striker Nene may have been recruited to the West Ham United cause
already this month, as reported by the BBC, but Sam Allardyce may well have
one eye on goings-on in Italy. Parma, a club steeped in tradition and major
continental success, are on the brink of collapse after the club's debts
seemingly caught up with them. Players and staff have gone unpaid for months
and with the Serie A side no longer able to even pay for ground staff, their
fixtures for the remainder of the season have been voided and demotion looks
likely. Yet for all the sadness and concern surrounding the plight of this
once great club, the likes of Allardyce and West Ham may well be taking even
more of an interest in the future of the Parma squad. More specifically they
will be looking at Algeria international and long-time target Ishak Belfodil
and his plans for the future. The 23-year-old has been on the Hammers' radar
since January 2014, with The Guardian reporting at the time that the London
club were keen to recruit the forward on a loan deal from Inter Milan.
A deal had looked to be have been agreed in principle, only for the move to
collapse with Belfodil moving to Livorno on loan before sealing a permanent
switch to Parma last summer. Even then West Ham continued to pursue the
player, with Tutto Mercato claiming back in December that the club would
move for the forward. Once again, however, no deal materialised, with
Belfodil remaining in Italy. Yet, with Parma close to the brink and the
Algerian facing an uncertain future, could West Ham and Sam Allardyce be
about to benefit from the demise of this once great Italian club?
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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Wednesday, February 25
Tuesday, February 24
Daily WHUFC News - 24th February 2015
The new whufc.com coming soon
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will soon be launching a new-look website
23.02.2015
West Ham United are delighted to announce that they will soon be launching
an all-new whufc.com The new-look website is set to launch in the coming
weeks and will represent a major step forward for the Club's online
presence. A fully responsive design will allow supporters to keep abreast of
the Hammers news wherever they are, on desktop, tablet or mobile, with a
whole range of new features to enjoy. For the first time, supporters will be
able to view West Ham TV videos for free, with match highlights from the
first team, Development Squad and Under-18s, interviews, behind the scenes
features and more available to watch on demand. An interactive social hub
will sit at the centre of the new site, giving a dedicated platform for
conversation on all things West Ham throughout the day, while on matchdays
an improved match centre will provide all the information you need to follow
the game. Including free live audio commentary, live stats, photo galleries
and comment, the match centre will be the one stop shop to keep up to date.
Away from matches, the new whufc.com will be home to more opinion, with
blogs from fans, former players and media personalities keeping the Hammers
conversation ticking over all week long.
With all this and much more besides, our first website redesign since 2008
is set to provide supporters with a richer online experience following their
Club, so keep an eye out for the new whufc.com, coming soon!
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Sakho seeks capital gains
WHUFC.com
Diafra Sakho wants Sunday's derby-day goal to be the first of many in the
coming weeks
23.02.2015
Diafra Sakho is gunning for West Ham United's London rivals, after he
notched against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday in the first of a quartet of
capital clashes. Sakho's ninth league goal of the campaign doubled the
Hammers' advantage shortly after the hour mark at White Hart Lane, after his
compatriot Cheikhou Kouyate had earlier headed the visitors in front. But
the Senegal striker's joy was short-lived as Danny Rose and, in the sixth
minute of added time, Harry Kane completed an improbable Spurs revival. So
while Sakho and co would have to settle for a point, the 25-year-old was
still pleased to get back on the goal trail.
"It made for a real moment," he told West Ham TV. "I'd not scored in the
league [for some time] - I'd only scored in the cup. I hope as well that
it's the start and that I'm going to score again in the derbies to come. "We
know that all the games are important and we've got Palace on Saturday, when
I'll be trying to score again. I hope come the end we'll have won the game."
Sakho's strike on the day was arguably the tougher of his two second-half
chances, having earlier tried and failed to beat Hugo Lloris' defences at
his near post. But when Mark Noble's deep cross picked out the No15, Sakho
squeezed home from the acutest of angles. "I'd had one earlier chance that
was a lot easier that I'd missed, so there I was thinking I've at least got
to hit the target," he continued. "Fortune smiled on me and I scored. "It's
a derby and an away one too. I came here having not played in one [against
Spurs]. It was great for me, as a forward, and important for me to score a
goal like that against Tottenham and, for sure, I'm happy with it."
But two points dropped in such dramatic circumstances obviously rankle with
the striker, who said his side need to find a way to close out matches. The
Hammers suffered a similar fate against Manchester United a fortnight ago
and Sakho wants this to be the end of it. He added: "It's difficult to take,
particularly because that's the second time [it's happened], against
Manchester United as well it was the same. We lead until the last minute and
then conceded. It's becoming a habit! Now it's for us to rid ourselves of it
and manage the game, as a group, until the end. "I think we lacked a bit of
concentration at the end, but that can happen at any given moment. It's down
to us to make sure it no longer happens, because as a result we've lost four
points over the two games. And at the end of the season, all those points
are important. I think that with the performance we produced on Sunday, even
though we're frustrated to have drawn it, we can still reflect on a good
game overall."
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Loan round up
WHUFC.com
See how the four West Ham United loanees fared this weekend
23.02.2015
Elliot Lee scored on his debut for Luton Town on Saturday, just four minutes
after coming on as a substitute. Lee's goal appeared to have salvaged Luton
a vital point until David Connolly's last minute winner secured Wimbledon a
3-2 win.
Raphael Spiegel made his debut for Carlisle United in a 3-2 home defeat to
Wycombe Wanderers. The visitors took a commanding 3-0 lead through goals
from Aaron Pierre, Fred Onyedinma and Matt McClure before the hosts rallied.
First Kyle Dempsey curled a shot in before Danny Grainger's penalty ensured
a nervy final eight minutes. Despite their best efforts they couldn't find
the equaliser and the score remained 3-2.
Modibo Maiga played the full game in FC Metz' 0-0 draw away at Reims. The
draw gives the French outfit a valuable point as they try and get off the
bottom of Ligue Un.
Sean Maguire came on for the final eight minutes as Accrington Stanley drew
1-1 at home with Cheltenham Town. The visitors opened the scoring on 31
minutes with a looping header from Wes Burns before Shay McCartan's
second-half strike levelled the proceedings.
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Anti-Semitic chanting before West Ham match probed
BBC.co.uk
Video footage has emerged of a group of men, thought to be West Ham fans,
chanting anti-Semitic abuse on a train in north London. Anti-discrimination
group Kick It Out has contacted police over the footage, filmed on Sunday.
The video appeared on social media showing fans on the way to the 2-2 draw
with Tottenham at White Hart Lane. West Ham said it had a "zero-tolerance
policy" and perpetrators could be banned from the club's ground for life. It
had warned fans before the match that "any form of discriminatory behaviour"
would not be tolerated. Most Spurs fans are not Jewish but the club has a
historical association with London's Jewish community. The latest
controversy comes after Chelsea supporters were filmed pushing a black man
from a train on the Paris Metro last week.
Police are also investigating racist chanting at St Pancras station by men
thought to be Chelsea fans returning from the Champions League match in
Paris. The latest footage was uploaded to Twitter by Spurs fan @RomanGeezer,
who tweeted: "On the train on the way to the game, West Ham fans break into
song in Stamford Hill, a Jewish area, scum." A British Transport Police
spokesman said: "We are encouraged the public has the confidence to report
incidents of inappropriate and offensive football-related behaviour to us.
"We take these incidents very seriously, and it is clear what happened on
the Paris Metro and at St Pancras the following night were not isolated
events."
A West Ham spokesman said: "If any individual is found to have behaved in an
inappropriate way, the club's simple, zero-tolerance policy dictates that
they will face the strongest possible action, including the option of a life
ban from the Boleyn Ground." Tottenham said it hoped those involved would be
identified and dealt with seriously. A spokesman for the club said:
"Anti-Semitism in any form is wholly unacceptable and we support all efforts
to kick it out of the game. "We hope that those individuals responsible for
this vile behaviour are identified and dealt with in the strongest way
possible."
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Alou Alou! Diarra returns to London
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 23rd February 2015
By: Staff Writer
Former West Ham midfielder Alou Diarra has signed for Championship side
Charlton on a short-term contract. The 33-year-old defensive midfielder
joins the Addicks seven months after he was released by West Ham following a
stormy two years at the club. "He will add some height, experience, and most
of all, quality to the midfield," said Charlton boss Guy Luzon. "It's a
coup for us that we can attract a player with so much international
experience and I'm sure he will be fantastic for us." The former French
international made a total of just 14 appearances for West Ham during his
spell at the Boleyn. Signed from Olympique Marseille in the summer of 2012,
Diarra was in the news for his continuous complaints more often than for his
efforts on the pitch during his spell at West Ham.
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Tottenham's Nabil Bentaleb hits back at West Ham boss Sam Allardyce
Last Updated: 23/02/15 2:13pm
SSN
Tottenham midfielder Nabil Bentaleb has hit back at Sam Allardyce after the
West Ham manager claimed Spurs should not have been awarded the penalty that
led to their equaliser on Sunday. Allardyce bemoaned the decision of referee
Jonathan Moss after Alex Song brought down Harry Kane deep into stoppage
time at White Hart Lane. The former Bolton and Blackburn boss said Tottenham
were "desperate" and suggested their players went down too easily throughout
the game. But Bentaleb said: "This is football. Sometimes the referee makes
decisions and you just have to shut your mouth and not complain. "Of course
it was a penalty - there's no doubt about that. Maybe it's because we scored
from the penalty in the last minute; I can understand if he's a little bit
angry about this. "He can say whatever he wants but if he wants to argue
maybe we could say Mark Noble should have been sent off. "The positive thing
we can take out of this game is that we believed until the end and once
again we scored in the last minute and managed to get that point." The 2-2
draw kept Spurs within touching distance of the top four – with third to
seventh separated by just four points - while West Ham remain five points
below their rivals in eighth.
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West Ham manager Sam Allardyce confirms Nene ready for debut
Last Updated: 23/02/15 3:18pm
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has confirmed that new striker Nene will make
his debut against Crystal Palace on Saturday. The 33-year-old Brazilian
failed to make the squad for Sunday's 2-2 draw with Tottenham but will play
some part against the Eagles after Carlton Cole picked up a hamstring
problem at White Hart Lane. Allardyce said: "Nene would have probably
featured anyway but he will definitely be involved now because we're down to
the two strikers with Andy Carroll's injury and Carlton Cole's new hamstring
problem. "Nene would have probably featured anyway but he will definitely be
involved now because we're down to the two strikers with Andy Carroll's
injury and Carlton Cole's new hamstring problem." "Enner Valencia and Diafra
Sakho did a fantastic job - like the whole team - against Tottenham. It was
just a shame we were not all going out celebrating another victory against
Tottenham." Former PSG and Monaco forward Nene was released by Qatari side
Al-Gharafa at the start of the year and arrived at Upton Park on a free
transfer.
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West Ham warn fans on racism as probe into anti-Semitic chants gets under
way
Last Updated: 23/02/15 2:51pm
SSN
West Ham supporters have been told they face life bans for inappropriate
behaviour as an investigation is launched into anti-Semitic chants. A video
showing people thought to be West Ham fans singing racist songs was reported
to Kick It Out over the weekend with the anti-discrimination group probing
the incident with the help of the British Transport Police. The video,
filmed on the London Underground, emerged on Sunday following the 2-2 draw
at White Hart Lane between the Hammers and Tottenham. A Kick It Out
statement said they had "received several reports via social media about the
footage". They also added they had been informed of a "number of
anti-Semitic tweets which we are reporting to the Police". "If any
individual is found to have behaved in an inappropriate way, the Club's
simple, zero-tolerance policy dictates that they will face the strongest
possible action."
West Ham statement
The incident came two days after West Ham wrote to all fans going to the
game reminding them of the club's zero-tolerance attitude to racism and
possible stadium bans. On Monday, the club responded by issuing a warning to
any fan found guilty and requested information from anybody who knew
anything on the alleged incident. A West Ham United spokesman said: "The
club emailed every supporter who had bought a ticket to Sunday's game to
remind them that they were acting as ambassadors for West Ham United. "If
any individual is found to have behaved in an inappropriate way, the Club's
simple, zero-tolerance policy dictates that they will face the strongest
possible action, including the option of a life ban from the Boleyn Ground.
"If anyone has any information on such behaviour we would urge them to
report it to the Club, Kick It Out or the police so it can be investigated
thoroughly."
Lord Ousley, chairman of Kick It Out, was hugely critical of the response by
football's governing bodies, including the Football Association, the
Football League, Football managers' Association and the Professional
Footballers' Association. "We cannot go on like that because the problems
will continue," he told Sky Sports News HQ. "The people who own and run
football, they must do something about it. They are not doing enough – they
are hardly doing anything." The letter, published on the West Ham website
and signed from owners David Gold and David Sullivan, ahead of Sunday's
match with their London rivals said: "We would like to remind all fans
attending the match at White Hart Lane that they will be acting as
ambassadors for West Ham United and their behaviour should reflect the
values and standards of our club.
Tottenham statement
"Working with the Metropolitan Police, the club will continue to adopt a
zero tolerance policy towards any form of discriminatory behaviour and any
fan found to be acting inappropriately - including racist, anti-Semitic and
homophobic behaviour - will be punished to the full extent of the law and
banned from attending matches. "We are rightly proud of our world-famous
support home and away and we look forward to the famous Claret and Blue Army
once again getting behind the team with all their heart and showing the
world that following the Hammers means supporting with pride, passion and
respect."
British Transport Police issued a statement asking for information or
footage on the incident, which occured at Stamford Hill in north London. It
read: "We take these incidents very seriously, and it is clear what happened
on the Paris Metro and at St Pancras the following night were not isolated
events. "Anyone who has information or video that would help us our
investigation should contact British Transport Police on 0800 405040, by
text, on 61016, quoting reference 420 of 22/2/15."
A Tottenham spokesman added: "Anti-Semitism in any form is wholly
unacceptable and we support all efforts to kick it out of the game.
"We hope that those individuals responsible for this vile behaviour are
identified and dealt with in the strongest way possible." Last week, Chelsea
fans were filmed on the Paris Metro appearing to push a black man off the
train in an alleged racist incident.
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Tottenham label West Ham fans' anti-Semitic chants VILE and call for
"strongest possible action"
12:14, 23 February 2015 By Joe Mewis
A clip emerged online which claims to feature a group of Hammers fans
chanting on the train as they travelled to White Hart Lane on Sunday
The Mirror
Tottenham have called for strong action over a video apparently showing West
Ham fans chanting an anti-Semitic song. The footage first emerged on Twitter
and claims to show supporters travelling on a train through Stamford Hill, a
well-know Jewish area in London singing: "I've got a foreskin, how about
you? F****** Jew." And now the North London club have said they hope
appropriate action is taken against those responsible for what they call
"vile behaviour". A Spurs spokesman said: "Anti-Semitism in any form is
wholly unacceptable and we support all efforts to kick it out of the game.
"We hope that those individuals responsible for this vile behaviour are
identified and dealt with in the strongest way possible."
West Ham said they had emailed every supporter who bought a ticket to
Sunday's game to remind them they were acting as ambassadors for the club. A
spokesman said: "If any individual is found to have behaved in an
inappropriate way, the club's simple, zero-tolerance policy dictates that
they will face the strongest possible action, including the option of a life
ban from the Boleyn Ground. "If anyone has any information on such behaviour
we would urge them to report it to the club, Kick It Out or the police so it
can be investigated thoroughly."
The game at White Hart Lane finished 2-2, with Spurs netting a last gasp
equaliser though Harry Kane.
Anti-discrimination group Kick It Out have also called on the authorities to
step in and steps to be taken to tackle the issue of anti-Semitism in the
game. "Once again, the weekend has been marred by a number of abusive
incidents further demonstrating the high levels of prejudice and
discrimination within football and wider British society," a statement from
Lord Herman Ouseley. "The reality is that this barely scratches the surface
of what is a widespread issue continuing to blight the game across the
country and English football's image abroad. "We received several reports
throughout the course of yesterday (22 February) afternoon bringing to our
attention video footage of West Ham United fans leading antisemitic chants
on a train heading towards White Hart Lane for their Premier League fixture
against Tottenham Hotspur. The statement added: "What would have happened if
we hadn't seen this footage or it hadn't been reported? We need to give
people the confidence to challenge discriminatory and abusive behaviour, and
this can only be reinforced by action being taken by the Police and within
football by the clubs and authorities. The Community Security Trust issued
statistics earlier this month showing record levels of antisemitism since it
started monitoring incidents in 1984. Our own statistics from the 2013/14
season highlighted antisemitism as the second most common form of
discrimination reported to us. "Antisemitism must be tackled with the same
vigour as all other forms of discrimination. There is a heightened level of
concern within the Jewish community about antisemitism with some feeling
unable to live their everyday lives without fear of harassment, abuse and
violence. "Theresa May, the Home Secretary, said last month that the UK
'must redouble its efforts to wipe out antisemitism'. Antisemitism which
occurs within football should not be treated differently to any other
discriminatory incidents. This type of behaviour is all interlinked and it
must be stopped. "Football across the board, and that includes everyone
involved in the game, especially at the highest levels, need to take
responsibility and start asserting themselves by condemning this behaviour
and acting upon it when it occurs. "All too often there is silence or
half-hearted statements made by those with power and influence when it comes
to countering discrimination within the game. This must change now if we are
to make a difference. We cannot go on any longer operating with a silo
mentality in which everyone looks to someone else to take responsibility but
never does so themselves."
This comes in the wake of the video recorded on the Paris Metro last Tuesday
that showed a group of Chelsea fans singing racist chants while not allowing
a black man to board a train as they chanted: "We're racist and that's the
way we like it."
On Saturday, ahead of their draw with Burnley, Chelsea fans at Stamford
Bridge sent out a strong anti-racism message in response to the incident.
Police confirmed on Sunday that they were talking to three men about the
alleged racist incident. A separate group of Hammers fans had earlier
parodied the incident by producing a video showing a black West Ham fan
being given a jovial welcome onto a train carriage.
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Kick It Out contact police over West Ham fans' pre-match 'anti-Semitic'
songs
11:04, 23 February 2015 By Joe Mewis
The Mirror
Police have been contacted over a video that appears to show West Ham fans
singing anti-Semitic songs as they travelled to the club's game with
Tottenham on Sunday. The footage first emerged on Twitter and claims to show
supporters travelling on a train through Stamford Hill, a well-know Jewish
area in London singing: "I've got a foreskin, how about you? F****** Jew."
And now anti-discrimination group Kick It Out have called on the authorities
to step in. "Kick It Out has received several reports via social media about
the footage and will be liaising with British Transport Police on the
matter," read a statement. "In addition, we have been informed of a number
of anti-Semitic tweets which we are reporting to the police." The game at
White Hart Lane finished 2-2, with Spurs netting a last gasp equaliser
though Harry Kane. This comes in the wake of the video recorded on the Paris
Metro last Tuesday that showed a group of Chelsea fans singing racist chants
while not allowing a black man to board a train as they chanted: "We're
racist and that's the way we like it." On Saturday, ahead of their draw with
Burnley, Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge sent out a strong anti-racism
message in response to the incident.
Police confirmed on Sunday that they were talking to three men about the
alleged racist incident. A separate group of Hammers fans had earlier
parodied the incident by producing a video showing a black West Ham fan
being given a jovial welcome onto a train carriage.
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Allardyce admits to a 'West Ham Way'
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Sam Allardyce has regularly declared there is no such thing as the 'West Ham
Way.' Back in 2012 at a press conference he declared: "There has never been
a 'West Ham way' shown to me, not by anybody that's worked with West Ham who
I have inherited. "I've spoken to them all and none of them can tell me or
define what the West Ham way is. So it is a bit of a delusion."
Yet only a year earlier as he marched into the Boleyn as the new boss he was
preaching a very different message. In an interview – with the Evening
Standard on his arrival at the club as manager – he had declared: "When I
was a player I always wanted to come and play at Upton Park. "The legacy
always impressed me as a young man – Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff
Hurst and then players like Trevor Brooking and Billy Bonds. "It was a
pleasure and a privilege to play against players like that although I
wouldn't say I enjoyed it too much because we didn't win too many. "As a
manager coming back to Upton Park, the plan was always to stop the way West
Ham wanted to play – the West Ham 'way'."That used to frustrate the fans and
the players and then we were able to take advantage of that. So finally, the
truth is out – Sam has known about the 'West Ham Way for close on for a very
long time! Glad we could clear that one up for you!
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FIFA rules broken with penalty rebound
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
FIFA rules suggest referee Jonathan Moss should have blown his whistle after
Harry Kane's first penalty kick was taken thus denying him his follow up
chance on the rebound.
The rules suggest:
When a match is extended at full-time, to allow a Penalty Kick to be taken
the extension shall last until the moment that the Penalty Kick has been
completed and the game shall terminate immediately the referee has made his
decision.
After the player taking the Penalty Kick has put the ball into play, no
player other than the defending goalkeeper may play or touch the ball before
the kick is completed.
When a Penalty Kick is being taken in extended time:
The provisions of all of the foregoing paragraphs, except paragraphs (2)(b)
and (4)(c) shall apply in the usual way, and
in the circumstances described in paragraphs (2)(b) and (4)(c) the game
shall terminate immediately the ball rebounds from the goalkeeper, the
cross-bar or the goal-post.
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Irons cool on Manchester City defender
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are unlikely to become embroiled in an auction for Manchester City
defender Micah Richards The on loan Fiorentina right back s has admitted he
wants to come back to the Premier League but probably not with Manchester
City. Speaking to Sky Sports he said: "I don't think [I'll go back to City].
I think it's in the past now.Obviously I'd love to play for them again, but
they have so many players, the budget is so high." "It's a lot more
defensive (In Italy), teams just come and try and get a point. The Premier
League is more fast and furious, a bit more entertaining. Here some teams
just accept defeat." West Ham were reported to be chasing the player last
summer but a well placed source told ClaretandHugh today: "He's expensive at
around £70k a week remembering that he hasn't played that much and has been
injury prone. "Obviously we will be linked with central defenders given
Winston Reid's position but it's too early to discuss really."
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West Ham TV to be free for all
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
The club have confirmed that West Ham TV containing videos and content such
as match highlights from the first team, Development Squad and Under-18s,
interviews and behind the scenes features will be free of charge from March.
The service also includes free live audio commentary for every match.
The West Ham TV service has over 2,000 subscribers paying up to £4.99 per
month each but the plan is to bring the content to a much wider audience
with the launch of the new WHUFC.com website in March.
West Ham TV subscribers received an email saying "We would like to thank you
for subscribing to West Ham TV and we hope you enjoyed the service, but you
will now be able to access it free of charge from March 2015. You will
shortly receive an email from West Ham TV with details of refunding the
balance of your account where appropriate."
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Carlton in twitter bother again!
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Carlton Cole faces a dressing down from the FA and or West Ham after telling
one Spurs season ticket holder to "F off you c***" on social media after
yesterday's draw. The message sent by Carlton just after 6pm on Sunday
evening was in response to a tweet by Spurs fan Stuart Hardy who directed
his message at Cole saying "Hi @CarltonCole1 when your own team mates don't
kick the ball out when your'e lying injured for 2 mins, you think it's time
to call it a day?" The message has since been deleted by Carlton Cole. In
2011 Carlton Cole was fined £20,000 by the Football Association for comments
he made on Twitter during England's friendly with Ghana. It remains to be
seen whether the FA will accuse Carlton of bringing the game into
disrepute.
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Leroy: "Sam these are your problems alone"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
First things first – we are a far better team without Kevin Nolan. We
deserved more yesterday but the simple fact is the players are losing belief
when victory is in sight and that is an issue this manager – or whoever
comes next – has to solve. Sam Allardyce has claimed various reasons for
likely victories becoming draws but having watched all our games to me the
answer is clear – the players are falling back 20 – 25 yards when the other
team starts to have a real go. The manager is making defensive substitutions
as a result but the truth is he has to convince the team they are now a very
decent time who can mix it and beat the best.
The players instead are getting nervous and conceding. At the end of the day
that's a managerial problem, Sam has to convince them they are good enough
to beat these teams and until he does that this situation will keep
repeating itself. The tragedy yesterday was that we had played so well for
so long and Nolan's absence for Cheik Kouyate had an awful lot to do with
that.
Most of the supporters have been saying for a long time that the captain is
slowing everything down and they are right. We were excellent and the
football on display for a long time was excellent. It was a shame that Mark
Noble had to go off for his own security from a red card because he was
utterly outstanding and we lost our grip in part when he disappeared. But
the lads lost their conviction that they could win and however much Sam
tries to explain it away, this is his or the next manager's problem.
I don't take sides but who do you blame when a team loses it's belief? The
manager! He has to address it, I had the same problems at times as a boss
and had to accept it was my dilemma. No one else's. There's been much talk
about an imminent departure for Sam and if that happens then it will mean
things have come to a natural end. But he has to stop this draw rot and
convince this team it is the top six side I believe it to be before he does.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kevin Kilbane lodges complaint to FA after West Ham fans sing sick song
mocking the disabled against Spurs
22:30, 23 February 2015 By Colin Young
Match of the Day pundit and former Ireland star hopes authorities will act
over 'Harry Kane talks like a mong and plays like one too' chant
The Mirror
Kevin Kilbane has made an official complaint to the FA after vile West Ham
fans chanted offensive songs mocking the disabled on Sunday.
The Match of the Day pundit contacted the FA after a close friend reported
West Ham fans sang 'Harry Kane talks like a mong and plays like one too'
during the 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane. The word 'mong' is a derogatory term
for people with learning disabilities.
And Kilbane, whose 10-year-old daughter Elsie has Down's Syndrome, has been
told the FA is launching an investigation into his complaint.
The former Ireland star, a patron of the Down's Syndrome Association
charity, said: "I am sure they understand they are causing offence. You
cannot sweep it under the carpet and label it as ignorance. "It is visible
and clear and like racist or homophobic chanting, it is intended to cause
offence. I want to be able to take my kids to football matches and when
Elsie gets older she will understand about her condition and I would not
want her to hear that kind of chanting. If her sister Isla heard it, she
would be devastated too, as my friend's sons were. "I spoke to him and he
was extremely upset and I felt I had to report it. No family should have to
put up with it at football matches. "It is also extremely offensive towards
Harry Kane, who is only a young lad, starting out in the game and who does
not deserve that kind of disgusting abuse just because he is a footballer.
"It was very clear and sadly it appeared to be from a large number of West
Ham fans in the ground. This was not isolated to a handful of people. "This
is a wider society problem, not just a problem with football and idiots are
using football as a tool to show their ignorance and discrimination. "I have
spoken to the FA and they have assured me they will investigate it
thoroughly. In all my time playing and watching football, I have never heard
this before. Hopefully we can do something to make sure it isn't again and
this awful chant does not spread."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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WHUFC.com
West Ham United will soon be launching a new-look website
23.02.2015
West Ham United are delighted to announce that they will soon be launching
an all-new whufc.com The new-look website is set to launch in the coming
weeks and will represent a major step forward for the Club's online
presence. A fully responsive design will allow supporters to keep abreast of
the Hammers news wherever they are, on desktop, tablet or mobile, with a
whole range of new features to enjoy. For the first time, supporters will be
able to view West Ham TV videos for free, with match highlights from the
first team, Development Squad and Under-18s, interviews, behind the scenes
features and more available to watch on demand. An interactive social hub
will sit at the centre of the new site, giving a dedicated platform for
conversation on all things West Ham throughout the day, while on matchdays
an improved match centre will provide all the information you need to follow
the game. Including free live audio commentary, live stats, photo galleries
and comment, the match centre will be the one stop shop to keep up to date.
Away from matches, the new whufc.com will be home to more opinion, with
blogs from fans, former players and media personalities keeping the Hammers
conversation ticking over all week long.
With all this and much more besides, our first website redesign since 2008
is set to provide supporters with a richer online experience following their
Club, so keep an eye out for the new whufc.com, coming soon!
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Sakho seeks capital gains
WHUFC.com
Diafra Sakho wants Sunday's derby-day goal to be the first of many in the
coming weeks
23.02.2015
Diafra Sakho is gunning for West Ham United's London rivals, after he
notched against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday in the first of a quartet of
capital clashes. Sakho's ninth league goal of the campaign doubled the
Hammers' advantage shortly after the hour mark at White Hart Lane, after his
compatriot Cheikhou Kouyate had earlier headed the visitors in front. But
the Senegal striker's joy was short-lived as Danny Rose and, in the sixth
minute of added time, Harry Kane completed an improbable Spurs revival. So
while Sakho and co would have to settle for a point, the 25-year-old was
still pleased to get back on the goal trail.
"It made for a real moment," he told West Ham TV. "I'd not scored in the
league [for some time] - I'd only scored in the cup. I hope as well that
it's the start and that I'm going to score again in the derbies to come. "We
know that all the games are important and we've got Palace on Saturday, when
I'll be trying to score again. I hope come the end we'll have won the game."
Sakho's strike on the day was arguably the tougher of his two second-half
chances, having earlier tried and failed to beat Hugo Lloris' defences at
his near post. But when Mark Noble's deep cross picked out the No15, Sakho
squeezed home from the acutest of angles. "I'd had one earlier chance that
was a lot easier that I'd missed, so there I was thinking I've at least got
to hit the target," he continued. "Fortune smiled on me and I scored. "It's
a derby and an away one too. I came here having not played in one [against
Spurs]. It was great for me, as a forward, and important for me to score a
goal like that against Tottenham and, for sure, I'm happy with it."
But two points dropped in such dramatic circumstances obviously rankle with
the striker, who said his side need to find a way to close out matches. The
Hammers suffered a similar fate against Manchester United a fortnight ago
and Sakho wants this to be the end of it. He added: "It's difficult to take,
particularly because that's the second time [it's happened], against
Manchester United as well it was the same. We lead until the last minute and
then conceded. It's becoming a habit! Now it's for us to rid ourselves of it
and manage the game, as a group, until the end. "I think we lacked a bit of
concentration at the end, but that can happen at any given moment. It's down
to us to make sure it no longer happens, because as a result we've lost four
points over the two games. And at the end of the season, all those points
are important. I think that with the performance we produced on Sunday, even
though we're frustrated to have drawn it, we can still reflect on a good
game overall."
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Loan round up
WHUFC.com
See how the four West Ham United loanees fared this weekend
23.02.2015
Elliot Lee scored on his debut for Luton Town on Saturday, just four minutes
after coming on as a substitute. Lee's goal appeared to have salvaged Luton
a vital point until David Connolly's last minute winner secured Wimbledon a
3-2 win.
Raphael Spiegel made his debut for Carlisle United in a 3-2 home defeat to
Wycombe Wanderers. The visitors took a commanding 3-0 lead through goals
from Aaron Pierre, Fred Onyedinma and Matt McClure before the hosts rallied.
First Kyle Dempsey curled a shot in before Danny Grainger's penalty ensured
a nervy final eight minutes. Despite their best efforts they couldn't find
the equaliser and the score remained 3-2.
Modibo Maiga played the full game in FC Metz' 0-0 draw away at Reims. The
draw gives the French outfit a valuable point as they try and get off the
bottom of Ligue Un.
Sean Maguire came on for the final eight minutes as Accrington Stanley drew
1-1 at home with Cheltenham Town. The visitors opened the scoring on 31
minutes with a looping header from Wes Burns before Shay McCartan's
second-half strike levelled the proceedings.
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Anti-Semitic chanting before West Ham match probed
BBC.co.uk
Video footage has emerged of a group of men, thought to be West Ham fans,
chanting anti-Semitic abuse on a train in north London. Anti-discrimination
group Kick It Out has contacted police over the footage, filmed on Sunday.
The video appeared on social media showing fans on the way to the 2-2 draw
with Tottenham at White Hart Lane. West Ham said it had a "zero-tolerance
policy" and perpetrators could be banned from the club's ground for life. It
had warned fans before the match that "any form of discriminatory behaviour"
would not be tolerated. Most Spurs fans are not Jewish but the club has a
historical association with London's Jewish community. The latest
controversy comes after Chelsea supporters were filmed pushing a black man
from a train on the Paris Metro last week.
Police are also investigating racist chanting at St Pancras station by men
thought to be Chelsea fans returning from the Champions League match in
Paris. The latest footage was uploaded to Twitter by Spurs fan @RomanGeezer,
who tweeted: "On the train on the way to the game, West Ham fans break into
song in Stamford Hill, a Jewish area, scum." A British Transport Police
spokesman said: "We are encouraged the public has the confidence to report
incidents of inappropriate and offensive football-related behaviour to us.
"We take these incidents very seriously, and it is clear what happened on
the Paris Metro and at St Pancras the following night were not isolated
events."
A West Ham spokesman said: "If any individual is found to have behaved in an
inappropriate way, the club's simple, zero-tolerance policy dictates that
they will face the strongest possible action, including the option of a life
ban from the Boleyn Ground." Tottenham said it hoped those involved would be
identified and dealt with seriously. A spokesman for the club said:
"Anti-Semitism in any form is wholly unacceptable and we support all efforts
to kick it out of the game. "We hope that those individuals responsible for
this vile behaviour are identified and dealt with in the strongest way
possible."
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Alou Alou! Diarra returns to London
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 23rd February 2015
By: Staff Writer
Former West Ham midfielder Alou Diarra has signed for Championship side
Charlton on a short-term contract. The 33-year-old defensive midfielder
joins the Addicks seven months after he was released by West Ham following a
stormy two years at the club. "He will add some height, experience, and most
of all, quality to the midfield," said Charlton boss Guy Luzon. "It's a
coup for us that we can attract a player with so much international
experience and I'm sure he will be fantastic for us." The former French
international made a total of just 14 appearances for West Ham during his
spell at the Boleyn. Signed from Olympique Marseille in the summer of 2012,
Diarra was in the news for his continuous complaints more often than for his
efforts on the pitch during his spell at West Ham.
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Tottenham's Nabil Bentaleb hits back at West Ham boss Sam Allardyce
Last Updated: 23/02/15 2:13pm
SSN
Tottenham midfielder Nabil Bentaleb has hit back at Sam Allardyce after the
West Ham manager claimed Spurs should not have been awarded the penalty that
led to their equaliser on Sunday. Allardyce bemoaned the decision of referee
Jonathan Moss after Alex Song brought down Harry Kane deep into stoppage
time at White Hart Lane. The former Bolton and Blackburn boss said Tottenham
were "desperate" and suggested their players went down too easily throughout
the game. But Bentaleb said: "This is football. Sometimes the referee makes
decisions and you just have to shut your mouth and not complain. "Of course
it was a penalty - there's no doubt about that. Maybe it's because we scored
from the penalty in the last minute; I can understand if he's a little bit
angry about this. "He can say whatever he wants but if he wants to argue
maybe we could say Mark Noble should have been sent off. "The positive thing
we can take out of this game is that we believed until the end and once
again we scored in the last minute and managed to get that point." The 2-2
draw kept Spurs within touching distance of the top four – with third to
seventh separated by just four points - while West Ham remain five points
below their rivals in eighth.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce confirms Nene ready for debut
Last Updated: 23/02/15 3:18pm
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has confirmed that new striker Nene will make
his debut against Crystal Palace on Saturday. The 33-year-old Brazilian
failed to make the squad for Sunday's 2-2 draw with Tottenham but will play
some part against the Eagles after Carlton Cole picked up a hamstring
problem at White Hart Lane. Allardyce said: "Nene would have probably
featured anyway but he will definitely be involved now because we're down to
the two strikers with Andy Carroll's injury and Carlton Cole's new hamstring
problem. "Nene would have probably featured anyway but he will definitely be
involved now because we're down to the two strikers with Andy Carroll's
injury and Carlton Cole's new hamstring problem." "Enner Valencia and Diafra
Sakho did a fantastic job - like the whole team - against Tottenham. It was
just a shame we were not all going out celebrating another victory against
Tottenham." Former PSG and Monaco forward Nene was released by Qatari side
Al-Gharafa at the start of the year and arrived at Upton Park on a free
transfer.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham warn fans on racism as probe into anti-Semitic chants gets under
way
Last Updated: 23/02/15 2:51pm
SSN
West Ham supporters have been told they face life bans for inappropriate
behaviour as an investigation is launched into anti-Semitic chants. A video
showing people thought to be West Ham fans singing racist songs was reported
to Kick It Out over the weekend with the anti-discrimination group probing
the incident with the help of the British Transport Police. The video,
filmed on the London Underground, emerged on Sunday following the 2-2 draw
at White Hart Lane between the Hammers and Tottenham. A Kick It Out
statement said they had "received several reports via social media about the
footage". They also added they had been informed of a "number of
anti-Semitic tweets which we are reporting to the Police". "If any
individual is found to have behaved in an inappropriate way, the Club's
simple, zero-tolerance policy dictates that they will face the strongest
possible action."
West Ham statement
The incident came two days after West Ham wrote to all fans going to the
game reminding them of the club's zero-tolerance attitude to racism and
possible stadium bans. On Monday, the club responded by issuing a warning to
any fan found guilty and requested information from anybody who knew
anything on the alleged incident. A West Ham United spokesman said: "The
club emailed every supporter who had bought a ticket to Sunday's game to
remind them that they were acting as ambassadors for West Ham United. "If
any individual is found to have behaved in an inappropriate way, the Club's
simple, zero-tolerance policy dictates that they will face the strongest
possible action, including the option of a life ban from the Boleyn Ground.
"If anyone has any information on such behaviour we would urge them to
report it to the Club, Kick It Out or the police so it can be investigated
thoroughly."
Lord Ousley, chairman of Kick It Out, was hugely critical of the response by
football's governing bodies, including the Football Association, the
Football League, Football managers' Association and the Professional
Footballers' Association. "We cannot go on like that because the problems
will continue," he told Sky Sports News HQ. "The people who own and run
football, they must do something about it. They are not doing enough – they
are hardly doing anything." The letter, published on the West Ham website
and signed from owners David Gold and David Sullivan, ahead of Sunday's
match with their London rivals said: "We would like to remind all fans
attending the match at White Hart Lane that they will be acting as
ambassadors for West Ham United and their behaviour should reflect the
values and standards of our club.
Tottenham statement
"Working with the Metropolitan Police, the club will continue to adopt a
zero tolerance policy towards any form of discriminatory behaviour and any
fan found to be acting inappropriately - including racist, anti-Semitic and
homophobic behaviour - will be punished to the full extent of the law and
banned from attending matches. "We are rightly proud of our world-famous
support home and away and we look forward to the famous Claret and Blue Army
once again getting behind the team with all their heart and showing the
world that following the Hammers means supporting with pride, passion and
respect."
British Transport Police issued a statement asking for information or
footage on the incident, which occured at Stamford Hill in north London. It
read: "We take these incidents very seriously, and it is clear what happened
on the Paris Metro and at St Pancras the following night were not isolated
events. "Anyone who has information or video that would help us our
investigation should contact British Transport Police on 0800 405040, by
text, on 61016, quoting reference 420 of 22/2/15."
A Tottenham spokesman added: "Anti-Semitism in any form is wholly
unacceptable and we support all efforts to kick it out of the game.
"We hope that those individuals responsible for this vile behaviour are
identified and dealt with in the strongest way possible." Last week, Chelsea
fans were filmed on the Paris Metro appearing to push a black man off the
train in an alleged racist incident.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tottenham label West Ham fans' anti-Semitic chants VILE and call for
"strongest possible action"
12:14, 23 February 2015 By Joe Mewis
A clip emerged online which claims to feature a group of Hammers fans
chanting on the train as they travelled to White Hart Lane on Sunday
The Mirror
Tottenham have called for strong action over a video apparently showing West
Ham fans chanting an anti-Semitic song. The footage first emerged on Twitter
and claims to show supporters travelling on a train through Stamford Hill, a
well-know Jewish area in London singing: "I've got a foreskin, how about
you? F****** Jew." And now the North London club have said they hope
appropriate action is taken against those responsible for what they call
"vile behaviour". A Spurs spokesman said: "Anti-Semitism in any form is
wholly unacceptable and we support all efforts to kick it out of the game.
"We hope that those individuals responsible for this vile behaviour are
identified and dealt with in the strongest way possible."
West Ham said they had emailed every supporter who bought a ticket to
Sunday's game to remind them they were acting as ambassadors for the club. A
spokesman said: "If any individual is found to have behaved in an
inappropriate way, the club's simple, zero-tolerance policy dictates that
they will face the strongest possible action, including the option of a life
ban from the Boleyn Ground. "If anyone has any information on such behaviour
we would urge them to report it to the club, Kick It Out or the police so it
can be investigated thoroughly."
The game at White Hart Lane finished 2-2, with Spurs netting a last gasp
equaliser though Harry Kane.
Anti-discrimination group Kick It Out have also called on the authorities to
step in and steps to be taken to tackle the issue of anti-Semitism in the
game. "Once again, the weekend has been marred by a number of abusive
incidents further demonstrating the high levels of prejudice and
discrimination within football and wider British society," a statement from
Lord Herman Ouseley. "The reality is that this barely scratches the surface
of what is a widespread issue continuing to blight the game across the
country and English football's image abroad. "We received several reports
throughout the course of yesterday (22 February) afternoon bringing to our
attention video footage of West Ham United fans leading antisemitic chants
on a train heading towards White Hart Lane for their Premier League fixture
against Tottenham Hotspur. The statement added: "What would have happened if
we hadn't seen this footage or it hadn't been reported? We need to give
people the confidence to challenge discriminatory and abusive behaviour, and
this can only be reinforced by action being taken by the Police and within
football by the clubs and authorities. The Community Security Trust issued
statistics earlier this month showing record levels of antisemitism since it
started monitoring incidents in 1984. Our own statistics from the 2013/14
season highlighted antisemitism as the second most common form of
discrimination reported to us. "Antisemitism must be tackled with the same
vigour as all other forms of discrimination. There is a heightened level of
concern within the Jewish community about antisemitism with some feeling
unable to live their everyday lives without fear of harassment, abuse and
violence. "Theresa May, the Home Secretary, said last month that the UK
'must redouble its efforts to wipe out antisemitism'. Antisemitism which
occurs within football should not be treated differently to any other
discriminatory incidents. This type of behaviour is all interlinked and it
must be stopped. "Football across the board, and that includes everyone
involved in the game, especially at the highest levels, need to take
responsibility and start asserting themselves by condemning this behaviour
and acting upon it when it occurs. "All too often there is silence or
half-hearted statements made by those with power and influence when it comes
to countering discrimination within the game. This must change now if we are
to make a difference. We cannot go on any longer operating with a silo
mentality in which everyone looks to someone else to take responsibility but
never does so themselves."
This comes in the wake of the video recorded on the Paris Metro last Tuesday
that showed a group of Chelsea fans singing racist chants while not allowing
a black man to board a train as they chanted: "We're racist and that's the
way we like it."
On Saturday, ahead of their draw with Burnley, Chelsea fans at Stamford
Bridge sent out a strong anti-racism message in response to the incident.
Police confirmed on Sunday that they were talking to three men about the
alleged racist incident. A separate group of Hammers fans had earlier
parodied the incident by producing a video showing a black West Ham fan
being given a jovial welcome onto a train carriage.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kick It Out contact police over West Ham fans' pre-match 'anti-Semitic'
songs
11:04, 23 February 2015 By Joe Mewis
The Mirror
Police have been contacted over a video that appears to show West Ham fans
singing anti-Semitic songs as they travelled to the club's game with
Tottenham on Sunday. The footage first emerged on Twitter and claims to show
supporters travelling on a train through Stamford Hill, a well-know Jewish
area in London singing: "I've got a foreskin, how about you? F****** Jew."
And now anti-discrimination group Kick It Out have called on the authorities
to step in. "Kick It Out has received several reports via social media about
the footage and will be liaising with British Transport Police on the
matter," read a statement. "In addition, we have been informed of a number
of anti-Semitic tweets which we are reporting to the police." The game at
White Hart Lane finished 2-2, with Spurs netting a last gasp equaliser
though Harry Kane. This comes in the wake of the video recorded on the Paris
Metro last Tuesday that showed a group of Chelsea fans singing racist chants
while not allowing a black man to board a train as they chanted: "We're
racist and that's the way we like it." On Saturday, ahead of their draw with
Burnley, Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge sent out a strong anti-racism
message in response to the incident.
Police confirmed on Sunday that they were talking to three men about the
alleged racist incident. A separate group of Hammers fans had earlier
parodied the incident by producing a video showing a black West Ham fan
being given a jovial welcome onto a train carriage.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce admits to a 'West Ham Way'
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Sam Allardyce has regularly declared there is no such thing as the 'West Ham
Way.' Back in 2012 at a press conference he declared: "There has never been
a 'West Ham way' shown to me, not by anybody that's worked with West Ham who
I have inherited. "I've spoken to them all and none of them can tell me or
define what the West Ham way is. So it is a bit of a delusion."
Yet only a year earlier as he marched into the Boleyn as the new boss he was
preaching a very different message. In an interview – with the Evening
Standard on his arrival at the club as manager – he had declared: "When I
was a player I always wanted to come and play at Upton Park. "The legacy
always impressed me as a young man – Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff
Hurst and then players like Trevor Brooking and Billy Bonds. "It was a
pleasure and a privilege to play against players like that although I
wouldn't say I enjoyed it too much because we didn't win too many. "As a
manager coming back to Upton Park, the plan was always to stop the way West
Ham wanted to play – the West Ham 'way'."That used to frustrate the fans and
the players and then we were able to take advantage of that. So finally, the
truth is out – Sam has known about the 'West Ham Way for close on for a very
long time! Glad we could clear that one up for you!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
FIFA rules broken with penalty rebound
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
FIFA rules suggest referee Jonathan Moss should have blown his whistle after
Harry Kane's first penalty kick was taken thus denying him his follow up
chance on the rebound.
The rules suggest:
When a match is extended at full-time, to allow a Penalty Kick to be taken
the extension shall last until the moment that the Penalty Kick has been
completed and the game shall terminate immediately the referee has made his
decision.
After the player taking the Penalty Kick has put the ball into play, no
player other than the defending goalkeeper may play or touch the ball before
the kick is completed.
When a Penalty Kick is being taken in extended time:
The provisions of all of the foregoing paragraphs, except paragraphs (2)(b)
and (4)(c) shall apply in the usual way, and
in the circumstances described in paragraphs (2)(b) and (4)(c) the game
shall terminate immediately the ball rebounds from the goalkeeper, the
cross-bar or the goal-post.
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Irons cool on Manchester City defender
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are unlikely to become embroiled in an auction for Manchester City
defender Micah Richards The on loan Fiorentina right back s has admitted he
wants to come back to the Premier League but probably not with Manchester
City. Speaking to Sky Sports he said: "I don't think [I'll go back to City].
I think it's in the past now.Obviously I'd love to play for them again, but
they have so many players, the budget is so high." "It's a lot more
defensive (In Italy), teams just come and try and get a point. The Premier
League is more fast and furious, a bit more entertaining. Here some teams
just accept defeat." West Ham were reported to be chasing the player last
summer but a well placed source told ClaretandHugh today: "He's expensive at
around £70k a week remembering that he hasn't played that much and has been
injury prone. "Obviously we will be linked with central defenders given
Winston Reid's position but it's too early to discuss really."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham TV to be free for all
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
The club have confirmed that West Ham TV containing videos and content such
as match highlights from the first team, Development Squad and Under-18s,
interviews and behind the scenes features will be free of charge from March.
The service also includes free live audio commentary for every match.
The West Ham TV service has over 2,000 subscribers paying up to £4.99 per
month each but the plan is to bring the content to a much wider audience
with the launch of the new WHUFC.com website in March.
West Ham TV subscribers received an email saying "We would like to thank you
for subscribing to West Ham TV and we hope you enjoyed the service, but you
will now be able to access it free of charge from March 2015. You will
shortly receive an email from West Ham TV with details of refunding the
balance of your account where appropriate."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carlton in twitter bother again!
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Carlton Cole faces a dressing down from the FA and or West Ham after telling
one Spurs season ticket holder to "F off you c***" on social media after
yesterday's draw. The message sent by Carlton just after 6pm on Sunday
evening was in response to a tweet by Spurs fan Stuart Hardy who directed
his message at Cole saying "Hi @CarltonCole1 when your own team mates don't
kick the ball out when your'e lying injured for 2 mins, you think it's time
to call it a day?" The message has since been deleted by Carlton Cole. In
2011 Carlton Cole was fined £20,000 by the Football Association for comments
he made on Twitter during England's friendly with Ghana. It remains to be
seen whether the FA will accuse Carlton of bringing the game into
disrepute.
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Leroy: "Sam these are your problems alone"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
First things first – we are a far better team without Kevin Nolan. We
deserved more yesterday but the simple fact is the players are losing belief
when victory is in sight and that is an issue this manager – or whoever
comes next – has to solve. Sam Allardyce has claimed various reasons for
likely victories becoming draws but having watched all our games to me the
answer is clear – the players are falling back 20 – 25 yards when the other
team starts to have a real go. The manager is making defensive substitutions
as a result but the truth is he has to convince the team they are now a very
decent time who can mix it and beat the best.
The players instead are getting nervous and conceding. At the end of the day
that's a managerial problem, Sam has to convince them they are good enough
to beat these teams and until he does that this situation will keep
repeating itself. The tragedy yesterday was that we had played so well for
so long and Nolan's absence for Cheik Kouyate had an awful lot to do with
that.
Most of the supporters have been saying for a long time that the captain is
slowing everything down and they are right. We were excellent and the
football on display for a long time was excellent. It was a shame that Mark
Noble had to go off for his own security from a red card because he was
utterly outstanding and we lost our grip in part when he disappeared. But
the lads lost their conviction that they could win and however much Sam
tries to explain it away, this is his or the next manager's problem.
I don't take sides but who do you blame when a team loses it's belief? The
manager! He has to address it, I had the same problems at times as a boss
and had to accept it was my dilemma. No one else's. There's been much talk
about an imminent departure for Sam and if that happens then it will mean
things have come to a natural end. But he has to stop this draw rot and
convince this team it is the top six side I believe it to be before he does.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kevin Kilbane lodges complaint to FA after West Ham fans sing sick song
mocking the disabled against Spurs
22:30, 23 February 2015 By Colin Young
Match of the Day pundit and former Ireland star hopes authorities will act
over 'Harry Kane talks like a mong and plays like one too' chant
The Mirror
Kevin Kilbane has made an official complaint to the FA after vile West Ham
fans chanted offensive songs mocking the disabled on Sunday.
The Match of the Day pundit contacted the FA after a close friend reported
West Ham fans sang 'Harry Kane talks like a mong and plays like one too'
during the 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane. The word 'mong' is a derogatory term
for people with learning disabilities.
And Kilbane, whose 10-year-old daughter Elsie has Down's Syndrome, has been
told the FA is launching an investigation into his complaint.
The former Ireland star, a patron of the Down's Syndrome Association
charity, said: "I am sure they understand they are causing offence. You
cannot sweep it under the carpet and label it as ignorance. "It is visible
and clear and like racist or homophobic chanting, it is intended to cause
offence. I want to be able to take my kids to football matches and when
Elsie gets older she will understand about her condition and I would not
want her to hear that kind of chanting. If her sister Isla heard it, she
would be devastated too, as my friend's sons were. "I spoke to him and he
was extremely upset and I felt I had to report it. No family should have to
put up with it at football matches. "It is also extremely offensive towards
Harry Kane, who is only a young lad, starting out in the game and who does
not deserve that kind of disgusting abuse just because he is a footballer.
"It was very clear and sadly it appeared to be from a large number of West
Ham fans in the ground. This was not isolated to a handful of people. "This
is a wider society problem, not just a problem with football and idiots are
using football as a tool to show their ignorance and discrimination. "I have
spoken to the FA and they have assured me they will investigate it
thoroughly. In all my time playing and watching football, I have never heard
this before. Hopefully we can do something to make sure it isn't again and
this awful chant does not spread."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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Monday, February 23
Daily WHUFC News - 23rd February 2015
Sam bemoans Spurs 'luck'
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce claimed West Ham United were unfortunate to be denied a win at
White Hart Lane
22.02.2015
Sam Allardyce claimed West Ham United were hugely unfortunate to be denied
another famous victory at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. The Hammers looked to
be on course to make it three consecutive wins at White Hart Lane when
Senegal duo Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho had the visitors 2-0 up going
into the final ten minutes. However, Spurs snatched an unlikely point
through Danny Rose's fortuitous looping finish and Harry Kane's 97th-minute
equaliser - tapped in after the striker had seen his penalty saved by
Adrian. A pulsating game of 39 efforts on goal saw both teams create chances
galore. Early on, Spurs were denied twice, with Adrian saving from Nabil
Bentaleb and Kane poking against the post. However, West Ham got stronger as
the half went on and took the lead when Kouyate nodded in Aaron Cresswell's
left-wing cross on 22 minutes. Sakho was denied by Hugo Lloris before the
same player volleyed in Mark Noble's cross on 62, seemingly putting the
Hammers in control. Enner Valencia was then denied by Lloris and Spurs came
roaring back late on. First, Rose's first-time shot bounced over Adrian,
then Alex Song was penalised by referee Jonathan Moss and Kane converted
after the Spaniard had kept his spot-kick out.
"It is very frustrating and a very lucky Tottenham because I think the first
goal was a huge slice of luck from their point of view," the manager
commented. "We had them nice and quiet and they weren't causing any real
problems, then that goal lifted the crowd because they had a chance. They
had a huge slice of fortune because he miss-hit the shot and it has bounced
over Adrian's head. "I thought we were going to see the game out nicely, but
we made a dreadful mistake when we put a hand on somebody in the box at that
late stage. When you're away from home there is huge pressure on the referee
and the player goes down brilliantly and the referee has to make a decision
and he gives a penalty. "It's a soft one, but it's given and a huge slice of
luck went Tottenham's way again because it's a brilliant save from Adrian
and it fell straight back to Harry Kane, who put it in. It's a real
disappointment for us because we were magnificent."
While he was left frustrated by the nature of Tottenham's goals, Big Sam was
happier with the way Kouyate and Sakho put their chances away. But, having
missed presentable opportunities to put the game out of Spurs' reach, the
manager was ultimately left with just one point instead of three after his
team squandered a lead for the fourth time in 2015. "The header was a
classic from Cheikhou and Diafra's finish was very good from a tight angle.
You have to say we had chances and could have scored more, but we missed
easier chances, including two at 1-0 that would have made it 2-0. "We should
have done enough to see it out at 2-0. It's a big disappointment and it's
been our Achilles heel since the turn of the year, getting in front and not
closing it out. "We were in front against West Brom, at Swansea and against
Man United, but drew them all 1-1, and now we've drawn this one 2-2."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Reid proud of performance
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid was delighted to be back playing after returning from injury
22.02.2015
West Ham United defender Winston Reid said the Hammers can be proud of their
performance against Tottenham Hotspur, despite a last minute Harry Kane
equaliser. In an impressive display, the Hammers took a deserved lead as
Cheikhou Kouyate scored his third goal of the season with a powerful header
pass Hugo Lloris. The Hammers doubled their advantage in the 62nd minute
when Diafra Sakho finished well after a wonderful through ball by Mark
Noble. With ten minutes to go, Danny Rose halved the arrears as his shot
bounced off the turf and into the far right hand corner. Tottenham completed
the comeback deep into injury time as Harry Kane was on hand to score his
24th goal of the season as he tucked in the rebound after Adrian had saved
his penalty. Speaking after the game, Reid, who played his first game in
just under a month having recovered from injury, said: "We can take a lot of
pride in our performance. I thought we started really well today, especially
in the first 20 minutes. Cheik scored a good goal but by the end we were
just hanging on. "After they got one goal back we didn't keep the ball
perhaps as well as we should have done. I think fatigue was beginning to
show too because we didn't have the same energy levels in the last ten
minutes. They grew in confidence and scored another goal at the death, it
was disappointing from our point of view."
The 26-year-old New Zealand captain has been in good form for the Hammers
this season, and he put in a typically assured performance at the heart of
the defence. Having returned from injury, Reid completed the full 90
minutes, his 25th appearance of the season. He continued to say: "We've
conceded a few late goals this season, recently against Manchester United
and again today. Coming here we knew it was going to be tough and we had
chances to finish it off. Enner had a good chance and Adrian had to make
some fantastic saves. "It was nice to be back playing. I had a couple of
days training and I felt good so it was nice to be back out on the pitch.
"We won't let the season fizzle out, and I don't think today's result counts
as the season fizzling out. We're going to try and finish as high as we can,
that hasn't stopped from the start of the season. But we need to get the
results our performances deserve."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tottenham 2 West Ham 2
22 February 2015
Last updated at 14:55
By Dominic Raynor
BBC Sport
Harry Kane won a penalty and scored with the last kick of the game to earn
Tottenham a draw against West Ham. Kane's 96th-minute penalty was saved but
he reacted quickest to give Spurs an unlikely point at White Hart Lane. West
Ham had led 2-0 through goals from Diafra Sakho and Cheikhou Kouyate with
just nine minutes left to play. Danny Rose's mis-hit long-range shot set up
the comeback before Kane, who was felled by Alex Song, pounced to score his
24th goal of the season. Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino made six changes to
the side that drew 1-1 with Fiorentina in the last 32 of the Europa League
in midweek, as he prepared for the second match of a demanding schedule of
six games in 17 days that includes Thursday's return leg in Florence and
next Sunday's League Cup final against Chelsea. With Spurs also chasing
Champions League qualification via a top-four finish in the Premier League,
Pochettino recalled top-scorer Kane for this London derby but opted to rest
his other star performer this season, Christian Eriksen. Spurs started in
typically quick fashion as Nabil Bentaleb twice tested West Ham goalkeeper
Adrian with long-range efforts before Kane struck the post in an opening
10-minute spell in which Spurs enjoyed 82% possession.
The late, late show
Harry Kane's goal was the second latest in the Premier League this season at
95mins 57sec, with only Martin Skrtel's being later(96mins 05secs). However,
it was the robust-tackling Hammers who took the lead on 22 minutes when
Mousa Dembele lost possession on the edge of his own box and midfielder
Kouyate rose between two defenders to powerfully head home Aaron Cresswell's
cross. That proved to be Dembele's key contribution to the match as he was
replaced at half-time by Eriksen, who had started Tottenham's last 34
Premier League games and notched 11 goals and four assists in all
competitions this season. But it was West Ham who continued to create the
better chances and after Sakho had squandered a one-on-one with Hugo Lloris,
the Senegal striker made no mistake at the back post on 62 minutes,
squeezing in Mark Noble's cross for his 11th goal of the season. West Ham
looked set for a first victory in four Premier League games to ease the
pressure on manager Sam Allardyce, whose future had been the subject of
speculation following a humiliating 4-0 FA Cup loss to West Brom in midweek.
Down to the wire
Tottenham have won 13 points from the final five minutes of matches - a
Premier League high. However, Spurs had other ideas and after Rose had
halved the deficit with his fortuitous strike, Kane once again stepped
forward as Spurs' saviour this season. The striker went down in the box
under the slightest pressure from Song and after seeing his penalty saved by
Adrian kept his composure to slot home the rebound for the Premier League's
sixth-placed side.
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino: "I think we deserved more than point. We
had 21 or 22 shots. We created many chances. We had possession of ball. "But
after they scored they created chances on counter-attack, they have very
fast players up front. But in general, if we analyse, we are better than
them. "In the second half I thought some decisions were against us - the
second goal was offside. But we need to finish better and score more goals.
"I think we showed character - that's the most important thing. Going into
the last 10 minutes at 2-0 down, to finish the game 2-2 is something to be
proud of."
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce: "I thought we were going to see the game
through nicely but we made a huge mistake at the end. Whether it's a soft
penalty or it isn't, it is something we shouldn't have done. "It's a real
disappointment but it was a magnificent performance. The reason we lost the
game was a bit of luck for them. We should have done enough at 2-0 up to see
it out. That's been our Achilles heel since the turn of the year. We were in
front against West Brom and drew 1-1, we were in front against Manchester
United and drew 1-1, and we were in front at Swansea and drew 1-1. "I'm not
blaming Harry Kane for going down in the box - we should do more of that.
We're an honest team and we've only got one penalty this season. We're not
getting rewards for our honesty."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce angry at 'NFL timekeeping' in Spurs draw
BBc.co.uk
West Ham were denied a win at Tottenham because the referee played too much
added time, says manager Sam Allardyce. Spurs drew 2-2 after Harry Kane's
late penalty was saved and he scored the rebound with the last kick of the
game. But asked if the whistle should have gone immediately after Adrian's
save, Allardyce said: "The answer is yes. But he [referee Jon Moss] wouldn't
be brave enough to do that at home would he?" "So we're doing NFL now aren't
we. I'd like a timekeeper to be honest."
In American football's NFL, the clock stops when the ball goes out of play,
meaning a 60-minute game lasts much longer and the game can also run on
after the final whistle until the ball is dead. "He [the referee] will say
there was still two seconds to go," the Hammers boss said. "He will say when
the penalty was taken, there were five seconds left, when the rebound came
off there were three second left."
West Ham, looking for a third straight win at Tottenham, were leading 2-0
with just 10 minutes remaining thanks to goals from Cheikhou Kouyate and
Diafra Sakho. But Danny Rose struck to reduce the deficit before Kane, who
scored his 24th goal of the season, was brought down in the box by Alex Song
in the last moments of five minutes of stoppage time. Allardyce claimed Kane
had "fallen over" as Spurs were "desperate" to win the penalty, but said
Song had been foolish to give Moss a decision to make. "From our point of
view, Alex has to keep his hands off him because he's going to feel that
contact and take to the floor. He's got to. "Whether it's the right decision
or not, it's the way football is today. If we're to learn anything by it, we
have to do the same as what Tottenham do more often, because we stay on our
feet and don't get fouls and they get touched and go down and they do get
fouls. In the end it's make a difference."
The result keeps West Ham eighth in the Premier League table, five points
behind sixth placed Spurs.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 West Ham Utd
KUMb.com
Filed: Sunday, 22nd February 2015
By: Staff Writer
West Ham were cruelly denied all three points at White Hart Lane this
afternoon after the in-form Harry Kane scored in the sixth minute of
added-on time to rescue a point for a lucky Tottenham.
However it was a contentious equaliser according to some, who claimed
post-match that the goal should not have been allowed to stand given that
Kane scored a rebound from a missed penalty deep into injury time.
With a minimum of five minutes added-on time having previously been
signalled by fourth official Mike Dean, Kane's effort crossed the line with
95 minutes and 57 seconds on the clock - leading to some questioning whether
referee Jon Moss should have blown the whistle upon his penalty being saved
by West Ham's Spanish goalkeeper Adrian and before the striker had the
opportunity to convert the rebound.
Whilst the additional time added on is a minimum requirement, there was
little to suggest the official was justified in adding yet another minute on
top of the five indicated - meaning that technically, Moss should have blown
the moment Adrian saved the spot kick.
Althuogh Kane's effort only rescued a point for his team, the goal was a
sickening blow to West Ham who had looked good value for all three points
prior to that moment.
Cheik Kouyate had given West Ham a first half lead after 22 minutes when
some excellent work on the left flank involving Alex Song, Stewart Downing
and Aaron Cresswell gave the Senegal midfielder the opportunity to score
from point blank range with a header that flew into the roof of the net.
And the Hammers doubled their advantage with 62 minutes on the clock when
Sakho - who, moments earlier had opted for personal glory, rather than
squaring a pass to Enner Valencia who had the entire goal at his mercy -
scored from an acute angle to give West Ham what appeared at the time to be
an unassailable lead.
The turning point came when Allardyce decided to replace the effective Mark
Noble moments after he had narrowly escaped a second booking for a rash
challenge. The midfielder was walking a tightrope having been booked for an
innocuous challenge in the first half, a minor shirt tug that happens many
times every game.
He was replaced by Carlton Cole, with Kevin Nolan - booed off by fans at
West Brom last week - left on the bench. Morgan Amalfitano, who would have
offered another option, was absent having been sent off at the Hawthorns
last weekend.
Buoyed by the removal of the industrious Noble, the home side halved the
deficit nine minutes ahead of the end of normal time when Danny Rose mis-hit
a volley that wrong-footed Adrian and looped over the 'keeper into the
corner of the net.
Despite conceding that goal, it appeared as if West Ham had managed to hold
on to all three points - until the controversy of the final few seconds of
added on time.
The penalty decision itself was a soft one, with Alex Song - who has been
out of sorts since Christmas - unlucky to be penalised for tripping Kane -
who, as is too often the case these days, went down at the slightest hint of
a challenge - as he entered the area.
Hammers' hearts were briefly lifted when Kane struck his spot kick straight
at Adrian, who pushed it away - but only straight into the path of the
22-year-old, who placed it beyond the 'keeper to steal a point for
Tottenham.
Despite failing to hold on for the win, the 2-2 draw means West Ham have now
played the teams in fourth, fifth and sixth place in the Premier League in
their last three outings and avoided defeat on each occasion. On the reverse
side, none of those have resulted in three points - and on two of those
three occasions, points have been dropped in injury time.
Plenty for Sam Allardyce to chew over as he and his squad look forward to
the visit of struggling Crystal Palace to the Boleyn next weekend.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Harry Kane's injury-time goal earns Spurs a 2-2 draw with West Ham
Last Updated: 22/02/15 7:16pm
SSN
Harry Kane missed an injury-time penalty but converted the rebound as
Tottenham snatched a dramatic 2-2 draw against West Ham at White Hart Lane.
West Ham had held a two-goal lead through Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho
with 10 minutes remaining but Danny Rose's scuffed shot set up a grandstand
finish and then Kane - brought down by Alex Song - struck at the second
attempt, six minutes into time added on.
Tottenham, who have earned 16 points from losing positions this season,
remain three points off the top four in seventh, while the visitors sit a
place back after being denied what would have been a first victory in four
Premier League games. Kane - now with 24 goals to his name this season -
was recalled alongside Moussa Dembele and Ryan Mason after starting the
midweek draw against Fiorentina on the bench, boss Mauricio Pochettino keen
to keep legs fresh for a gruelling schedule that includes next weekend's
Capital One Cup final. The home side started the game brightly with Nabil
Bentaleb recording the first shot on target in the eighth minute, Adrian
pushing the ball around his right-hand post. Kane followed that up moments
later when he tried to cheekily chip the West Ham keeper but failed to get a
proper strike on the ball. Kouyate gave Sam Allardyce's men the lead against
the run of play in the 22nd minute. A good run down the left saw Aaron
Cresswell deliver a pinpoint cross into the box and the midfielder outjumped
Eric Dier and Jan Vertonghen to head home. Harry Kane missed an injury-time
penalty but converted the rebound as Tottenham snatched a dramatic 2-2 draw
against West Ham at White Hart Lane
Cresswell was causing problems again six minutes later but this time Spurs
were alert to the danger and cleared the ball. Spurs struggled to create any
real chances in the first-half and their passing looked disjointed as time
went on. Enner Valencia should have doubled the visitors' lead just before
the hour when he beat Kyle Walker for pace before unleashing a shot from
just outside the box, but Dier and Vertonghen were there to block it with
their bodies and keep the score at 1-0.
West Ham finally increased their lead two minutes after the hour as Sakho
got his first away goal since October 18. The forward started the move when
his cross-shot bounced across the box and Mark Noble - on hand to pick up
the loose ball - allowed Sakho to knock it past Hugo Lloris at the near
post. That appeared to the belated impetus that Spurs needed as Kane had a
goal ruled out for offside, before Adrian saved low to his left from
substitute Christian Eriksen's dipping free-kick. Nine minutes from time the
assured Adrian made his first mistake of the game as he punched Erik
Lamela's shot away but mistimed his jump, allowing Rose's effort to sneak
in. Allardyce fumed at lengthy stoppage-time as Spurs continued to attack
and with seconds left, Kane - running into the box - was caught by Alex
Song.
The referee pointed to the spot and when Adrian parried his spot-kick, the
in-form striker was alert enough to send the rebound home.
Tottenham: Lloris (7), Walker (6), Dier (6), Vertonghen (7), Rose (7), Mason
(7), Bentaleb (6), Townsend (6), Dembele (6), Lamela (6), Kane (7).
Used subs: Soldado (6), Chadli (6), Eriksen (7)
West Ham: Adrian (7), Jenkinson (7), Reid (6), Tomkins (6), Cresswell (8),
Noble (7), Song (6), Kouyate (7), Downing (6), Valencia (7), Sakho (7).
Used subs: Jarvis (5), Collins (5), Cole (5)
Man of the match: Aaron Cresswell
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce blames referee and Tottenham after West Ham concede late
equaliser
Last Updated: 22/02/15 5:54pm
SSN
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce hit out at both the Tottenham players and
referee Jon Moss after a late Harry Kane equaliser cost his another win at
White Hart Lane. The visitors, hoping for a third straight victory at Spurs,
were deservedly leading 2-0 with just 10 minutes remaining thanks to goals
from Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho. But Danny Rose struck to reduce the
arrears before Kane was brought down in the box by Alex Song in the fifth
minute of injury time. Kane stepped up to take the penalty and though Adrian
parried his initial effort, he buried the rebound. That proved to be the
last meaningful kick of the game but Allardyce was left fuming at referee
Moss, as well as the Spurs players, whom he accused of going to ground too
easily.
Asked if Moss should have blown for full-time immediately after Adrian had
saved the penalty, Allardyce replied: "The answer to that is yes, but he
wouldn't be brave enough to do that at home would he? "He'll say there were
still two seconds to go. He will say when the penalty was taken, there were
five seconds left, when the rebound came off there were three seconds left.
So we're doing NFL now aren't we? I'd like a time-keeper to be perfectly
honest with you. "From our point of view, Alex has to keep his hands off him
because he's going to feel that contact and take to the floor. He's got to.
No-one is in doubt that when you're losing at that stage of the game and you
know you're not going to score because he's kicked it too far. "You're going
to take the chance (by going to ground) and the referee gives him the
opportunity to take the penalty - he wasn't good enough to score that but
lucky enough to get the rebound."
Straight after the game, the former Bolton manager said: "You can argue
whether it's enough contact from Alex's arm or whether it's not, but when
you're desperate like Tottenham are and you get touched, a player's going to
fall over and ask the referee to make a decision.
"Whether it's the right decision or not, it's the way football is today. If
we're to learn anything by it, we have to do the same as what Tottenham do
more often, because we stay on our feet and don't get fouls and they get
touched and go down and they do get fouls. In the end it's make a
difference."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce blasts Tottenham players for ''falling over'' after West Ham's
late penalty heartbreak, adding "maybe we should too"
14:49, 22 February 2015 By Aaron Flanagan
West Ham gave away a two-goal lead after Harry Kane bagged a 96th minute
penalty, following a clumsy challenge from Alex Song in the area
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce has blasted Tottenham's 'desperate' players for 'falling over'
in order to deny West Ham victory at White Hart Lane.
The Hammers had led 2-0 through goals from Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra
Sakho, but a Danny Rose strike before Harry Kane's 96th minute rebounded
penalty earned Spurs a point. But the controversial penalty decision in
stoppage time left Big Sam raging, as he believed there was minimal contact
in the challenge. Kane was inside the box but running away from goal when
Alex Song appeared to force the in-form England star to the ground with a
push in the back. And Allardyce says that it is becoming too easy for
players to fall to the ground in order to force the referees into decisions.
Kane himself got up and took the spot kick, which was awarded by Jon Moss,
firing home the rebound after Adrian's initial save. Allardyce told the BBC:
"You can't put your hands on anyone today otherwise they will go to ground
and make the referee's mind up. "You can argue whether Alex Song has made
enough contact for Harry Kane to go down, but when you're desperate like
Tottenham are, you get touched and the player is going to fall over. "Maybe
we should be more like Tottenham - we stay on our feet. They're so lucky
today. One with the first goal - Danny Rose has mishit it - and the second
goal Adrian saved the penalty and it has gone straight back to Harry Kane."
But the under-fire Hammers boss has praised the "magnificent" performance of
his side, despite not taking full points from White Hart Lane for a second
successive year.He admits that the foul for the penalty could have been
prevented. "I thought we were going to see the game through nicely but we
made a huge mistake at the end. Whether it's a soft penalty or it isn't, it
is something we shouldn't have done," he added. "It's a real disappointment
but it was a magnificent performance. The reason we lost the game was a bit
of luck for them. We should have done enough at 2-0 up to see it out. That's
been our Achilles heel since the turn of the year. We were in front against
West Brom and drew 1-1, we were in front against Manchester United and drew
1-1, and we were in front at Swansea and drew 1-1. "I'm not blaming Harry
Kane for going down in the box - we should do more of that. We're an honest
team and we've only got one penalty this season. We're not getting rewards
for our honesty."
Meanwhile, Kane believes that when things are going your way, you continue
to get the rub of the green - as proven by the way the ball fell for him on
the rebound from the penalty kick. He said: "The ball bounced nicely for me,
I got in front of Alex Song, was about to shoot and got tumbled over. It was
a nervous penalty to take but when your luck is in your luck is in. My heart
was in my mouth when the keeper saved the first shot but it fell nicely for
the rebound. "I think we deserved the draw, we dug deep at 2-0 down and it
shows our character."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sympathy for Sam…but a team that can't win
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 22, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
I am suffering an unfamiliar emotion this afternoon – I feel rather sorry
for Sam Allardyce and certainly am not in a mood to blame the man for
today's result at White Hart Lane. Nor do I blame Harry Kane for grabbing a
soft penalty at the end although I hold Alex Song fully responsible for
today's debacle. This man surely has to know at this stage of his career
that laying hands on the back of a striker moving AWAY FROM GOAL inside the
penalty area in the last seconds is dangerous bordering on stupid. Today's
game, however, cannot and shouldn't be taken in isolation. We have now
managed one victory in eight games and for every decent performance we get a
less than average display.
Sam himself in assessing the game today said: "We were in front against West
Brom and drew 1-1, we were in front against Manchester United and drew 1-1,
and we were in front at Swansea and drew 1-1." Don't ask me what the problem
is because the manager himself doesn't seem to know how to solve it. But a
team throwing games away at the death is not good and whether the pro-Sam
lobby like it or not, in the end it becomes his issue simply because he's
the boss. He is the man charged with getting results and to see a senior pro
make a colossal error of judgement in helping Kane to go down needs some
addressing. I would like to have been a fly on the wall of the dressing room
after the game but fair play he refused to blame the bloke publicly. The
bottom line is simple! The longer this win-less run continues the more the
pressure builds because the hard luck stories from individual games
disappear within a couple of days as has been seen with the Manchester
United match for example.
An overall picture is emerging of a team that has forgotten how to win and
frets even when it looks as though it might. The first text I received after
the game read: "See you threw it away again – that team has a problem," At
the end of the day ( as they love to say ) I am afraid, love him or hate
him, it really is a managerial problem!
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Board plan for 'aggressive' manager action
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 22, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham's board will "aggressively" tackle the appointment of a new manager
towards the middle of April. ClaretandHugh understands the board has no
limit on the number of candidates they are ready to consider but the list
will be narrowed down to the most suitable three or four closer to the end
of season. The club expect to be ready to move in with offers for their top
candidates in late April or early May.
We have learned, however, that although Rafa Benitez was virtually
everybody's top choice, he is unlikely to make the move. We were told: "The
club would love him but he's not overly keen on coming and is a £6 million
manager minimum anyway. Slaven Bilic is very much in the frame but agents
are looking right across Europe at suitable candidates." "They are on a
timetable as the club will be ready to move aggressively once they have the
candidates in place."
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Allardyce: "Our Achilles heel"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 22, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Bitterly disappointed Sam Allardyce cut a forlorn figure after the Irons had
been caught in the dying seconds. And it was hard not to feel sorry for the
manager as the team trooped off at the end devastated by the late leveller
He said: "I thought we were going to see the game through nicely but we made
a huge mistake at the end. Whether it's a soft penalty or it isn't, it is
something we shouldn't have done. "It's a real disappointment but it was a
magnificent performance. The reason we lost the game was a bit of luck for
them. "We should have done enough at 2-0 up to see it out. That's been our
Achilles heel since the turn of the year. We were in front against West Brom
and drew 1-1, we were in front against Manchester United and drew 1-1, and
we were in front at Swansea and drew 1-1. "I'm not blaming Harry Kane for
going down in the box – we should do more of that. We're an honest team and
we've only got one penalty this season. We're not getting rewards for our
honesty."
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Bitter blow as Irons get caught late again
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 22, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Spurs 2 Irons 2
Alex Song's last minute challenge on Harry Kane gave Spurs a penalty and an
equaliser they didn't deserve after the Hammers had led by two goals. Cheik
Kouyate headed home a superb 21st minute goal and Diafra Sakho put them
further ahead with a fabulous close range strike before the north Londoners
dragged themselves back with two fortunate strikes. First Rose drove his
shot into the ground from distance and with Adrian mistiming his jump saw
the ball fly past him for the arrears to be reduced. Then came the Song
challenge on Kane and after Adrian had saved the penalty the striker
followed up to strike home the leveller with the last kick of the game. The
Cameroonian had bundled into Kane's back when he would have been better off
allowing him to continue running away from goal. It's arguable whether there
was enough contact but it's a pointless discussion – two points had gone
down the swanee.
So once again the Irons had failed to see out a game that they had bossed
from the 15th minute onwards but it's hard to find fault after a game which
saw them at their best. However, these late equalisers are becoming too
regular and the count is now one league win in eight! Sam Allardyce argued
after the game that West Ham could almost take a leaf out of the Spurs book
and go down themselves in similar situations to Kane's thus forcing referees
to make a decision. He commented: "We don't do it enough but Spurs can
consider themselves very luck with both goals. it was desperately
disappointing" Spurs had started in the ascendancy and Adrian was forced
into a fine save from Bentaleb when he flew to his left to palm a rocket
shot around the post. And in the tenth minute Kane charged onto a ball from
the back but after some lazy defending by Reid and Tomkins but saw his
flicked effort hit the post. The Hammers found their feet after the two
early scares and on 17 minutes Cresswell fired in a long range shot which
flew wide. But four minutes later the left back was instrumental in setting
up the lead with a great run and cross which Kouyate thudded into the back
of the net with a great header. Rose was close for Spurs at the other end
when he dived forward to peroduce a brav e header from Kane's chip forward
but the ball beat the bar.
As play switched to the other end Creswell's fine cross was met bny Valencia
but Lloris advanced bravely to block. Kane was again at the heart of things
though producing a neat ball for Mason but his shot was driven wide of an
upright. Noble held his head in frustration minutes later when he tried his
luck with a fierce goal bound shot which which thudded into a defender and
flew behind. The Hammers were a better team throughout the second period and
could have gone two up early in the second half when Sakho tried his luck
with Valencia much better positioned to take advantage. But when the
Senegalese hitman fired home from a right angle from Noble's far post free
kick in the 61st minute, it looked all over. Valencia then saw Lloris save
well before Noble and the striker made early departures to be replaced by
Carlton Cole and Matt Jarvis. The hosts piled on the pressure before the
goals but at the end of 90 minutes there wouldn't have been many who would
argue that the Irons were desperately unlucky not to take all three points.
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WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce claimed West Ham United were unfortunate to be denied a win at
White Hart Lane
22.02.2015
Sam Allardyce claimed West Ham United were hugely unfortunate to be denied
another famous victory at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. The Hammers looked to
be on course to make it three consecutive wins at White Hart Lane when
Senegal duo Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho had the visitors 2-0 up going
into the final ten minutes. However, Spurs snatched an unlikely point
through Danny Rose's fortuitous looping finish and Harry Kane's 97th-minute
equaliser - tapped in after the striker had seen his penalty saved by
Adrian. A pulsating game of 39 efforts on goal saw both teams create chances
galore. Early on, Spurs were denied twice, with Adrian saving from Nabil
Bentaleb and Kane poking against the post. However, West Ham got stronger as
the half went on and took the lead when Kouyate nodded in Aaron Cresswell's
left-wing cross on 22 minutes. Sakho was denied by Hugo Lloris before the
same player volleyed in Mark Noble's cross on 62, seemingly putting the
Hammers in control. Enner Valencia was then denied by Lloris and Spurs came
roaring back late on. First, Rose's first-time shot bounced over Adrian,
then Alex Song was penalised by referee Jonathan Moss and Kane converted
after the Spaniard had kept his spot-kick out.
"It is very frustrating and a very lucky Tottenham because I think the first
goal was a huge slice of luck from their point of view," the manager
commented. "We had them nice and quiet and they weren't causing any real
problems, then that goal lifted the crowd because they had a chance. They
had a huge slice of fortune because he miss-hit the shot and it has bounced
over Adrian's head. "I thought we were going to see the game out nicely, but
we made a dreadful mistake when we put a hand on somebody in the box at that
late stage. When you're away from home there is huge pressure on the referee
and the player goes down brilliantly and the referee has to make a decision
and he gives a penalty. "It's a soft one, but it's given and a huge slice of
luck went Tottenham's way again because it's a brilliant save from Adrian
and it fell straight back to Harry Kane, who put it in. It's a real
disappointment for us because we were magnificent."
While he was left frustrated by the nature of Tottenham's goals, Big Sam was
happier with the way Kouyate and Sakho put their chances away. But, having
missed presentable opportunities to put the game out of Spurs' reach, the
manager was ultimately left with just one point instead of three after his
team squandered a lead for the fourth time in 2015. "The header was a
classic from Cheikhou and Diafra's finish was very good from a tight angle.
You have to say we had chances and could have scored more, but we missed
easier chances, including two at 1-0 that would have made it 2-0. "We should
have done enough to see it out at 2-0. It's a big disappointment and it's
been our Achilles heel since the turn of the year, getting in front and not
closing it out. "We were in front against West Brom, at Swansea and against
Man United, but drew them all 1-1, and now we've drawn this one 2-2."
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Reid proud of performance
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid was delighted to be back playing after returning from injury
22.02.2015
West Ham United defender Winston Reid said the Hammers can be proud of their
performance against Tottenham Hotspur, despite a last minute Harry Kane
equaliser. In an impressive display, the Hammers took a deserved lead as
Cheikhou Kouyate scored his third goal of the season with a powerful header
pass Hugo Lloris. The Hammers doubled their advantage in the 62nd minute
when Diafra Sakho finished well after a wonderful through ball by Mark
Noble. With ten minutes to go, Danny Rose halved the arrears as his shot
bounced off the turf and into the far right hand corner. Tottenham completed
the comeback deep into injury time as Harry Kane was on hand to score his
24th goal of the season as he tucked in the rebound after Adrian had saved
his penalty. Speaking after the game, Reid, who played his first game in
just under a month having recovered from injury, said: "We can take a lot of
pride in our performance. I thought we started really well today, especially
in the first 20 minutes. Cheik scored a good goal but by the end we were
just hanging on. "After they got one goal back we didn't keep the ball
perhaps as well as we should have done. I think fatigue was beginning to
show too because we didn't have the same energy levels in the last ten
minutes. They grew in confidence and scored another goal at the death, it
was disappointing from our point of view."
The 26-year-old New Zealand captain has been in good form for the Hammers
this season, and he put in a typically assured performance at the heart of
the defence. Having returned from injury, Reid completed the full 90
minutes, his 25th appearance of the season. He continued to say: "We've
conceded a few late goals this season, recently against Manchester United
and again today. Coming here we knew it was going to be tough and we had
chances to finish it off. Enner had a good chance and Adrian had to make
some fantastic saves. "It was nice to be back playing. I had a couple of
days training and I felt good so it was nice to be back out on the pitch.
"We won't let the season fizzle out, and I don't think today's result counts
as the season fizzling out. We're going to try and finish as high as we can,
that hasn't stopped from the start of the season. But we need to get the
results our performances deserve."
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Tottenham 2 West Ham 2
22 February 2015
Last updated at 14:55
By Dominic Raynor
BBC Sport
Harry Kane won a penalty and scored with the last kick of the game to earn
Tottenham a draw against West Ham. Kane's 96th-minute penalty was saved but
he reacted quickest to give Spurs an unlikely point at White Hart Lane. West
Ham had led 2-0 through goals from Diafra Sakho and Cheikhou Kouyate with
just nine minutes left to play. Danny Rose's mis-hit long-range shot set up
the comeback before Kane, who was felled by Alex Song, pounced to score his
24th goal of the season. Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino made six changes to
the side that drew 1-1 with Fiorentina in the last 32 of the Europa League
in midweek, as he prepared for the second match of a demanding schedule of
six games in 17 days that includes Thursday's return leg in Florence and
next Sunday's League Cup final against Chelsea. With Spurs also chasing
Champions League qualification via a top-four finish in the Premier League,
Pochettino recalled top-scorer Kane for this London derby but opted to rest
his other star performer this season, Christian Eriksen. Spurs started in
typically quick fashion as Nabil Bentaleb twice tested West Ham goalkeeper
Adrian with long-range efforts before Kane struck the post in an opening
10-minute spell in which Spurs enjoyed 82% possession.
The late, late show
Harry Kane's goal was the second latest in the Premier League this season at
95mins 57sec, with only Martin Skrtel's being later(96mins 05secs). However,
it was the robust-tackling Hammers who took the lead on 22 minutes when
Mousa Dembele lost possession on the edge of his own box and midfielder
Kouyate rose between two defenders to powerfully head home Aaron Cresswell's
cross. That proved to be Dembele's key contribution to the match as he was
replaced at half-time by Eriksen, who had started Tottenham's last 34
Premier League games and notched 11 goals and four assists in all
competitions this season. But it was West Ham who continued to create the
better chances and after Sakho had squandered a one-on-one with Hugo Lloris,
the Senegal striker made no mistake at the back post on 62 minutes,
squeezing in Mark Noble's cross for his 11th goal of the season. West Ham
looked set for a first victory in four Premier League games to ease the
pressure on manager Sam Allardyce, whose future had been the subject of
speculation following a humiliating 4-0 FA Cup loss to West Brom in midweek.
Down to the wire
Tottenham have won 13 points from the final five minutes of matches - a
Premier League high. However, Spurs had other ideas and after Rose had
halved the deficit with his fortuitous strike, Kane once again stepped
forward as Spurs' saviour this season. The striker went down in the box
under the slightest pressure from Song and after seeing his penalty saved by
Adrian kept his composure to slot home the rebound for the Premier League's
sixth-placed side.
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino: "I think we deserved more than point. We
had 21 or 22 shots. We created many chances. We had possession of ball. "But
after they scored they created chances on counter-attack, they have very
fast players up front. But in general, if we analyse, we are better than
them. "In the second half I thought some decisions were against us - the
second goal was offside. But we need to finish better and score more goals.
"I think we showed character - that's the most important thing. Going into
the last 10 minutes at 2-0 down, to finish the game 2-2 is something to be
proud of."
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce: "I thought we were going to see the game
through nicely but we made a huge mistake at the end. Whether it's a soft
penalty or it isn't, it is something we shouldn't have done. "It's a real
disappointment but it was a magnificent performance. The reason we lost the
game was a bit of luck for them. We should have done enough at 2-0 up to see
it out. That's been our Achilles heel since the turn of the year. We were in
front against West Brom and drew 1-1, we were in front against Manchester
United and drew 1-1, and we were in front at Swansea and drew 1-1. "I'm not
blaming Harry Kane for going down in the box - we should do more of that.
We're an honest team and we've only got one penalty this season. We're not
getting rewards for our honesty."
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Sam Allardyce angry at 'NFL timekeeping' in Spurs draw
BBc.co.uk
West Ham were denied a win at Tottenham because the referee played too much
added time, says manager Sam Allardyce. Spurs drew 2-2 after Harry Kane's
late penalty was saved and he scored the rebound with the last kick of the
game. But asked if the whistle should have gone immediately after Adrian's
save, Allardyce said: "The answer is yes. But he [referee Jon Moss] wouldn't
be brave enough to do that at home would he?" "So we're doing NFL now aren't
we. I'd like a timekeeper to be honest."
In American football's NFL, the clock stops when the ball goes out of play,
meaning a 60-minute game lasts much longer and the game can also run on
after the final whistle until the ball is dead. "He [the referee] will say
there was still two seconds to go," the Hammers boss said. "He will say when
the penalty was taken, there were five seconds left, when the rebound came
off there were three second left."
West Ham, looking for a third straight win at Tottenham, were leading 2-0
with just 10 minutes remaining thanks to goals from Cheikhou Kouyate and
Diafra Sakho. But Danny Rose struck to reduce the deficit before Kane, who
scored his 24th goal of the season, was brought down in the box by Alex Song
in the last moments of five minutes of stoppage time. Allardyce claimed Kane
had "fallen over" as Spurs were "desperate" to win the penalty, but said
Song had been foolish to give Moss a decision to make. "From our point of
view, Alex has to keep his hands off him because he's going to feel that
contact and take to the floor. He's got to. "Whether it's the right decision
or not, it's the way football is today. If we're to learn anything by it, we
have to do the same as what Tottenham do more often, because we stay on our
feet and don't get fouls and they get touched and go down and they do get
fouls. In the end it's make a difference."
The result keeps West Ham eighth in the Premier League table, five points
behind sixth placed Spurs.
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Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 West Ham Utd
KUMb.com
Filed: Sunday, 22nd February 2015
By: Staff Writer
West Ham were cruelly denied all three points at White Hart Lane this
afternoon after the in-form Harry Kane scored in the sixth minute of
added-on time to rescue a point for a lucky Tottenham.
However it was a contentious equaliser according to some, who claimed
post-match that the goal should not have been allowed to stand given that
Kane scored a rebound from a missed penalty deep into injury time.
With a minimum of five minutes added-on time having previously been
signalled by fourth official Mike Dean, Kane's effort crossed the line with
95 minutes and 57 seconds on the clock - leading to some questioning whether
referee Jon Moss should have blown the whistle upon his penalty being saved
by West Ham's Spanish goalkeeper Adrian and before the striker had the
opportunity to convert the rebound.
Whilst the additional time added on is a minimum requirement, there was
little to suggest the official was justified in adding yet another minute on
top of the five indicated - meaning that technically, Moss should have blown
the moment Adrian saved the spot kick.
Althuogh Kane's effort only rescued a point for his team, the goal was a
sickening blow to West Ham who had looked good value for all three points
prior to that moment.
Cheik Kouyate had given West Ham a first half lead after 22 minutes when
some excellent work on the left flank involving Alex Song, Stewart Downing
and Aaron Cresswell gave the Senegal midfielder the opportunity to score
from point blank range with a header that flew into the roof of the net.
And the Hammers doubled their advantage with 62 minutes on the clock when
Sakho - who, moments earlier had opted for personal glory, rather than
squaring a pass to Enner Valencia who had the entire goal at his mercy -
scored from an acute angle to give West Ham what appeared at the time to be
an unassailable lead.
The turning point came when Allardyce decided to replace the effective Mark
Noble moments after he had narrowly escaped a second booking for a rash
challenge. The midfielder was walking a tightrope having been booked for an
innocuous challenge in the first half, a minor shirt tug that happens many
times every game.
He was replaced by Carlton Cole, with Kevin Nolan - booed off by fans at
West Brom last week - left on the bench. Morgan Amalfitano, who would have
offered another option, was absent having been sent off at the Hawthorns
last weekend.
Buoyed by the removal of the industrious Noble, the home side halved the
deficit nine minutes ahead of the end of normal time when Danny Rose mis-hit
a volley that wrong-footed Adrian and looped over the 'keeper into the
corner of the net.
Despite conceding that goal, it appeared as if West Ham had managed to hold
on to all three points - until the controversy of the final few seconds of
added on time.
The penalty decision itself was a soft one, with Alex Song - who has been
out of sorts since Christmas - unlucky to be penalised for tripping Kane -
who, as is too often the case these days, went down at the slightest hint of
a challenge - as he entered the area.
Hammers' hearts were briefly lifted when Kane struck his spot kick straight
at Adrian, who pushed it away - but only straight into the path of the
22-year-old, who placed it beyond the 'keeper to steal a point for
Tottenham.
Despite failing to hold on for the win, the 2-2 draw means West Ham have now
played the teams in fourth, fifth and sixth place in the Premier League in
their last three outings and avoided defeat on each occasion. On the reverse
side, none of those have resulted in three points - and on two of those
three occasions, points have been dropped in injury time.
Plenty for Sam Allardyce to chew over as he and his squad look forward to
the visit of struggling Crystal Palace to the Boleyn next weekend.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Harry Kane's injury-time goal earns Spurs a 2-2 draw with West Ham
Last Updated: 22/02/15 7:16pm
SSN
Harry Kane missed an injury-time penalty but converted the rebound as
Tottenham snatched a dramatic 2-2 draw against West Ham at White Hart Lane.
West Ham had held a two-goal lead through Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho
with 10 minutes remaining but Danny Rose's scuffed shot set up a grandstand
finish and then Kane - brought down by Alex Song - struck at the second
attempt, six minutes into time added on.
Tottenham, who have earned 16 points from losing positions this season,
remain three points off the top four in seventh, while the visitors sit a
place back after being denied what would have been a first victory in four
Premier League games. Kane - now with 24 goals to his name this season -
was recalled alongside Moussa Dembele and Ryan Mason after starting the
midweek draw against Fiorentina on the bench, boss Mauricio Pochettino keen
to keep legs fresh for a gruelling schedule that includes next weekend's
Capital One Cup final. The home side started the game brightly with Nabil
Bentaleb recording the first shot on target in the eighth minute, Adrian
pushing the ball around his right-hand post. Kane followed that up moments
later when he tried to cheekily chip the West Ham keeper but failed to get a
proper strike on the ball. Kouyate gave Sam Allardyce's men the lead against
the run of play in the 22nd minute. A good run down the left saw Aaron
Cresswell deliver a pinpoint cross into the box and the midfielder outjumped
Eric Dier and Jan Vertonghen to head home. Harry Kane missed an injury-time
penalty but converted the rebound as Tottenham snatched a dramatic 2-2 draw
against West Ham at White Hart Lane
Cresswell was causing problems again six minutes later but this time Spurs
were alert to the danger and cleared the ball. Spurs struggled to create any
real chances in the first-half and their passing looked disjointed as time
went on. Enner Valencia should have doubled the visitors' lead just before
the hour when he beat Kyle Walker for pace before unleashing a shot from
just outside the box, but Dier and Vertonghen were there to block it with
their bodies and keep the score at 1-0.
West Ham finally increased their lead two minutes after the hour as Sakho
got his first away goal since October 18. The forward started the move when
his cross-shot bounced across the box and Mark Noble - on hand to pick up
the loose ball - allowed Sakho to knock it past Hugo Lloris at the near
post. That appeared to the belated impetus that Spurs needed as Kane had a
goal ruled out for offside, before Adrian saved low to his left from
substitute Christian Eriksen's dipping free-kick. Nine minutes from time the
assured Adrian made his first mistake of the game as he punched Erik
Lamela's shot away but mistimed his jump, allowing Rose's effort to sneak
in. Allardyce fumed at lengthy stoppage-time as Spurs continued to attack
and with seconds left, Kane - running into the box - was caught by Alex
Song.
The referee pointed to the spot and when Adrian parried his spot-kick, the
in-form striker was alert enough to send the rebound home.
Tottenham: Lloris (7), Walker (6), Dier (6), Vertonghen (7), Rose (7), Mason
(7), Bentaleb (6), Townsend (6), Dembele (6), Lamela (6), Kane (7).
Used subs: Soldado (6), Chadli (6), Eriksen (7)
West Ham: Adrian (7), Jenkinson (7), Reid (6), Tomkins (6), Cresswell (8),
Noble (7), Song (6), Kouyate (7), Downing (6), Valencia (7), Sakho (7).
Used subs: Jarvis (5), Collins (5), Cole (5)
Man of the match: Aaron Cresswell
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Sam Allardyce blames referee and Tottenham after West Ham concede late
equaliser
Last Updated: 22/02/15 5:54pm
SSN
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce hit out at both the Tottenham players and
referee Jon Moss after a late Harry Kane equaliser cost his another win at
White Hart Lane. The visitors, hoping for a third straight victory at Spurs,
were deservedly leading 2-0 with just 10 minutes remaining thanks to goals
from Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho. But Danny Rose struck to reduce the
arrears before Kane was brought down in the box by Alex Song in the fifth
minute of injury time. Kane stepped up to take the penalty and though Adrian
parried his initial effort, he buried the rebound. That proved to be the
last meaningful kick of the game but Allardyce was left fuming at referee
Moss, as well as the Spurs players, whom he accused of going to ground too
easily.
Asked if Moss should have blown for full-time immediately after Adrian had
saved the penalty, Allardyce replied: "The answer to that is yes, but he
wouldn't be brave enough to do that at home would he? "He'll say there were
still two seconds to go. He will say when the penalty was taken, there were
five seconds left, when the rebound came off there were three seconds left.
So we're doing NFL now aren't we? I'd like a time-keeper to be perfectly
honest with you. "From our point of view, Alex has to keep his hands off him
because he's going to feel that contact and take to the floor. He's got to.
No-one is in doubt that when you're losing at that stage of the game and you
know you're not going to score because he's kicked it too far. "You're going
to take the chance (by going to ground) and the referee gives him the
opportunity to take the penalty - he wasn't good enough to score that but
lucky enough to get the rebound."
Straight after the game, the former Bolton manager said: "You can argue
whether it's enough contact from Alex's arm or whether it's not, but when
you're desperate like Tottenham are and you get touched, a player's going to
fall over and ask the referee to make a decision.
"Whether it's the right decision or not, it's the way football is today. If
we're to learn anything by it, we have to do the same as what Tottenham do
more often, because we stay on our feet and don't get fouls and they get
touched and go down and they do get fouls. In the end it's make a
difference."
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Sam Allardyce blasts Tottenham players for ''falling over'' after West Ham's
late penalty heartbreak, adding "maybe we should too"
14:49, 22 February 2015 By Aaron Flanagan
West Ham gave away a two-goal lead after Harry Kane bagged a 96th minute
penalty, following a clumsy challenge from Alex Song in the area
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce has blasted Tottenham's 'desperate' players for 'falling over'
in order to deny West Ham victory at White Hart Lane.
The Hammers had led 2-0 through goals from Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra
Sakho, but a Danny Rose strike before Harry Kane's 96th minute rebounded
penalty earned Spurs a point. But the controversial penalty decision in
stoppage time left Big Sam raging, as he believed there was minimal contact
in the challenge. Kane was inside the box but running away from goal when
Alex Song appeared to force the in-form England star to the ground with a
push in the back. And Allardyce says that it is becoming too easy for
players to fall to the ground in order to force the referees into decisions.
Kane himself got up and took the spot kick, which was awarded by Jon Moss,
firing home the rebound after Adrian's initial save. Allardyce told the BBC:
"You can't put your hands on anyone today otherwise they will go to ground
and make the referee's mind up. "You can argue whether Alex Song has made
enough contact for Harry Kane to go down, but when you're desperate like
Tottenham are, you get touched and the player is going to fall over. "Maybe
we should be more like Tottenham - we stay on our feet. They're so lucky
today. One with the first goal - Danny Rose has mishit it - and the second
goal Adrian saved the penalty and it has gone straight back to Harry Kane."
But the under-fire Hammers boss has praised the "magnificent" performance of
his side, despite not taking full points from White Hart Lane for a second
successive year.He admits that the foul for the penalty could have been
prevented. "I thought we were going to see the game through nicely but we
made a huge mistake at the end. Whether it's a soft penalty or it isn't, it
is something we shouldn't have done," he added. "It's a real disappointment
but it was a magnificent performance. The reason we lost the game was a bit
of luck for them. We should have done enough at 2-0 up to see it out. That's
been our Achilles heel since the turn of the year. We were in front against
West Brom and drew 1-1, we were in front against Manchester United and drew
1-1, and we were in front at Swansea and drew 1-1. "I'm not blaming Harry
Kane for going down in the box - we should do more of that. We're an honest
team and we've only got one penalty this season. We're not getting rewards
for our honesty."
Meanwhile, Kane believes that when things are going your way, you continue
to get the rub of the green - as proven by the way the ball fell for him on
the rebound from the penalty kick. He said: "The ball bounced nicely for me,
I got in front of Alex Song, was about to shoot and got tumbled over. It was
a nervous penalty to take but when your luck is in your luck is in. My heart
was in my mouth when the keeper saved the first shot but it fell nicely for
the rebound. "I think we deserved the draw, we dug deep at 2-0 down and it
shows our character."
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Sympathy for Sam…but a team that can't win
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 22, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
I am suffering an unfamiliar emotion this afternoon – I feel rather sorry
for Sam Allardyce and certainly am not in a mood to blame the man for
today's result at White Hart Lane. Nor do I blame Harry Kane for grabbing a
soft penalty at the end although I hold Alex Song fully responsible for
today's debacle. This man surely has to know at this stage of his career
that laying hands on the back of a striker moving AWAY FROM GOAL inside the
penalty area in the last seconds is dangerous bordering on stupid. Today's
game, however, cannot and shouldn't be taken in isolation. We have now
managed one victory in eight games and for every decent performance we get a
less than average display.
Sam himself in assessing the game today said: "We were in front against West
Brom and drew 1-1, we were in front against Manchester United and drew 1-1,
and we were in front at Swansea and drew 1-1." Don't ask me what the problem
is because the manager himself doesn't seem to know how to solve it. But a
team throwing games away at the death is not good and whether the pro-Sam
lobby like it or not, in the end it becomes his issue simply because he's
the boss. He is the man charged with getting results and to see a senior pro
make a colossal error of judgement in helping Kane to go down needs some
addressing. I would like to have been a fly on the wall of the dressing room
after the game but fair play he refused to blame the bloke publicly. The
bottom line is simple! The longer this win-less run continues the more the
pressure builds because the hard luck stories from individual games
disappear within a couple of days as has been seen with the Manchester
United match for example.
An overall picture is emerging of a team that has forgotten how to win and
frets even when it looks as though it might. The first text I received after
the game read: "See you threw it away again – that team has a problem," At
the end of the day ( as they love to say ) I am afraid, love him or hate
him, it really is a managerial problem!
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Board plan for 'aggressive' manager action
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 22, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham's board will "aggressively" tackle the appointment of a new manager
towards the middle of April. ClaretandHugh understands the board has no
limit on the number of candidates they are ready to consider but the list
will be narrowed down to the most suitable three or four closer to the end
of season. The club expect to be ready to move in with offers for their top
candidates in late April or early May.
We have learned, however, that although Rafa Benitez was virtually
everybody's top choice, he is unlikely to make the move. We were told: "The
club would love him but he's not overly keen on coming and is a £6 million
manager minimum anyway. Slaven Bilic is very much in the frame but agents
are looking right across Europe at suitable candidates." "They are on a
timetable as the club will be ready to move aggressively once they have the
candidates in place."
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Allardyce: "Our Achilles heel"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 22, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Bitterly disappointed Sam Allardyce cut a forlorn figure after the Irons had
been caught in the dying seconds. And it was hard not to feel sorry for the
manager as the team trooped off at the end devastated by the late leveller
He said: "I thought we were going to see the game through nicely but we made
a huge mistake at the end. Whether it's a soft penalty or it isn't, it is
something we shouldn't have done. "It's a real disappointment but it was a
magnificent performance. The reason we lost the game was a bit of luck for
them. "We should have done enough at 2-0 up to see it out. That's been our
Achilles heel since the turn of the year. We were in front against West Brom
and drew 1-1, we were in front against Manchester United and drew 1-1, and
we were in front at Swansea and drew 1-1. "I'm not blaming Harry Kane for
going down in the box – we should do more of that. We're an honest team and
we've only got one penalty this season. We're not getting rewards for our
honesty."
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Bitter blow as Irons get caught late again
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 22, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Spurs 2 Irons 2
Alex Song's last minute challenge on Harry Kane gave Spurs a penalty and an
equaliser they didn't deserve after the Hammers had led by two goals. Cheik
Kouyate headed home a superb 21st minute goal and Diafra Sakho put them
further ahead with a fabulous close range strike before the north Londoners
dragged themselves back with two fortunate strikes. First Rose drove his
shot into the ground from distance and with Adrian mistiming his jump saw
the ball fly past him for the arrears to be reduced. Then came the Song
challenge on Kane and after Adrian had saved the penalty the striker
followed up to strike home the leveller with the last kick of the game. The
Cameroonian had bundled into Kane's back when he would have been better off
allowing him to continue running away from goal. It's arguable whether there
was enough contact but it's a pointless discussion – two points had gone
down the swanee.
So once again the Irons had failed to see out a game that they had bossed
from the 15th minute onwards but it's hard to find fault after a game which
saw them at their best. However, these late equalisers are becoming too
regular and the count is now one league win in eight! Sam Allardyce argued
after the game that West Ham could almost take a leaf out of the Spurs book
and go down themselves in similar situations to Kane's thus forcing referees
to make a decision. He commented: "We don't do it enough but Spurs can
consider themselves very luck with both goals. it was desperately
disappointing" Spurs had started in the ascendancy and Adrian was forced
into a fine save from Bentaleb when he flew to his left to palm a rocket
shot around the post. And in the tenth minute Kane charged onto a ball from
the back but after some lazy defending by Reid and Tomkins but saw his
flicked effort hit the post. The Hammers found their feet after the two
early scares and on 17 minutes Cresswell fired in a long range shot which
flew wide. But four minutes later the left back was instrumental in setting
up the lead with a great run and cross which Kouyate thudded into the back
of the net with a great header. Rose was close for Spurs at the other end
when he dived forward to peroduce a brav e header from Kane's chip forward
but the ball beat the bar.
As play switched to the other end Creswell's fine cross was met bny Valencia
but Lloris advanced bravely to block. Kane was again at the heart of things
though producing a neat ball for Mason but his shot was driven wide of an
upright. Noble held his head in frustration minutes later when he tried his
luck with a fierce goal bound shot which which thudded into a defender and
flew behind. The Hammers were a better team throughout the second period and
could have gone two up early in the second half when Sakho tried his luck
with Valencia much better positioned to take advantage. But when the
Senegalese hitman fired home from a right angle from Noble's far post free
kick in the 61st minute, it looked all over. Valencia then saw Lloris save
well before Noble and the striker made early departures to be replaced by
Carlton Cole and Matt Jarvis. The hosts piled on the pressure before the
goals but at the end of 90 minutes there wouldn't have been many who would
argue that the Irons were desperately unlucky not to take all three points.
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