Cole ready to return
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole is ready to return to training and help West Ham United end
their indifferent run of results. The centre forward has been ruled out with
a hamstring injury suffered in the 2-2 Barclays Premier League draw at
Tottenham Hotspur on 22 February. Speaking on Sky Sports' Goals on Sunday
programme, the long-serving No24 will be back in training this week ahead of
next weekend's visit of struggling Sunderland. With the Hammers on a run of
just one win in their last 12 league matches, conceding a number of late
goals in the process, Cole wants to get back to playing and scoring goals in
Claret and Blue. "It's been a disappointing run but we'll come through it,"
said the striker, who has netted 68 goals for the Club. "Sam will just keep
drilling into our heads that what we're doing is unacceptable, so we'll come
good in the end. "We just need to get that win on the board. Once we get
that next win, I think we'll be fine, but right now we're in a lull and
we're trying to dig our way out of it and get some points on the table. "At
the start of the season, everything was going for us, but things have
started to tail-off a little bit. I think mentally we're a bit comfortable
because we're not fighting a relegation battle."
While he admits the Hammers are enjoying mid-table security, he denied that
the players have taken their foot off the gas, consciously or
sub-consciously."I don't think it is that, I think it is just our form and
once we get that next win then we'll start enjoying it again and it'll start
ticking over for us," Cole continued. "Right now, it's just our form that we
need to find and we can move on. "It is frustrating to concede late goals,
especially the ones against Spurs because they were a killer blow for us. It
hurts and knocks the stuffing out of you, but that's when you need to find
your character as a team and pull through. "We've got a great bunch of lads
and everybody pulls in the same direction and that's what we've got to do
again now."
Cole was also asked about his recent issues with social media. The
31-year-old is a prolific user of Twitter and Instagram, but recently fell
foul of the authorities after being fined £20,000 by the FA for an
inappropriate tweet – his second such fine following an earlier breach of
the rules in 2011. While he admitted he should not have allowed trolls to
wind him up, Cole called for stronger action to be taken against those who
bait footballers and others in the public eye. "The amount of abuse you get
on Twitter is sometimes unruly and you can't defend yourself as a
footballer," he explained. "Obviously I know I've got responsibility and I'm
a role model and some of the language that gets spouted at you, you can't
return it. You've got to be very aware of that and I did make a mistake.
"You can't defend yourself. You're a sitting duck really and you need to try
and be able to blank it out of your mind – but some of the stuff they say is
too much. "If you can't handle it you should stay off Twitter or else you're
going to be getting fined a lot. Forty grand hurts! I try to keep it
humorous on Twitter, but sometimes being humorous does get you into trouble.
"I like to interact with the fans and tell my jokes. I just like to show my
emotions. We're not robots, us footballers, and Twitter is a great avenue to
show our real character."
You can follow Carlton Cole on Twitter @CarltonCole1.
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O'Brien rues timing of Giroud's goal
WHUFC.com
West Ham United defender Joey O'Brien said conceding just before half time
took the wind out of the Hammers' sails as they slipped to a 3-0 defeat away
at Arsenal. French international Olivier Giroud opened the scoring in the
45th minute when he struck a fierce shot in off the far post to break the
deadlock. Late on in the second half, the Gunners sealed the three points
with goals from Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini. Speaking after the game,
O'Brien identified Arsenal's opener as the turning point: "I think conceding
right before half-time knocked the wind out of our sails a little bit. "If
you go in 0-0 at half-time you have a different game plan in the second
half. But with that goal, the pressures off them a little bit, they can sit
back and we're chasing the game. They have some quality players in their
side so it was always going to be difficult."
The Irish international has had limited first team opportunities due to Carl
Jenkinson's impressive form this season, making ten appearances. However,
the 29-year-old put in an assured performance against the likes of Mesut
Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. "It was nice to be back out there. I haven't played
as much as I would've liked and it's been tough. But these are the games you
want to be involved with. "As a kid growing up I was an Arsenal fan and I've
always enjoyed playing against them. This is a great place to play football,
if you can't enjoy playing at the Emirates, you're in the wrong job." "It's
hard when you're not playing but you have to stay professional and train
hard, do the extra bits of work with the fitness coach after the game. It's
not something you want to be doing but you have to make sure you're match
ready."
Despite the defeat, O'Brien is confident that the Hammers will bounce back
next weekend when they host Sunderland. With Carl Jenkinson eligible again,
O'Brien will also be hoping that his performance against the north London
outfit was enough to keep him in the side.
"We need a big win next Saturday against Sunderland. We haven't won in a
long time and that's taken the shine off how well we started the season. "We
need to kick on for the last nine games. We've got the big boys out of the
way now so hopefully we can kick on and get some points on the board. "With
Carl not eligible to play, it was my opportunity to show what I can do and
hopefully I've done enough."
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Carlton Cole rues fine for 'trying to be humorous' on Twitter
Last Updated: 15/03/15 12:59pm
SSN
Carlton Cole believes his £20,000 fine is a heavy price to pay for trying to
be funny on social media. The West Ham striker admitted breaking the FA's
social media rules this week after posting an abusive term on his Twitter
account in response to a post from a Tottenham fan following the 2-2 draw on
February 22. Cole was fined £20,000 – just as he was for a Tweet he posted
in 2011 – and he has conceded he made a mistake by responding. "I was
disappointed I got done," he told Goals on Sunday. "The amount of abuse you
get on Twitter is sometimes unruly and you can't defend yourself as a
footballer. "Obviously I know I've got responsibility and I'm a role model
and some of the language that gets spouted at you, you can't return it.
You've got to be very aware of that and I did make a mistake. "You can't
defend yourself. You're a sitting duck really and you need to try and be
able to blank it out of your mind – but some of the stuff they say is too
much. "If you can't handle it you should stay off Twitter or else you're
going to be getting fined a lot. "Forty grand hurts! I try to keep it
humorous on Twitter, but sometimes being humorous does get you into
trouble." However, Cole vowed the incidents would not deter him from using
Twitter to talk to supporters. "I like to interact with the fans and tell my
jokes," he added. "I just like to show my emotions. We're not robots, us
footballers, and Twitter is a great avenue to show our real character."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cresswell linked with Arsenal
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 15, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
According to a report in the Sun on Sunday, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is
lining up a summer move for Hammers left-back Aaron Cresswell. The
25-year-old joined West Ham from Championship team Ipswich Town for £3.75m
last summer. Cresswell's debut campaign in the Premier League has been a
massive success so far with many tipping him as an early contender for
Hammer of the year. "Arsenal are ready to make a summer swoop for Aaron
Cresswell. The Gunners boss is eyeing up competition for Kieran Gibbs as
Nacho Monreal could be heading back to Spain after two years at the Emirates
Stadium," The Sun reported
In recent weeks Cresswell has also been linked to a bid from Manchester
City, however Allardyce ruled out a new deal on the basis of a few rumours.
"I wouldn't think he'd need a new contract just yet because I think he
signed a four-year deal. Just because people put in the paper that
Manchester City are interested in him is no need for giving him a new
contract – just on rumour. I wouldn't think it's in the chairman's mind at
the moment to look at that contract." said Allardyce.
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Hammers showing relegation form
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 15, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
The official Premier League form guide shows that West Ham are demonstrating
relegation form in 18th place just above QPR and Leicester City despite
being 4th place in the Premier League on Christmas day last year. The
Hammers have not managed a win in the last six games and only managed one
home win in the past twelve matches. We have earned just eight points since
Christmas day.
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EXCLUSIVE: DS reacts to 'Tevez return' story
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 15, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Carlos Tevez is NOT going to make a West Ham United return. Irons co
chairman David Sullivan has reacted quickly to newspaper speculation this
morning (Sun) that the 31 year old is set for a Hammers return. The Mail
claims that the club want him as their marquee signing as they bid to sell
season tickets for their new home believing too it would encourage other
high quality players to join the club. Currently with Juventus, the former
Iron would be a hugely popular signing but the chances of it happening are
next to zero according to Sullivan.
Speaking exclusively to ClaretandHugh the club chief explained that there
were problems on two fronts which made the move all but impossible. He said:
"We'd love to sign him, but he's indicated as recently as the Argentina
friendly at Upton Park he's not interested in coming. "Also, with the wage
cap and Financial Fair Play rules I doubt we could afford him either."
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Gold and Sullivan still undecided on Big Sam's future – The ExWHUemployee
Column
By ExWHUemployee on March 15, 2015 in ExWHUemployee column
The Arsenal game was a disappointment. I thought 3-0 was a bit harsh but
that said we didn't really look like scoring. I didn't expect much from the
game and with so many injuries I expected even less.
The main frustration for me was the crossing and set pieces. When you play
the big teams you have to make sure that you take these chances as not many
come along. I felt our wide players, especially Matt Jarvis, got into good
positions yet time and time again failed to deliver any sort of decent
delivery into the box. Our set pieces were dire and something I had
previously associated as being a major strength of Big Sam's teams. You have
to at least beat the first man or keep the ball in the box to have any sort
of impact! (stating the obvious I know). I don't like to slate players but
Jarvis has been such a let-down and I would much rather have seen Morgan or
Nene play there. I also think it is fair to say that Sakho shouldn't be
employed as a lone forward; he doesn't have the physical presence to be
effective against big centre backs. I would put Carlton Cole in against
Sunderland with Sakho and revert back to the diamond. Stewart Downing just
simply isn't the same player when not at the tip of the diamond. Revert back
to this formation and put him there – simples. I would go Adrian, Jenkinson,
Collins, Reid, Cresswell, Song, Kouyate, Noble, Downing Sakho and Cole
assuming there are no further injuries and that Reid and Cole can return but
not Valencia and Tomkins.
Speaking of injuries, I heard about the Valencia injury quite early on but
was told that the club wanted to keep it secret so that Arsenal didn't know
that news before the game. I made sure I didn't tweet it out but of course
with the joys of social media many others had also heard the news and did.
Our luck with injuries this season has been comical. Sakho nearly burnt his
flat down making a cup of tea and Valencia gets injured on a mug, all clubs
ban alcohol before a match and I think we should also do the same with tea!
Andy Carroll's injuries are well documented and now Zarate is back training
with us because of a knee injury although he hasn't been recalled
permanently.
Tomkins injury was unfortunate. It is also typical that we cannot recall
Henry from a month's loan. Henry seems to be really impressing at
Blackburn. I have seen Sam being abused by many for allowing Henry to go on
loan and I don't agree. Yes with hindsight it seems a silly decision but
that is easy to say. Henry hasn't got any English football experience and
was behind Reid, Tomkins and Collins at the time and also Kouyate. It makes
sense to give him some experience and match fitness at that moment but of
course we then lost Tomkins and Reid and the situation changed.
It is still unclear whether Sam will be here next season and I genuinely do
believe the club will make the decision based upon how we finish the season.
As I have said in many articles the club want someone with Premier League
experience and that Moyes is the preferred choice. Our next three fixtures
are Sunderland and Stoke at home, along with Leicester away. If we still
haven't picked up at least one win by then I would be extremely
disappointed. Apart from Manchester City away we also have QPR away, Burnley
at home, Villa away, Everton at home and Newcastle away. I really think we
should judge this season at the end of it because there are still many
points to be won. I understand Sam's flaws and why some fans are so
frustrated with him but let see where we end the season. If we finish in the
top ten then I think it will be a good season, as was suggested on this
week's episode of Iron Views TV. (Although I am sure many will still argue
otherwise).
Arsenal was a disappointment but we are playing the perfect team to play at
home next. I think we will comfortably pick up three points and things will
feel different than they do now.
Come on you Irons.
ExWHUemployee
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ravel Morrison to train with Lazio as former West Ham midfielder prepares
for summer move
19:03, 15 March 2015 By Dean Jones
Morrison mutually agreed to terminate his contract with West Ham last month
after agreeing a switch to the Rome club on the Bosman ruling
The Mirror
Ravel Morrison is taking an early flight to Italy to prepare for his Lazio
adventure. Morrison signed a pre-contract with Lazio that will begin in the
summer - and he will train with their reserve team before then. He can not
play for the Italians until next season but club chiefs believe it would
benefit Morrison to join up early so that he can adapt to the country and
maintain a regular training programme.
With that in mind Morrison has agreed to jet off to Italy this month. The
move to Italy is a chance for Morrison to start afresh after a tough time in
English football. He was one of Manchester United's brightest stars as a kid
but struggled to fulfil his potential, spending loan spells with QPR and
Cardiff last year before West Ham terminated his contract.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham may have been outgunned by Arsenal, but Sam Allardyce is no closer
to losing his job
Julian Shea for Metro.co.ukSunday 15 Mar 2015 6:59 pm
metro.co.uk
Well who could have seen that one coming? Pretty much everyone. West Ham
fans may have gone to Arsenal talking a good game, but beneath the pre-match
bluster, realistically, hopes were not high. And that proved to be as a fair
assessment as, all too predictably, the home side ran out 3-0 winners.
Although it took two goals in the last 10 minutes to seal the win, as the
statistics and post-match comments from the Hammers' dressing room revealed,
their superiority was absolute. While a seventh win in eight games was
heart-warming news for Arsene Wenger, and the Irons, the numbers make less
positive reading: conceding 13 goals in five matches, one win in 12 league
games – an 11th visit to Arsenal without victory for manager Sam Allardyce.
And this match was the tenth last before his contract expires. It's almost
like there was some sort of countdown pattern emerging there…
Pre-match, Allardyce admitted West Ham's season – which saw them in fourth
in the table at Christmas, and thinking quite realistically about Europe –
had become 'a disappointment'. He has yet to make his views clear on what
bears do in the woods or the Pope's leanings, but that sense of
disappointment can only have grown greater after Saturday's defeat. However,
for all fans' frustration, it seems that this close to the end of his
contract, it would take Allardyce getting in touch with his inner Clarkson
for him not to see it out.
Never forget, this is the man revealed by the Daily Mail last season to be
the 13th highest paid coach in world football. Yes, you did read that right.
Presumably any such contract would have matching severance terms so to
off-load him with single figure matches left before his time is up anyway
makes no financial sense. Ironically, one rumour that has been swirling
round on a regular basis is that he is already pencilled in to take over
next season at Sunderland, one of the clubs where he played – and even more
bizarrely, their current manager Gus Poyet (whose son Diego, of course, is
already at the Boleyn) has been mentioned as a possible candidate for any
future Upton Park vacancy.
However, having previously blamed the media for turning Sunderland fans
against him – which won him no friends in either camp – Poyet's reputation
took another knock on Saturday as his struggling side began the second half
of their 4-0 home thrashing by Aston Villa with just 10 men on the pitch.
You will never guess who West Ham's next opponents are…
Allardyce will welcome the Black Cats crossing his path, because he
desperately needs some good fortune, and they are as likely as anyone to
supply it. With West Ham and their fans now starting to look towards the end
of the season with an increasing sense of relief, he can have a look at the
new team he may be working with next season Also, in case you were
wondering, in 12 league visits with Everton, David Moyes never won at
Arsenal either.
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Sunday, March 15
Daily WHUFC News - 15th March 2015
Arsenal 3-0 West Ham United
WHUFC.com
Arsenal took a big step toward ensuring UEFA Champions League football stays
in north London with a resounding 3-0 win over West Ham United. In a
dominant display, goals from Olivier Giroud, Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu
Flamini proved too much for the Hammers, despite a spirited performance. In
a highly entertaining first half, the Gunners were on top as they had
several chances to open the scoring, yet the Hammers had an inspired Adrian
to thank as he pulled off a string of excellent saves. The Gunners managed
to break the deadlock on the stroke of half-time when Olivier Giroud struck
a fierce shot in off the far post, leaving the Spanish goalkeeper little
chance of getting his gloves to it. While the north London outfit enjoyed
the lion's share of possession, Sam Allardyce's men had a handful of chances
of their own – the best fell to captain Kevin Nolan as he volleyed Matt
Jarvis' pinpoint cross goal bound forcing a smart save from David Ospina.
The warning signs for Allardyce's men had been there from the off as Theo
Walcott burst through the backline twice in the opening five minutes, only
to be halted by a last ditch tackle from James Collins. Replays suggested
the Welshmen had clipped the England international's heels, however referee
Chris Foy waved away the appeals.
Into the second half, the Hammers appeared to gather themselves as they
began to enjoy more territory and possession. Diafra Sakho was a constant
menace to the Arsenal backline, however he was too often isolated up front.
The Claret and Blues best chance of finding an equaliser fell to Matt Jarvis
whose shot flew narrowly over after Stewart Downing's corner fell to the
winger just inside the box.
While the Hammers pressed for an equalizer, they left themselves vulnerable
to the counter attack. Mesut Ozil went closest to doubling the lead for
Arsene Wenger's side, however Adrian, again, was on hand to save his side.
Sensing that Arsenal's missed opportunities may come back to haunt them,
Wenger bought on reinforcements in the shape of Danny Welbeck and Santi
Cazorla to try and seal the victory. As the game wore on, it became an
increasingly more frantic affair with tempers beginning to boil over. The
game was put beyond doubt ten minutes from time when Aaron Ramsey capped off
an impressive performance with the Gunners' second of the match. The Welsh
midfielder stabbed home from close range following a skilful 1-2 with
Olivier Giroud after a quickly taken throw in. As the Hammers began to tire,
Allardyce brought on Nene in the hope of finding some inspiration yet it was
Arsenal substitute Matheiu Flamini who sealed the victory with his first
touch, rolling the ball home from three yards out from fellow replacement
Cazorla's low cross.
Arsenal: Ospina, Chambers, Mertesacker (c), Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin,
Ramsey, Walcott (Cazorla 72), Ozil (Flamini 83), Sanchez (Welbeck 65),
Giroud
Subs: Szczesny, Gibbs, Akpom, Bellerin
West Ham United: Adrian, O'Brien, Collins, Kouyate, Cresswell, Song, Noble
(Nene 82), Nolan (c), Jarvis (Amalfitano 75), Downing, Sakho
Subs: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Onariase, Poyet, Cullen
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'Sucker punches' floor Hammers
WHUFC.com
Anybody picking up their Sunday newspaper and flicking through the football
pages will see the scoreline 'Arsenal 3 West Ham United 0'.
However, the final score does not tell the full story of a game that the
Hammers were right in the thick of until the final ten minutes.
With Adrian ignoring the pain of a dislocated finger suffered in the
warm-up, West Ham held firm until the final seconds of added time at the end
of the first half, when Olivier Giroud sent an unstoppable shot past the
Spaniard. The visitors came out fighting at the Emirates and could have
levelled, only for Mark Noble and Matt Jarvis to fire over the top when
well-placed. As the Hammers tired, those misses cost them dear as Aaron
Ramsey and substitute Mathieu Flamini wrapped up the three points with two
goals in the closing stages.
Assistant manager Neil McDonald felt the final score was harsh on a West Ham
shorn of a host of injured and ineligible players. "We were right in it
until they scored their second goal," said McDonald. "We also had to recover
from the sucker punch of them scoring in the final five seconds of the first
half. "Even though they breached us a couple of times, Adrian has made some
fantastic saves to keep us in the game early on, so that goal knocked the
stuffing out of us right on half-time. "The team talk did not really change
– we had to pass the ball and move up the pitch a little bit better and try
to put them under pressure. The players listened to what the manager said
and we had the ball on the front foot a little bit better. "We got in behind
them and created a couple of chances, but we didn't take them and then we
got hit with another sucker punch with two goals in quick succession, as
Arsenal sometimes do at home. "We were disappointed with their second goal,
as it came from a throw-in situation and we work very hard on stopping the
opposition scoring from set plays.
"The second goal killed us and didn't really give us a chance to get back
into the game, then their third one shouldn't have happened because we
should have shut up shop and not allowed it. "Game-plan wise it wasn't too
bad in the first half and the response from the players was really good,
considering we have got a few important players injured. The goalkeeper was
also absolutely magnificent, considering he dislocated his finger before the
game."
Nobody would have deduced Adrian's injury from his outstanding display,
which saw the No13 make splendid saves to deny Alexis Sanchez twice, Aaron
Ramsey and Mesut Ozil. "He was very brave in playing on and made some
important saves," McDonald confirmed. "Then they probably had three chances
in the second half and scored two, which is how clinical you have to be at
this level." With a difficult run of results now stretching to one win in 12
league matches, the assistant boss knows West Ham have to take advantage of
a kinder fixture list going forward. After facing six of the current top
seven since 31 January, the Hammers host Sunderland, travel to Leicester
City and welcome Stoke City in their next three games. "Football is all
about results, and of course it is. We've played a lot of the top teams
recently and we've competed against them – yes, we've drawn games we should
have won and lost some but these are difficult games. "The manager has been
really please with most of the performances but this game is all about
results. Hopefully the next few games are a good set of games to put some
points on the board and get the confidence back. "We've competed against
some of the best teams in the league, so let's see how we can do in these
next few games and put some big points on the board and get us back up the
table to where we were before we played the top six."
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Mixed emotions for Matt
WHUFC.com
Matt Jarvis held mixed emotions after Saturday's 3-0 reverse at Arsenal. The
28-year-old winger was back in Sam Allardyce's starting XI for a Barclays
Premier League fixture for the first time since November, but was unable to
help his team from falling to defeat. He was frustrated to concede the
opening goal right on half-time, when it looked as though a string of fine
saves from Adrian was going to get West Ham through to the interval level,
and said the Gunners' goals came at bad times. "It's mixed for me really,"
he said. "I was delighted to get back in the team and play, but gutted with
the final result and really wish we didn't concede right on half time.
"That knocked us. Going in to half time at 0-0 would have been great and
allowed us to set our stall out for the second half, but it was a great
finish from Giroud. "One of the things we wanted to do was get in behind,
put crosses in and create chances. For spells we did that and it would have
been nice to get the first goal and see what happened from there."
Jarvis was involved in two of the Hammers' best chances of the afternoon,
crossing for Kevin Nolan to force a good save from David Ospina in the first
half, before volleying over the bar after half time. He continued: "Kevin
struck it really well, it was just a great save and it would have been his
100th goal which would have been great for him. "For my chance, it got
headed out, I managed to chest it and had to take the volley as quickly as I
could and unfortunately I just skied it. "This is a tough place to come to,
but when you look at the 3-0 scoreline it looks like a bad day at the
office. I think we did well in spells though, and that's what we need to
take into next week's game against Sunderland."
With just one of the division's top seven to face in the closing nine games
of the season, Jarvis is confident the Hammers can end strongly to push back
up the table. He explained: "We need to get the win on Saturday and
kick-start us for the back end of the season and push back up as high as we
can."
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Hammers held by Seagulls
WHUFC.com
West Ham United fought out a tough 0-0 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion
U18 at Rush Green on Saturday morning. After finishing the regular season in
6th place in the Barclays U18 Premier League South, the Hammers welcomed 8th
placed Brighton to Rush Green as both sides looked to start the play offs
with a victory. Brighton came out strong in the first half and had the best
chance on goal when Jordan Maguire Drew attempted an audacious long range
lob from the half way line, which was tipped over by Hammers keeper Sam
Howes. In the second half, both sides spurned chances to secure the points
and the game faded out into a stalemate. U18 coach Mark Phillips once again
named an extremely young team, with three of the back four all currently
still at schoolboy status with the club. Declan Rice and Tunji Akinola
paired up in the central of defence, while England U16 international left
back Vashon Neufville again stepping up for a spot in the starting lineup.
Further forward, Noha Sylvestre came into the centre of midfield and Man
City triallist Martin Samuelson came in to the Hammers attack.
In the early stages of the game, Brighton pushed forward looking for the
early advantage in the game. Connor Tighe and Ragnar Mar Larusson both
attempted shots on target in the opening ten minutes to keep Hammers keeper
Howes on his toes. After that spell though, the hosts grew with confidence
and Brighton started to get pushed back into their own half. Samuelsen and
winger Joe Powell were instrumental in the Hammers working their way back
into the game. Powell fired high over the bar from 18 yards after 15
minutes, before the young winger crossed for Hector-Ingram to head wide
while Samuelsen's shot was blocked.
As the game progressed towards half time, Maguire Drew went inches away from
putting the visitors ahead at the break. After spotting Howes off his line,
the Brighton midfielder looked up and fired a long range lob over the top of
the Hammers keeper, which looked like it was heading in until Howes managed
to get a fingertip to the ball to clear for a corner. Into the second half
and Brighton came out as strong in the second period as they did in the
first. Connor Pring failed to keep his long range shot on target, before
Maguire Drew curled a corner straight off the crossbar.
The Hammers responded positively and they managed to launch a few attacks of
their own, through dangerous crosses by substitute Oscar Borg and Neufville,
however no West Ham player could get on the end of them. After that, the
game faded out and ended in a 0-0 draw, giving both clubs a single point on
the board as thy look to finish as high up the middle group table as
possible. West Ham's second play off fixtures is when they travel away to
Derby County U18 on Saturday 21st March 2015, with kick off scheduled for
12pm. Live updates of that fixture will be available on Twitter by following
our U18 reporter @tommywathen and the hashtag '#WHU18'.
U18: Howes, Pike, Akinola, Rice, Neufville, Sylvestre, Carter, Powell,
Samuelsen, Daingana (Borg), Hector-Ingram.
Subs not used: Boness, Eggleton.
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On this day - 15 March
WHUFC.com
Anniversary
Frank Neary
Date of birth: 6 March 1921
Died: 17 November 2004
Clubs: Queens Park Rangers, West Ham United, Leyton Orient, Queens Park
Rangers, Millwall, Gravesend Few, if any, players in the history of West Ham
United have found the net as regularly as Frank Neary. The Aldershot-born
centre forward scored an amazing 15 goals in just 17 appearances for the
Hammers between February and September 1947, bagging one hat-trick and
scoring twice in a match on no fewer than five occasions.
The aforementioned hat-trick came along on 15 March 1947 - 67 years ago
today - in a 3-2 home Division Two victory over West Bromwich Albion. Neary
had joined the Hammers from Queens Park Rangers for £4,000 in January of the
same year, replacing Joe Payne, who had departed for Millwall.
Neary made an electric start to his career in claret and blue, scoring twice
in 3-0 home wins over Newport County and Swansea Town before hitting his
treble against the Baggies. The former Army PT instructor ended the 1946/47
campaign with 15 goals in 14 league starts.
After playing three times at the start of the following season, during which
he failed to score, Neary departed for Division Three South club Leyton
Orient for a fee of just £2,000. Rumours abounded of the reasons for his
sudden exit, with one story that emerged following his death suggesting the
forward had been allowed to leave after an on-field altercation with an
opponent was spotted by Chairman WJ Cearns.
Whatever the truth of the matter, Neary departed, but the goals continued to
flow - 44 in 78 league appearances for Leyton Orient, five in 19 for QPR and
50 in 123 games for Millwall. On dropping into the non-league ranks, he
bagged 17 in the same number of matches for Gravesend before hanging up his
boots in 1954.
Classic Match
West Ham United 2-1 Blackburn Rovers
Premier League
15 March 2008
A home-grown Hammer stepped off the bench to halt West Ham's alarming slump
with the winning goal to defeat Blackburn Rovers at the Boleyn Ground. A run
of three 4-0 defeats had sent the east Londoners into a worrying spell of
form, but that was quickly forgotten as they got back on track against
Rovers. Freddie Sears enjoyed a debut to remember as he headed the Hammers
to victory in the 81st minute after replacing Nolberto Solano. Earlier,
Roque Santa Cruz had put the visitors ahead after 19 minutes before Dean
Ashton levelled matters six minutes before half-time.
Complete record - 15 March
1924 West Ham United 2-1 Everton (Division One)
1930 Everton 1-2 West Ham United (Division One)
1947 West Ham United 3-2 West Bromwich Albion (Division Two)
1952 Leicester City 3-1 West Ham United (Division Two)
1958 Huddersfield Town 3-1 West Ham United (Division Two)
1975 West Ham United 2-1 Burnley (Division Two)
1980 Newcastle United 0-0 West Ham United (Division Two)
1985 West Ham United 2-2 Manchester United (Division One)
1986 Arsenal 1-0 West Ham United (Division One)
1995 Southampton 1-1 West Ham United (Premier League)
1997 Aston Villa 0-0 West Ham United (Premier League)
2003 Everton 0-0 West Ham United (Premier League)
2005 West Ham United 1-1 Crewe Alexandra (Championship)
2006 West Ham United 2-1 Bolton Wanderers (FA Cup fifth-round replay)
2008 West Ham United 2-1 Blackburn Rovers (Premier League)
2014 Stoke City 3-1 West Ham United (Premier League)
Played 16, Won 6, Drawn 6, Lost 4, Scored 22, Conceded 19
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Arsenal 3-0 West Ham Utd
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 14th March 2015
By: Staff Writer
West Ham fell to a predictably lame defeat at the Emirates this afternoon -
albeit one only cemented by two late goals.
The Hammers, bereft of several first team players due to a lengthening
injury list managed to frustrate Arsenal for much of the opening 80 minutes
- so much so that Olivier Giroud's goal on the cusp on half time was the
only time the hosts managed to breach United's resolute defence.
But with Sam Allardyce's side retreating further and further as time wore on
it was inevitable that Arsenal would add to their sole strike, which they
duly did through goals from Ramsey (81 minutes) and Flamini (84).
West Ham went into the game missing three of their first-choice defenders,
including central pairing James Tomkins and Winston Reid plus on-loan Carl
Jenkinson who was ineligible to play. Enner Valencia joined Andy Carroll on
the sick list during midweek, leaving Diafra Sakho to plough a lone furrow
up front today.
The game began as expected, with the home side pinning West Ham into their
own half for all but the odd sporadic burst forward from Big Sam's boys.
Still, it took Arsenal 15 minutes to fashion a real chance of note, that
coming from Alexis Sanchez who forced a good stop from Adrian - the first of
many he'd go on to make, on a busy afternoon for the Spaniard.
The Hammers responded seven minutes later with their only shot on target all
afternoon, a dipping volley from the reinstated Kevin Nolan that required a
smart stop from David Ospina.
From thereon it was practically all Arsenal, with Adrian denying Ramsey,
Sanchez and Walcott (twice) before Olivier Giroud broke the deadlock in
first half injury time. The French striker fired across Adrian into his far
(right) corner, a single second after the minimum one minute of added-on
time was played.
The timing couldn't have been much worse for West Ham, who were a matter of
seconds from entering the half time interval on level terms. As it was, both
managers' team talks were suddenly very different.
The second half provided very little for the travelling 3,000-strong Hammers
contingent to get excited about, although the single-goal deficit ensured
the game remained competitive until nine minutes from time when Ramsey's
one-two with goalscorer Giroud led to a second, decisive strike.
As if that wasn't enough (it clearly was), the Gunners heaped further misery
upon West Ham by adding a third goal three minutes later. Flamini, who had
been on the field for less than a minute having replaced Ozil converted a
low cross from Santi Cazorla to secure all three points for Arsenal.
Next up for West Ham come Sunderland, who were smashed 4-0 at home this
afternoon by the previously goal-shy Aston Villa. With only one Premier
League win in 2015, that is a game that Allardyce and his team - whose
positive goal difference (+2) is dwindling away on a weekly basis - really
need to win.
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Arsenal 3-0 West Ham: Olivier Giroud, Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini score
By Peter Smith. Last Updated: 14/03/15 7:25pm
SSN
Olivier Giroud, Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini fired Arsenal to their
fifth Premier League win in a row as they moved to within one point of
second-placed Manchester City with a 3-0 win over West Ham at the Emirates.
France striker Giroud – who has now scored five times in his last five
matches against West Ham – struck just before half-time and then combined
with Ramsey on 81 minutes for Arsenal's second before linking up with Santi
Cazorla, who teed-up fellow sub Flamini for a third six minutes from time.
Arsenal's win was their ninth in a row over their London rivals and, coupled
with Man City's shock defeat to Burnley on Saturday Night Football, opens
the door for a second-place finish.
West Ham were out-played for much of the opening half – in which Theo
Walcott missed three clear-cut opportunities – and although Sam Allardyce's
side improved after the restart they are now without a win in their last
eight in all competitions. Arsenal had begun the week by beating Manchester
United to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup and started brightly against
West Ham as they aimed to strengthen their position in the Champions League
qualifying spots. The hosts should have been ahead with just five minutes on
the clock when a clever flick from Giroud released Walcott in the box but he
delayed his shot too long and referee Chris Foy then waved away penalty
appeals when James Collins tumbled the forward without touching the ball.
Alexis Sanchez then drew a fine save from Adrian – but Kevin Nolan
demonstrated West Ham's threat on the break when he connected with a Matt
Jarvis cross and tested David Ospina with a powerful volley. At the other
end, Giroud found the side-netting from a tight angle and Ramsey – making
his first start in over a month – forced Adrian to tip the ball over the bar
from Calum Chambers' centre as Arsenal resumed control. Walcott then wasted
a golden opportunity to break the deadlock, shooting tamely at the West Ham
'keeper when clean through on goal before Mesut Ozil made the same mistake
from close range and Walcott slipped as he tried to convert the rebound into
an unguarded net.
However, Arsenal weren't to be denied a first-half advantage, as Giroud
rifled a powerful left-foot shot into the top corner from 15 yards after
neat build-up play between Ozil and Ramsey in the 45th minute.
West Ham had lost their previous eight matches against Arsenal but made a
positive start to the second half and Jarvis wasted a good chance to
equalise when he fired over the bar from a Stewart Downing corner when well
placed. Arsenal struggled to dominate the game as they had in the first half
but could have doubled their advantage when Ozil found space in the box,
however, the Germany international opted to cross rather than shoot and
Ramsey's subsequent volley flew wide. The Wales midfielder was on target on
81 minutes, though. After playing a smart one-two with Giroud, Ramsey
finished in style from just inside the West Ham box.
Just three minutes later Arsenal had the ball in the net again as sub
Cazorla exchanged passes with Giroud before picking out Flamini at the back
post, who tapped in with one of his first touches of the game. Sub Danny
Welbeck – fresh from warming up alongside fourth official Anthony Taylor,
who replaced injured ref Foy – then saw a late header saved, but by then
Arsenal had comfortably secured all three points. Soccer Saturday - Matt Le
Tissier's verdict: "Arsenal were very comfortable in the end, though they
were not ruthless enough in front of goal in the first half. "Second-half,
West Ham came out right after half-time and gave it a real go, without
really testing Ospina much. In the end, they committed a few more men
forward and got caught on the break. "But the quality of Arsenal's goals
today was outstanding.There was some fantastic little one-touch play around
the box."
Player ratings
Arsenal: Ospina (7), Chambers (7), Koscielny (7), Mertesacker (7), Monreal
(7), Coquelin (7), Ozil (7), Ramsey (8), Sanchez (6), Walcott (6), Giroud
(8).
Subs: Cazorla (7), Flamini (7), Welbeck (6)
West Ham: Adrian (8), Collins (6), Cresswell (6), Kouyate (6), O'Brien (7),
Downing (6), Jarvis (6), Noble (6), Nolan (6), Song (7), Sakho (7).
Subs: Amalfitano (6), Nene (6)
Man of the match: Olivier Giroud
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Bad news: Tomkins surgery on cards
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 14, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham insiders have this morning told ClaretandHugh fears that James
Tomkins season is probable. Early indications appear to show that he has
suffered some ligament damage from the shoulder he dislocated in training
earlier in the week. That is particularly bad news and is likely to mean he
will be out of action until the end of the season. The scans are not 100 per
cent conclusive but a source told us earlier: "It looks 90 per cent certain
that he is now out for the season. "It hasn't been finalised at this stage
but it looks likely he will need an operation. It's a big blow but we can
keep our finger crossed it's not as bad as it looks initially."
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Kouyate named African player of the month
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 14, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Cheikhou Kouyate has been named February's African Player of the Month in
the Premier League. A statement by the organisers, New African Soccer,
announced the award with awards Director, Tunde Adelakun saying "It was a
really tough decision. February was a short month but with lots of activity;
and every player in the shortlist played a part in making it a big one for
Africans".
"But Kouyate stood out; putting in a solid performance in the heart of the
West Ham midfield all month, and scoring some important goals as well. He
even effectively played in a centre back role against Manchester United,
which made him a good all-rounder in the month. I think he just about edged
it, and many of our followers were in agreement".
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Mr Allardyce looks all out of ideas !
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 14, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
It was all a bit ridiculous – not to mention embarrassing – that there had
been those among us who believed the Irons team of 2014-15 were Champions
League contenders at best and top six as a fall back position. For at the
Emirates this afternoon Arsenal showed Sam Allardyce and the Hammers fans
what sort of team we support – a group of triers who on occasions and
independent of each other can be excellent – think Sakho, Kouyate,
Cresswell, Collins, Downing and the missing Jenkinson and Reid.
Adrian and Collins were our two best players this afternoon in a game which
we had all approached more in hope than expectation. At the end of it only
five words required: Arsenal were just too good. We didn't help ourselves
with some pretty shoddy passing at times and I'm afraid Alex Song was again
guilty of what the stats will probably show was a very poor pass completion
rate. Joey O'Brien was surprisingly decent on the right side, Kouyate did
well at the back and showed lots of energy getting forward whilst Collins
was brilliant defensively at various times.
However, unsurprisingly, neither he or the others could do much against the
quick one touch stuff that undid us three times with such ease. Thirteen
goals in five games under a manager who prides himself as being something of
a defensive formation expert tells its own story. This is a team suffering
under a manager who on the face of it looks to be running out of ideas on
how to arrest the decline. Warm weather training didn't work too well did
it?
Sunderland next and a likely three points. After that I see no more than
nine available against teams with much to play for at the top and bottom. It
all looked so promising once upon a time – now it's becoming clearer with
every game that change is required. I think we will get it but who is to
become West Ham manager No 18 remains anyone's guess!
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No Sam so Macca explains defeat
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 14, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Well well well Sam Allardyce appears to have done a disappearing trick
following another drubbing leaving his loyal Number Two Neil McDonald to
handle a difficult press conference. Macca is a thoroughly decent and honest
guy but his assessment that "We were right in it until they scored their
second goal," seemed a tad whimsical. He then added: "We also had to recover
from the sucker punch of them scoring in the final five seconds of the first
half. "Even though they breached us a couple of times, Adrian has made some
fantastic saves to keep us in the game early on, so that goal knocked the
stuffing out of us right on half-time. "The team talk did not really change
– we had to pass the ball and move up the pitch a little bit better and try
to put them under pressure. The players listened to what the manager said
and we had the ball on the front foot a little bit better. "We got in behind
them and created a couple of chances, but we didn't take them and then we
got hit with another sucker punch with two goals in quick succession, as
Arsenal sometimes do at home."He ploughed on: "We were disappointed with
their second goal, as it came from a throw-in situation and we work very
hard on stopping the opposition scoring from set plays. "The second goal
killed us and didn't really give us a chance to get back into the game, then
their third one shouldn't have happened because we should have shut up shop
and not allowed it. "Game-plan wise it wasn't too bad in the first half and
the response from the players was really good, considering we have got a few
important players injured. The goalkeeper was also absolutely magnificent,
considering he dislocated his finger before the game."
So there you have it – two sucker punches and a third that shouldn't have
happened. Well at least nobody mentioned the words "injured
players."Sometimes it's as well to be grateful for small mercies!
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Adrian played with dislocated finger
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 15, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Adrian produced an outstanding performance against Arsenal made even more
amazing after it was revealed he was playing the whole game with a
dislocated finger. Assistant manager Neil McDonald left to face the press
after the Hammers 3-0 defeat revealed that Adrian had dislocated his finger
in the warm up but had insisted on playing on "We've lost two (players) this
week and even the goalkeeper has dislocated his finger before the game but
played on, He's dislocated his finger but said he wanted to carry on. He's
been a brave lad today because he could easily have pulled out. And he's
made some great saves. He has his finger strapped up to play and I'm hoping
that if he played today he should allright for next week. He did it in the
warm-up but he wanted to carry on. I haven't ever dis-located my finger so I
don't know how much pain he was in but it's obviously a big thing for a
goalkeeper." said McDonald
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Tevez linked with Hammers yet again
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 15, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Hammers Hero Tevez has been linked to an unlikely return to West Ham by Rob
Shepherd in the Mail on Sunday this morning. He claims the West Ham board
want to bring the 31-year-old back to London as their marquee signing as
they prepare to move to the Olympic Stadium. The £90,000-a-week Argentine
striker has scored 33 goals in 54 matches at Juventus but his contract
expires in 2016.
In 2010 Tevez told the Daily Mail "Their supporters feel football; they are
passionate, these people invested great support in me. I wish to play again
for West Ham before I finish my career. I have some unfinished business
there."
However before anyone gets too excited about Tevez rejoining us in recent
times Tevez has spoken about rejoining his first professional club, Boca
Juniors in Argentina when his current contract comes to an end.
He recently told Tuttosport. "When I signed for three years with Juve, I
said from the start, also to the club, that this would be my last contract
before returning to Boca. But nobody said anything.Then, I said the same
things again, including the fact I would return home at the end of my
contract.But the problem is that when there is no news, they try to pull
something out of nowhere."
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Manager hunt: PL experience crucial factor
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 14, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are continuing their manager hunt as the season hits the final
stretch. A well placed source inside the club told ClaretandHugh: "The final
ten games remain absolutely crucial. As things stand at the moment it's
probably 55 to 45 on a new man." However, the choices remain limited as one
essential appears to be that whoever takes over has experience of managing
in the Premier League. We were told: "We cannot appoint a rookie boss –
that's not on. We need to ensure that whoever we may appoint knows the
League and has managed at this level."
Among those who fit such a bill are current favourite David Moyes (4/1),
Rafa Benitez (8/1), Glenn Hoddle (14/1) and Claudio Ranieri (33/1) …(all
odds are approximate depending on which shop or firm you use!). Slaven Bilic
at around 5/1 could also become a non runner if the club decide that Premier
League experience is an absolute MUST. And it's interesting that the much
touted Eddie Howe – seemingly in the process of leading Bournemouth to the
Championship – doesn't appear in the bookies' lists. Moyes is a strong
favourite given that just a year's compensation would be required if he is
head hunted from Real Sociedad but D-day remains some way in the disatance.
The board are aware of the divide among the fans over the managerial
situation and our source said: "That has to be be a factor but the last ten
games are of immediate importance right now."
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Chelsea and Manchester City join United in Gareth Bale chase and is Carlos
Tevez going back to West Ham?
West Ham want a sensational reunion with Carlos Tevez
By ROB SHEPHERD FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 22:46, 14 March 2015 | UPDATED: 01:21, 15 March 2015
Sam Allardyce's days are numbered as West Ham manager. The club are set to
sever his contract on May 25, the day after the last game of the season
against Newcastle. Even if the Hammers have a good end to the season there
is no way back for Allardyce whose current contract expires in July. The 3-0
defeat at Arsenal took West Ham's Premier League run to just one win in 12.
The West Ham board still harbour hopes of luring Carlos Tevez to the club
next season from Juventus in their last season at the Boleyn Ground before
moving to the Olympic Stadium. The club's hierarchy see former cult hero
Tevez as a platinum signing that can help attract a new fan base.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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WHUFC.com
Arsenal took a big step toward ensuring UEFA Champions League football stays
in north London with a resounding 3-0 win over West Ham United. In a
dominant display, goals from Olivier Giroud, Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu
Flamini proved too much for the Hammers, despite a spirited performance. In
a highly entertaining first half, the Gunners were on top as they had
several chances to open the scoring, yet the Hammers had an inspired Adrian
to thank as he pulled off a string of excellent saves. The Gunners managed
to break the deadlock on the stroke of half-time when Olivier Giroud struck
a fierce shot in off the far post, leaving the Spanish goalkeeper little
chance of getting his gloves to it. While the north London outfit enjoyed
the lion's share of possession, Sam Allardyce's men had a handful of chances
of their own – the best fell to captain Kevin Nolan as he volleyed Matt
Jarvis' pinpoint cross goal bound forcing a smart save from David Ospina.
The warning signs for Allardyce's men had been there from the off as Theo
Walcott burst through the backline twice in the opening five minutes, only
to be halted by a last ditch tackle from James Collins. Replays suggested
the Welshmen had clipped the England international's heels, however referee
Chris Foy waved away the appeals.
Into the second half, the Hammers appeared to gather themselves as they
began to enjoy more territory and possession. Diafra Sakho was a constant
menace to the Arsenal backline, however he was too often isolated up front.
The Claret and Blues best chance of finding an equaliser fell to Matt Jarvis
whose shot flew narrowly over after Stewart Downing's corner fell to the
winger just inside the box.
While the Hammers pressed for an equalizer, they left themselves vulnerable
to the counter attack. Mesut Ozil went closest to doubling the lead for
Arsene Wenger's side, however Adrian, again, was on hand to save his side.
Sensing that Arsenal's missed opportunities may come back to haunt them,
Wenger bought on reinforcements in the shape of Danny Welbeck and Santi
Cazorla to try and seal the victory. As the game wore on, it became an
increasingly more frantic affair with tempers beginning to boil over. The
game was put beyond doubt ten minutes from time when Aaron Ramsey capped off
an impressive performance with the Gunners' second of the match. The Welsh
midfielder stabbed home from close range following a skilful 1-2 with
Olivier Giroud after a quickly taken throw in. As the Hammers began to tire,
Allardyce brought on Nene in the hope of finding some inspiration yet it was
Arsenal substitute Matheiu Flamini who sealed the victory with his first
touch, rolling the ball home from three yards out from fellow replacement
Cazorla's low cross.
Arsenal: Ospina, Chambers, Mertesacker (c), Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin,
Ramsey, Walcott (Cazorla 72), Ozil (Flamini 83), Sanchez (Welbeck 65),
Giroud
Subs: Szczesny, Gibbs, Akpom, Bellerin
West Ham United: Adrian, O'Brien, Collins, Kouyate, Cresswell, Song, Noble
(Nene 82), Nolan (c), Jarvis (Amalfitano 75), Downing, Sakho
Subs: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Onariase, Poyet, Cullen
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'Sucker punches' floor Hammers
WHUFC.com
Anybody picking up their Sunday newspaper and flicking through the football
pages will see the scoreline 'Arsenal 3 West Ham United 0'.
However, the final score does not tell the full story of a game that the
Hammers were right in the thick of until the final ten minutes.
With Adrian ignoring the pain of a dislocated finger suffered in the
warm-up, West Ham held firm until the final seconds of added time at the end
of the first half, when Olivier Giroud sent an unstoppable shot past the
Spaniard. The visitors came out fighting at the Emirates and could have
levelled, only for Mark Noble and Matt Jarvis to fire over the top when
well-placed. As the Hammers tired, those misses cost them dear as Aaron
Ramsey and substitute Mathieu Flamini wrapped up the three points with two
goals in the closing stages.
Assistant manager Neil McDonald felt the final score was harsh on a West Ham
shorn of a host of injured and ineligible players. "We were right in it
until they scored their second goal," said McDonald. "We also had to recover
from the sucker punch of them scoring in the final five seconds of the first
half. "Even though they breached us a couple of times, Adrian has made some
fantastic saves to keep us in the game early on, so that goal knocked the
stuffing out of us right on half-time. "The team talk did not really change
– we had to pass the ball and move up the pitch a little bit better and try
to put them under pressure. The players listened to what the manager said
and we had the ball on the front foot a little bit better. "We got in behind
them and created a couple of chances, but we didn't take them and then we
got hit with another sucker punch with two goals in quick succession, as
Arsenal sometimes do at home. "We were disappointed with their second goal,
as it came from a throw-in situation and we work very hard on stopping the
opposition scoring from set plays.
"The second goal killed us and didn't really give us a chance to get back
into the game, then their third one shouldn't have happened because we
should have shut up shop and not allowed it. "Game-plan wise it wasn't too
bad in the first half and the response from the players was really good,
considering we have got a few important players injured. The goalkeeper was
also absolutely magnificent, considering he dislocated his finger before the
game."
Nobody would have deduced Adrian's injury from his outstanding display,
which saw the No13 make splendid saves to deny Alexis Sanchez twice, Aaron
Ramsey and Mesut Ozil. "He was very brave in playing on and made some
important saves," McDonald confirmed. "Then they probably had three chances
in the second half and scored two, which is how clinical you have to be at
this level." With a difficult run of results now stretching to one win in 12
league matches, the assistant boss knows West Ham have to take advantage of
a kinder fixture list going forward. After facing six of the current top
seven since 31 January, the Hammers host Sunderland, travel to Leicester
City and welcome Stoke City in their next three games. "Football is all
about results, and of course it is. We've played a lot of the top teams
recently and we've competed against them – yes, we've drawn games we should
have won and lost some but these are difficult games. "The manager has been
really please with most of the performances but this game is all about
results. Hopefully the next few games are a good set of games to put some
points on the board and get the confidence back. "We've competed against
some of the best teams in the league, so let's see how we can do in these
next few games and put some big points on the board and get us back up the
table to where we were before we played the top six."
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Mixed emotions for Matt
WHUFC.com
Matt Jarvis held mixed emotions after Saturday's 3-0 reverse at Arsenal. The
28-year-old winger was back in Sam Allardyce's starting XI for a Barclays
Premier League fixture for the first time since November, but was unable to
help his team from falling to defeat. He was frustrated to concede the
opening goal right on half-time, when it looked as though a string of fine
saves from Adrian was going to get West Ham through to the interval level,
and said the Gunners' goals came at bad times. "It's mixed for me really,"
he said. "I was delighted to get back in the team and play, but gutted with
the final result and really wish we didn't concede right on half time.
"That knocked us. Going in to half time at 0-0 would have been great and
allowed us to set our stall out for the second half, but it was a great
finish from Giroud. "One of the things we wanted to do was get in behind,
put crosses in and create chances. For spells we did that and it would have
been nice to get the first goal and see what happened from there."
Jarvis was involved in two of the Hammers' best chances of the afternoon,
crossing for Kevin Nolan to force a good save from David Ospina in the first
half, before volleying over the bar after half time. He continued: "Kevin
struck it really well, it was just a great save and it would have been his
100th goal which would have been great for him. "For my chance, it got
headed out, I managed to chest it and had to take the volley as quickly as I
could and unfortunately I just skied it. "This is a tough place to come to,
but when you look at the 3-0 scoreline it looks like a bad day at the
office. I think we did well in spells though, and that's what we need to
take into next week's game against Sunderland."
With just one of the division's top seven to face in the closing nine games
of the season, Jarvis is confident the Hammers can end strongly to push back
up the table. He explained: "We need to get the win on Saturday and
kick-start us for the back end of the season and push back up as high as we
can."
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Hammers held by Seagulls
WHUFC.com
West Ham United fought out a tough 0-0 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion
U18 at Rush Green on Saturday morning. After finishing the regular season in
6th place in the Barclays U18 Premier League South, the Hammers welcomed 8th
placed Brighton to Rush Green as both sides looked to start the play offs
with a victory. Brighton came out strong in the first half and had the best
chance on goal when Jordan Maguire Drew attempted an audacious long range
lob from the half way line, which was tipped over by Hammers keeper Sam
Howes. In the second half, both sides spurned chances to secure the points
and the game faded out into a stalemate. U18 coach Mark Phillips once again
named an extremely young team, with three of the back four all currently
still at schoolboy status with the club. Declan Rice and Tunji Akinola
paired up in the central of defence, while England U16 international left
back Vashon Neufville again stepping up for a spot in the starting lineup.
Further forward, Noha Sylvestre came into the centre of midfield and Man
City triallist Martin Samuelson came in to the Hammers attack.
In the early stages of the game, Brighton pushed forward looking for the
early advantage in the game. Connor Tighe and Ragnar Mar Larusson both
attempted shots on target in the opening ten minutes to keep Hammers keeper
Howes on his toes. After that spell though, the hosts grew with confidence
and Brighton started to get pushed back into their own half. Samuelsen and
winger Joe Powell were instrumental in the Hammers working their way back
into the game. Powell fired high over the bar from 18 yards after 15
minutes, before the young winger crossed for Hector-Ingram to head wide
while Samuelsen's shot was blocked.
As the game progressed towards half time, Maguire Drew went inches away from
putting the visitors ahead at the break. After spotting Howes off his line,
the Brighton midfielder looked up and fired a long range lob over the top of
the Hammers keeper, which looked like it was heading in until Howes managed
to get a fingertip to the ball to clear for a corner. Into the second half
and Brighton came out as strong in the second period as they did in the
first. Connor Pring failed to keep his long range shot on target, before
Maguire Drew curled a corner straight off the crossbar.
The Hammers responded positively and they managed to launch a few attacks of
their own, through dangerous crosses by substitute Oscar Borg and Neufville,
however no West Ham player could get on the end of them. After that, the
game faded out and ended in a 0-0 draw, giving both clubs a single point on
the board as thy look to finish as high up the middle group table as
possible. West Ham's second play off fixtures is when they travel away to
Derby County U18 on Saturday 21st March 2015, with kick off scheduled for
12pm. Live updates of that fixture will be available on Twitter by following
our U18 reporter @tommywathen and the hashtag '#WHU18'.
U18: Howes, Pike, Akinola, Rice, Neufville, Sylvestre, Carter, Powell,
Samuelsen, Daingana (Borg), Hector-Ingram.
Subs not used: Boness, Eggleton.
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On this day - 15 March
WHUFC.com
Anniversary
Frank Neary
Date of birth: 6 March 1921
Died: 17 November 2004
Clubs: Queens Park Rangers, West Ham United, Leyton Orient, Queens Park
Rangers, Millwall, Gravesend Few, if any, players in the history of West Ham
United have found the net as regularly as Frank Neary. The Aldershot-born
centre forward scored an amazing 15 goals in just 17 appearances for the
Hammers between February and September 1947, bagging one hat-trick and
scoring twice in a match on no fewer than five occasions.
The aforementioned hat-trick came along on 15 March 1947 - 67 years ago
today - in a 3-2 home Division Two victory over West Bromwich Albion. Neary
had joined the Hammers from Queens Park Rangers for £4,000 in January of the
same year, replacing Joe Payne, who had departed for Millwall.
Neary made an electric start to his career in claret and blue, scoring twice
in 3-0 home wins over Newport County and Swansea Town before hitting his
treble against the Baggies. The former Army PT instructor ended the 1946/47
campaign with 15 goals in 14 league starts.
After playing three times at the start of the following season, during which
he failed to score, Neary departed for Division Three South club Leyton
Orient for a fee of just £2,000. Rumours abounded of the reasons for his
sudden exit, with one story that emerged following his death suggesting the
forward had been allowed to leave after an on-field altercation with an
opponent was spotted by Chairman WJ Cearns.
Whatever the truth of the matter, Neary departed, but the goals continued to
flow - 44 in 78 league appearances for Leyton Orient, five in 19 for QPR and
50 in 123 games for Millwall. On dropping into the non-league ranks, he
bagged 17 in the same number of matches for Gravesend before hanging up his
boots in 1954.
Classic Match
West Ham United 2-1 Blackburn Rovers
Premier League
15 March 2008
A home-grown Hammer stepped off the bench to halt West Ham's alarming slump
with the winning goal to defeat Blackburn Rovers at the Boleyn Ground. A run
of three 4-0 defeats had sent the east Londoners into a worrying spell of
form, but that was quickly forgotten as they got back on track against
Rovers. Freddie Sears enjoyed a debut to remember as he headed the Hammers
to victory in the 81st minute after replacing Nolberto Solano. Earlier,
Roque Santa Cruz had put the visitors ahead after 19 minutes before Dean
Ashton levelled matters six minutes before half-time.
Complete record - 15 March
1924 West Ham United 2-1 Everton (Division One)
1930 Everton 1-2 West Ham United (Division One)
1947 West Ham United 3-2 West Bromwich Albion (Division Two)
1952 Leicester City 3-1 West Ham United (Division Two)
1958 Huddersfield Town 3-1 West Ham United (Division Two)
1975 West Ham United 2-1 Burnley (Division Two)
1980 Newcastle United 0-0 West Ham United (Division Two)
1985 West Ham United 2-2 Manchester United (Division One)
1986 Arsenal 1-0 West Ham United (Division One)
1995 Southampton 1-1 West Ham United (Premier League)
1997 Aston Villa 0-0 West Ham United (Premier League)
2003 Everton 0-0 West Ham United (Premier League)
2005 West Ham United 1-1 Crewe Alexandra (Championship)
2006 West Ham United 2-1 Bolton Wanderers (FA Cup fifth-round replay)
2008 West Ham United 2-1 Blackburn Rovers (Premier League)
2014 Stoke City 3-1 West Ham United (Premier League)
Played 16, Won 6, Drawn 6, Lost 4, Scored 22, Conceded 19
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Arsenal 3-0 West Ham Utd
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 14th March 2015
By: Staff Writer
West Ham fell to a predictably lame defeat at the Emirates this afternoon -
albeit one only cemented by two late goals.
The Hammers, bereft of several first team players due to a lengthening
injury list managed to frustrate Arsenal for much of the opening 80 minutes
- so much so that Olivier Giroud's goal on the cusp on half time was the
only time the hosts managed to breach United's resolute defence.
But with Sam Allardyce's side retreating further and further as time wore on
it was inevitable that Arsenal would add to their sole strike, which they
duly did through goals from Ramsey (81 minutes) and Flamini (84).
West Ham went into the game missing three of their first-choice defenders,
including central pairing James Tomkins and Winston Reid plus on-loan Carl
Jenkinson who was ineligible to play. Enner Valencia joined Andy Carroll on
the sick list during midweek, leaving Diafra Sakho to plough a lone furrow
up front today.
The game began as expected, with the home side pinning West Ham into their
own half for all but the odd sporadic burst forward from Big Sam's boys.
Still, it took Arsenal 15 minutes to fashion a real chance of note, that
coming from Alexis Sanchez who forced a good stop from Adrian - the first of
many he'd go on to make, on a busy afternoon for the Spaniard.
The Hammers responded seven minutes later with their only shot on target all
afternoon, a dipping volley from the reinstated Kevin Nolan that required a
smart stop from David Ospina.
From thereon it was practically all Arsenal, with Adrian denying Ramsey,
Sanchez and Walcott (twice) before Olivier Giroud broke the deadlock in
first half injury time. The French striker fired across Adrian into his far
(right) corner, a single second after the minimum one minute of added-on
time was played.
The timing couldn't have been much worse for West Ham, who were a matter of
seconds from entering the half time interval on level terms. As it was, both
managers' team talks were suddenly very different.
The second half provided very little for the travelling 3,000-strong Hammers
contingent to get excited about, although the single-goal deficit ensured
the game remained competitive until nine minutes from time when Ramsey's
one-two with goalscorer Giroud led to a second, decisive strike.
As if that wasn't enough (it clearly was), the Gunners heaped further misery
upon West Ham by adding a third goal three minutes later. Flamini, who had
been on the field for less than a minute having replaced Ozil converted a
low cross from Santi Cazorla to secure all three points for Arsenal.
Next up for West Ham come Sunderland, who were smashed 4-0 at home this
afternoon by the previously goal-shy Aston Villa. With only one Premier
League win in 2015, that is a game that Allardyce and his team - whose
positive goal difference (+2) is dwindling away on a weekly basis - really
need to win.
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Arsenal 3-0 West Ham: Olivier Giroud, Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini score
By Peter Smith. Last Updated: 14/03/15 7:25pm
SSN
Olivier Giroud, Aaron Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini fired Arsenal to their
fifth Premier League win in a row as they moved to within one point of
second-placed Manchester City with a 3-0 win over West Ham at the Emirates.
France striker Giroud – who has now scored five times in his last five
matches against West Ham – struck just before half-time and then combined
with Ramsey on 81 minutes for Arsenal's second before linking up with Santi
Cazorla, who teed-up fellow sub Flamini for a third six minutes from time.
Arsenal's win was their ninth in a row over their London rivals and, coupled
with Man City's shock defeat to Burnley on Saturday Night Football, opens
the door for a second-place finish.
West Ham were out-played for much of the opening half – in which Theo
Walcott missed three clear-cut opportunities – and although Sam Allardyce's
side improved after the restart they are now without a win in their last
eight in all competitions. Arsenal had begun the week by beating Manchester
United to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup and started brightly against
West Ham as they aimed to strengthen their position in the Champions League
qualifying spots. The hosts should have been ahead with just five minutes on
the clock when a clever flick from Giroud released Walcott in the box but he
delayed his shot too long and referee Chris Foy then waved away penalty
appeals when James Collins tumbled the forward without touching the ball.
Alexis Sanchez then drew a fine save from Adrian – but Kevin Nolan
demonstrated West Ham's threat on the break when he connected with a Matt
Jarvis cross and tested David Ospina with a powerful volley. At the other
end, Giroud found the side-netting from a tight angle and Ramsey – making
his first start in over a month – forced Adrian to tip the ball over the bar
from Calum Chambers' centre as Arsenal resumed control. Walcott then wasted
a golden opportunity to break the deadlock, shooting tamely at the West Ham
'keeper when clean through on goal before Mesut Ozil made the same mistake
from close range and Walcott slipped as he tried to convert the rebound into
an unguarded net.
However, Arsenal weren't to be denied a first-half advantage, as Giroud
rifled a powerful left-foot shot into the top corner from 15 yards after
neat build-up play between Ozil and Ramsey in the 45th minute.
West Ham had lost their previous eight matches against Arsenal but made a
positive start to the second half and Jarvis wasted a good chance to
equalise when he fired over the bar from a Stewart Downing corner when well
placed. Arsenal struggled to dominate the game as they had in the first half
but could have doubled their advantage when Ozil found space in the box,
however, the Germany international opted to cross rather than shoot and
Ramsey's subsequent volley flew wide. The Wales midfielder was on target on
81 minutes, though. After playing a smart one-two with Giroud, Ramsey
finished in style from just inside the West Ham box.
Just three minutes later Arsenal had the ball in the net again as sub
Cazorla exchanged passes with Giroud before picking out Flamini at the back
post, who tapped in with one of his first touches of the game. Sub Danny
Welbeck – fresh from warming up alongside fourth official Anthony Taylor,
who replaced injured ref Foy – then saw a late header saved, but by then
Arsenal had comfortably secured all three points. Soccer Saturday - Matt Le
Tissier's verdict: "Arsenal were very comfortable in the end, though they
were not ruthless enough in front of goal in the first half. "Second-half,
West Ham came out right after half-time and gave it a real go, without
really testing Ospina much. In the end, they committed a few more men
forward and got caught on the break. "But the quality of Arsenal's goals
today was outstanding.There was some fantastic little one-touch play around
the box."
Player ratings
Arsenal: Ospina (7), Chambers (7), Koscielny (7), Mertesacker (7), Monreal
(7), Coquelin (7), Ozil (7), Ramsey (8), Sanchez (6), Walcott (6), Giroud
(8).
Subs: Cazorla (7), Flamini (7), Welbeck (6)
West Ham: Adrian (8), Collins (6), Cresswell (6), Kouyate (6), O'Brien (7),
Downing (6), Jarvis (6), Noble (6), Nolan (6), Song (7), Sakho (7).
Subs: Amalfitano (6), Nene (6)
Man of the match: Olivier Giroud
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Bad news: Tomkins surgery on cards
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 14, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham insiders have this morning told ClaretandHugh fears that James
Tomkins season is probable. Early indications appear to show that he has
suffered some ligament damage from the shoulder he dislocated in training
earlier in the week. That is particularly bad news and is likely to mean he
will be out of action until the end of the season. The scans are not 100 per
cent conclusive but a source told us earlier: "It looks 90 per cent certain
that he is now out for the season. "It hasn't been finalised at this stage
but it looks likely he will need an operation. It's a big blow but we can
keep our finger crossed it's not as bad as it looks initially."
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Kouyate named African player of the month
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 14, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Cheikhou Kouyate has been named February's African Player of the Month in
the Premier League. A statement by the organisers, New African Soccer,
announced the award with awards Director, Tunde Adelakun saying "It was a
really tough decision. February was a short month but with lots of activity;
and every player in the shortlist played a part in making it a big one for
Africans".
"But Kouyate stood out; putting in a solid performance in the heart of the
West Ham midfield all month, and scoring some important goals as well. He
even effectively played in a centre back role against Manchester United,
which made him a good all-rounder in the month. I think he just about edged
it, and many of our followers were in agreement".
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Mr Allardyce looks all out of ideas !
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 14, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
It was all a bit ridiculous – not to mention embarrassing – that there had
been those among us who believed the Irons team of 2014-15 were Champions
League contenders at best and top six as a fall back position. For at the
Emirates this afternoon Arsenal showed Sam Allardyce and the Hammers fans
what sort of team we support – a group of triers who on occasions and
independent of each other can be excellent – think Sakho, Kouyate,
Cresswell, Collins, Downing and the missing Jenkinson and Reid.
Adrian and Collins were our two best players this afternoon in a game which
we had all approached more in hope than expectation. At the end of it only
five words required: Arsenal were just too good. We didn't help ourselves
with some pretty shoddy passing at times and I'm afraid Alex Song was again
guilty of what the stats will probably show was a very poor pass completion
rate. Joey O'Brien was surprisingly decent on the right side, Kouyate did
well at the back and showed lots of energy getting forward whilst Collins
was brilliant defensively at various times.
However, unsurprisingly, neither he or the others could do much against the
quick one touch stuff that undid us three times with such ease. Thirteen
goals in five games under a manager who prides himself as being something of
a defensive formation expert tells its own story. This is a team suffering
under a manager who on the face of it looks to be running out of ideas on
how to arrest the decline. Warm weather training didn't work too well did
it?
Sunderland next and a likely three points. After that I see no more than
nine available against teams with much to play for at the top and bottom. It
all looked so promising once upon a time – now it's becoming clearer with
every game that change is required. I think we will get it but who is to
become West Ham manager No 18 remains anyone's guess!
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No Sam so Macca explains defeat
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 14, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Well well well Sam Allardyce appears to have done a disappearing trick
following another drubbing leaving his loyal Number Two Neil McDonald to
handle a difficult press conference. Macca is a thoroughly decent and honest
guy but his assessment that "We were right in it until they scored their
second goal," seemed a tad whimsical. He then added: "We also had to recover
from the sucker punch of them scoring in the final five seconds of the first
half. "Even though they breached us a couple of times, Adrian has made some
fantastic saves to keep us in the game early on, so that goal knocked the
stuffing out of us right on half-time. "The team talk did not really change
– we had to pass the ball and move up the pitch a little bit better and try
to put them under pressure. The players listened to what the manager said
and we had the ball on the front foot a little bit better. "We got in behind
them and created a couple of chances, but we didn't take them and then we
got hit with another sucker punch with two goals in quick succession, as
Arsenal sometimes do at home."He ploughed on: "We were disappointed with
their second goal, as it came from a throw-in situation and we work very
hard on stopping the opposition scoring from set plays. "The second goal
killed us and didn't really give us a chance to get back into the game, then
their third one shouldn't have happened because we should have shut up shop
and not allowed it. "Game-plan wise it wasn't too bad in the first half and
the response from the players was really good, considering we have got a few
important players injured. The goalkeeper was also absolutely magnificent,
considering he dislocated his finger before the game."
So there you have it – two sucker punches and a third that shouldn't have
happened. Well at least nobody mentioned the words "injured
players."Sometimes it's as well to be grateful for small mercies!
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Adrian played with dislocated finger
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 15, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Adrian produced an outstanding performance against Arsenal made even more
amazing after it was revealed he was playing the whole game with a
dislocated finger. Assistant manager Neil McDonald left to face the press
after the Hammers 3-0 defeat revealed that Adrian had dislocated his finger
in the warm up but had insisted on playing on "We've lost two (players) this
week and even the goalkeeper has dislocated his finger before the game but
played on, He's dislocated his finger but said he wanted to carry on. He's
been a brave lad today because he could easily have pulled out. And he's
made some great saves. He has his finger strapped up to play and I'm hoping
that if he played today he should allright for next week. He did it in the
warm-up but he wanted to carry on. I haven't ever dis-located my finger so I
don't know how much pain he was in but it's obviously a big thing for a
goalkeeper." said McDonald
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Tevez linked with Hammers yet again
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 15, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Hammers Hero Tevez has been linked to an unlikely return to West Ham by Rob
Shepherd in the Mail on Sunday this morning. He claims the West Ham board
want to bring the 31-year-old back to London as their marquee signing as
they prepare to move to the Olympic Stadium. The £90,000-a-week Argentine
striker has scored 33 goals in 54 matches at Juventus but his contract
expires in 2016.
In 2010 Tevez told the Daily Mail "Their supporters feel football; they are
passionate, these people invested great support in me. I wish to play again
for West Ham before I finish my career. I have some unfinished business
there."
However before anyone gets too excited about Tevez rejoining us in recent
times Tevez has spoken about rejoining his first professional club, Boca
Juniors in Argentina when his current contract comes to an end.
He recently told Tuttosport. "When I signed for three years with Juve, I
said from the start, also to the club, that this would be my last contract
before returning to Boca. But nobody said anything.Then, I said the same
things again, including the fact I would return home at the end of my
contract.But the problem is that when there is no news, they try to pull
something out of nowhere."
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Manager hunt: PL experience crucial factor
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 14, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are continuing their manager hunt as the season hits the final
stretch. A well placed source inside the club told ClaretandHugh: "The final
ten games remain absolutely crucial. As things stand at the moment it's
probably 55 to 45 on a new man." However, the choices remain limited as one
essential appears to be that whoever takes over has experience of managing
in the Premier League. We were told: "We cannot appoint a rookie boss –
that's not on. We need to ensure that whoever we may appoint knows the
League and has managed at this level."
Among those who fit such a bill are current favourite David Moyes (4/1),
Rafa Benitez (8/1), Glenn Hoddle (14/1) and Claudio Ranieri (33/1) …(all
odds are approximate depending on which shop or firm you use!). Slaven Bilic
at around 5/1 could also become a non runner if the club decide that Premier
League experience is an absolute MUST. And it's interesting that the much
touted Eddie Howe – seemingly in the process of leading Bournemouth to the
Championship – doesn't appear in the bookies' lists. Moyes is a strong
favourite given that just a year's compensation would be required if he is
head hunted from Real Sociedad but D-day remains some way in the disatance.
The board are aware of the divide among the fans over the managerial
situation and our source said: "That has to be be a factor but the last ten
games are of immediate importance right now."
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Chelsea and Manchester City join United in Gareth Bale chase and is Carlos
Tevez going back to West Ham?
West Ham want a sensational reunion with Carlos Tevez
By ROB SHEPHERD FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 22:46, 14 March 2015 | UPDATED: 01:21, 15 March 2015
Sam Allardyce's days are numbered as West Ham manager. The club are set to
sever his contract on May 25, the day after the last game of the season
against Newcastle. Even if the Hammers have a good end to the season there
is no way back for Allardyce whose current contract expires in July. The 3-0
defeat at Arsenal took West Ham's Premier League run to just one win in 12.
The West Ham board still harbour hopes of luring Carlos Tevez to the club
next season from Juventus in their last season at the Boleyn Ground before
moving to the Olympic Stadium. The club's hierarchy see former cult hero
Tevez as a platinum signing that can help attract a new fan base.
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Saturday, March 14
Daily WHUFC News - 14th March 2015
Preview - Arsenal
WHUFC.com
In brief
West Ham United travel to Arsenal on Saturday looking to bounce back from a
narrow defeat to league leaders Chelsea. Having returned from a warm weather
training camp in Dubai, Sam Allardyce's men will want to get back to winning
ways after a tough run of fixtures. This is the Hammers' fourth consecutive
London derby, having played Tottenham, Crystal Palace and the Blues in
recent weeks. Arsenal, on the other hand, seem to be clicking into gear at
the business end of the season with a confidence boosting 2-1 win over
Manchester United in the FA Cup. Arsene Wenger's men are in good form,
winning six of their last seven games in all competitions. They are
currently third in the league with 54 points from 28 games.
Who are they?
Founded as Dial Square in 1886, Arsenal's early days were played out south
of the River Thames in Woolwich. They were the first team from the south of
England to join the Football League and in 1913 moved across London to
Highbury. Their success has been particularly consistent, accumulating the
second most points in the history of the English top flight and holding the
ongoing record for the longest uninterrupted period in the top division.
They have won the league title 13 times, the FA Cup on 11 occasions and two
European trophies - the Cup Winners' Cup in 1994 and the Inter-Cities Fairs
Cup in 1970.
Team news
West Ham United
West Ham could be without James Tomkins who has suffered a shoulder injury.
In an incredibly unlucky week, Enner Valencia will also miss out after
cutting his toe on a cup in a freak accident. Winston Reid and Carlton Cole
are both unavailable but making good progress from their hamstring injuries.
Morgan Amalfitano is back in contention having served his three match
suspension.
Arsenal
The Gunners also have a number of injury concerns. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
is out with a hamstring problem while Tomas Rosicky faces a race against
time to recover from illness. New signing Gabriel Paulista (hamstring), Jack
Wilshere (ankle) and Mikel Arteta (ankle) are also out. Long terms absentees
Mathieu Debuchy (shoulder) and Abou Diaby (calf) are still unavailable.
Referee
Saturday's referee is Chris Foy.
The Merseyside based referee has a wealth of experience, having refereed his
first game back in 2001. Since then, he has taken charge of 258 matches,
issued 705 yellow cards and 38 reds. This season, Foy has refereed three
West Ham games – the opening day defeat to Tottenham, the 2-2 away draw at
Stoke City and the 3-1 win over Swansea City. The assistant referees are
Andrew Garratt and David Bryan, while Anthony Taylor is the Fourth
Official.
One to watch
West Ham United
Alex Song could make his first return to the Emirates after leaving the
Gunners to join European heavyweights Barcelona in 2012. The Cameroon man
has proved to be an inspired signing. Having made 23 appearances this
season, he has been a mainstay in the heart of midfield. He has become an
integral part of the Hammers team and will want to put in an impressive
display against his former employers.
In the reverse fixture just after Christmas, Song saw an audacious volley
from outside the box dubiously ruled out due to other players standing in an
offside position.
Arsenal
Alexis Sanchez has truly hit the ground running at Arsenal after also making
the move to England from Barcelona in the close season.
The Chile forward enjoyed an outstanding World Cup and has carried that form
into his first season in English football, with 13 league goals to his name
already.
Tickets
All tickets have sold out for this fixture.
Travel
Click here for the latest from Transport for London and here for National
Rail. Please note that Emirates Stadium is situated in a residential area
with a Residents Parking Scheme in operation in the roads surrounding the
ground. Any cars parked illegally will be towed away. With road works taking
place outside Highbury & Islington station too, additional congestion is
likely around Highbury Corner. Supporters are therefore recommended to
consider an alternative route to Emirates Stadium and/or allow additional
time for your journey.
Supporters can access the Away Supporters Guide for Emirates Stadium here.
Weather
A cloudy day with a chance of rain before kick-off is forecast with
temperatures at 3pm predicted to be 8C (46F).
Last away meeting
Arsenal 3-1 West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
15 April 2014
The Hammers last took on Arsenal at Emirates Stadium last April. Matt Jarvis
gave the visitors the lead in the first half, but that was as good as it got
for Big Sam's men as the Gunners came roaring back. Lukas Podolski levelled
on the stroke of half-time, before Olivier Giroud made it 2-1 ten minutes
after the break. Podolski finished the contest off with his second 12
minutes from the end to boost his team's challenge for fourth spot.
Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Koscielny, Rosicky (Ramsey
72), Arteta, Cazorla (Jenkinson 88), Kallstrom, Podolski, Giroud
Subs: Fabianski, Bellerin, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanogo, Akpom
West Ham United: Adrian, Reid, Tomkins, Armero, Demel, Jarvis (J.Cole 78),
Noble, Diame, Downing (Vaz Te 78), Nocerino, Carroll (C.Cole 84)
Subs: Jaaskelainen, McCartney, Johnson, Taylor
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Amalfitano pens new deal
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are delighted to announce that French midfielder Morgan
Amalfitano has put pen to paper on a new two-year deal. The 29-year-old,
who joined the Club from Olympique Marseille in the summer, is now on course
to play his part in the Hammers' final season at the Boleyn Ground and the
first at the new Stadium in 2016.
It is a project that Amalfitano is proud to be a part of, after making an
encouraging start to life in Claret and Blue. "I am pleased," he told West
Ham TV. "It's the culmination of a good year. We're always trying to do our
best and so I'm very pleased to have signed for two more years. "I think
I've impressed the management, I know that I can always do better and I hope
to do so. I'll give it my all as I have done in the first eight months.
"I've not had a chance to see the Olympic Stadium yet but apparently it's a
very, very beautiful Stadium. So I'm very pleased to be a part of the
project and I always want to please our fans, as much as possible."
Amalfitano has made 22 appearances in all competitions for the Hammers this
term and announced himself to the West Ham faithful in style, netting on his
home debut in a memorable 3-1 win over Liverpool back in September. All
three of his goals to date have come in home wins, as he bagged the opener
in a 2-1 success against champions Manchester City and doubled the Hammers'
lead in January's 3-0 win over Hull City.He could yet celebrate his new
contract with an appearance at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, having now
served a three-match ban for his dismissal at West Bromwich Albion. The
Nice-born midfielder is understandably keen to return to action and hopes
Saturday's London derby will mark the start of an excellent end to an
excellent campaign. "It's been a little while that I couldn't play and
it's been a little bit frustrating," he confirmed. "So it's a pleasure to
get back out on the pitch and play games. I've trained as hard as I possibly
could in these past few weeks and now I'm ready for Saturday. "We need
to get back to winning games and it's down to us to rally ourselves to win
the next games and hopefully that will start against a great team in Arsenal
on Saturday."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tomkins suffers shoulder injury
WHUFC.com
West Ham United can confirm that James Tomkins has suffered a dislocated
shoulder. The 25-year-old was taken to hospital for treatment and will
continued to be assessed by the Club's medical staff.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Oxford named in Elite Round squad
WHUFC.com
Reece Oxford has been named in the England U17 squad for the Young Lions'
UEFA European Championship Elite Round qualifiers at the end of March.
England, the defending champions, will continue their defence of the title
when they host a mini-group containing Norway, Slovenia and Romania. Oxford,
who captained the side in the recent Torneio Internacional Algarve in
Portugal, will likely add to his nine caps when England face Norway at
Burton Albion on 21 March, Slovenia in Chesterfield on 24 March and Romania
in Burton on 26 March. The mini-group winners will qualify for the finals in
Bulgaria in May. The 16-year-old Oxford has been named on the first-team
bench on four occasions this season – three times in the Barclays Premier
League and once in the Capital One Cup – and travelled with the squad on
many more occasions. A regular for the Hammers' Development Squad, the young
centre-back signed a new long-term contract with the Club in January.
England have won the UEFA European U17 Championship on two occasions, also
lifting the trophy in 2010, when West Ham's Robert Hall – now with Bolton
Wanderers – was part of the squad.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hector-Ingram targeting more goals
WHUFC.com
West Ham United U18s kick start their Play Off campaign with a home tie
against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday 14 March. The Hammers, who
finished in the Second Group of the Barclays U18 Premier League South
Division host the Seagulls for the second time this season, having beaten
them 2-1 in January, courtesy of goals from Jahmal Hector-Ingram and Jerry
Amoo. Opening goalscorer that day, Hector-Ingram is hoping to add to his
already impressive goals to game ratio of five in nine games – the second
best at the Club after Development Squad striker Paul McCallum with three
goals in as many games. Speaking ahead of the game, Hector-Ingram said: "I'd
definitely like to add my tally. As I missed the first half of the season
through injury, I'm making up for lost time. "It's a big game on Saturday
and we want to try and end the season on a high. So we're trying to use
these final games as a chance to stand our ground and certainly not lose any
games. So it's a big game ahead."
The U18s approach the game in good form having despatched Reading 4-0 in the
final game of the regular league season. In contrast, since playing the
Hammers, the Seagulls have struggled results wise, losing their last six
games, however the young striker knows the Hammers can take nothing for
granted come Saturday morning."Saturday's another opportunity, because every
game is potentially a step closer to playing in that first team. So I just
want to use all these opportunities to score goals and I want to get it
going on Saturday. "Everyone knows each other's game and it's one of those
things, you often don't need to say too much on the pitch. You just do it!"
We're a confident bunch. Several of us have represented our national teams,
we're all doing well. We're producing good things right now, all of us.
We're on form, we've been consistent this season and have all been pushing
up to different levels."
Across the U18s Play Off campaign, the Hammers will play Derby County,
Reading, Wolves, Liverpool and Sunderland before a final round of games
against Leicester City on Saturday 9 May 9.
Kick off at Rush Green is 11am, admission and parking are both FREE.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam wants winning feeling to return
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce has urged his players to rediscover the winning habit over the
final ten games of the Barclays Premier League season. West Ham United have
won just one of their last eleven league matches, but the manager argued
that his team could have won at least four more – versus West Bromwich
Albion and Manchester United at home and away at Swansea City and Tottenham
Hotspur. With only two of the Hammers' ten remaining games to be played
against teams in the current top seven, Big Sam has encouraged his squad to
get back on the victory trail as often as possible. "The sad thing is we've
forgotten how to win," he told West Ham TV. "To not have got over the line
in recent games is massively disappointing for everybody concerned. The
entertainment value is there, the attacking play is exceptionally good and
the opportunity to win games has been there on at least five occasions in
the last eleven games. So, instead of competing for a European place as we
should be doing, we're now sat in tenth hoping to stay in the top half with
ten games to go. "Our need to try and win games from winning positions has
just failed us recently. Factors in terms of disruption through suspensions
and injuries and loss of form mean that, squad-wise, perhaps a finish in the
top eight needs a bit better quality of player or more strength in depth.
"Hopefully we'll finish the last ten games off and move back up the table
again. It's just a great shame we haven't converted all those performances
into more wins."
West Ham resume with a tough trip to third-place Arsenal on Saturday, where
the manager knows his team will likely have to keep a clean sheet to gain
all three points. "While we've been more free-scoring this season, netting
more than 40 league goals, our clean sheet ratio away from home in
particular has been the major negative factor," he continued. "We continue
to talk about it without over-stating it, but it's such a small divide
between a win and a draw and a difference in our points total. By my minimum
calculation, we should be on 46 points now. "It does present us with a big
challenge to keep a clean sheet at Arsenal, but we should have done it at
Tottenham. We were two goals up but couldn't see it out because we conceded
two. Yes, you could say Danny Rose's goal was fortunate because it was a
miskick, but then the determination to hold on wasn't there because we gave
a soft penalty away. "We've really got to keep cooler, calmer heads and make
sure we play out time better and keep possession a bit more, which eases the
pressure on us in the final few minutes. "Let's hope we can get in front, as
we have done twice at Arsenal in recent seasons. We've not been able to hold
on, even until half-time, and we've been severely punished. "The challenge
is to play as well as we have been playing and then hope that performance
will get us a result."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Professional Guy
WHUFC.com
It has been a challenging season for West Ham United's experienced
right-back Guy Demel, but you will not hear the veteran Ivory Coast defender
complaining. A consummate professional on and off the pitch, the likeable,
intelligent, multi-lingual Demel has instead kept his head down to ensure he
is fit and ready should opportunities arise. Approaching the end of his
fourth season with the Hammers, the 33-year-old has been restricted to just
eight first-team appearances this term due to the presence and form of
Arsenal loanee Carl Jenkinson.
This Saturday, Jenkinson will be unavailable for the trip to the Emirates,
giving Demel the possibility of playing for the first time since appearing
as a substitute at Liverpool on 31 January. Should he be handed that chance,
the Orsay-born defender is looking forward to performing at the club he
called home for the 2000/01 season. "This is the first time in my career
that I haven't really played and I'm not really involved on the game-day,
but it's helped me to learn about myself," Demel began. "Because it's easy
to be happy when you are in the team, but I am happy with myself because I
have not really changed. "I don't like to talk about myself too much, but I
think I have been the same guy in training and then the Gaffer has made his
decision. "To be fair, we had a great start to the season and I was in it,
then I got injured and Carl got his chance and he is doing well. He's the
younger generation, he's a good player, so there is nothing I can really
complain about."
It is testament to Demel's mature approach that he has knuckled down and
maintained his role as an important squad member, pushing his colleagues
every day on the training pitch. "Of course I still play my part. I would
like to be on the pitch on a regular basis, but we have to work hard every
day because the starting XI need good competition and good training during
the week. It's the same for all the players. "I am part of it and we all
train well. I would say we always have a good mentality and that's exactly
the reason why we managed to produce when we were in a bad situation last
season. "Now, like I said, I am here if I'm needed and I will always give my
best. Obviously it's really hard, because every player wants to play, and
I'm fit and ready."
Demel was brought to English football by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger as a
19-year-old, but did not appear for the Gunners before moving on to German
club Borussia Dortmund after a single season. While he was only in north
London for a short time, the full-back still keeps a close eye on his old
club's fortunes. Demel has noticed a slight change in style from Arsenal
this season – a change he says they have had to make to compete at the top
end of an ultra-competitive Barclays Premier League. "Arsenal's mentality is
to win games and to produce good football – they will never stop playing
their football, even if this season we have seen them adopt a more direct
approach.
"The league has changed and every team is hard to beat, so you have to adapt
and be intelligent. Arsenal's season has been great and I think they are one
of the best teams in England, if not the world. "That said, we are proud to
be West Ham United and we have to get a point or a win because we've been a
bit unlucky and have deserved more than we have achieved in the last couple
of months. "I think this season the team has shown we can play good football
against the big teams, so I hope we're going to take that with us and get a
point at least. "Against Manchester United and even against Chelsea, we
could have won the games, so we will go to Arsenal and we need to produce
the same performance as we did at Tottenham, but with a better finish at the
end."
Looking further forward, Demel has been invited to return to another of his
former clubs, Hamburger SV, to take part in David Jarolim's testimonial
match on Saturday 28 March. But what does the long-term future hold for the
man who joined West Ham in the summer of 2011?
"I'm 33 and I have played in different leagues in my career, I still feel
good and as long as my body responds well I will keep playing. I have a lot
to give and I don't want to finish my career. "I've had an amazing time here
at West Ham so it doesn't matter what happens because I will always keep
West Ham in my heart."
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Hammers great Cantwell honoured
WHUFC.com
West Ham United great Noel Cantwell was posthumously honoured when a road
was named in the Irishman's honour in his native Cork.
The late Hammers and Ireland captain and full-back received recognition from
Cork City Council on Friday when they officially name Noel Cantwell Walk.
Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Mary Shields officially unveiled a plaque on Noel
Cantwell Way, while Cantwell's widow Maggie and daughters Kate and Elizabeth
looked on.
Among the other dignitaries in attendance were FAI President Tony
Fitzgerald, Republic of Ireland assistant manager Roy Keane - himself a Cork
native - and FAI Chief Executive John Delaney. The thoroughfare can be found
beside the Mardyke, a recreational area to the west of the city centre that
was home to Cork Athletic FC and still houses Cork County Cricket Club –
both of whom Cantwell represented during his illustrious career. The
defender, who made 278 appearances in Claret and Blue after joining West Ham
from Cork Athletic in 1952, played 36 times for his country at football, and
five times for Ireland as a left-handed batsman and right-arm medium bowler.
Cantwell was raised in a house just a few dozen yards from the Mardyke,
which the West Ham squad visited to train at the University College Cork's
Mardyke Arena in summer 2013, before spending his childhood playing on the
sports grounds there. League of Ireland side Cork Athletic, for whom his
brother Frank played, were short a man for a game against Sligo Rovers in
1950, so they called on Noel to fill the gap. After joining the Hammers two
years later, Cantwell went on to captain the Club to the Division Two title
and promotion to the top flight in 1958, while he was also named in the
London XI which competed in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in the mid-1950s. He
was a renowned member of the Academy of Football, alongside fellow
countryman Frank O'Farrell, Malcolm Allison, Dave Sexton and John Bond, who
spent endless hours discussing football during the 1950s.
On leaving West Ham, Cantwell joined Manchester United, spending seven
seasons at Old Trafford and captaining the Red Devils to FA Cup glory in
1963. He also served as Chairman of the Professional Footballers'
Association and as manager of Coventry City and Peterborough United, before
passing away at the age of 73 in September 2005.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Arsenal v West Ham
KO 15:00
13 March 2015
By Guy Mowbray
BBC Match of the Day commentator
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Emirates Stadium Date: Saturday, 14 March
TEAM NEWS
Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is out for up to four weeks with
a hamstring injury. However, Mathieu Flamini is back in contention after a
similar problem.
West Ham could be without striker Enner Valencia, who cut his toe by
standing on a broken teacup, and Alex Song is doubtful with a knee injury.
James Tomkins and Winston Reid are out and Arsenal loanee Carl Jenkinson is
ineligible, but Morgan Amalfitano returns after a three-game ban. A lack of
defensive options may see Cheikhou Kouyate switch from midfield to
centre-back, while 16-year-old Reece Oxford could also be involved.
MATCH PREVIEW
Before the reverse fixture at Upton Park on 28 December, West Ham were a
point ahead of Arsenal and sat fifth in the Premier League.
The Hammers had taken 13 points from the last available 18 and talk of being
amongst the challengers for a Champions League place was still in the air.
How that air has gone stale since. With only one win from nine league games
in 2015 the new year has been anything but happy for Sam Allardyce's team -
and the West Ham fans. Yes, some of the Irons' knives are back out for Big
Sam.
In his London Evening Standard column, Allardyce has understandably cursed
his luck ahead of a fourth successive all-London clash (they have taken one
point from the previous three). Enner Valencia has suffered a freak injury
and is likely to be ruled out along with James Tomkins, Winston Reid and the
ineligible Carl Jenkinson. Looking at those latter names tells you that at
least three changes will have to be made in defence - most untimely for a
game against an Arsenal side full of confidence after Monday's FA Cup win at
Manchester United - and who have only failed to score in one of their last
30 games (at Southampton on New Years' Day). Having won seven of their last
eight in the league, the Gunners are looking good for their seemingly
customary late-season surge to nail down a top-four finish. Despite still
having several players out through injury, Arsene Wenger has options again
and could make three or four changes with next Tuesday's 'Mission
Impossible' in Monaco in mind. I'd be surprised if one was resting Francis
Coquelin though. The Frenchman has returned from his Charlton loan a better
player, was deservedly man-of-the-match at Old Trafford, and could have the
chance to show one-to-one why Arsenal didn't need to re-sign Alex Song last
summer.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Arsenal have won their last nine league and cup games against West Ham,
including eight Premier League matches. The Hammers did the double over the
Gunners in the 2006-07 season but since then are winless in 14 league and
cup games (D2, L12) against them.
Arsenal
The Gunners have won 11 of 13 games since New Year's Day, including seven
wins from eight league matches. They have claimed 21 Premier League points
in 2015 - only Liverpool, with 23, have a better record. Arsenal have won
seven consecutive home league games - they have not won eight in a row since
a 13-match streak in 2005. Olivier Giroud has scored four goals in four
games against West Ham, while Theo Walcott has netted five times in his last
four matches against the Hammers. Francis Coquelin has made 41 Premier
League interceptions since returning from a loan spell with Charlton in
December - more than any other player in the same period.
West Ham United
The Hammers are winless in their last seven league and cup games (D3, L4).
They have recorded just one victory in 11 Premier League games since
Christmas Day (D5, L5).
Sam Allardyce has yet to win a Premier League game away to Arsenal in his
managerial career, losing seven and drawing three of 10 games.
They have kept one Premier League clean sheet away from home this term -
against Southampton last month. It is the joint-lowest total in the top
flight along with Burnley and QPR.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
James Tomkins dislocates shoulder in new injury blow
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 13th March 2015
By: Staff Writer
James Tomkins has added to Sam Allardyce's injury woes by dislocated a
shoulder during training. The central defender, who signed a new five-year
contract with the Hammers only last month is rumoured to be facing much of
the rest of the season on the sidelines having sustained the injury at
Chadwell Heath upon the squad's return from Dubai. News of Tomkins' injury
is the second major blow to Allardyce within the past 24 hours. Only
yesterday morning it was revealed that Enner Valencia had undergone surgery
to repair an injured foot, which was damaged in a freak domestic accident.
The Hammers, already without Carl Jenkinson - who is unable to feature
against his parent club at the Emirates on Saturday - and Winston Reid
(injured) are now back to having just one fit first team central defender,
namely James Collins. That could mean a return to central defence for Cheik
Kouyate, who deputised in that position during a similar defensive crisis in
February. That may depend however upon the condition of Alex Song, who is
also recovering from a recent knock.
Despite the bad news on the injury front, Allardyce was in positive mood
ahead of yet another London derby when addressing the press on Thursday. "We
know how difficult it is at the Emirates," he said. "We've gone in front a
few times but not managed to hold on. "We'll go there and give it our best
shot and see what happens. We'll try and do what we did against Chelsea and
see if that's good enough to get us a result."
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Arsenal v West Ham preview: Gunners turn attention to top-four battle
Last Updated: 14/03/15 7:53am
SSN
Arsenal host West Ham on Saturday looking for their fifth-straight Premier
League win as they look to cement their Champions League charge. The Gunners
can cap a good week with victory over the Hammers after they beat Manchester
United at Old Trafford on Monday to book their place in the semi-finals of
the FA Cup. Arsene Wenger's men have put themselves at the head of the pack
chasing the top two, and now sit only four points behind second-placed
Manchester City ahead of the weekend's games. The visitors, meanwhile, have
lost eight successive Premier League matches against Arsenal and have not
won a top-flight fixture since their victory over Hull in the middle of
January.
Jamie Redknapp looks ahead to a difficult game for West Ham as they travel
to the Emirates to take on Arsenal.
Team news
Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain faces up to a month out with a
hamstring injury. Midfielder Mathieu Flamini is back in contention for
Saturday's match against West Ham after a hamstring problem. Club captain
Mikel Arteta (ankle) is set to step up his rehabilitation, as is defender
Gabriel (hamstring), but Jack Wilshere (ankle) is still a few weeks away
from a return.
West Ham are without James Tomkins for their trip to London rivals Arsenal
after the defender dislocated his shoulder in training. The Hammers could
also be without three of their first-team strikers. Carlton Cole (hamstring)
and Andy Carroll (knee) are definite absentees whilst Enner Valencia is
struggling to be fit having suffered a severe cut to his toe after standing
on a broken teacup. Winston Reid will miss out with a hamstring complaint,
on-loan Carl Jenkinson cannot feature against his parent club and Alex Song
(knee) could also be sidelined - although fellow midfielder Morgan
Amalfitano is back having served a three-match ban. Sixteen-year-old
defender Reece Oxford could be included in the squad as cover.
Defeat against Chelsea last time out was harsh on Hammers
Opta facts
Theo Walcott has scored five goals and set up three more in his last four
Barclays Premier League games against West Ham, while Olivier Giroud has
scored four goals in his four Premier League appearances against the
Hammers.
West Ham have won none of the last 13 top-flight matches against Arsenal (W0
D2 L11), losing the last eight in a row.
Sam Allardyce says Enner Valencia will miss West Ham's trip to the Emirates
this weekend after a freak accident at home.
The Hammers have scored the first goal in four of the last five Premier
League meetings with Arsenal, but the Gunners have come back to win on each
occasion.
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League London derbies at the
Emirates, but West Ham were the first team ever to beat Arsenal at their new
stadium back in April 2007.
Sam Allardyce has never coached a winning team away at Arsenal in the
Premier League, losing seven and drawing three of his 10.
Arsenal have won seven consecutive home league games; they have not won
eight in a row since November 2005 (13).
Merson's prediction
West Ham have hit a bit of a bad run and this time of year Arsenal are very
reliable. It was good to see Danny Welbeck score for Arsenal at Manchester
United but I think they'll play Olivier Giroud in this game and he can score
first in a 3-0 win.
MERSE PREDICTS: 3-0
Betting
Arsenal are Sky Bet's odds-on favourites at 4/9 to secure the victory, with
West Ham looking to upsets odds of 11/2 to leave the Emirates with a win and
18/5 to secure a draw. The Gunners are also short odds to secure a top-four
finish yet again this season at 1/5, with Manchester United (10/11),
Liverpool (11/10), Tottenham (11/2) and Southampton (8/1) all longer odds.
Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez share favouritism in the first goalscorer
betting at 7/2 apiece with Danny Welbeck following at 5/1, while Diafra
Sakho is considered the visitors' biggest threat at 9/1.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham midfielder Morgan Amalfitano signs new two-year deal
Last Updated: 13/03/15 8:03pm
SSN
French midfielder Morgan Amalfitano has signed a new two-year contract with
West Ham. Amalfitano has made 22 appearances for Sam Allardyce's side since
joining from Marseille in the summer. The 29-year-old scored on his home
debut in the 3-1 win over Liverpool in September and has also netted against
Manchester City and Hull. Amalfitano's new deal will now see him feature in
West Ham's final season at the Boleyn Ground and the first at their new
Stadium in 2016 "I am pleased," he told West Ham TV. "It's the culmination
of a good year. We're always trying to do our best and so I'm very pleased
to have signed for two more years. "I think I've impressed the management, I
know that I can always do better and I hope to do so. I'll give it my all as
I have done in the first eight months.
"I've not had a chance to see the Olympic Stadium yet but apparently it's a
very, very beautiful stadium. So I'm very pleased to be a part of the
project and I always want to please our fans, as much as possible."
Amalfitano is available again for Allardyce after serving a three-match ban
followng his sending off against West Brom. "It's been a little while that I
couldn't play and it's been a little bit frustrating," he added. "So it's a
pleasure to get back out on the pitch and play games. I've trained as hard
as I possibly could in these past few weeks and now I'm ready for Saturday.
"We need to get back to winning games and it's down to us to rally ourselves
to win the next games and hopefully that will start against a great team in
Arsenal on Saturday."
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James Tomkins suffers dislocated shoulder during West Ham training
Last Updated: 13/03/15 12:51pm
SSN
James Tomkins could miss the remainder of the season, after West Ham
confirmed he has dislocated a shoulder. The Hammers defender, who recently
signed a new long-term contract, suffered the injury during training. The
25-year-old joins fellow central defender Winston Reid on the casualty list,
while manager Sam Allardyce is facing an injury crisis up front with Carlton
Cole, Andy Carroll and Enner Valencia all expected to miss out this weekend.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Doneil Henry praised by Blackburn boss Gary Bowyer
Last Updated: 13/03/15 2:04pm
SSN
Blackburn boss Gary Bowyer is delighted with the start on-loan West Ham
defender Doneil Henry has made to life at Ewood Park. Henry, 21, has starred
in two Rovers victories against Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton since moving
to Ewood Park. slotting in seamlessly next to Matt Kilgallon at the heart of
the back four. Henry dealt with former Liverpool and England striker Emile
Heskey in his second appearance for the club on Wednesday night and later
produced the header which Jordan Rhodes diverted into the goal for
Blackburn's stoppage-time winner.
"Young Doneil Henry came in and gave an unbelieveable performance," said
Bowyer. "He was against a very experienced striker in Emile Heskey. The
lad's had a real baptism of fire in terms of the two strikers he's played
against - (Atdhe) Nuhiu at Sheffield Wednesday and Heskey. "He's stood up to
both of them, I'm full of admiration for the kid; he's done ever so well."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
More promising Jenkinson signs
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 13, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
There are more promising signs this morning that Carl Jenkinson will become
a permanent West Ham signing in the summer. Reporter – and lifelong Arsenal
fan John Cross – writes in today's Mirror that Hector Bellerin has been
lined up to sign a new four year Gooners contract. And that will mean that
Carl Jenkinson will be allowed to move on a with the player having enjoyed a
great Upton Park year and wishing to remain in London, the right back begins
to look nailed on. Bellerin, 19, has impressed since moving into the right
back position in Mathieu Debuchy's absence and a new deal has apparently
been agreed which will take him up to 2019.
Little gets by 'Crossie' inside the Emirates where he has good contacts and
the story confirms a ClaretandHugh report that the Gunners will be looking
for around b£6 million for Jenkinson. Inisders at Upton Park have revealed
that negotiations with Arsenal will start at the end of the season and that
Jenks is a priority signing. And in fairness to Sam Allardyce the defensive
side of the player's game has improved since his arrival at the Boleyn. He
is a naturally attacking wing back but in recent games especially has shown
some fine defensive capabilities.
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Allardyce: "The season is a let-down"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 14, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Sam Allardyce has made it crystal clear that the Irons season could well
become a big let down if the club fails to stay in the top ten!.
That of course was the minimum requirement from the owners at the start of
the season but expectations of top four, six or eight soared with the team's
brilliant start. It has now gone pear-shaped and the manager knows it
declaring: ""It's a let-down now, it's a disappointment now, there's no
doubt about it. It's as well to remind ourselves that on Boxing Day the team
sat fourth with one win from 11 since we find the likes of Swansea and stoke
City above us. Allardyce said: We should be sat challenging for Europe
still. We should be and we've been in the position to do it and we've let it
slip. "We have entertained well but my point is about winning. I am not
interested in anything else other than winning but performances have been
good enough to win more games recently." However, despite the slide and the
board's absolute minimum requirements he is ready to discuss next season
saying: "When we get to this next time we've got a better squad, a better
strength in depth of players, we don't get affected by injuries as much as
we have and we continue to win football matches instead of drawing them," he
said. "That's the nature of recruitment for next season. This squad, to
finish eight or better, by the way it's looking at the moment may not quite
be good enough just yet.
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Zarate returns to Hammers
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 14, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Mauro Zarate has returned to West Ham from his QPR to undergo medical
treatment for a knee injury. Zarate was spotted at Chadwell Heath this week
with many speculating that he had been recalled by the Hammers following
Valencia's crockery related injury and Carlton Cole's ongoing hamstring
injury but a recall is not possible and would be blocked by the Premier
League.
In January West Ham claim The Premier League said they could recall Zarate,
by mutual agreement with QPR but later changed their minds which caused the
collapse Carlton Cole's transfer to West Brom on transfer deadline day.
Earlier this week, Claret and Hugh reported Zarate has managed just 71
minutes in a QPR shirt since his January arrival on loan. He has achieved
just four second half substitutions for the R's against Burnley,
Southampton, Sunderland and Hull, three of which resulted in losses for
third from bottom club.
QPR are thought to be picking up his full £40,000 per wages plus a loan fee
meaning his ten week stint so far has cost the club £500,000 which is just
over £7,000 for every minute he has spent on the pitch. This latest injury
will only push that cost up further.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gold: "It's no good moaning about injuries"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 13, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
David Gold heads for the Emirates tomorrow (Sat) refusing to feel sorry for
himself over the injury crisis which has suddenly arisen at Upton Park.
Instead – speaking to ClaretandHugh he said: "We are not down to playing the
kids. We have an experienced team we can put out Injuries must be expected.
I dare say Arsenal have a few. "It's when you reach the point where you are
having to throw youngsters on that there's a problem and we aren't at that
stage." With Enner Valencia, James Tomkins (above) and Winston Reid all
unavailable through injury, Alex Song apparently carrying a knee problem and
Carl Jenkinson unavailable under the pre-season arrangement between the two
clubs, it looks a bit bleak. But Gold said: "I am expecting a decent
performance and I want to believe we can come away with something. It's no
good moaning and groaning about injuries. "It would be a miracle at this
stage if we and every other club didn't have these issues. We can't keep on
about that – we have to go to Arsenal and do a professional job. "That's the
expectation and I refuse to feel sorry for myself. We can get something over
there but we have to get on with it because there's nothing else to be
done."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
EXCLUSIVE: Sullivan thrilled to sign Amalfitano
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 13, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are tonight celebrating another high profile signing after Morgan
Amalfitano agreed to remain at the club for another two years.
The Frenchman was the last player to agree a deal in the summer transfer
window and after making 22 appearances, the club has agreed a deal which
keeps him at the club until 2017 And tonight – speaking exclusively to
ClaretandHugh – a thrilled David Sullivan said: " I'm delighted he's decided
to stay with us for two more seasons. "Morgan has played at the highest
level with Marseilles in the Champions League and he must be one of the best
Bossman's around that are proven in the Premier League." Sullivan has done
great business over the last few weeks having nailed down Mark Noble,
Winston Reid, James Tomkins and now Amalfitano to new contracts with Diafra
Sakho ready to put pen to paper at the end of the season.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Spurs striker on Irons radar
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 13, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are set to make a fresh move for free agent Emanuel Adebayor in the
summer. The Spurs striker was a loan target until the end of the campaign in
the January transfer window but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy played hardball
on wages wanting the Irons to foot his entire wage of £100k a week. However,
the player is out of contract in the summer and will have to take a cut on
his wages at 31 years old which gives the Hammers negotiators a shout at
concluding a deal. Carlton Cole looks a certain departure with West Brom's
Tony Pulis still interested and the the Irons know we have to get quality
cover in for Andy Carroll. Adebayor will doubtless have plenty of offers
from clubs in the middle east and US but may feel he has a case to make in
the Premier League. He has made 15 appearances this season – most of them
coming under former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood, now at Villa and who could be
interested should the midlanders survive in the top league. However, a
Hammers source told ClaretandHugh exclusively: "He interests us and anything
is possible in the summer."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons respond to Tomkins 'season over' scare
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 13, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
James Tomkins is currently being scanned after sustaining a dislocated
shoulder in training yesterday. But sources inside Upton Park have described
as "premature" suggestions that the injury could sideline him until the end
of the season. The central defender tumbled awkwardly in a training ground
incident and was immediately taken to hospital where the dislocation was
corrected. But it won't be until later today whether there is any ligament
damage which would see him ruled out for several weeks. ClaretandHugh was
told: "We always read the scare stories following an injury but it's too
early to make any sort of judgement until the scans have been studied.
hopefully that will be later today. "Everyone of them varies depending on
the ligament situation. He could be back in two weeks or it could be an end
of season thing. "We hope top know the full extent of the injury within the
next 24 hours."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers injury 'crisis'update
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 13, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham's injury crisis at central defence is set to be solved by Cheik
Kouyate playing alongside James Collins against Arsenal tomorrow. Injuries
to Winston Reid and news that James Tomkins has suffered a dislocated
shoulder has caused the manager a massive headache ahead of the game. Doniel
Henry – on loan at Blackburn Rovers – is understood to be locked in to 28
days with the club before release clauses can be triggered. And with Carl
Jenkinson barred from appearing against his parent club, it looks like that
Joey O'Brien will be pushed into the right back role. Enner Valencia is
almost certain to miss the game with a wound caused by him stepping on
broken crockery at home although Alex Song – despite carrying a troublesome
knee problem – is almost certain to be told to get on with things.
With Carlton Cole also unavailable the likelihood is that Kevin Nolan will
be pushed up alongside Diafra Sakho.
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WHUFC.com
In brief
West Ham United travel to Arsenal on Saturday looking to bounce back from a
narrow defeat to league leaders Chelsea. Having returned from a warm weather
training camp in Dubai, Sam Allardyce's men will want to get back to winning
ways after a tough run of fixtures. This is the Hammers' fourth consecutive
London derby, having played Tottenham, Crystal Palace and the Blues in
recent weeks. Arsenal, on the other hand, seem to be clicking into gear at
the business end of the season with a confidence boosting 2-1 win over
Manchester United in the FA Cup. Arsene Wenger's men are in good form,
winning six of their last seven games in all competitions. They are
currently third in the league with 54 points from 28 games.
Who are they?
Founded as Dial Square in 1886, Arsenal's early days were played out south
of the River Thames in Woolwich. They were the first team from the south of
England to join the Football League and in 1913 moved across London to
Highbury. Their success has been particularly consistent, accumulating the
second most points in the history of the English top flight and holding the
ongoing record for the longest uninterrupted period in the top division.
They have won the league title 13 times, the FA Cup on 11 occasions and two
European trophies - the Cup Winners' Cup in 1994 and the Inter-Cities Fairs
Cup in 1970.
Team news
West Ham United
West Ham could be without James Tomkins who has suffered a shoulder injury.
In an incredibly unlucky week, Enner Valencia will also miss out after
cutting his toe on a cup in a freak accident. Winston Reid and Carlton Cole
are both unavailable but making good progress from their hamstring injuries.
Morgan Amalfitano is back in contention having served his three match
suspension.
Arsenal
The Gunners also have a number of injury concerns. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
is out with a hamstring problem while Tomas Rosicky faces a race against
time to recover from illness. New signing Gabriel Paulista (hamstring), Jack
Wilshere (ankle) and Mikel Arteta (ankle) are also out. Long terms absentees
Mathieu Debuchy (shoulder) and Abou Diaby (calf) are still unavailable.
Referee
Saturday's referee is Chris Foy.
The Merseyside based referee has a wealth of experience, having refereed his
first game back in 2001. Since then, he has taken charge of 258 matches,
issued 705 yellow cards and 38 reds. This season, Foy has refereed three
West Ham games – the opening day defeat to Tottenham, the 2-2 away draw at
Stoke City and the 3-1 win over Swansea City. The assistant referees are
Andrew Garratt and David Bryan, while Anthony Taylor is the Fourth
Official.
One to watch
West Ham United
Alex Song could make his first return to the Emirates after leaving the
Gunners to join European heavyweights Barcelona in 2012. The Cameroon man
has proved to be an inspired signing. Having made 23 appearances this
season, he has been a mainstay in the heart of midfield. He has become an
integral part of the Hammers team and will want to put in an impressive
display against his former employers.
In the reverse fixture just after Christmas, Song saw an audacious volley
from outside the box dubiously ruled out due to other players standing in an
offside position.
Arsenal
Alexis Sanchez has truly hit the ground running at Arsenal after also making
the move to England from Barcelona in the close season.
The Chile forward enjoyed an outstanding World Cup and has carried that form
into his first season in English football, with 13 league goals to his name
already.
Tickets
All tickets have sold out for this fixture.
Travel
Click here for the latest from Transport for London and here for National
Rail. Please note that Emirates Stadium is situated in a residential area
with a Residents Parking Scheme in operation in the roads surrounding the
ground. Any cars parked illegally will be towed away. With road works taking
place outside Highbury & Islington station too, additional congestion is
likely around Highbury Corner. Supporters are therefore recommended to
consider an alternative route to Emirates Stadium and/or allow additional
time for your journey.
Supporters can access the Away Supporters Guide for Emirates Stadium here.
Weather
A cloudy day with a chance of rain before kick-off is forecast with
temperatures at 3pm predicted to be 8C (46F).
Last away meeting
Arsenal 3-1 West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
15 April 2014
The Hammers last took on Arsenal at Emirates Stadium last April. Matt Jarvis
gave the visitors the lead in the first half, but that was as good as it got
for Big Sam's men as the Gunners came roaring back. Lukas Podolski levelled
on the stroke of half-time, before Olivier Giroud made it 2-1 ten minutes
after the break. Podolski finished the contest off with his second 12
minutes from the end to boost his team's challenge for fourth spot.
Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Koscielny, Rosicky (Ramsey
72), Arteta, Cazorla (Jenkinson 88), Kallstrom, Podolski, Giroud
Subs: Fabianski, Bellerin, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sanogo, Akpom
West Ham United: Adrian, Reid, Tomkins, Armero, Demel, Jarvis (J.Cole 78),
Noble, Diame, Downing (Vaz Te 78), Nocerino, Carroll (C.Cole 84)
Subs: Jaaskelainen, McCartney, Johnson, Taylor
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Amalfitano pens new deal
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are delighted to announce that French midfielder Morgan
Amalfitano has put pen to paper on a new two-year deal. The 29-year-old,
who joined the Club from Olympique Marseille in the summer, is now on course
to play his part in the Hammers' final season at the Boleyn Ground and the
first at the new Stadium in 2016.
It is a project that Amalfitano is proud to be a part of, after making an
encouraging start to life in Claret and Blue. "I am pleased," he told West
Ham TV. "It's the culmination of a good year. We're always trying to do our
best and so I'm very pleased to have signed for two more years. "I think
I've impressed the management, I know that I can always do better and I hope
to do so. I'll give it my all as I have done in the first eight months.
"I've not had a chance to see the Olympic Stadium yet but apparently it's a
very, very beautiful Stadium. So I'm very pleased to be a part of the
project and I always want to please our fans, as much as possible."
Amalfitano has made 22 appearances in all competitions for the Hammers this
term and announced himself to the West Ham faithful in style, netting on his
home debut in a memorable 3-1 win over Liverpool back in September. All
three of his goals to date have come in home wins, as he bagged the opener
in a 2-1 success against champions Manchester City and doubled the Hammers'
lead in January's 3-0 win over Hull City.He could yet celebrate his new
contract with an appearance at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, having now
served a three-match ban for his dismissal at West Bromwich Albion. The
Nice-born midfielder is understandably keen to return to action and hopes
Saturday's London derby will mark the start of an excellent end to an
excellent campaign. "It's been a little while that I couldn't play and
it's been a little bit frustrating," he confirmed. "So it's a pleasure to
get back out on the pitch and play games. I've trained as hard as I possibly
could in these past few weeks and now I'm ready for Saturday. "We need
to get back to winning games and it's down to us to rally ourselves to win
the next games and hopefully that will start against a great team in Arsenal
on Saturday."
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Tomkins suffers shoulder injury
WHUFC.com
West Ham United can confirm that James Tomkins has suffered a dislocated
shoulder. The 25-year-old was taken to hospital for treatment and will
continued to be assessed by the Club's medical staff.
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Oxford named in Elite Round squad
WHUFC.com
Reece Oxford has been named in the England U17 squad for the Young Lions'
UEFA European Championship Elite Round qualifiers at the end of March.
England, the defending champions, will continue their defence of the title
when they host a mini-group containing Norway, Slovenia and Romania. Oxford,
who captained the side in the recent Torneio Internacional Algarve in
Portugal, will likely add to his nine caps when England face Norway at
Burton Albion on 21 March, Slovenia in Chesterfield on 24 March and Romania
in Burton on 26 March. The mini-group winners will qualify for the finals in
Bulgaria in May. The 16-year-old Oxford has been named on the first-team
bench on four occasions this season – three times in the Barclays Premier
League and once in the Capital One Cup – and travelled with the squad on
many more occasions. A regular for the Hammers' Development Squad, the young
centre-back signed a new long-term contract with the Club in January.
England have won the UEFA European U17 Championship on two occasions, also
lifting the trophy in 2010, when West Ham's Robert Hall – now with Bolton
Wanderers – was part of the squad.
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Hector-Ingram targeting more goals
WHUFC.com
West Ham United U18s kick start their Play Off campaign with a home tie
against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday 14 March. The Hammers, who
finished in the Second Group of the Barclays U18 Premier League South
Division host the Seagulls for the second time this season, having beaten
them 2-1 in January, courtesy of goals from Jahmal Hector-Ingram and Jerry
Amoo. Opening goalscorer that day, Hector-Ingram is hoping to add to his
already impressive goals to game ratio of five in nine games – the second
best at the Club after Development Squad striker Paul McCallum with three
goals in as many games. Speaking ahead of the game, Hector-Ingram said: "I'd
definitely like to add my tally. As I missed the first half of the season
through injury, I'm making up for lost time. "It's a big game on Saturday
and we want to try and end the season on a high. So we're trying to use
these final games as a chance to stand our ground and certainly not lose any
games. So it's a big game ahead."
The U18s approach the game in good form having despatched Reading 4-0 in the
final game of the regular league season. In contrast, since playing the
Hammers, the Seagulls have struggled results wise, losing their last six
games, however the young striker knows the Hammers can take nothing for
granted come Saturday morning."Saturday's another opportunity, because every
game is potentially a step closer to playing in that first team. So I just
want to use all these opportunities to score goals and I want to get it
going on Saturday. "Everyone knows each other's game and it's one of those
things, you often don't need to say too much on the pitch. You just do it!"
We're a confident bunch. Several of us have represented our national teams,
we're all doing well. We're producing good things right now, all of us.
We're on form, we've been consistent this season and have all been pushing
up to different levels."
Across the U18s Play Off campaign, the Hammers will play Derby County,
Reading, Wolves, Liverpool and Sunderland before a final round of games
against Leicester City on Saturday 9 May 9.
Kick off at Rush Green is 11am, admission and parking are both FREE.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam wants winning feeling to return
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce has urged his players to rediscover the winning habit over the
final ten games of the Barclays Premier League season. West Ham United have
won just one of their last eleven league matches, but the manager argued
that his team could have won at least four more – versus West Bromwich
Albion and Manchester United at home and away at Swansea City and Tottenham
Hotspur. With only two of the Hammers' ten remaining games to be played
against teams in the current top seven, Big Sam has encouraged his squad to
get back on the victory trail as often as possible. "The sad thing is we've
forgotten how to win," he told West Ham TV. "To not have got over the line
in recent games is massively disappointing for everybody concerned. The
entertainment value is there, the attacking play is exceptionally good and
the opportunity to win games has been there on at least five occasions in
the last eleven games. So, instead of competing for a European place as we
should be doing, we're now sat in tenth hoping to stay in the top half with
ten games to go. "Our need to try and win games from winning positions has
just failed us recently. Factors in terms of disruption through suspensions
and injuries and loss of form mean that, squad-wise, perhaps a finish in the
top eight needs a bit better quality of player or more strength in depth.
"Hopefully we'll finish the last ten games off and move back up the table
again. It's just a great shame we haven't converted all those performances
into more wins."
West Ham resume with a tough trip to third-place Arsenal on Saturday, where
the manager knows his team will likely have to keep a clean sheet to gain
all three points. "While we've been more free-scoring this season, netting
more than 40 league goals, our clean sheet ratio away from home in
particular has been the major negative factor," he continued. "We continue
to talk about it without over-stating it, but it's such a small divide
between a win and a draw and a difference in our points total. By my minimum
calculation, we should be on 46 points now. "It does present us with a big
challenge to keep a clean sheet at Arsenal, but we should have done it at
Tottenham. We were two goals up but couldn't see it out because we conceded
two. Yes, you could say Danny Rose's goal was fortunate because it was a
miskick, but then the determination to hold on wasn't there because we gave
a soft penalty away. "We've really got to keep cooler, calmer heads and make
sure we play out time better and keep possession a bit more, which eases the
pressure on us in the final few minutes. "Let's hope we can get in front, as
we have done twice at Arsenal in recent seasons. We've not been able to hold
on, even until half-time, and we've been severely punished. "The challenge
is to play as well as we have been playing and then hope that performance
will get us a result."
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Professional Guy
WHUFC.com
It has been a challenging season for West Ham United's experienced
right-back Guy Demel, but you will not hear the veteran Ivory Coast defender
complaining. A consummate professional on and off the pitch, the likeable,
intelligent, multi-lingual Demel has instead kept his head down to ensure he
is fit and ready should opportunities arise. Approaching the end of his
fourth season with the Hammers, the 33-year-old has been restricted to just
eight first-team appearances this term due to the presence and form of
Arsenal loanee Carl Jenkinson.
This Saturday, Jenkinson will be unavailable for the trip to the Emirates,
giving Demel the possibility of playing for the first time since appearing
as a substitute at Liverpool on 31 January. Should he be handed that chance,
the Orsay-born defender is looking forward to performing at the club he
called home for the 2000/01 season. "This is the first time in my career
that I haven't really played and I'm not really involved on the game-day,
but it's helped me to learn about myself," Demel began. "Because it's easy
to be happy when you are in the team, but I am happy with myself because I
have not really changed. "I don't like to talk about myself too much, but I
think I have been the same guy in training and then the Gaffer has made his
decision. "To be fair, we had a great start to the season and I was in it,
then I got injured and Carl got his chance and he is doing well. He's the
younger generation, he's a good player, so there is nothing I can really
complain about."
It is testament to Demel's mature approach that he has knuckled down and
maintained his role as an important squad member, pushing his colleagues
every day on the training pitch. "Of course I still play my part. I would
like to be on the pitch on a regular basis, but we have to work hard every
day because the starting XI need good competition and good training during
the week. It's the same for all the players. "I am part of it and we all
train well. I would say we always have a good mentality and that's exactly
the reason why we managed to produce when we were in a bad situation last
season. "Now, like I said, I am here if I'm needed and I will always give my
best. Obviously it's really hard, because every player wants to play, and
I'm fit and ready."
Demel was brought to English football by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger as a
19-year-old, but did not appear for the Gunners before moving on to German
club Borussia Dortmund after a single season. While he was only in north
London for a short time, the full-back still keeps a close eye on his old
club's fortunes. Demel has noticed a slight change in style from Arsenal
this season – a change he says they have had to make to compete at the top
end of an ultra-competitive Barclays Premier League. "Arsenal's mentality is
to win games and to produce good football – they will never stop playing
their football, even if this season we have seen them adopt a more direct
approach.
"The league has changed and every team is hard to beat, so you have to adapt
and be intelligent. Arsenal's season has been great and I think they are one
of the best teams in England, if not the world. "That said, we are proud to
be West Ham United and we have to get a point or a win because we've been a
bit unlucky and have deserved more than we have achieved in the last couple
of months. "I think this season the team has shown we can play good football
against the big teams, so I hope we're going to take that with us and get a
point at least. "Against Manchester United and even against Chelsea, we
could have won the games, so we will go to Arsenal and we need to produce
the same performance as we did at Tottenham, but with a better finish at the
end."
Looking further forward, Demel has been invited to return to another of his
former clubs, Hamburger SV, to take part in David Jarolim's testimonial
match on Saturday 28 March. But what does the long-term future hold for the
man who joined West Ham in the summer of 2011?
"I'm 33 and I have played in different leagues in my career, I still feel
good and as long as my body responds well I will keep playing. I have a lot
to give and I don't want to finish my career. "I've had an amazing time here
at West Ham so it doesn't matter what happens because I will always keep
West Ham in my heart."
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Hammers great Cantwell honoured
WHUFC.com
West Ham United great Noel Cantwell was posthumously honoured when a road
was named in the Irishman's honour in his native Cork.
The late Hammers and Ireland captain and full-back received recognition from
Cork City Council on Friday when they officially name Noel Cantwell Walk.
Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Mary Shields officially unveiled a plaque on Noel
Cantwell Way, while Cantwell's widow Maggie and daughters Kate and Elizabeth
looked on.
Among the other dignitaries in attendance were FAI President Tony
Fitzgerald, Republic of Ireland assistant manager Roy Keane - himself a Cork
native - and FAI Chief Executive John Delaney. The thoroughfare can be found
beside the Mardyke, a recreational area to the west of the city centre that
was home to Cork Athletic FC and still houses Cork County Cricket Club –
both of whom Cantwell represented during his illustrious career. The
defender, who made 278 appearances in Claret and Blue after joining West Ham
from Cork Athletic in 1952, played 36 times for his country at football, and
five times for Ireland as a left-handed batsman and right-arm medium bowler.
Cantwell was raised in a house just a few dozen yards from the Mardyke,
which the West Ham squad visited to train at the University College Cork's
Mardyke Arena in summer 2013, before spending his childhood playing on the
sports grounds there. League of Ireland side Cork Athletic, for whom his
brother Frank played, were short a man for a game against Sligo Rovers in
1950, so they called on Noel to fill the gap. After joining the Hammers two
years later, Cantwell went on to captain the Club to the Division Two title
and promotion to the top flight in 1958, while he was also named in the
London XI which competed in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in the mid-1950s. He
was a renowned member of the Academy of Football, alongside fellow
countryman Frank O'Farrell, Malcolm Allison, Dave Sexton and John Bond, who
spent endless hours discussing football during the 1950s.
On leaving West Ham, Cantwell joined Manchester United, spending seven
seasons at Old Trafford and captaining the Red Devils to FA Cup glory in
1963. He also served as Chairman of the Professional Footballers'
Association and as manager of Coventry City and Peterborough United, before
passing away at the age of 73 in September 2005.
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Arsenal v West Ham
KO 15:00
13 March 2015
By Guy Mowbray
BBC Match of the Day commentator
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Emirates Stadium Date: Saturday, 14 March
TEAM NEWS
Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is out for up to four weeks with
a hamstring injury. However, Mathieu Flamini is back in contention after a
similar problem.
West Ham could be without striker Enner Valencia, who cut his toe by
standing on a broken teacup, and Alex Song is doubtful with a knee injury.
James Tomkins and Winston Reid are out and Arsenal loanee Carl Jenkinson is
ineligible, but Morgan Amalfitano returns after a three-game ban. A lack of
defensive options may see Cheikhou Kouyate switch from midfield to
centre-back, while 16-year-old Reece Oxford could also be involved.
MATCH PREVIEW
Before the reverse fixture at Upton Park on 28 December, West Ham were a
point ahead of Arsenal and sat fifth in the Premier League.
The Hammers had taken 13 points from the last available 18 and talk of being
amongst the challengers for a Champions League place was still in the air.
How that air has gone stale since. With only one win from nine league games
in 2015 the new year has been anything but happy for Sam Allardyce's team -
and the West Ham fans. Yes, some of the Irons' knives are back out for Big
Sam.
In his London Evening Standard column, Allardyce has understandably cursed
his luck ahead of a fourth successive all-London clash (they have taken one
point from the previous three). Enner Valencia has suffered a freak injury
and is likely to be ruled out along with James Tomkins, Winston Reid and the
ineligible Carl Jenkinson. Looking at those latter names tells you that at
least three changes will have to be made in defence - most untimely for a
game against an Arsenal side full of confidence after Monday's FA Cup win at
Manchester United - and who have only failed to score in one of their last
30 games (at Southampton on New Years' Day). Having won seven of their last
eight in the league, the Gunners are looking good for their seemingly
customary late-season surge to nail down a top-four finish. Despite still
having several players out through injury, Arsene Wenger has options again
and could make three or four changes with next Tuesday's 'Mission
Impossible' in Monaco in mind. I'd be surprised if one was resting Francis
Coquelin though. The Frenchman has returned from his Charlton loan a better
player, was deservedly man-of-the-match at Old Trafford, and could have the
chance to show one-to-one why Arsenal didn't need to re-sign Alex Song last
summer.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Arsenal have won their last nine league and cup games against West Ham,
including eight Premier League matches. The Hammers did the double over the
Gunners in the 2006-07 season but since then are winless in 14 league and
cup games (D2, L12) against them.
Arsenal
The Gunners have won 11 of 13 games since New Year's Day, including seven
wins from eight league matches. They have claimed 21 Premier League points
in 2015 - only Liverpool, with 23, have a better record. Arsenal have won
seven consecutive home league games - they have not won eight in a row since
a 13-match streak in 2005. Olivier Giroud has scored four goals in four
games against West Ham, while Theo Walcott has netted five times in his last
four matches against the Hammers. Francis Coquelin has made 41 Premier
League interceptions since returning from a loan spell with Charlton in
December - more than any other player in the same period.
West Ham United
The Hammers are winless in their last seven league and cup games (D3, L4).
They have recorded just one victory in 11 Premier League games since
Christmas Day (D5, L5).
Sam Allardyce has yet to win a Premier League game away to Arsenal in his
managerial career, losing seven and drawing three of 10 games.
They have kept one Premier League clean sheet away from home this term -
against Southampton last month. It is the joint-lowest total in the top
flight along with Burnley and QPR.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
James Tomkins dislocates shoulder in new injury blow
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 13th March 2015
By: Staff Writer
James Tomkins has added to Sam Allardyce's injury woes by dislocated a
shoulder during training. The central defender, who signed a new five-year
contract with the Hammers only last month is rumoured to be facing much of
the rest of the season on the sidelines having sustained the injury at
Chadwell Heath upon the squad's return from Dubai. News of Tomkins' injury
is the second major blow to Allardyce within the past 24 hours. Only
yesterday morning it was revealed that Enner Valencia had undergone surgery
to repair an injured foot, which was damaged in a freak domestic accident.
The Hammers, already without Carl Jenkinson - who is unable to feature
against his parent club at the Emirates on Saturday - and Winston Reid
(injured) are now back to having just one fit first team central defender,
namely James Collins. That could mean a return to central defence for Cheik
Kouyate, who deputised in that position during a similar defensive crisis in
February. That may depend however upon the condition of Alex Song, who is
also recovering from a recent knock.
Despite the bad news on the injury front, Allardyce was in positive mood
ahead of yet another London derby when addressing the press on Thursday. "We
know how difficult it is at the Emirates," he said. "We've gone in front a
few times but not managed to hold on. "We'll go there and give it our best
shot and see what happens. We'll try and do what we did against Chelsea and
see if that's good enough to get us a result."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Arsenal v West Ham preview: Gunners turn attention to top-four battle
Last Updated: 14/03/15 7:53am
SSN
Arsenal host West Ham on Saturday looking for their fifth-straight Premier
League win as they look to cement their Champions League charge. The Gunners
can cap a good week with victory over the Hammers after they beat Manchester
United at Old Trafford on Monday to book their place in the semi-finals of
the FA Cup. Arsene Wenger's men have put themselves at the head of the pack
chasing the top two, and now sit only four points behind second-placed
Manchester City ahead of the weekend's games. The visitors, meanwhile, have
lost eight successive Premier League matches against Arsenal and have not
won a top-flight fixture since their victory over Hull in the middle of
January.
Jamie Redknapp looks ahead to a difficult game for West Ham as they travel
to the Emirates to take on Arsenal.
Team news
Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain faces up to a month out with a
hamstring injury. Midfielder Mathieu Flamini is back in contention for
Saturday's match against West Ham after a hamstring problem. Club captain
Mikel Arteta (ankle) is set to step up his rehabilitation, as is defender
Gabriel (hamstring), but Jack Wilshere (ankle) is still a few weeks away
from a return.
West Ham are without James Tomkins for their trip to London rivals Arsenal
after the defender dislocated his shoulder in training. The Hammers could
also be without three of their first-team strikers. Carlton Cole (hamstring)
and Andy Carroll (knee) are definite absentees whilst Enner Valencia is
struggling to be fit having suffered a severe cut to his toe after standing
on a broken teacup. Winston Reid will miss out with a hamstring complaint,
on-loan Carl Jenkinson cannot feature against his parent club and Alex Song
(knee) could also be sidelined - although fellow midfielder Morgan
Amalfitano is back having served a three-match ban. Sixteen-year-old
defender Reece Oxford could be included in the squad as cover.
Defeat against Chelsea last time out was harsh on Hammers
Opta facts
Theo Walcott has scored five goals and set up three more in his last four
Barclays Premier League games against West Ham, while Olivier Giroud has
scored four goals in his four Premier League appearances against the
Hammers.
West Ham have won none of the last 13 top-flight matches against Arsenal (W0
D2 L11), losing the last eight in a row.
Sam Allardyce says Enner Valencia will miss West Ham's trip to the Emirates
this weekend after a freak accident at home.
The Hammers have scored the first goal in four of the last five Premier
League meetings with Arsenal, but the Gunners have come back to win on each
occasion.
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League London derbies at the
Emirates, but West Ham were the first team ever to beat Arsenal at their new
stadium back in April 2007.
Sam Allardyce has never coached a winning team away at Arsenal in the
Premier League, losing seven and drawing three of his 10.
Arsenal have won seven consecutive home league games; they have not won
eight in a row since November 2005 (13).
Merson's prediction
West Ham have hit a bit of a bad run and this time of year Arsenal are very
reliable. It was good to see Danny Welbeck score for Arsenal at Manchester
United but I think they'll play Olivier Giroud in this game and he can score
first in a 3-0 win.
MERSE PREDICTS: 3-0
Betting
Arsenal are Sky Bet's odds-on favourites at 4/9 to secure the victory, with
West Ham looking to upsets odds of 11/2 to leave the Emirates with a win and
18/5 to secure a draw. The Gunners are also short odds to secure a top-four
finish yet again this season at 1/5, with Manchester United (10/11),
Liverpool (11/10), Tottenham (11/2) and Southampton (8/1) all longer odds.
Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez share favouritism in the first goalscorer
betting at 7/2 apiece with Danny Welbeck following at 5/1, while Diafra
Sakho is considered the visitors' biggest threat at 9/1.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham midfielder Morgan Amalfitano signs new two-year deal
Last Updated: 13/03/15 8:03pm
SSN
French midfielder Morgan Amalfitano has signed a new two-year contract with
West Ham. Amalfitano has made 22 appearances for Sam Allardyce's side since
joining from Marseille in the summer. The 29-year-old scored on his home
debut in the 3-1 win over Liverpool in September and has also netted against
Manchester City and Hull. Amalfitano's new deal will now see him feature in
West Ham's final season at the Boleyn Ground and the first at their new
Stadium in 2016 "I am pleased," he told West Ham TV. "It's the culmination
of a good year. We're always trying to do our best and so I'm very pleased
to have signed for two more years. "I think I've impressed the management, I
know that I can always do better and I hope to do so. I'll give it my all as
I have done in the first eight months.
"I've not had a chance to see the Olympic Stadium yet but apparently it's a
very, very beautiful stadium. So I'm very pleased to be a part of the
project and I always want to please our fans, as much as possible."
Amalfitano is available again for Allardyce after serving a three-match ban
followng his sending off against West Brom. "It's been a little while that I
couldn't play and it's been a little bit frustrating," he added. "So it's a
pleasure to get back out on the pitch and play games. I've trained as hard
as I possibly could in these past few weeks and now I'm ready for Saturday.
"We need to get back to winning games and it's down to us to rally ourselves
to win the next games and hopefully that will start against a great team in
Arsenal on Saturday."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
James Tomkins suffers dislocated shoulder during West Ham training
Last Updated: 13/03/15 12:51pm
SSN
James Tomkins could miss the remainder of the season, after West Ham
confirmed he has dislocated a shoulder. The Hammers defender, who recently
signed a new long-term contract, suffered the injury during training. The
25-year-old joins fellow central defender Winston Reid on the casualty list,
while manager Sam Allardyce is facing an injury crisis up front with Carlton
Cole, Andy Carroll and Enner Valencia all expected to miss out this weekend.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Doneil Henry praised by Blackburn boss Gary Bowyer
Last Updated: 13/03/15 2:04pm
SSN
Blackburn boss Gary Bowyer is delighted with the start on-loan West Ham
defender Doneil Henry has made to life at Ewood Park. Henry, 21, has starred
in two Rovers victories against Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton since moving
to Ewood Park. slotting in seamlessly next to Matt Kilgallon at the heart of
the back four. Henry dealt with former Liverpool and England striker Emile
Heskey in his second appearance for the club on Wednesday night and later
produced the header which Jordan Rhodes diverted into the goal for
Blackburn's stoppage-time winner.
"Young Doneil Henry came in and gave an unbelieveable performance," said
Bowyer. "He was against a very experienced striker in Emile Heskey. The
lad's had a real baptism of fire in terms of the two strikers he's played
against - (Atdhe) Nuhiu at Sheffield Wednesday and Heskey. "He's stood up to
both of them, I'm full of admiration for the kid; he's done ever so well."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
More promising Jenkinson signs
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 13, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
There are more promising signs this morning that Carl Jenkinson will become
a permanent West Ham signing in the summer. Reporter – and lifelong Arsenal
fan John Cross – writes in today's Mirror that Hector Bellerin has been
lined up to sign a new four year Gooners contract. And that will mean that
Carl Jenkinson will be allowed to move on a with the player having enjoyed a
great Upton Park year and wishing to remain in London, the right back begins
to look nailed on. Bellerin, 19, has impressed since moving into the right
back position in Mathieu Debuchy's absence and a new deal has apparently
been agreed which will take him up to 2019.
Little gets by 'Crossie' inside the Emirates where he has good contacts and
the story confirms a ClaretandHugh report that the Gunners will be looking
for around b£6 million for Jenkinson. Inisders at Upton Park have revealed
that negotiations with Arsenal will start at the end of the season and that
Jenks is a priority signing. And in fairness to Sam Allardyce the defensive
side of the player's game has improved since his arrival at the Boleyn. He
is a naturally attacking wing back but in recent games especially has shown
some fine defensive capabilities.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce: "The season is a let-down"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 14, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Sam Allardyce has made it crystal clear that the Irons season could well
become a big let down if the club fails to stay in the top ten!.
That of course was the minimum requirement from the owners at the start of
the season but expectations of top four, six or eight soared with the team's
brilliant start. It has now gone pear-shaped and the manager knows it
declaring: ""It's a let-down now, it's a disappointment now, there's no
doubt about it. It's as well to remind ourselves that on Boxing Day the team
sat fourth with one win from 11 since we find the likes of Swansea and stoke
City above us. Allardyce said: We should be sat challenging for Europe
still. We should be and we've been in the position to do it and we've let it
slip. "We have entertained well but my point is about winning. I am not
interested in anything else other than winning but performances have been
good enough to win more games recently." However, despite the slide and the
board's absolute minimum requirements he is ready to discuss next season
saying: "When we get to this next time we've got a better squad, a better
strength in depth of players, we don't get affected by injuries as much as
we have and we continue to win football matches instead of drawing them," he
said. "That's the nature of recruitment for next season. This squad, to
finish eight or better, by the way it's looking at the moment may not quite
be good enough just yet.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Zarate returns to Hammers
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 14, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Mauro Zarate has returned to West Ham from his QPR to undergo medical
treatment for a knee injury. Zarate was spotted at Chadwell Heath this week
with many speculating that he had been recalled by the Hammers following
Valencia's crockery related injury and Carlton Cole's ongoing hamstring
injury but a recall is not possible and would be blocked by the Premier
League.
In January West Ham claim The Premier League said they could recall Zarate,
by mutual agreement with QPR but later changed their minds which caused the
collapse Carlton Cole's transfer to West Brom on transfer deadline day.
Earlier this week, Claret and Hugh reported Zarate has managed just 71
minutes in a QPR shirt since his January arrival on loan. He has achieved
just four second half substitutions for the R's against Burnley,
Southampton, Sunderland and Hull, three of which resulted in losses for
third from bottom club.
QPR are thought to be picking up his full £40,000 per wages plus a loan fee
meaning his ten week stint so far has cost the club £500,000 which is just
over £7,000 for every minute he has spent on the pitch. This latest injury
will only push that cost up further.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gold: "It's no good moaning about injuries"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 13, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
David Gold heads for the Emirates tomorrow (Sat) refusing to feel sorry for
himself over the injury crisis which has suddenly arisen at Upton Park.
Instead – speaking to ClaretandHugh he said: "We are not down to playing the
kids. We have an experienced team we can put out Injuries must be expected.
I dare say Arsenal have a few. "It's when you reach the point where you are
having to throw youngsters on that there's a problem and we aren't at that
stage." With Enner Valencia, James Tomkins (above) and Winston Reid all
unavailable through injury, Alex Song apparently carrying a knee problem and
Carl Jenkinson unavailable under the pre-season arrangement between the two
clubs, it looks a bit bleak. But Gold said: "I am expecting a decent
performance and I want to believe we can come away with something. It's no
good moaning and groaning about injuries. "It would be a miracle at this
stage if we and every other club didn't have these issues. We can't keep on
about that – we have to go to Arsenal and do a professional job. "That's the
expectation and I refuse to feel sorry for myself. We can get something over
there but we have to get on with it because there's nothing else to be
done."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
EXCLUSIVE: Sullivan thrilled to sign Amalfitano
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 13, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are tonight celebrating another high profile signing after Morgan
Amalfitano agreed to remain at the club for another two years.
The Frenchman was the last player to agree a deal in the summer transfer
window and after making 22 appearances, the club has agreed a deal which
keeps him at the club until 2017 And tonight – speaking exclusively to
ClaretandHugh – a thrilled David Sullivan said: " I'm delighted he's decided
to stay with us for two more seasons. "Morgan has played at the highest
level with Marseilles in the Champions League and he must be one of the best
Bossman's around that are proven in the Premier League." Sullivan has done
great business over the last few weeks having nailed down Mark Noble,
Winston Reid, James Tomkins and now Amalfitano to new contracts with Diafra
Sakho ready to put pen to paper at the end of the season.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Spurs striker on Irons radar
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 13, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are set to make a fresh move for free agent Emanuel Adebayor in the
summer. The Spurs striker was a loan target until the end of the campaign in
the January transfer window but Spurs chairman Daniel Levy played hardball
on wages wanting the Irons to foot his entire wage of £100k a week. However,
the player is out of contract in the summer and will have to take a cut on
his wages at 31 years old which gives the Hammers negotiators a shout at
concluding a deal. Carlton Cole looks a certain departure with West Brom's
Tony Pulis still interested and the the Irons know we have to get quality
cover in for Andy Carroll. Adebayor will doubtless have plenty of offers
from clubs in the middle east and US but may feel he has a case to make in
the Premier League. He has made 15 appearances this season – most of them
coming under former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood, now at Villa and who could be
interested should the midlanders survive in the top league. However, a
Hammers source told ClaretandHugh exclusively: "He interests us and anything
is possible in the summer."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons respond to Tomkins 'season over' scare
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 13, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
James Tomkins is currently being scanned after sustaining a dislocated
shoulder in training yesterday. But sources inside Upton Park have described
as "premature" suggestions that the injury could sideline him until the end
of the season. The central defender tumbled awkwardly in a training ground
incident and was immediately taken to hospital where the dislocation was
corrected. But it won't be until later today whether there is any ligament
damage which would see him ruled out for several weeks. ClaretandHugh was
told: "We always read the scare stories following an injury but it's too
early to make any sort of judgement until the scans have been studied.
hopefully that will be later today. "Everyone of them varies depending on
the ligament situation. He could be back in two weeks or it could be an end
of season thing. "We hope top know the full extent of the injury within the
next 24 hours."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers injury 'crisis'update
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 13, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham's injury crisis at central defence is set to be solved by Cheik
Kouyate playing alongside James Collins against Arsenal tomorrow. Injuries
to Winston Reid and news that James Tomkins has suffered a dislocated
shoulder has caused the manager a massive headache ahead of the game. Doniel
Henry – on loan at Blackburn Rovers – is understood to be locked in to 28
days with the club before release clauses can be triggered. And with Carl
Jenkinson barred from appearing against his parent club, it looks like that
Joey O'Brien will be pushed into the right back role. Enner Valencia is
almost certain to miss the game with a wound caused by him stepping on
broken crockery at home although Alex Song – despite carrying a troublesome
knee problem – is almost certain to be told to get on with things.
With Carlton Cole also unavailable the likelihood is that Kevin Nolan will
be pushed up alongside Diafra Sakho.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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