wednesday's news 18th december includes west ham

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wednesday's news 18th december includes west ham

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You don't have to be mad but... Allardyce is hooked on being a football boss
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Opportunity knocks: Sherwood's 'interview' starts against West Ham



The Filth's managerial hopeful Tim Sherwood must be crazy says West Ham's Allardyce






Sam Allardyce reckons Tim Sherwood has to be CRAZY to become a football manager.

But West Ham boss Allardyce admitted the "love-hate" job is a drug despite the never-ending danger of the sack.

The dismissal of Andre Villas-Boas has seen Sherwood promoted from running Tottenham's development team to caretaker head coach for Wednesday's home Capital One Cup quarter-final against the Hammers.

Reaching the semi-finals will be a step towards convincing the White Hart Lane club's board that Sherwood, a Spurs midfielder a decade ago, is worth the job on a permanent basis.

Under-pressure Allardyce will seemingly help the 44-year-old out by not fielding a full-strength side (see below), after admitting that West Ham's league results have to quickly improve if he is to stay in his own position.

But the former Bolton, Blackburn and Newcastle boss reckons the highs of football management are worth enduring the lows.

"It's a love/hate job," said Allardyce. "Sometimes you can sit and think, 'Why the hell am I doing this?' But if you're in it it's because it's what you do best.

"What else are you going to do? You can do Sky [TV punditry]. That's okay for a while. Those who get into that get comfortable in that life and are rarely going to step out of that and come into the crazy world of management.

"But once you've been in it and it gets in your blood, you pine for it. If you lose it, you pine to get back in it and do all the thing is you do on a day to day basis. I enjoy challenging myself. I wouldn't be still here if I hadn't taken those challenges by the scruff of the neck and improved every football club I've ever been at."

Allardyce reckons Sherwood, who has been working at Spurs for five years, has the potential to become a manager but added: "What would probably surprise me is that he hasn't challenged himself sooner than this.

"Obviously, for him, the right position hasn't come up. If you're in a good job, why leave it to be a manager? That has a bit of a crazy line in it. You must be crazy leaving this job to go and be a manager because you could be one of the 50 or 60 out of 92 managers who end up with the sack - because that's what happens every year now.




"Fifty per cent or more generally get changed every year in the 92 professional clubs. The removal of managers at this level is probably the highest it's been in the entirety of the Premier League. You have to be pretty good to last."

AVB didn't last after Tottenham spent over £100m on building a new-look, post-Gareth Bale squad this summer.

Allardyce has previously been critical of foreign managers who get top English jobs - twice in the Portuguese's case. But the Irons' boss still expressed his "surprise" at the sacking.

"You would have to be a bit of a miracle worker to get everyone functioning at 100% when they have just arrived in a league that they have never played in before," he said.

"I think the fruition of the change around at Tottenham starts next season, not this. There is a lack of patience in the game."

But while the only three clubs below West Ham in the table have already changed manager this season, and West Brom - the team directly above them - axed Steve Clarke last weekend, Hammers co-owner David Sullivan has promised to give Allardyce the rest of the season to steady the ship.

The Irons face champions Manchester United and league leaders Arsenal in their next two games.

Allardyce, who fielded a team without a striker at Spurs in October and masterminded a 3-0 win, admitted: "The only way that I can relieve pressure on myself is to get results.

"Even with the backing of David Gold and David Sullivan, their patience can not last for ever if I continue to lose matches. It is as simple as that.

"I have been appreciative of their support and backing but I have to deliver and that is what I have been employed to do. I have to get the team winning as quickly as possible."
Tottenham vs West Ham: Probable teams


The Scum (4-4-2): Lloris; Walker, Chiriches, Kaboul, Rose; Capoue, Townsend, Holtby, Dembele; Adebayor, Defoe.

West Ham (4-2-3-1) Jaaskelainen; McCartney, Collins, Rat, O’Brien; Collison, Diarra; Jarvis, Morrison, Taylor; Carlton Cole.



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Man with a plan: Sam Allardyce will play a second string team in West Ham's cup tie against The Filth
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Opposition: Tim Sherwood takes charge of a Filth team in disarray after Andre Villas-Boas' sacking
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Humiliation: The Filth were thrashed 5-0 by Liverpool at White S hit Lane on Sunday
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Dreaded drop: West Ham travel to Manchester United at the weekend just outside the relegation zone
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Stalemate: West Ham were held to a 0-0 draw by Sunderland last weekend, their fifth of the season
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Disgruntled: West Ham fans have grown increasingly frustrated at their team's lack of goals
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Memory: Johnny Bryne, Bobby Moore and Peter Braybrook on a victory lap after winning the 1964 FA Cup
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Silverware: West Ham parade the FA Cup after beating Fulham in the 1975 final
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Legends: Trevor Brooking and Frank Lampard Snr lift the FA Cup at Wembley in 1980
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Glory day: Wigan won the FA Cup last year despite being relegated from the Premier League
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Upset: Birmingham beat Arsenal in the 2011 Carling Cup final but were relegated the same season
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New home: West Ham will soon relocate from Upton Park to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford



Big Sam's second-string plan is making West Ham dreams fade and die






For a man in need of a sudden reversal of fortune, West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce is going about his business in a very strange way these days. On Wednesday night, he will play a second-string team in the Capital One Cup quarter-final against Tottenham.

Good news for the fringe players, good news for Tottenham’s interim manager Tim Sherwood in his first game, bad news for the locals who recall the days when domestic cup competitions contained the potential highlights of West Ham’s season and were not simply an onerous task to be completed between training sessions.

Given West Ham’s precarious position in the Premier League, Allardyce’s message is that Saturday’s visit to Manchester United is more important. He wants to prioritise rest for his senior players before the match. This is the same group that couldn’t beat Sunderland at home the previous week.





When results go well, Allardyce talks as if West Ham never won a game in their cushy, 118-year history until he turned up with his hard-nosed strategies, so he may be interested to learn that in plenty of previous years the club competed successfully in cups, regardless of league position.

In 1964, when West Ham won the FA Cup, they fell as low as 18th, before rallying to a 14th-placed finish; in 1975 another FA Cup-winning season saw the club bottom of the league after seven matches and eventually settling for 13th; the next season, reaching the European Cup-Winners Cup final, West Ham finished 18th and avoided relegation by six points.

Striving for promotion to Division One did not stop the club taking the FA Cup seriously, by beating Arsenal in the final, in 1980; and having missed out with a seventh-placed finish the previous season, they won the Second Division in 1981, and reached the League Cup final that same year, losing to Liverpool.



And here’s the thing. All those 13ths, 14ths and 16ths, the mediocrity and even the great escapes, are now just a blur.

What illuminates that era for West Ham, what has created the generation of fans that give the club confidence they will fill an Olympic Stadium, is all the stuff the modern game, and modern coaches, find irrelevant. Wembley finals, midweek replays, European competitions that no longer exist.

Everything Allardyce appears to be rejecting is what really defines a club, long term. It is the stuff of memories and schoolboy scrapbooks and father-and-son tickets and days out, the delight of which will be taken to the grave.





If Allardyce was playing the reserves with an eye on gaining momentum against Manchester United, that would be different. Had he decided that Saturday’s lacklustre display was reason enough for changes, and some of his first-team regulars were not up to the task of taking on a rattled Tottenham team, fair enough. But playing the reserves in a quarter-final against a major rival because the players that got outclassed by Sunderland need to recharge for the visit to Old Trafford? That is voodoo economics.

Wigan Athletic. Wigan are the problem now. The fate of last season’s FA Cup winners will be advanced as mitigation whenever a manager sells a cup-tie short. Wigan won the FA Cup and went down last season. They would most certainly swap that Wembley win for another 12 months of eked out survival, football’s new wave of manager-accountants argue.

Yet that presumes Wigan went down because they won the FA Cup. They didn’t. They went down because they won four of 19 league matches at home. They went down because they conceded 73 goals. They went down because between November 24 and February 23, they were victorious in a single league game.

The FA Cup was the only bright light in that whole blasted season. The FA Cup is what will be remembered in the town when the pain of relegation has subsided.

Teams go down, teams come up. Some take longer than others; but beating Manchester City 1-0 at Wembley is permanent. It is the day that will be recalled when nobody has a clue how Norwich came about a win by the same scoreline at the DW Stadium on March 30.

And Wigan were the first FA Cup winners to be relegated, just as Birmingham City in 2011 and Norwich City in 1985 are the only League Cup winners to go down. These conflicting standards are the exception, not the rule. And, yes, football has changed from the pre- Premier League days. It is more physically demanding and the financial rewards for remaining in the top division are far greater.

Even so, it is a bit rich for Allardyce, of all people, to complain about a lack of recognition and opportunity for English managers, while spurning one of the few chances he has to win a trophy.

Tottenham have just sacked their coach after losing 5-0 at home to Liverpool. West Ham beat them 3-0 at White Hart Lane earlier in the season.






They are vulnerable right now. Yet Allardyce is Tottenham’s friend. He will pick the team new manager Sherwood would like to see.

West Ham have never won the league. They were once, however, a useful cup team and are more than capable of taking on Tottenham in this of all weeks. If survival and cup success are now mutually exclusive, however, Allardyce is clearly not making the most of the job.

The fans get punished twice this way. It is as if the manager admits making a mess of the league campaign and, for that reason, has to toss the cups away too.

‘You’ve only come to see United,’ the fans crow at Old Trafford but, unless a team are looking to win a trophy, isn’t that true? ‘See Manchester City’s big stars at the Boleyn,’ was a message flashed on the giant screen at Upton Park this season, advertising a fixture on October 19. Yet if West Ham don’t want to win a trophy, isn’t that the bottom line? Shallow existence?




The right to continue playing the big names for no reason other than the generation of finance, all the time hanging on in quiet desperation for the season when injuries or rotten luck end in the inevitable relegation, as it does for every club who no longer dare to dream.

Wigan went down, but they would have dropped eventually anyway.

At least, this way, they were relegated having given their supporters the game of a lifetime.


David Sullivan and David Gold, the co-owners of West Ham, are fans. Businessmen too, who will know the cost of relegation to the club, the potential calamity with the Olympic Stadium move around the corner.

Yet they will also remember the good times, the days that stand out, that are the best, that are the reason West Ham believe they can thrive in a new home with a close to 60,000 capacity.

And, if they think back, the twin ambitions of survival and success were never mutually exclusive. If they are, there is something wrong.




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Feeling the strain: Sam Allardyce fears he could be axed unless West Ham start winning
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Out of work: Martin Jol and Steve Clarke have both been axed this month after a bad run of results
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Support: Allardyce still has the backing of West Ham co-owners David Gold (above) and David Sullivan
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Dejected: Carlton Cole lets out his frustration after missing a chance in Saturday's draw with Sunderland



I could be next! Allardyce fears he will be sacked unless West Ham start winning


Sam Allardyce admits West Ham’s results must improve if he is to avoid becoming yet another managerial casualty.

One quarter of the managers who started the season in the Barclays Premier League have already lost their jobs in the scramble to stay in the top flight or reach the Champions League.

Andre Villas-Boas, Steve Clarke, Martin Jol, Ian Holloway and Paolo Di Canio have all been ousted before Christmas. Malky Mackay is under pressure at Cardiff too, and Allardyce is aware of expectations from co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold as West Ham slide towards the relegation zone.




‘The only way that I can relieve pressure on myself is to get results,’ said Allardyce on Tuesday.

‘Even with the backing of David Sullivan and David Gold, their patience cannot last for ever if I continue to lose football matches. It is as simple as that.

'I have been appreciative of their support and backing, there is no doubt about that, but I have to deliver. I have to get the team winning as quickly as possible. We have got to stay in this league.


‘The extra pressure is the magic of the Olympic Stadium but since I arrived I knew that was the ultimate business plan, to make sure West Ham are an established Premier League side when they go into this new arena.’

There was backing from the boardroom at the weekend.

Sullivan said: ‘Where do you get someone better than Sam to do the job that is now necessary,’ but it has become clear that league form is the priority.

Despite being only two steps from Wembley in the Capital One Cup, Allardyce has warned he may make changes for tonight’s quarter-final at Tottenham with Manchester United on Saturday in mind.

‘I’m not saying I’m that confident,’ replied Allardyce when asked if he expected to avoid the sack. ‘I’m just saying I don’t let that situation worry me.

‘If I’m going to worry about that it’s going to distract me from doing my job and trying to make sure every game we play we try and win, and if we can’t win try to get a result.’




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Capital One Cup:The Filth v West Ham match preview



The Filth take on West Ham in the Capital One hoping to avenge their 3-0 league defeat to the Hammers in October. The heavy loss to West Ham on home soil sparked a series of embarrassing Premier League defeats suffered by Spurs, culminating in the sacking of manager Andre Villas-Boas on Monday morning.



The Filth scraped their way into the quarter finals of the League Cup after narrowly beating Hull City 8-7 on penalties in the last round. Tim Sherwood, Chris Ramsey and Les Ferdinand have been put in temporary charge of first team responsibilities and will be hoping that they can guide the side back to winning ways ahead of a busy Christmas period.

West Ham travel to White S hit Lane aiming to beat Tottenham for the second time in just over two months. However the Hammers go into the fixture having failed to win any of their last three Premier League encounters, notching only one goal in the process. West Ham booked their place in the quarter final after beating Championship high-flyers Burnley 2-0 at Turf Moor. A win against their London rivals will see the Hammers reach the semi-finals of the competition for the first time since the 2010/11 season.

Paulinho misses the first of three matches for his dismissal against Liverpool in Andre Villas-Boas' final match in charge on Sunday. Michael Dawson is banned for one match and Sandro is expected to be out for around a week with a calf injury.

Danny Rose (toe), Christian Eriksen (ankle), Vlad Chiriches (knee) and Younes Kaboul (thigh) could all return, but defender Jan Vertonghen (ankle) is out. West Ham manager Sam Allardyce will utilise the squad players he has available. Captain Kevin Nolan is still suspended, whilst the likes of youngsters Leo Chambers, Dylan Tombides and Matthias Fanimo could all feature. Winston Reid (ankle), Stewart Downing (calf), Andy Carroll (heel), Ricardo Vaz Te (shoulder) and Mladen Petric (thigh) remain sidelined.




KICK-OFF: Wednesday 19:45



PAST THREE MEETINGS:


The Filth 0 West Ham 3 (Reid, Vaz Te, Morrison) Premier League, October 2013.

West Ham 2 (Carroll, J.Cole) Tottenham 3 (Bale 2, Sigurdsson) Premier League, February 2013.


The Scum 3 (Defoe 2, Bale) West Ham 1 (Carroll) Premier League, November 2012.



Head-to-head v West Ham (in all competitions):

59 Wins

35 Draws

45 Defeats




STATS:

Ravel Morrison is West Ham’s leading goal scorer this term with five goals in all competitions.


Roberto Soldado leads the goal scoring charts forThe Filth with a total of nine goals in all competitions.


The Filth have scored only 15 goals in the league this season, conceding 21.

West Ham have netted just 13 times in the league this season, however they have conceded less goals than Spurs (19).


ODDS:


The Filth to win: 1.4

West Ham to win: 7.0

Draw: 4.2



TV:

Highlights will be shown on the League Cup Show at 23.05pm on Wednesday.




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Big Sam must make big call: Surely the Hammers boss will put league before cup
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FA Cup glory came at a price for Wigan



Why West Ham need to beware the fate of Wigan as Sam Allardyce prepares to take on Tottenham



Big Sam could go for broke in search of cup glory, but will surely put survival first
Big Sam must make big call: Surely the Hammers boss will put league before cup Big Sam must make big call: Surely the Hammers boss will put league before cup


It was the late, great Danny Blanchflower who once famously said that football was all about the glory - and a cup quarter-final at White Hart Lane against West Ham provides the perfect backdrop for a glorious encounter.


For West Ham pragmatism will rule when manager Sam Allardyce decides on his team selection for the match. It is an unenviable decision for him.

The absence of Andy Carroll this season and an escalating injury list has left West Ham perilously close to the relegation zone. They are out of the bottom three by just one point and the Christmas fixture list has not been kind to them.

On Saturday they take on a resurgent Manchester United at Old Trafford followed by a clash with Arsenal on Boxing Day. If it wasn't for bad luck, Allardyce would not be having any luck at the moment.

Given the mega-money now available for Premier League status, survival has evolved as the priority for clubs of a certain financial potential. And West Ham are one of those clubs. The Capital One Cup is one of two trophies West Ham can, realistically, win this season. Or any other season, come to that. The other is the FA Cup.

But the West Ham side that goes out at White Hart Lane tonight will feature only five, maybe six, of the team that will face United and Arsenal. In this column earlier this season, Allardyce was urged to play the big guns in the Capital One Cup to give the supporters the chance of a Wembley final. But it will be understandable if Allardyce takes another route when it comes to his choice tonight.

Glory comes at a price for a club like West Ham who are battling to stay among the elite. Wigan won the FA Cup last season. A great day - followed sadly by anonymous days in the Championship.



They lost their Premier League status, their new manager in Owen Coyle and their place in the Europa League in the space of four months.

Wembley in May against Manchester City seems another lifetime when a league game at Reading is on the horizon.

So if West Ham win tonight, it really will be a glorious achievement and certainly on a par with the 3-0 league win achieved in the Premier League earlier this season which prompted the gag about White Hart Lane being re-named the 03Arena.

It will be the first game post the Villas-Boas era and Tottenham will doubtless play with more than one striker to give Roberto Soldado someone else to talk to other than the opposing central defender and, more often than not, himself.

It could be the end of the road for West Ham tonight. But the priority for Allardyce is to ensure West Ham play Tottenham next season ... in the league.

He will not want to risk losing any more key personnel with vital league matches ahead and then even prompt inclusion in the bizarre West Ham Cluedo game now on sale in the club shop, if one of the questions is why West Ham went down. Answer: injuries picked up in the Captial One Cup Cup at White S hit t Lane.




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Dean Ashton: 'Sam Allardyce is under pressure at West Ham United'

Former West Ham United striker Dean Ashton believes that manager Sam Allardyce is under pressure ahead of the club's League Cup quarter-final clash against Tottenham Hotspur.

The Hammers are currently one place above the bottom three in the Premier League table having taken 14 points from 16 games.

With plenty of managers getting sacked in recent weeks, Ashton believes that Allardyce is on extra pressure to turn things around at Upton Park.

"West Ham as a club and the West Ham fans certainly expect a lot more from the team and don't really want to be in a relegation battle," Ashton told BBC Radio Five Live. "I'm pretty sure there's quite a bit of pressure on Sam."




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Be careful what you sing & tweet tonight!


Tonight I will be one of the 4,200 strong West Ham army in the away end of White Hart Lane hoping for a repeat of Sunday 6th October when we beat Spurs 3-0 in the league.

The Joint chairman wrote to all 4,200 West Ham fans yesterday warning there will be zero tolerance during the Capital One Quarter Final including racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic behaviour

Sulivan & Gold said:

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“West Ham United would like to thank you for purchasing a ticket to support the team in the Capital One Cup quarter-final at Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday 18 December.

The Barclays Premier League fixture at White Hart Lane in October was a memorable afternoon for all concerned with West Ham United, with the resultant press coverage rightly focusing on the action on the pitch following our stunning 3-0 win.

Wednesday’s game is likely to be another passionate affair and, as ever, we know the players will be backed by a loud and proud travelling support.

However, the Club seeks to remind all fans attending the match at White Hart Lane that they will be acting as ambassadors for West Ham United and their behaviour should reflect the values and standards of our Club. Any inappropriate behaviour is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated by West Ham United.

The Club, along with the Metropolitan Police, will continue to adopt a zero tolerance policy towards any form of discriminatory behaviour this year and any fan found to be acting inappropriately – including racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic behaviour – will be punished to the full extent of the law and banned from attending matches.

West Ham United is rightly proud of its world-famous support home and away and will not allow the reputation of the tens of thousands of Hammers fans who follow the Club over land and sea to be tarnished by any unacceptable conduct from a small minority."

Tottenham Hotspur have also issued a warning to fans about language ahead of the visit by West Ham to White Hart Lane.

In a statement on their official website, the club told fans: “The latter stages of any competition brings with it greater attention, particularly as this is a London derby, and so we once again call upon our fans to behave in a manner of which we can be proud.The club does not tolerate discrimination of any sort, on the pitch or in the stands, and both the police and ourselves shall take action against anyone heard using abusive, offensive or obscene language.”

But it is not just those travelling to White Hart Lane tonight who need to be careful. There have been four arrests over the past few weeks for tweets sent during the last Spurs v West Ham United match. All of them are believed to be West Ham fans.

A 48-year-old man was arrested at his home in Canning Town on suspicion of inciting racial hatred on twitter relating the Spurs v West Ham match.

Twitter user @pienmashgeezer posted about the Holocaust and Adolf Hitler ahead of the last London derby and a 55-year-old man was later detained at his home in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire on suspicion of malicious communications and was cautioned on 28th November.

Last week Police arrested two further fans on suspicion of inciting racial hatred after vile anti-Semitic comments were posted on Twitter following the Spurs vs West game.The tweets made reference to Hitler and the gas chamber.A 24-year-old man was arrested at his home address in Croydon and a 22-year-old at his house in Wiltshire. Both were taken into taken into custody and have been bailed until January pending further enquiries.

No matter what the result on Wednesday be careful what you tweet!!




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Several Hammers heading for the exit door in January


Jack collison kitAfter what can only be described as a dire first part of the season for West Ham United, I fully expect, if he is still in the managerial hotseat, that Sam Allardyce will be a busy man in the January transfer window.

However, it won’t just be a case of signing the striker that we so desperately need, players will have to leave the club, something that Allardyce has recently hinted at in his ‘Fans Forum’ the other night.

I expect that two out of Modibo Maiga, Carlton Cole and Mladen Petric will be departing. I think Maiga will be the main one that the club want to dispose of, and with interest from the Ligue 1, selling the Malian hitman will free up some much valued wages in our budget. Cole and Petric are not commanding high wages, but Petric has been injured since he pretty much joined us, so I can see Allardyce retaining Cole as maybe a third (or even fourth choice) striker, depending on how successful we are in the window.

Other fringe players are likely to be moved on, either permanently, or on loan – Matt Taylor has hardly featured at all, Jack Collison is another who has been in and out of the side, and finally, a big call, is whether Joe Cole is contributing enough to earn his £40,000 a week? Joe Cole for me has not lived up to performance he gave in his second debut for the club against Manchester United last season.

Other players who need to be looking over their shoulders until the end of the season are Matt Jarvis and James Collins, and following his poor form this season for West Ham, would it be such a bad thing if we cashed in on an uninterested Mohamed Diame. I am just speculating, I would certainly prefer that Jarvis and Diame lived up to their reputations, but Diame does look like he has things on his mind, and I wonder if his head is being turned by the interest being shown by Liverpool.

With Andy Carroll, Winston Reid, Stewart Downing, Alou Diarra and Ricardo Vaz Te all injured, the squad is looking bare, so it’s going to be a difficult balancing act in letting players go with so many long-term injuries. I just hope that if Big Sam is allowed to keep his job, he picks the right players to galvanize a team that are looking to be in difficulty right now.

COME ON YOU IRONS!!

By ChelmoHammer




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West Ham United linked with Valencia striker Jonas



West Ham United have been linked with a move for Valencia striker Jonas.

The Brazil forward moved to Spain two years ago and has since scored more than 30 La Liga goals.

Hammers boss Sam Allardyce is desperate to strengthen his attack and could be tempted to move for Jonas.




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Manchester United are pondering a move for Porto left-back Alex Sandro, 22, as a long-term successor to Patrice Evra.

Metro


Manchester United are weighing up a move for Porto defender Alex Sandro

Arsenal and Manchester City are monitoring Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, 32, as the Spaniard continues to find himself marginalised at the Bernabeu.

Daily Express

Chelsea are close to reaching an agreement with Inter Milan for Colombian midfielder Fredy Guarin, 27.

London's Evening Standard

Paris St-Germain are considering an ambitious triple swoop for Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard, 22, Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, 20, and Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane, 20.

Daily Express

Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe has been persuaded to join Major League Soccer team Toronto FC during a phonecall with the rapper, Drake. The Canadian musician is an ambassador for the franchise with 31-year-old Defoe expected to be loaned back to Spurs until the MLS starts again in March.

Daily Mirror

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez says the club have received no bids for Arsenal and Manchester United midfield target Angel Di Maria, 25, despite the player's agent admitting huge interest in his client.

Daily Star

Manchester United are ready to open contract talks with winger Antonio Valencia, 28, to avoid losing him on the cheap.

Daily Mirror

Chelsea and AC Milan will battle to sign Wolfsburg's Swiss defender Ricardo Rodriguez with the German club warning that the 21-year-old will not be available until next summer.

The Sun (subscription required)

Arsenal are monitoring Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa, 25, with view to a £32m January deal.

Goal.com


Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor, 29, will be welcomed back into the team by caretaker boss Tim Sherwood after being frozen out by former manager Andre Villas-Boas.

The Independent

FC Basel manager Murat Yakin says he has been approached by Tottenham to succeed Andre Villas-Boas as the new first team coach.

Metro


Roberto Martinez has claimed leading clubs throughout Europe want Everton to take their young players on loan next season following the impact of Romelu Lukaku, 20, and Gerard Deulofeu, 19, at Goodison Park.

Guardian

Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck, 23, must train harder if he is to increase his goal tally, according to boss David Moyes.

Manchester Evening News

Stoke boss, and former Manchester United striker, Mark Hughes says that Red Devils winger Adnan Januzaj, 18, does need special treatment from referees after United manager David Moyes said officials were not doing enough to protect the winger.

The Guardian

Former Chievo coach Giuseppe Sannino says he could be the next Watford manager after Gianfranco resigned from the Championship club on Monday.

The Sun (subscription required)


West Ham boss Sam Allardyce says his team's results need to improve if he is to stay in his job.
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The Times (subscriptions required)
Global gossip (from BBC Monitoring)

Former QPR and Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse is a target for Corsican French Ligue 1 side Bastia, who have made contact with the 32-year-old.

L'equipe

Juventus could potentially buy Bayern Munich's 27-year-old Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic.

Tuttosport

Barcelona veteran defender Carles Puyol, 35, could hang up his boots before the season ends due to a knee injury.

Marca


Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain may have been out with a knee injury since the opening day of the season, but he is getting back to full fitness by showing off some dance moves in the team gym.

Metro




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Re: wednesday's news 18th december includes west ham

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cheers ch always appreciated
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Re: wednesday's news 18th december includes west ham

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stuarta wrote:cheers ch always appreciated

no problem mate
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Re: wednesday's news 18th december includes west ham

Post by westham,eggyandchips »

Great work as always CH.

As for BOTD.........if only eh!?
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Re: wednesday's news 18th december includes west ham

Post by the oldham stripper »

I see your clocks still not working then :lol:
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Re: wednesday's news 18th december includes west ham

Post by bengaliron »

Cheers CH!
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Re: wednesday's news 18th december includes west ham

Post by kayahammer »

Nice one CH!

I'm sure I remember Katy Perry's bristols being bigger 8-) (and no, I'm not Russel)
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Re: wednesday's news 18th december includes west ham

Post by Moxy »

Cheer CH!
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Re: wednesday's news 18th december includes west ham

Post by Adie64 »

Thanks CH, much appreciated. :thup:
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Re: wednesday's news 18th december includes west ham

Post by ereford ammer »

Thanks for all your hard work CH :thup:
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Re: wednesday's news 18th december includes west ham

Post by cockney hammer »

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Basel's Murat Yakin is wanted by The Filth according to Basel's Murat Yakin.


There was a time when saying you worked under José Mourinho was a little like saying you studied at Oxford or roadied for Hendrix.

Because Mourinho was supposed to be the daddy, so seminal that his influence extended way beyond his own club and into others through past pupils and drop-outs. But this week two of his former students, Steve Clarke and André Villas-Boas, were jilted and suddenly he does not appear so masterful. There are more former Martin Jol assistants in charge of Premier League clubs now than ones mentored by Mourinho.

So is Jol about to make a comeback at West Bromwich Albion or Tottenham Hotspur? Hell no. Instead, Spurs intend replacing a manager who flourished under Mourinho before falling out with him with one who has already beaten him twice this season. Basel's Murat Yakin is wanted by Spurs, according to, well, Basel's Murat Yakin.

An even more contrary process is afoot with players, whereby the most sought-after are not so much ones who have worked with Mourinho as ones with whom he has seemed reluctant to work. So Romelu Lukaku is widely considered an even better striker than he actually is, Thibault Courtois is seen as far superior to Petr Cech and Juan Mata is soon to be the subject of an enormous bid from Paris Saint-Germain.

Actually, the Daily Express tells us that it is Eden Hazard for whom PSG are going to bid but L'Equipe say Mata and, what's more, they say a fee of about €40m has already been put forward and indications have been given that the player is amenable to the move.

But since PSG, unlike Chelsea, are keen to avoid hoarding attacking midfielders, they want to first sell Javier Pastore, Ezequiel Lavezzi or Lucas Moura, which is excellent news for Liverpool, as Brendan Rodgers would happily settle for any one of that trio, assuming the curse of the former Mourinho underlings does not afflict him before January. Which it probably won't, since it does not really exist and has been invented solely for the purposes of this intro, a bit like Villas-Boas. No, hold on, AVB really does exist, it is just that at times he came across as an extract from a textbook.

Anyway, apparently PSG also want the Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba. If only Manchester United had such a player, eh? David Moyes is hoping to address United's creativity deficit by prising Angel di María from Real Madrid but Arsenal have the same plan and, while they're about it, fancy hiring Iker Casillas too.

A barren midfield is not the only problem that Moyes inherited, of course. He also reckons he needs a new left-back and, with Leighton Baines not happening, a swoop for Porto's Alex Sandro is imminent. The same club's Fernando, a midfielder, was also on Moyes's shopping list but the player prefers a move to Internazionale, apparently.

Ghana's right-back, Samuel Inkoom, will warm up for the World Cup by playing for either Norwich or Crystal Palace, of course.

Anderlecht and PSV both want to get with the zeitgeist so are clamouring to sign the man who best embodies the teachings of the school of Jol. So Fulham are bracing themselves for a bid for Bryan Ruiz – and when we say bracing themselves, we mean trying to make sure their sides do not split.

Meanwhile, Mourinho is after Wolfsburg's 21-year-old Swiss defender Ricardo Rodríguez, who may or may not be flattered.
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Re: wednesday's news 18th december includes west ham

Post by blaze.s8n »

Cheers, CH. :kumb:
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Re: wednesday's news 18th december includes west ham

Post by cockney hammer »

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DAILY MAIL

Jose Mourinho bemoaned Chelsea's lack of killer instinct and admitted he may have to revert to the cautious approach of old after seeing his side suffer an extra-time defeat in the Capital One Cup quarter-final at the Stadium of Light last night

Liverpool have taken the first steps to make Luis Suarez the highest-paid player in their history after they flew to Barcelona to begin talks with his agentv
THE SUN

Tim Sherwood has told his filth troops to get stuck into West Ham tonight.

Jose Mourinho was sent spinning out by the extra-special one.
DAILY TELEGRAPH




Liverpool have opened talks with Luis Suarez's agent over the new contract they hope will keep the brilliant Uruguay international at Anfield and out of the reach of Europe's richest clubs for the prime of his career.
THE TIMES

Liverpool are preparing to make Luis Suarez the highest-paid player in the club's history by offering the striker a new contract that would double his wages to about £200,000 a week.

DAILY STAR

Fabio Borini and Ki Sung-yueng dumped Chelsea out of the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup at Sunderland last night.

Jack Wilshere was last night charged by the Football Association for giving Manchester City fans the finger.
DAILY EXPRESS

Liverpool officials flew to Spain yesterday to open contract talks as they step up their bid to keep hold of striker Luis Suarez.

Lee Cattermole hailed his side's 2-1 Capital One Cup victory over Chelsea that he says 'keeps alive our season'.
DAILY MIRROR

Emmanuel Adebayor has been welcomed in from the cold after his exile under Andre Villas-Boas.

Liverpool have made the first move to reward Luis Suarez's remarkable form with a new contract.
THE INDEPENDENT

The Filth striker Emmanuel Adebayor will be brought back into the fold under interim manager Tim Sherwood, having been all but frozen out under Andre Villas-Boas, who was sacked on Monday.
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Re: wednesday's news 18th december includes west ham

Post by cockney hammer »

official site
Adrian hopes for another cup chance
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http://www.whufc.com/articles/20131218/ ... 84_3582808" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: wednesday's news 18th december includes west ham

Post by cockney hammer »

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Sam Allardyce braced for Tottenham backlash after their week to forget


Sam Allardyce has warned West Ham to expect a reaction from Tottenham following their drubbing at the hands of Liverpool and the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas.

West Ham travel to White Hart Lane in the Capital One Cup quarter-final tonight with Spurs looking to put their troubles behind them with the 5-0 rout on Sunday followed by Villas-Boas’s dismissal less than 24 hours later.

Tim Sherwood has been placed in temporary charge and Allardyce is wary that the hosts will be determined to respond against West Ham.

“Just from the Liverpool defeat there will be a reaction from the professional level of the players they have got,” said Allardyce. “They are obviously proud professionals, that is why they play at that level. They will want to put it right and you can also see a reaction from players when a manager is sacked.”

Sherwood, who will be assisted by Les Ferdinand and Chris Ramsey, has only had two days to prepare for the game and Allardyce is not expecting big changes in the way Tottenham play. He said: “I maybe expect a change in personnel but I do not expect a change of system.

“There might be one or two players brought in from out of the cold, whether it is someone like Emmanuel Adebayor or Jermain Defoe, who has not played as much as he would have liked. But any team that they play will be a formidable task with the size of the squad and the quality Tottenham have.”

West Ham won 3-0 at White Hart Lane in October but have managed only one Premier League victory since and are only one point outside the relegation zone. A lack of goals — only 13 in the League this season — has been an issue for Allardyce’s side but he believes their defensive record provides them with a good platform to turn things around, starting tonight.

West Ham have kept eight clean sheets this season and Allardyce said: “We have a great footing to start turning this around. But we have to do it very quickly. We have the same amount of clean sheets that Everton so it does not take a genius to know what our problem is.

“We have been a few goals short of what would have been a very good position in the League. We do not often go and lose by many goals because we are that good defensively. Everton are near the top of the League with eight clean sheets, we are fourth from bottom with eight clean sheets, so we know the one thing we have to put right and that is score more goals.”

Sherwood, Tottenham’s technical co-ordinator, has an opportunity to stake his claim to succeed Villas-Boas and Allardyce is surprised the 44-year-old has not gone into management sooner.

The former midfielder oversees the youth set-up and under-21 squad at White Hart Lane but Allardyce feels he has all the credentials to take up a managerial position permanently.

“Obviously for him the right position has not come up yet,” said the West Ham manager, who is likely to make changes to the team that drew 0-0 with Sunderland on Saturday. “I do not think there is any doubt he is a manager in the making but what has surprised me is that he has not challenged himself sooner than this.”

Jussi Jaaskelainen is set to be rested tonight so second-choice goalkeeper Adrian will start in goal. The 26-year-old has only featured in the Capital One Cup since joining from Real Betis in the summer and is relishing another opportunity to impress.

“I have been working since I came to the club to get in the starting 11, so if I play at Tottenham it will be a good chance to show the gaffer and everyone that I am capable of performing at that level,” said Adrian.

“Having such an experienced goalkeeper like Jussi to learn from is great, as you can draw on all of his experience. Right now I am on the bench and I will give him all my support and help him as much as I can but, hopefully, by keeping on learning I will get to be the first goalkeeper.”
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Re: wednesday's news 18th december includes west ham

Post by cockney hammer »

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Match Preview: The Filth v West Ham


This is a difficult – and perhaps untimely – tie for both sides. Tottenham have had the distraction of their Europa Cup campaign and now have to contend with the aftermath of the sacking of their manager, while West Ham cannot seem to break out of their failure to score enough goals. But for Tim Sherwood, the Tottenham caretaker manager, it’s a chance to earn his spurs (arf, arf) and for one or two of Tottenham’s players it’s a chance to prove to their new boss that they deserve a start at the weekend. Lightning doesn’t strike twice and I don’t think we’ll be winning 3-0 there tonight somehow! I’d love to be proved wrong.

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I have no idea the lineup Sam will pick. He says he will only pick players who are 100% fit, which ought to rule out James Tomkins, so it’s possible that one of the Development squad might come in for him. Adrian has played in previous ties but surely we need to rely on Jussi tonight? I’d love to see Daniel Potts get another chance at left back, but George McCartney needs games to get back to full match fitness. In midfield Jack Collison may well get a runout, which would be sensible if we want to reserve Diame’s strength for the upsurging Manchester United at the weekend.

Up front, as usual, it’s the Maiga v Cole debate. After Maiga’s performance on Saturday I can’t work out how he can be allowed to pull on a Hammers shirt again, but I fully expect him to get the nod over Carlton Cole. Don’t ask me why. I can’t explain it.

Winning tonight would give the whole team and all of us such a lift. Tottenham are well beatable, but are we up for it? We fans may be, but I just hope the team is. We can’t cope with many more performances like the ones we have seen recently. I also hope we get a better referee than we had at the weekend. On Saturday I nearly left the ground after 25 minutes. I’ve never even even considered that before, but Andre Marriner was ruining a potentially decent game with a series of inexplicable refereeing decisions. I didn’t go, of course, but by the end of the game I slightly wish I had.

One other thing about Saturday, while I am at it. There was a very odd atmosphere in the ground, as if everyone was resigned to yet another humiliation. There was silence at times, and no one seemed to be able to build any atmosphere. Do we all really care enough? I might return to that question in a future post.
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Re: wednesday's news 18th december includes west ham

Post by cockney hammer »

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Upton Park side want Valencia ace.



West Ham Plot Ambitious Move to Sign Brazilian International to Boost Ailing Attack



West Ham’s seemingly never ending search for striking reinforcements has taken the East London club to La Liga with Sam Allardyce said to be keen on Valencia forward Jonas according to TuttoMercato.

With record signing Andy Carroll still yet to play a single minute of Premier League football this season and with the Hammers sitting just above the drop zone it seems inevitable Allardyce will look to sign a striker in January.

The Upton Park side have notched up just 13 goals in 16 Premier League fixtures and will hope to persuade Brazilian international Jonas to leave the Mestalla in January.

Such a move would be quite a coup given West Ham’s lowly position in the Premier League table though with Valencia languishing in mid-table in La Liga perhaps a move could tempt Jonas, who has scored eight goals in 12 starts in the Spanish top tier this season.

The 29 year old may harbour hopes of making it into Felipe Scolari’s 2014 World Cup finals squad but one wonders if such hopes would be better served by staying at Valencia.
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Re: wednesday's news 18th december includes west ham

Post by cockney hammer »

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Blow for West Ham United as The Filth striker Jermain Defoe set to join FC Toronto



The Filth striker Jermain Defoe is set to disappoint West Ham by joining FC Toronto - and going back to The Filth on loan.

Defoe has reportedly agreed a four-year contract for the MLS side and is expected to be loaned back to The Filth until Toronto's pre-season starts. The North American league starts on March 8.

The switch comes as a blow to West Ham who were hoping Defoe might be the answer to their own striking problems.

The Hammers are desperate to strengthen their forward line having only scored 13 goals in 16 Premier League matches.
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Re: wednesday's news 18th december includes west ham

Post by ManInTheIronsMask. »

Thanks in particular for posting that brilliant article by Martin Samuel. I couldn't agree more.
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Re: wednesday's news 18th december includes west ham

Post by EastLondonHammer »

Thanks CH.

:crest:
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