West Ham v Watford preview: Big Sam - Stop playing like Angela Lansbury
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has challenged Henri Lansbury to rediscover his England Under-21 form and show why he is rated one of the best youngsters in the country.
Lansbury has struggled to nail a first-team place at Upton Park this season, and has only scored one goal following his season-long loan move from Arsenal last summer.
It’s a different story when it comes to playing for England U21s, where he has been one of the star performers, scoring five goals - including a stunning strike during the 4-0 win over Belgium last week.
Lansbury made a rare start in the Hammers’ 2-0 win over Cardiff on Sunday and Allardyce is now hoping he can start to fulfil his potential against Watford on Wednesday and become a big hit for the club in the final two months of the season.
Allardyce said: “Under-21 football is a lot easier than Championship football and you get a lot more opportunities to score. The Championship is a lot tougher, both mentally and physically.
“The disappointment is that we know the good form he can show.
"One good performance is fine but it sets the standard. He has got to be more consistent. We know what he can do.”
the independent
Hammers must nail promotion, says McCartney
The West Ham United defender George McCartney has warned his team-mates against complacency as they look to keep up the pressure at the top of the Championship.
The Hammers secured a vital victory in their push for automatic promotion with a 2-0 defeat of play-off hopefuls Cardiff City last weekend. The second-placed Londoners now have two easier-looking fixtures against bottom-half sides in Watford tonight and relegation-threatened Doncaster Rovers on Saturday, but McCartney insists they cannot afford to ease up.
McCartney said yesterday: "When it's a three-game week, we always seem to beat the toughest opposition and then when it comes to a game against a lesser team, no disrespect to anyone, we seem to struggle. Take, for example, our great win against Blackpool, we then struggled at home to Crystal Palace, a team we feel that at home we should beat.
"We know what we have got to do now, it's getting to the business end of the season and we have got to keep on picking up points. Come Watford on Wednesday, three points is definitely what we are looking for."
McCartney is in particularly good spirits after getting on the scoresheet against Cardiff, his first goal since returning to the club from Sunderland last summer. The Northern Irishman said: "It doesn't happen too often, I think the last one was four years ago. I got a bit of luck after it bounced off of their right-back but I managed to tuck it away with my right foot.
"It doesn't matter how they go in, as long they do I'm happy! It's nice to score but the most important thing is the three points."
West Ham are unbeaten in five games but will be hosting a Watford side at Upton Park buoyed by their recovery from 2-0 down to defeat Burnley 3-2 last Saturday.
Also tonight, Cardiff face another tough test as they return to action against play-off rivals Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.
Both sides ended the weekend outside the play-off positions after the Seagulls were held to a frustrating draw at bottom side Doncaster. Cardiff have hit a slump since reaching the Carling Cup final, winning just one of their last six league games.
Their midfielder Liam Lawrence, who joined the club on loan from Portsmouth last week, is poised to make his debut and hoping to give the side a lift.
Lawrence, fit again after a recent calf injury, said: "The move all came about quite quickly really. I learnt about it late Thursday, early Friday and when I knew there was interest from Cardiff City I was quite happy to come here and try to help the club secure its goal of promotion.
"Hopefully, I can play some part against Brighton. Sunday against West Ham was a little bit too early for me but, hopefully, I'll be ready to go midweek."
Despite their weekend frustration, spirits remain high at Brighton, where the assistant manager, Mauricio Taricco, says competition for places is intense. "Results have not been bad recently so the manager has got decisions to make because he has a big squad now," Taricco explained. "Every player that starts knows that he has got to perform to his best because there are other players fighting to get into the team.
"The basics are not enough any more, there needs to be something else for the players to keep their place."
west ham till i die
Match Preview: West Ham v Watford
The matches last night were a mixed blessing for us. Yes, Southampton dropped two points after only managing a draw with Ipswich, but Reading win yet again to move within a point of us. They really are on fire at the moment and our game with them at the end of the month could have a huge bearing on our promotion prospects. I still think Southampton will falter in the end.
And so to the Watford game. Three points and the odd goal in several wouldn’t go amiss. I suspect that a few changes will be rung, with Matt Taylor returning on the left, replacing Ricardo Vaz Te. I think Taylor is a key player for us and really provides some danger from set pieces. I’d also play two up front, with Cole coming in for Jack Collison. But I have been wrong before and I will be wrong again. Acualy, what I would really like to see is Maynard and Baldock starting together. Echoes of McAvennie and Cottee? We can but dream.
On their day, Watford are a good side. They’ve won four and lost five of their last ten games. They’re safe from the drop but are too far behind (on 43 points) to challenge for a play-off place. But they are no mugs and are well organised.
We can’t afford another hitch at home. Nicky Maynard, Carlton Cole, do your stuff.
the star
NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1 DONCASTER 2: DEANO’S TOP PIQ
DONCASTER new boy Frederic Piquionne made an instant impact as he marked his debut in style against Nottingham Forest.
The striker, picked up by Rovers boss Dean Saunders on a one-month loan from West Ham earlier this week, inspired his side to a huge win in the basement battle.
Piquionne silenced the City Ground with a 25-yard bullet on 44 minutes which left keeper Lee Camp with no chance.
And things went from bad to worse for the home side on 47 minutes when El-Hadji Diouf’s lobbed cross to the back post was lashed in by the unmarked Kyle Bennett.
Camp was then called into action again as he tipped Bennett’s strike against the woodwork.
Forest did pull one back through Dexter Blackstock on 63 minutes but it proved too little, too late.
Controversial Liverpool star Luis Suarez is on Paris Saint-Germain's shopping list as part of an £85m summer spending spree.
Daily Mirror
Belgian international defender Jan Vertonghen, reportedly a target for a number of Premier League sides, says he will not sign a new contract at Ajax.
the Sun
Championship trio Hull, Doncaster and Burnley are monitoring Robbie Fowler's position after the former England striker stopped training with Blackpool.
Daily Mail
Tottenham are ready to offer a £3.5m loyalty bonus to midfield playmaker Luka Modric to ensure he stays at White Hart Lane.
Daily Mail
Newcastle attacking midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa says he wants to become the new Eric Cantona of English football.
Daily Mirror
Aston Villa's injured striker Darren Bent has set his sights on trying to be part of Great Britain's Olympic squad.
the Independent
Former Manchester United skipper Roy Keane has described Chelsea's stars as a "disgrace" after claiming they let down sacked manager Andre Villas-Boas.
Daily Mirror
Controversial Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli was challenged by security staff at his favourite shopping mall in Manchester - when they told him to remove his hood.
Just the job
for Rob
Robbie Fowler
LIVERPOOL legend Robbie Fowler is a target for Hull, Burnley and Doncaster after failing to agree a Blackpool deal.
Premier League
CHELSEA continue to track Standard Liege hotshot Michy Batshuayi. The striker, 18, is also being watched by Barcelona.
BLACKBURN are set to sign ex-Chelsea star Bolo Zenden. He is a free agent after leaving Sunderland last year.
Championship
HENRI LANSBURY aims to put the boot into old pal John Eustace when West Ham face Watford tonight.
Lansbury spent 2009-10 on loan at Vicarage Road, where he became big buddies with Hornets skipper John Eustace.
Arsenal midfielder Lansbury is now a loan star with the promotion-chasing Hammers.
He said: "I'm still big mates with Eusty. If I'm playing, I'll just run past him!"
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