monday's gossip 14th feb includes west ham updated
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monday's gossip 14th feb includes west ham updated
the sun
Time to team us up, Scotty
SCOTT PARKER left his West Ham team-mates and coaching staff "close to tears" with an inspirational half-time speech at West Brom.
The Hammers skipper took his leadership to new levels after his side went 3-0 down in a woeful first-half display.
SunSport understands Parker told the players to remember 'those fans use every last penny they earn to come and sing their hearts out for us'.
He also ordered Avram Grant's under-achievers to show they deserve to wear the claret and blue jersey.
West Ham roared out after the break and grabbed a 3-3 draw that keeps them just two points adrift of safety. Parker said afterwards: "It was a time for us to be realistic as to what went on out there and a few of those words hit home.
"We went out and put in a shift and maybe we could have won it.
"There were a few tactical points but we knew we had let ourselves down.
"We weren't awake for the first 15-20 minutes. Exactly what you would expect to be said was said."
Graham Dorrans, Jerome Thomas and a Winston Reid own goal put the Baggies in the box seat.
But a Carlton Cole header and two goals from Demba Ba earned a crucial point.
Parker is already a hero with the Hammers faithful but should he now lead the team clear of relegation, his name will be put alongside the greats of the club.
The captain added: "There was a lot said. We should be happy we went out and got a draw from that position.
"It was a disastrous start but in the grand scheme of things we have to be happy with a point."
Striker Cole said: "Scott showed a lot of passion in the changing room and it spurred us on. It was inspirational and if you were in there, you would have had a tear in your eye.
"We did not want to disappoint ourselves, the manager, our families and the fans. I know you could say that if you are a professional footballer, then you should have that in you anyway - but sometimes you need your captain to step up like that."
Two-goal hero Ba said boss Grant also had words at half-time. The Senegal star, who was making his first Premier League start, explained: "We were sleeping in the first half.
"At half-time, the manager said it was time we had to play like men. He said we had to start fighting and we did that."
Hammers co-owner David Gold left his seat in disgust when the team went three behind.
But he and David Sullivan insist they are behind Grant.
the sun
We Av more spirit than the lot of you
AVRAM GRANT claims no other struggling side have the spirit to match West Ham's 3-3 comeback draw at West Brom.
The under-fire boss tipped the Hammers to stay up after first-time starter Demba Ba pounced twice to complete a second-half turnaround from 3-0 down.
Grant, whose side moved within two places of safety, said: "If you look at other teams, if they had the problems we have had this year, I'm sure after the first half, the spirit would be very low.
"But this team, despite what we have had this season, have shown a lot of character and spirit and I don't think another team in this position could do that."
"I think we have what you need to stay up."
Grant saluted ex-Hoffenheim hitman Ba, handed a key role due to injuries to Robbie Keane (calf) and Victor Obinna (ankle).
He said: "It is the first game that he started and it is not easy.
"In the first half you could see that he was not used to English football but he adjusted very well and scored two goals. He is a good striker."
Asked what he told his players at half-time, Grant joked: "It is better that you don't know!
"We just spoke about how to change the game and the way we were playing because we had started the game not organised at all.
"We gave them a lot of possession and didn't defend well. If you don't defend, you see what happens, but we spoke about this."
Michael Appleton, put in caretaker charge last week following Roberto Di Matteo's sacking, led West Brom from the dug-out while incoming chief Roy Hodgson watched from the stands.
And Appleton, formerly the Baggies' first-team coach, revealed he dined with Hodgson on Friday and expects to team up with the ex-Liverpool boss.
He said: "I spoke to Roy last night and he said he is keen to work with me.
"Obviously I would be daft not to work with someone of his experience in the game.
"I'm sure that sort of thing will be qualified over the next few days from the football club, but as far as I'm concerned, he is more than happy for me to work alongside him.
"Roy has a fantastic record and has worked at some wonderful clubs in different countries.
"He has a wealth of experience and I can't wait to work alongside him."
Appleton added: "It was my first game today and I've embraced it and enjoyed it, even if there was a little bit of relief towards the end to get the point."
Grant also welcomed Hodgson's instant return to the Premier League.
He said: "I like Roy. I have known him for a long time and he has had a fantastic career.
"Everybody needs to respect what he has done, everywhere in the world, and I'm sure that it is a good signing for West Brom - even though I thought Di Matteo did a very good job here."
the mirror
Cole lifts the lid on Parker's tear-jerking half-time speech
Carlton Cole has revealed how Scott Parker’s Churchillian half-time team talk turned the tide of West Ham’s battle at West Brom.
Down 3-0 at the break, with Winston Read chipping in with an own goal, stand-in skipper Parker delivered a call to arms which sparked a remarkable comeback, the Hammers stunning Albion three times in the second-half and almost winning.
Cole told how Parker’s stirring, emotional words changed completely the attitude of the team after the break.
The West Ham striker said: “When we came out we didn’t want to disappoint ourselves, we didn’t want to disappoint the manager, we didn’t want to disappoint our families, everyone that supports us, the fans.
“In the first half we were really, really poor.
“I must say, Scott was just in the zone. I’ve never seen him like that and I was like, ‘Wow! This is the real deal’.
“I know you could say to yourself, ‘You’re a professional football player, you should have that in you already’. But sometimes you need your captain to come across like that.
“It was inspirational. If you were in there you’d have a tear in your eye.”
the mail
Government close to confirming West Ham as victors in race for Olympic Stadium
The Government are close to ratifying the choice of West Ham to take over the Olympic Stadium, the sports and Olympics minister Hugh Robertson today confirmed.
Robertson said he had studied the papers produced by the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC), who selected West Ham as the preferred bidder over Tottenham on Friday, and has been satisfied the process had been done correctly.
The choice has to be ratified by two Government departments - the departments of culture, media and sport, and communities and local government - and the London Mayor's office.
'I have read all the board papers carefully and I'm entirely sure myself the OPLC's process was robust and independent,' Robertson told BBC Radio Five's Sportsweek.
Asked if in that case he would vote for West Ham to get the stadium, he added: 'There is a process to go through but West Ham are clearly in the lead. I'm absolutely convinced that the OPLC process has been robust and independent, so yes.
'We want to make a formal announcement to Parliament but we know the clock is ticking and we want to get it done as quickly as possible.'
Robertson said he did not believe the issue of the running track would cause problems to football fans at the stadium, and said West Ham could have retractable seating so long as they kept their promises to athletics.
He added: 'People tend to think of a 1980s' mixed use stadium. This is a much more modern stadium, the sightlines are much better, the fans are much closer to centre spot than the outer seats at Wembley.
'Anybody who has stood in the middle of where the pitch will be will tell you that it looks much, much better. If West Ham want to bring in retractable seating and can still fulfil the promises they made to athletics then that's fair enough.'
Robertson also confirmed he was keen to support a bid for the 2017 world athletics championships but that there need to be talks on underwriting the cost of staging the event - around £45million.
He said: 'The world athletics championships are quite expensive things to bid for - they require considerable underwriting of around £45million. Ticket sales only bring a small proportion in, so we have to look at that very carefully indeed with the financial position we are in.
'As sports minister though I want to bring every possible international competition to this country so I would look at that very carefully indeed.
'I would very much like athletics to be a part of that. It would be a huge shame if it did not happen.'
the telegraph
Sports minister Hugh Robertson to approve West Ham United bid for Olympic Stadium
West Ham are expected to receive final approval as preferred bidders for the Olympic Stadium this week after sports minister Hugh Robertson confirmed he is satisfied with the bidding process that resulted in Tottenham being defeated.
Spurs are considering mounting a legal challenge against the decision of the Olympic Park Legacy Company on the grounds that due process may not have been followed.
But Robertson told the Radio 5 Live Sportsweek programme that he is satisfied the OPLC process was “independent and robust”.
His confidence in the decision is effectively Government approval, and clears the way for London mayor Boris Johnson and ministers Jeremy Hunt and Eric Pickles to rubber-stamp the decision.
“I have read all the board papers carefully and I’m entirely sure the OPLC’s process was robust and independent,” Robertson said.
Asked if in that case he would vote for West Ham to get the stadium, he added: “There is a process to go through but West Ham are clearly in the lead. I’m convinced that the OPLC process has been robust and independent, so yes.
“I would hope we can do this as soon as possible. We want to make a formal announcement to Parliament but we know the clock is ticking and we want to get it done as quickly as possible.”
Robertson said he did not believe retaining the running track would cause problems for watching football and said he would welcome West Ham’s proposal for some retractable seats as long as the commitment to athletics was maintained.
“People tend to think of a 1980s’ mixed-use stadium. This is a much more modern stadium, the sightlines are much better, the fans are closer to the centre spot than they would be in the outer seats at Wembley so it is a very modern state-of-the art design.
“Anybody who has stood in the middle of where the pitch will be will tell you that it looks much, much better. If West Ham want to bring in retractable seating and can still fulfil the promises they made to athletics then that’s fair enough.”
Robertson also confirmed he would support a bid for the 2017 world athletics championships but that there need to be talks on underwriting the cost of staging the event – around £45 million.
The Sunday Telegraph disclosed that any legal challenge from Spurs could derail a bid. “The world athletics championships are quite expensive things to bid for – they require considerable underwriting of around £45 million. Ticket sales only generate a small proportion in, so we have to look at that very carefully indeed with the financial position we are in.
“But as sports minister I would want to bring as many world-leading sports event to this country that we can. In many sports we are bidding for these events and I want athletics to be part of that,” Robertson said.
Former Olympics minister Tessa Jowell said the selection of West Ham vindicated the legacy plans she set in place for London’s bid. The previous government rejected previous bids from West Ham and Tottenham to take on the stadium in 2006 and 2007.
Jowell: “The joint bid between West Ham and Newham Council means that the decisions about the stadium legacy made in 2007 will be realised. It will be adapted to a smaller size but it will be what we hoped would be a living stadium.
“We gave a lot of thought to this. We commissioned a report from KPMG that looked at Premier League football but the fact was when we pressed the button on the design contracts there was no firm proposition on the table from a football club.
“West Ham came in late but they came in with a proposition that would not have been acceptable because it effectively meant building them a stadium with public money.
“We can never guarantee the future but we were determined that we would have legacy and one that met the commitments we made and we were not going to jeopardise the progress that was being made and fall behind on the dates for contracting the stadium that would in time have cost a great deal of money.”
wba mad
a fans view
Sussexbaggie gives his view on Albion's draw
The most disappointing aspect of the result yesterday was that there was an air of inevitability about it. We were 3-0 up at half-time and should have been able to safely say that we had three points in the bag, but an abysmal defensive display in the second half saw us lose out on two vital points in the relegation battle.
Team
The afternoon started off very positively, with caretaker manager Michael ‘Appy’ Appleton opting for an attacking 4-4-2 formation. The departure of Roberto Di Matteo saw Nicky Shorey included in the starting line-up in place of Marek Cech, and also saw a partnership of Peter Odemwingie and Marc-Antoine Fortune up front to try and increase our attacking threat.
Chris Brunt and Jerome Thomas continued on the right and left wing respectively, with Youssouf Mulumbu and Graham Dorrans renewing their partnership in central midfield from last season in the Championship.
The only slightly disappointing element of the side was seeing Paul Scharner continuing in defence alongside Jonas Olsson, despite his error-strewn performances in recent weeks
First half
The game kicked off with Albion on the front foot, with every player out to impress new Head Coach Roy Hodgson, who was watching from the stands. We had the first chance early on when Fortune sent a low shot from 20 yards straight at Rob Green.
After three minutes, the noise levels in The Hawthorns increased as we took the lead. The goal was scored by Graham Dorrans, who unleashed a superb strike from 25 yards, leaving Green with absolutely no chance.
We should have doubled our lead a couple of minutes later, when Chris Brunt saw his goal-bound effort blocked by Fortune after Green could only parry Peter Odemwingie’s dangerous low cross back into the danger area.
However, our near constant pressure paid off with a second goal after eight minutes. Jerome Thomas was the scorer, as he calmly finished from 15 yards after receiving the ball from Fortune.
Our attacking display in the opening exchanges was reminiscent of our many superb attacking performances in the Championship last season, when it would become clear in the first 20 minutes that we would have far too much for the opposition going forward.
Unfortunately, the momentum of the game changed after 14 minutes when Mulumbu was forced off with a thigh injury. This should not be too much of an issue bearing in mind we were already 2-0 up, but Appy showed his naivety and inexperience by replacing him with an attacking midfielder in James Morrison, rather than bringing on a centre-back and moving Paul Scharner into midfield.
Initially, we continued to enjoy the majority of the possession and we extended our lead further just after the half-hour mark after Dorrans’ free-kick was deflected into his own goal by Winston Reid. It says a lot about Albion, however, that even though we were 3-0 up against a side as limited as West Ham, I still refused to think that the game was safe.
This was proved in the closing stages of the first half, as the third goal seemed to lead to complacency creeping into some of our players and also saw West Ham improve.
Boaz Myhill was forced into a fine save to turn a powerful effort from an unmarked Demba Ba in the penalty area onto the post, before Gary O’Neil hit the crossbar with a powerful 25-yard effort in the last meaningful action of the first half.
Second half
The second half started with West Ham in the ascendancy, as I had predicted at half-time. It took them just five minutes of the half to pull a goal back, with the woeful Scharner misjudging the flight of a cross from Mark Noble, allowing Ba to bring the ball clear and finish comfortably past Myhill.
This goal changed the mood around the ground, with the West Ham fans beginning to sense a comeback and the chance of picking up a point at the very least.
After 58 minutes, the visitors pulled back another goal thanks to the worst defending I have ever seen from a Premier League side. Nicky Shorey, who is one of the smallest on the pitch, was left to mark two of the tallest in Freddie Piquionne and Carlton Cole on his own, leading to Piquionne heading the ball back across goal for the unmarked Cole to head home.
The Albion players visibly let their heads drop after this and should have conceded a third goal just two minutes later when Piquionne sent a towering header against the bar.
After 61 minutes, Appy made his second baffling decision of the day by replacing the impressive Thomas with Giles Barnes. This effectively meant that we had no left winger for the last 29 minutes, as Barnes seemed to be playing in the hole behind Odemwingie and Fortune. Barnes, who seemed to be unfit, showed no desire to win any challenges and should not be included again unless Hodgson can get the best out of him.
Albion were still creating the odd chance, though, and Odemwingie was unlucky to see his 18-yard effort well saved by Green after an intricate passing move involving Dorrans and Barnes.
However, we had Nicky Shorey to thank just minutes later as he was in the right place at the right time to block Ba’s effort on the line.
We were second-best all over the park as the game entered the final ten minutes and we finally succumbed to the constant West Ham pressure by conceding an equaliser after 83 minutes. For the second time in quick succession, we fell asleep from a short corner, allowing Mark Noble to send a cross towards the back post for Ba to expertly volley home.
At this point, most people in the ground probably sensed a West Ham winner and if they had really gone for it in the last few minutes, they would probably have found a way past our defence.
Despite this, we had the best chance in the closing stages when Odemwingie sent a tame shot straight at Green after he did well to create the opening.
On reflection
Roy Hodgson will probably be wondering what he has signed himself up for! He will undoubtedly have been impressed by our attacking display in the first half, but will have been very concerned with the ease with which we allowed West Ham back into the game.
Our problem at the moment is our defence, as we have now shown that we have to score at least four goals to guarantee three points. With the games we have coming up, I genuinely cannot see us being able to score four goals in any of them so unless Hodgson sorts the defending out, we will be relegated.
Appy has come in for a lot of criticism for some of his decisions yesterday, most of which is justified. I almost feel sorry for him, as he was totally out of his depth tactically and seemed to have no idea what to change when we were put under pressure in the second half. There are probably Sunday League sides who can claim to be more organised than we were in the second half yesterday, which again suggests that Appy found it difficult to change things tactically when we just needed to close out the game.
However, the players also need to be held accountable for throwing away two vital points. Far too many of them seemed to just accept that the best we were going to be able to do was pick up a point yesterday, which is simply unacceptable.
I could write pages and pages about the players who under-performed disgracefully, but it is far easier to say that the only players who can come off that pitch knowing that they had done their best were Boaz Myhill, Graham Dorrans and Jerome Thomas.
If we are to stay up this season, Hodgson is going to have to perform one of the greatest feats of his illustrious managerial career. There is no doubt we have the attacking players to trouble most sides, but our defending must improve, something which Hodgson will have realised very early on yesterday.
The Wolves game next week has now become a ‘must-win’. This is not just because it is a local derby, but because it is effectively our game in hand over most of our relegation rivals and if we can win it when some of them are in FA Cup action, it will hopefully give us the platform to push on.
Boing Boing!
Time to team us up, Scotty
SCOTT PARKER left his West Ham team-mates and coaching staff "close to tears" with an inspirational half-time speech at West Brom.
The Hammers skipper took his leadership to new levels after his side went 3-0 down in a woeful first-half display.
SunSport understands Parker told the players to remember 'those fans use every last penny they earn to come and sing their hearts out for us'.
He also ordered Avram Grant's under-achievers to show they deserve to wear the claret and blue jersey.
West Ham roared out after the break and grabbed a 3-3 draw that keeps them just two points adrift of safety. Parker said afterwards: "It was a time for us to be realistic as to what went on out there and a few of those words hit home.
"We went out and put in a shift and maybe we could have won it.
"There were a few tactical points but we knew we had let ourselves down.
"We weren't awake for the first 15-20 minutes. Exactly what you would expect to be said was said."
Graham Dorrans, Jerome Thomas and a Winston Reid own goal put the Baggies in the box seat.
But a Carlton Cole header and two goals from Demba Ba earned a crucial point.
Parker is already a hero with the Hammers faithful but should he now lead the team clear of relegation, his name will be put alongside the greats of the club.
The captain added: "There was a lot said. We should be happy we went out and got a draw from that position.
"It was a disastrous start but in the grand scheme of things we have to be happy with a point."
Striker Cole said: "Scott showed a lot of passion in the changing room and it spurred us on. It was inspirational and if you were in there, you would have had a tear in your eye.
"We did not want to disappoint ourselves, the manager, our families and the fans. I know you could say that if you are a professional footballer, then you should have that in you anyway - but sometimes you need your captain to step up like that."
Two-goal hero Ba said boss Grant also had words at half-time. The Senegal star, who was making his first Premier League start, explained: "We were sleeping in the first half.
"At half-time, the manager said it was time we had to play like men. He said we had to start fighting and we did that."
Hammers co-owner David Gold left his seat in disgust when the team went three behind.
But he and David Sullivan insist they are behind Grant.
the sun
We Av more spirit than the lot of you
AVRAM GRANT claims no other struggling side have the spirit to match West Ham's 3-3 comeback draw at West Brom.
The under-fire boss tipped the Hammers to stay up after first-time starter Demba Ba pounced twice to complete a second-half turnaround from 3-0 down.
Grant, whose side moved within two places of safety, said: "If you look at other teams, if they had the problems we have had this year, I'm sure after the first half, the spirit would be very low.
"But this team, despite what we have had this season, have shown a lot of character and spirit and I don't think another team in this position could do that."
"I think we have what you need to stay up."
Grant saluted ex-Hoffenheim hitman Ba, handed a key role due to injuries to Robbie Keane (calf) and Victor Obinna (ankle).
He said: "It is the first game that he started and it is not easy.
"In the first half you could see that he was not used to English football but he adjusted very well and scored two goals. He is a good striker."
Asked what he told his players at half-time, Grant joked: "It is better that you don't know!
"We just spoke about how to change the game and the way we were playing because we had started the game not organised at all.
"We gave them a lot of possession and didn't defend well. If you don't defend, you see what happens, but we spoke about this."
Michael Appleton, put in caretaker charge last week following Roberto Di Matteo's sacking, led West Brom from the dug-out while incoming chief Roy Hodgson watched from the stands.
And Appleton, formerly the Baggies' first-team coach, revealed he dined with Hodgson on Friday and expects to team up with the ex-Liverpool boss.
He said: "I spoke to Roy last night and he said he is keen to work with me.
"Obviously I would be daft not to work with someone of his experience in the game.
"I'm sure that sort of thing will be qualified over the next few days from the football club, but as far as I'm concerned, he is more than happy for me to work alongside him.
"Roy has a fantastic record and has worked at some wonderful clubs in different countries.
"He has a wealth of experience and I can't wait to work alongside him."
Appleton added: "It was my first game today and I've embraced it and enjoyed it, even if there was a little bit of relief towards the end to get the point."
Grant also welcomed Hodgson's instant return to the Premier League.
He said: "I like Roy. I have known him for a long time and he has had a fantastic career.
"Everybody needs to respect what he has done, everywhere in the world, and I'm sure that it is a good signing for West Brom - even though I thought Di Matteo did a very good job here."
the mirror
Cole lifts the lid on Parker's tear-jerking half-time speech
Carlton Cole has revealed how Scott Parker’s Churchillian half-time team talk turned the tide of West Ham’s battle at West Brom.
Down 3-0 at the break, with Winston Read chipping in with an own goal, stand-in skipper Parker delivered a call to arms which sparked a remarkable comeback, the Hammers stunning Albion three times in the second-half and almost winning.
Cole told how Parker’s stirring, emotional words changed completely the attitude of the team after the break.
The West Ham striker said: “When we came out we didn’t want to disappoint ourselves, we didn’t want to disappoint the manager, we didn’t want to disappoint our families, everyone that supports us, the fans.
“In the first half we were really, really poor.
“I must say, Scott was just in the zone. I’ve never seen him like that and I was like, ‘Wow! This is the real deal’.
“I know you could say to yourself, ‘You’re a professional football player, you should have that in you already’. But sometimes you need your captain to come across like that.
“It was inspirational. If you were in there you’d have a tear in your eye.”
the mail
Government close to confirming West Ham as victors in race for Olympic Stadium
The Government are close to ratifying the choice of West Ham to take over the Olympic Stadium, the sports and Olympics minister Hugh Robertson today confirmed.
Robertson said he had studied the papers produced by the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC), who selected West Ham as the preferred bidder over Tottenham on Friday, and has been satisfied the process had been done correctly.
The choice has to be ratified by two Government departments - the departments of culture, media and sport, and communities and local government - and the London Mayor's office.
'I have read all the board papers carefully and I'm entirely sure myself the OPLC's process was robust and independent,' Robertson told BBC Radio Five's Sportsweek.
Asked if in that case he would vote for West Ham to get the stadium, he added: 'There is a process to go through but West Ham are clearly in the lead. I'm absolutely convinced that the OPLC process has been robust and independent, so yes.
'We want to make a formal announcement to Parliament but we know the clock is ticking and we want to get it done as quickly as possible.'
Robertson said he did not believe the issue of the running track would cause problems to football fans at the stadium, and said West Ham could have retractable seating so long as they kept their promises to athletics.
He added: 'People tend to think of a 1980s' mixed use stadium. This is a much more modern stadium, the sightlines are much better, the fans are much closer to centre spot than the outer seats at Wembley.
'Anybody who has stood in the middle of where the pitch will be will tell you that it looks much, much better. If West Ham want to bring in retractable seating and can still fulfil the promises they made to athletics then that's fair enough.'
Robertson also confirmed he was keen to support a bid for the 2017 world athletics championships but that there need to be talks on underwriting the cost of staging the event - around £45million.
He said: 'The world athletics championships are quite expensive things to bid for - they require considerable underwriting of around £45million. Ticket sales only bring a small proportion in, so we have to look at that very carefully indeed with the financial position we are in.
'As sports minister though I want to bring every possible international competition to this country so I would look at that very carefully indeed.
'I would very much like athletics to be a part of that. It would be a huge shame if it did not happen.'
the telegraph
Sports minister Hugh Robertson to approve West Ham United bid for Olympic Stadium
West Ham are expected to receive final approval as preferred bidders for the Olympic Stadium this week after sports minister Hugh Robertson confirmed he is satisfied with the bidding process that resulted in Tottenham being defeated.
Spurs are considering mounting a legal challenge against the decision of the Olympic Park Legacy Company on the grounds that due process may not have been followed.
But Robertson told the Radio 5 Live Sportsweek programme that he is satisfied the OPLC process was “independent and robust”.
His confidence in the decision is effectively Government approval, and clears the way for London mayor Boris Johnson and ministers Jeremy Hunt and Eric Pickles to rubber-stamp the decision.
“I have read all the board papers carefully and I’m entirely sure the OPLC’s process was robust and independent,” Robertson said.
Asked if in that case he would vote for West Ham to get the stadium, he added: “There is a process to go through but West Ham are clearly in the lead. I’m convinced that the OPLC process has been robust and independent, so yes.
“I would hope we can do this as soon as possible. We want to make a formal announcement to Parliament but we know the clock is ticking and we want to get it done as quickly as possible.”
Robertson said he did not believe retaining the running track would cause problems for watching football and said he would welcome West Ham’s proposal for some retractable seats as long as the commitment to athletics was maintained.
“People tend to think of a 1980s’ mixed-use stadium. This is a much more modern stadium, the sightlines are much better, the fans are closer to the centre spot than they would be in the outer seats at Wembley so it is a very modern state-of-the art design.
“Anybody who has stood in the middle of where the pitch will be will tell you that it looks much, much better. If West Ham want to bring in retractable seating and can still fulfil the promises they made to athletics then that’s fair enough.”
Robertson also confirmed he would support a bid for the 2017 world athletics championships but that there need to be talks on underwriting the cost of staging the event – around £45 million.
The Sunday Telegraph disclosed that any legal challenge from Spurs could derail a bid. “The world athletics championships are quite expensive things to bid for – they require considerable underwriting of around £45 million. Ticket sales only generate a small proportion in, so we have to look at that very carefully indeed with the financial position we are in.
“But as sports minister I would want to bring as many world-leading sports event to this country that we can. In many sports we are bidding for these events and I want athletics to be part of that,” Robertson said.
Former Olympics minister Tessa Jowell said the selection of West Ham vindicated the legacy plans she set in place for London’s bid. The previous government rejected previous bids from West Ham and Tottenham to take on the stadium in 2006 and 2007.
Jowell: “The joint bid between West Ham and Newham Council means that the decisions about the stadium legacy made in 2007 will be realised. It will be adapted to a smaller size but it will be what we hoped would be a living stadium.
“We gave a lot of thought to this. We commissioned a report from KPMG that looked at Premier League football but the fact was when we pressed the button on the design contracts there was no firm proposition on the table from a football club.
“West Ham came in late but they came in with a proposition that would not have been acceptable because it effectively meant building them a stadium with public money.
“We can never guarantee the future but we were determined that we would have legacy and one that met the commitments we made and we were not going to jeopardise the progress that was being made and fall behind on the dates for contracting the stadium that would in time have cost a great deal of money.”
wba mad
a fans view
Sussexbaggie gives his view on Albion's draw
The most disappointing aspect of the result yesterday was that there was an air of inevitability about it. We were 3-0 up at half-time and should have been able to safely say that we had three points in the bag, but an abysmal defensive display in the second half saw us lose out on two vital points in the relegation battle.
Team
The afternoon started off very positively, with caretaker manager Michael ‘Appy’ Appleton opting for an attacking 4-4-2 formation. The departure of Roberto Di Matteo saw Nicky Shorey included in the starting line-up in place of Marek Cech, and also saw a partnership of Peter Odemwingie and Marc-Antoine Fortune up front to try and increase our attacking threat.
Chris Brunt and Jerome Thomas continued on the right and left wing respectively, with Youssouf Mulumbu and Graham Dorrans renewing their partnership in central midfield from last season in the Championship.
The only slightly disappointing element of the side was seeing Paul Scharner continuing in defence alongside Jonas Olsson, despite his error-strewn performances in recent weeks
First half
The game kicked off with Albion on the front foot, with every player out to impress new Head Coach Roy Hodgson, who was watching from the stands. We had the first chance early on when Fortune sent a low shot from 20 yards straight at Rob Green.
After three minutes, the noise levels in The Hawthorns increased as we took the lead. The goal was scored by Graham Dorrans, who unleashed a superb strike from 25 yards, leaving Green with absolutely no chance.
We should have doubled our lead a couple of minutes later, when Chris Brunt saw his goal-bound effort blocked by Fortune after Green could only parry Peter Odemwingie’s dangerous low cross back into the danger area.
However, our near constant pressure paid off with a second goal after eight minutes. Jerome Thomas was the scorer, as he calmly finished from 15 yards after receiving the ball from Fortune.
Our attacking display in the opening exchanges was reminiscent of our many superb attacking performances in the Championship last season, when it would become clear in the first 20 minutes that we would have far too much for the opposition going forward.
Unfortunately, the momentum of the game changed after 14 minutes when Mulumbu was forced off with a thigh injury. This should not be too much of an issue bearing in mind we were already 2-0 up, but Appy showed his naivety and inexperience by replacing him with an attacking midfielder in James Morrison, rather than bringing on a centre-back and moving Paul Scharner into midfield.
Initially, we continued to enjoy the majority of the possession and we extended our lead further just after the half-hour mark after Dorrans’ free-kick was deflected into his own goal by Winston Reid. It says a lot about Albion, however, that even though we were 3-0 up against a side as limited as West Ham, I still refused to think that the game was safe.
This was proved in the closing stages of the first half, as the third goal seemed to lead to complacency creeping into some of our players and also saw West Ham improve.
Boaz Myhill was forced into a fine save to turn a powerful effort from an unmarked Demba Ba in the penalty area onto the post, before Gary O’Neil hit the crossbar with a powerful 25-yard effort in the last meaningful action of the first half.
Second half
The second half started with West Ham in the ascendancy, as I had predicted at half-time. It took them just five minutes of the half to pull a goal back, with the woeful Scharner misjudging the flight of a cross from Mark Noble, allowing Ba to bring the ball clear and finish comfortably past Myhill.
This goal changed the mood around the ground, with the West Ham fans beginning to sense a comeback and the chance of picking up a point at the very least.
After 58 minutes, the visitors pulled back another goal thanks to the worst defending I have ever seen from a Premier League side. Nicky Shorey, who is one of the smallest on the pitch, was left to mark two of the tallest in Freddie Piquionne and Carlton Cole on his own, leading to Piquionne heading the ball back across goal for the unmarked Cole to head home.
The Albion players visibly let their heads drop after this and should have conceded a third goal just two minutes later when Piquionne sent a towering header against the bar.
After 61 minutes, Appy made his second baffling decision of the day by replacing the impressive Thomas with Giles Barnes. This effectively meant that we had no left winger for the last 29 minutes, as Barnes seemed to be playing in the hole behind Odemwingie and Fortune. Barnes, who seemed to be unfit, showed no desire to win any challenges and should not be included again unless Hodgson can get the best out of him.
Albion were still creating the odd chance, though, and Odemwingie was unlucky to see his 18-yard effort well saved by Green after an intricate passing move involving Dorrans and Barnes.
However, we had Nicky Shorey to thank just minutes later as he was in the right place at the right time to block Ba’s effort on the line.
We were second-best all over the park as the game entered the final ten minutes and we finally succumbed to the constant West Ham pressure by conceding an equaliser after 83 minutes. For the second time in quick succession, we fell asleep from a short corner, allowing Mark Noble to send a cross towards the back post for Ba to expertly volley home.
At this point, most people in the ground probably sensed a West Ham winner and if they had really gone for it in the last few minutes, they would probably have found a way past our defence.
Despite this, we had the best chance in the closing stages when Odemwingie sent a tame shot straight at Green after he did well to create the opening.
On reflection
Roy Hodgson will probably be wondering what he has signed himself up for! He will undoubtedly have been impressed by our attacking display in the first half, but will have been very concerned with the ease with which we allowed West Ham back into the game.
Our problem at the moment is our defence, as we have now shown that we have to score at least four goals to guarantee three points. With the games we have coming up, I genuinely cannot see us being able to score four goals in any of them so unless Hodgson sorts the defending out, we will be relegated.
Appy has come in for a lot of criticism for some of his decisions yesterday, most of which is justified. I almost feel sorry for him, as he was totally out of his depth tactically and seemed to have no idea what to change when we were put under pressure in the second half. There are probably Sunday League sides who can claim to be more organised than we were in the second half yesterday, which again suggests that Appy found it difficult to change things tactically when we just needed to close out the game.
However, the players also need to be held accountable for throwing away two vital points. Far too many of them seemed to just accept that the best we were going to be able to do was pick up a point yesterday, which is simply unacceptable.
I could write pages and pages about the players who under-performed disgracefully, but it is far easier to say that the only players who can come off that pitch knowing that they had done their best were Boaz Myhill, Graham Dorrans and Jerome Thomas.
If we are to stay up this season, Hodgson is going to have to perform one of the greatest feats of his illustrious managerial career. There is no doubt we have the attacking players to trouble most sides, but our defending must improve, something which Hodgson will have realised very early on yesterday.
The Wolves game next week has now become a ‘must-win’. This is not just because it is a local derby, but because it is effectively our game in hand over most of our relegation rivals and if we can win it when some of them are in FA Cup action, it will hopefully give us the platform to push on.
Boing Boing!
Last edited by cockney hammer on Mon Feb 14, 2011 10:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
- Henry Wilt
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Re: monday's gossip 14th feb includes west ham
Cheers CH, nice to see you are able to replace "the dunces" with West Ham again this week.
- west ham15
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Re: monday's gossip 14th feb includes west ham
I enjoyed the sussexbaggie West Brom point of view - that could so easily have been written by a west ham fan about any number of our games this year.
- Claretandblueyank
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- Paddy O'Hammer
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Re: monday's gossip 14th feb includes west ham
I was thinking of having BOTD #3 as me Valentine, but sod that....Scotty I Love you!!!!!!!!
- HammerMan2004
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Re: monday's gossip 14th feb includes west ham
Latest Harry Harris offering:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story ... to-sell-35" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;%-stake-for-L40m?cc=5739
A big stake in West Ham is up for sale for around £40 million, according to ESPNsoccernet sources.
The club are willing to bring in a third partner to join current owners David Gold and David Sullivan, with the value of the club set to soar after landing the Olympic site on Friday, and will be looking to sell a 35% stake.
Gold and Sullivan would in no way gain personally from any funds injected into the club from a new investor, as "they are simply looking for other people to join them who'd invest new funds with them to help turn West Ham into a top six-club", according to club and City insiders.
A West Ham insider told ESPNsoccernet: "With playing at the Olympic Stadium from the start of the 2014-15 season, the club's value has been enormously increased and there is a unique opportunity to buy the remaining 35% of the club for around £35-40 million.
"Once all the shares are placed it is anticipated that they'll increase enormously in value over the coming few years as the club moves to the Olympic Stadium for the start of the 2014-15 season.
"There is a chance the value of the club could go from £100 million to £500 million, to £700 million over five years when we move.
"There are only four big clubs in London: Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal and West Ham, and West Ham is by far the cheapest. Yet it has great heritage and a huge fan base and, with the Olympic Stadium, it can become a top-five club in the future."
ESPNsoccernet can reveal that West Ham is currently split between Sullivan and Gold, who each have a 31% stake, while around 3% goes to other shareholders and 35% is still owned by the Straumur Bank (who acquired the club in October 2008 due to the large debt owed by former owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson).
Sullivan and Gold have an option over the Straumur shares for three years from the date they took control of West Ham - in January 2010 - but the club would entertain "a large single partner, or a number of smaller partners, to join them and take out the Straumur shareholding".
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story ... to-sell-35" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;%-stake-for-L40m?cc=5739
A big stake in West Ham is up for sale for around £40 million, according to ESPNsoccernet sources.
The club are willing to bring in a third partner to join current owners David Gold and David Sullivan, with the value of the club set to soar after landing the Olympic site on Friday, and will be looking to sell a 35% stake.
Gold and Sullivan would in no way gain personally from any funds injected into the club from a new investor, as "they are simply looking for other people to join them who'd invest new funds with them to help turn West Ham into a top six-club", according to club and City insiders.
A West Ham insider told ESPNsoccernet: "With playing at the Olympic Stadium from the start of the 2014-15 season, the club's value has been enormously increased and there is a unique opportunity to buy the remaining 35% of the club for around £35-40 million.
"Once all the shares are placed it is anticipated that they'll increase enormously in value over the coming few years as the club moves to the Olympic Stadium for the start of the 2014-15 season.
"There is a chance the value of the club could go from £100 million to £500 million, to £700 million over five years when we move.
"There are only four big clubs in London: Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal and West Ham, and West Ham is by far the cheapest. Yet it has great heritage and a huge fan base and, with the Olympic Stadium, it can become a top-five club in the future."
ESPNsoccernet can reveal that West Ham is currently split between Sullivan and Gold, who each have a 31% stake, while around 3% goes to other shareholders and 35% is still owned by the Straumur Bank (who acquired the club in October 2008 due to the large debt owed by former owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson).
Sullivan and Gold have an option over the Straumur shares for three years from the date they took control of West Ham - in January 2010 - but the club would entertain "a large single partner, or a number of smaller partners, to join them and take out the Straumur shareholding".
Re: monday's gossip 14th feb includes west ham
See there's already talk of getting investment. I should start charging for my foresight.
- ageing hammer
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Re: monday's gossip 14th feb includes west ham
A big stake in West Ham is up for sale for around £40 million, according to ESPNsoccernet sources.
Keep it quiet or Benni McCarthy will eat it.
Keep it quiet or Benni McCarthy will eat it.
- Paddy O'Hammer
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Re: monday's gossip 14th feb includes west ham
£40,000,000 split between 10,000 = £4,000. I'm a mathematical genius, now I wonder could Scotty galvanise 10,000 of us into committing.
- Aceface
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Re: monday's gossip 14th feb includes west ham
An easy and sensible way to help improve the team's performance? Won't happen.Claretandblueyank wrote:Thanks CH
Parker for captain.
- cockney hammer
- Resident badge expert
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Re: monday's gossip 14th feb includes west ham
Liverpool are plotting a move for Newcastle left-back Jose Enrique, who was watched by Reds director of football strategy Damien Comolli in Saturday's draw with Blackburn.
Full story: Daily Mirror
New West Brom manager Roy Hodgson is set to recall striker Ishmael Miller from his loan spell at Queens Park Rangers.
Full story: Daily Mirror
OTHER GOSSIP
Three-time Fifa World Player of the Year Ronaldo is set to announce his retirement from the game. "I wanted to continue but I can't," Corinthians' 34-year-old former Brazil international is quoted in a Brazilian newspaper. "I think about making a play but I can't execute it." (AP)
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti is giving serious consideration to dropping striker Didier Drogba for Monday's Premier League trip to Fulham.
Full story: Daily Mail
Ancelotti has warned Blues captain John Terry that he should no longer expect to play in every match. Full story: Daily Mail
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is set to take a big risk on Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart by flying the injured midfield trio out for Tuesday's Champions League meeting with AC Milan. Full story: Daily Mirror
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has urged his team-mates to play "with no fear" when they host "the best team in the world", Barcelona, in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday.
Full story: Daily Telegraph
Fabregas's midfield club-mate Jack Wilshere has suggested the Gunners must "get in the faces" of Barca and "be a bit nasty" if they are to gain an advantage at the Emirates Stadium.
Full story: the Guardian
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, cancelled his side's scheduled Sunday training session because his players were too tired.
Full story: Daily Mail
West Ham are expected to receive final approval as preferred bidders for the Olympic Stadium this week after sports minister Hugh Robertson confirmed he is satisfied with the bidding process that resulted in Tottenham being defeated.
Full story: Daily Telegraph
AND FINALLY
The Football Association's plans to revamp the FA Cup have come under fire from the Football Supporters' Federation, which is frustrated at its lack of involvement in the process.
Full story: Daily Telegraph
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini told his players to "go home and have a drink" after their 2-1 derby defeat at neighbours United on Saturday.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Jermaine Pennant says his move to Stoke cost him a £406 parking ticket. The winger sealed a loan move to the Potters from Real Zaragoza on transfer deadline day last summer, leaving his Porsche at a Spanish train station for three weeks after dashing to England to sign.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Alan Hutton to Juventus. Taken individually and judged entirely on their own merits, each of those four words seem fairly innocuous. Placed side by side in that particular order to complete a sentence, they exude a rather surreal, unsettling, jarring quality first thing on a Monday morning. Alan Hutton to Birmingham City? Plausible. Alan Hutton to enter British Carp Angling Championships? Yeah, why not? Alan Hutton to realise lifelong ambition by appearing as non-speaking, pint-quaffing-in-the-background extra in The Woolpack on Emmerdale? Bring it on. But Alan Hutton to Juventus? Sorry, but even a peddler of football transfer speculation as desperately gullible as the Rumour Mill is not having that, even if it was reported in yesterday's People, which claimed the out-of-sorts Serie A heavyweights have "switched their attentions to the out-of-favour right-back after being priced out of a move for Glen Johnson" and are prepared to splash out £5m to bring the Scotland international to Turin.
In other impossibly glamourous full-back transfer news, José Enrique looks set to become the latest Newcastle player to leave St James' Park for Anfield. Liverpool's decidedly grand sounding Director of Football Strategy Damien Comolli was spotted at Ewood Park over the weekend, hunched over a notepad in which he may well have doodled a picture of the Spanish left-back, inside a love-heart pierced by an arrow in the tradtional St Valentine's Day style.
Championship high-fliers Queen's Park Rangers are on the verge of finding themselves an Ishmael Miller down, if reports that Roy Hodgson wants to recall the West Brom loanee to The Hawthorns are true. The striker signed for QPR on a three-month loan deal in January, but inked a contract containing a clause that says the Baggies can take him back after 28 days should the need arise.
Didier Drogba could find himself kicking his heels on the bench against Fulham tonight, as Carlo Ancelotti attempts to come up with a Chelsea formation best suited to accommodating his expensive new toy Fernando Torres, according to a story we read somewhere on the internet. Containing no quotes from Carlo Ancelotti or anybody else, it's no more plausible than idle speculation between two skinheaded and tattooed Chelsea-supporting types propping up the bar in the White Horse an hour before kick-off. But it's football-related speculation and therefore grist for the Rumour Mill.
West Ham are eager to send Benni McCarthy out on loan and accept that, because there's so much of the portly striker to give away, they're prepared to pay more than 80% of his £60,000-per-week salary. That's £48,000. Since signing for West Ham a little over a year ago, McCarthy has made 14 appearances (11 as a substitute), scored the grand total of no goals and earned the princely sum of £3,240,000. It's good work if you can get it.
Carlo Ancelotti has told John Terry he is no longer an automatic first choice for Chelsea - and he could also be ready to drop Didier Drogba.
.Wayne Rooney dedicated Saturday's wonder goal to Manchester United fans and said it was the least they deserved after what he put them through.
Carlo Ancelotti has warned Chelsea skipper John Terry he will have to accept no longer being an automatic starter.
Arsenal's Samir Nasri will take a major fitness gamble as he's desperate to face Barcelona.
Liverpool are plotting a second major transfer swoop on Newcastle - for Spanish left-back Jose Enrique.
New West Brom boss Roy Hodgson is set to recall striker Ishmael Miller from his loan spell at QPR.
Blackpool striker Marlon Harewood is wanted on loan by Sheffield United.
..Manchester United's Wayne Rooney has dedicated the "best" goal of his career to the fans he feels he has let down.
Arsenal star Samir Nasri is facing an agonising wait to find out if he can face Barcelona.
Fernando Torres has promised to repay Roman Abramovich in goals for sealing his £50million 'beautiful' move to Chelsea.
Mark Hughes reckons Chelsea have not taken a big risk in signing Fernando Torres for £50million.
Harry Redknapp thinks Gareth Bale could make a shock return for Tottenham's Champions League crunch at AC Milan.
..Carlo Ancelotti has told Chelsea's John Terry: You are no longer guaranteed a place in my team.
David Moyes has labelled Everton's dismal display at Bolton as the worst in his nine-year reign at the club.
..Sir Alex Ferguson has warned Manchester United duo Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov that their away form has not been good enough this season.
Under-21 boss Stuart Pearce will closely scrutinise the next round of international matches in March, with the FA set to impose a get-tough policy on clubs whose players pull out of England duty.
..Carlo Ancelotti is giving serious consideration to dropping Didier Drogba for Monday night's Premier League clash at Fulham.
..Jack Wilshere believes that Arsenal must rough up Barcelona and show their "nasty" side to have a chance of victory when the sides meet in the Champions League on Wednesday.
..Cesc Fabregas has hailed Barcelona as the "best team in the world" and exhorted his Arsenal team-mates to play with "no fear" as they prepare for this week's much-anticipated Champions League last-16 first-leg tie.
..Jack Wilshere believes Arsenal have learned the lessons from their chastening Champions League elimination by Barcelona last season and has called on his team-mates to "be a bit nasty" by "getting in the faces" of the Spanish team during a daunting tie, which begins at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has warned John Terry that he should no longer expect to play in every match.
..Perhaps it's best to start with a message of hope for Arsenal. Many people expect Barcelona to knock the Londoners out of the European Cup over the next few weeks, but David Villa, the Catalans' £34m striker, is not convinced.
The intros never written and the tweets nearly sent. The Old Trafford press box was contemplating the prospect of a restive Javier Hernandez soon unseating Wayne Rooney in the Manchester United starting line-up when said No 10 began shuffling back into position for what he says was his first successfully executed bicycle-kick since he wore the uniform of De La Salle School in Croxteth.
..Neil Lennon has hailed goal hero Mark Wilson - but admitted ref Mike Tumilty should have sent off the Celtic ace during the 3-1 win at Dundee United.
....
Full story: Daily Mirror
New West Brom manager Roy Hodgson is set to recall striker Ishmael Miller from his loan spell at Queens Park Rangers.
Full story: Daily Mirror
OTHER GOSSIP
Three-time Fifa World Player of the Year Ronaldo is set to announce his retirement from the game. "I wanted to continue but I can't," Corinthians' 34-year-old former Brazil international is quoted in a Brazilian newspaper. "I think about making a play but I can't execute it." (AP)
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti is giving serious consideration to dropping striker Didier Drogba for Monday's Premier League trip to Fulham.
Full story: Daily Mail
Ancelotti has warned Blues captain John Terry that he should no longer expect to play in every match. Full story: Daily Mail
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is set to take a big risk on Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart by flying the injured midfield trio out for Tuesday's Champions League meeting with AC Milan. Full story: Daily Mirror
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has urged his team-mates to play "with no fear" when they host "the best team in the world", Barcelona, in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday.
Full story: Daily Telegraph
Fabregas's midfield club-mate Jack Wilshere has suggested the Gunners must "get in the faces" of Barca and "be a bit nasty" if they are to gain an advantage at the Emirates Stadium.
Full story: the Guardian
Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, cancelled his side's scheduled Sunday training session because his players were too tired.
Full story: Daily Mail
West Ham are expected to receive final approval as preferred bidders for the Olympic Stadium this week after sports minister Hugh Robertson confirmed he is satisfied with the bidding process that resulted in Tottenham being defeated.
Full story: Daily Telegraph
AND FINALLY
The Football Association's plans to revamp the FA Cup have come under fire from the Football Supporters' Federation, which is frustrated at its lack of involvement in the process.
Full story: Daily Telegraph
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini told his players to "go home and have a drink" after their 2-1 derby defeat at neighbours United on Saturday.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Jermaine Pennant says his move to Stoke cost him a £406 parking ticket. The winger sealed a loan move to the Potters from Real Zaragoza on transfer deadline day last summer, leaving his Porsche at a Spanish train station for three weeks after dashing to England to sign.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Alan Hutton to Juventus. Taken individually and judged entirely on their own merits, each of those four words seem fairly innocuous. Placed side by side in that particular order to complete a sentence, they exude a rather surreal, unsettling, jarring quality first thing on a Monday morning. Alan Hutton to Birmingham City? Plausible. Alan Hutton to enter British Carp Angling Championships? Yeah, why not? Alan Hutton to realise lifelong ambition by appearing as non-speaking, pint-quaffing-in-the-background extra in The Woolpack on Emmerdale? Bring it on. But Alan Hutton to Juventus? Sorry, but even a peddler of football transfer speculation as desperately gullible as the Rumour Mill is not having that, even if it was reported in yesterday's People, which claimed the out-of-sorts Serie A heavyweights have "switched their attentions to the out-of-favour right-back after being priced out of a move for Glen Johnson" and are prepared to splash out £5m to bring the Scotland international to Turin.
In other impossibly glamourous full-back transfer news, José Enrique looks set to become the latest Newcastle player to leave St James' Park for Anfield. Liverpool's decidedly grand sounding Director of Football Strategy Damien Comolli was spotted at Ewood Park over the weekend, hunched over a notepad in which he may well have doodled a picture of the Spanish left-back, inside a love-heart pierced by an arrow in the tradtional St Valentine's Day style.
Championship high-fliers Queen's Park Rangers are on the verge of finding themselves an Ishmael Miller down, if reports that Roy Hodgson wants to recall the West Brom loanee to The Hawthorns are true. The striker signed for QPR on a three-month loan deal in January, but inked a contract containing a clause that says the Baggies can take him back after 28 days should the need arise.
Didier Drogba could find himself kicking his heels on the bench against Fulham tonight, as Carlo Ancelotti attempts to come up with a Chelsea formation best suited to accommodating his expensive new toy Fernando Torres, according to a story we read somewhere on the internet. Containing no quotes from Carlo Ancelotti or anybody else, it's no more plausible than idle speculation between two skinheaded and tattooed Chelsea-supporting types propping up the bar in the White Horse an hour before kick-off. But it's football-related speculation and therefore grist for the Rumour Mill.
West Ham are eager to send Benni McCarthy out on loan and accept that, because there's so much of the portly striker to give away, they're prepared to pay more than 80% of his £60,000-per-week salary. That's £48,000. Since signing for West Ham a little over a year ago, McCarthy has made 14 appearances (11 as a substitute), scored the grand total of no goals and earned the princely sum of £3,240,000. It's good work if you can get it.
Carlo Ancelotti has told John Terry he is no longer an automatic first choice for Chelsea - and he could also be ready to drop Didier Drogba.
.Wayne Rooney dedicated Saturday's wonder goal to Manchester United fans and said it was the least they deserved after what he put them through.
Carlo Ancelotti has warned Chelsea skipper John Terry he will have to accept no longer being an automatic starter.
Arsenal's Samir Nasri will take a major fitness gamble as he's desperate to face Barcelona.
Liverpool are plotting a second major transfer swoop on Newcastle - for Spanish left-back Jose Enrique.
New West Brom boss Roy Hodgson is set to recall striker Ishmael Miller from his loan spell at QPR.
Blackpool striker Marlon Harewood is wanted on loan by Sheffield United.
..Manchester United's Wayne Rooney has dedicated the "best" goal of his career to the fans he feels he has let down.
Arsenal star Samir Nasri is facing an agonising wait to find out if he can face Barcelona.
Fernando Torres has promised to repay Roman Abramovich in goals for sealing his £50million 'beautiful' move to Chelsea.
Mark Hughes reckons Chelsea have not taken a big risk in signing Fernando Torres for £50million.
Harry Redknapp thinks Gareth Bale could make a shock return for Tottenham's Champions League crunch at AC Milan.
..Carlo Ancelotti has told Chelsea's John Terry: You are no longer guaranteed a place in my team.
David Moyes has labelled Everton's dismal display at Bolton as the worst in his nine-year reign at the club.
..Sir Alex Ferguson has warned Manchester United duo Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov that their away form has not been good enough this season.
Under-21 boss Stuart Pearce will closely scrutinise the next round of international matches in March, with the FA set to impose a get-tough policy on clubs whose players pull out of England duty.
..Carlo Ancelotti is giving serious consideration to dropping Didier Drogba for Monday night's Premier League clash at Fulham.
..Jack Wilshere believes that Arsenal must rough up Barcelona and show their "nasty" side to have a chance of victory when the sides meet in the Champions League on Wednesday.
..Cesc Fabregas has hailed Barcelona as the "best team in the world" and exhorted his Arsenal team-mates to play with "no fear" as they prepare for this week's much-anticipated Champions League last-16 first-leg tie.
..Jack Wilshere believes Arsenal have learned the lessons from their chastening Champions League elimination by Barcelona last season and has called on his team-mates to "be a bit nasty" by "getting in the faces" of the Spanish team during a daunting tie, which begins at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has warned John Terry that he should no longer expect to play in every match.
..Perhaps it's best to start with a message of hope for Arsenal. Many people expect Barcelona to knock the Londoners out of the European Cup over the next few weeks, but David Villa, the Catalans' £34m striker, is not convinced.
The intros never written and the tweets nearly sent. The Old Trafford press box was contemplating the prospect of a restive Javier Hernandez soon unseating Wayne Rooney in the Manchester United starting line-up when said No 10 began shuffling back into position for what he says was his first successfully executed bicycle-kick since he wore the uniform of De La Salle School in Croxteth.
..Neil Lennon has hailed goal hero Mark Wilson - but admitted ref Mike Tumilty should have sent off the Celtic ace during the 3-1 win at Dundee United.
....
- Jedi Al Khalaas
- Shut that door ...
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Re: monday's gossip 14th feb includes west ham updated
Did Giles Barnes play **** on purpose because he wanted a West Ham win?
- hammerjohn
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- Location: Living the life of Reilly and she knows it.. !
Re: monday's gossip 14th feb includes west ham
Me too.....Paddy O'Hammer wrote:I was thinking of having BOTD #3 as me Valentine, but sod that....Scotty I Love you!!!!!!!!
Thanks CH , appreciated.
- Kitt the car
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