saturday's gossip 26th feb includes west ham

An archive of Cockney Hammer's West Ham-related daily news digests from 2009-2015. For the latest daily digests, see the General Discussion Forum.

Moderator: Gnome

Post Reply
User avatar
cockney hammer
Resident badge expert
Posts: 108461
Joined: Sat Dec 07, 2002 12:52 pm
Location: http://boleynbadges.com
Has liked: 1 like
Total likes: 143 likes
Contact:

saturday's gossip 26th feb includes west ham

Post by cockney hammer »

Image



the sun


Image


Price of Cole is too high



AVRAM GRANT has offered to end Joe Cole's Kop nightmare - but admits West Ham cannot match his £90,000-a-week wages.

England star Cole has struggled to make any impact since joining Liverpool from Chelsea last summer.

He started his first game for Kenny Dalglish on Thursday, and is likely to be back on the bench when he makes an emotional return to Upton Park tomorrow.

But Hammers boss Grant said: "When I was at Chelsea, Joe played well, and if he is not good for Liverpool, they can bring him to me.

"We had the opportunity to sign Joe last summer. But you need to give top players like Joe the wages they deserve and at the moment we cannot do that."

Cole, 29, came through the Upton Park academy and played for West Ham for five seasons before joining Chelsea after the Hammers were relegated in 2003.

He was released after seven years with Chelsea, and signed a four-year deal with Liverpool.





the sun




Image




I’m finished with Hammers



ANGRY Julien Faubert last night accused West Ham of trashing his reputation and does not expect to play for them again.

The French full-back claims boss Avram Grant does not even talk to him and he is being frozen out of Upton Park.

SunSport revealed how Faubert REFUSED to be a sub against Birmingham.

He said: "I've two months of my deal left but they'll not ask me to play as I've no future at West Ham.

"Physically I'm well and all I want is to play. But I'm not expecting it to happen. If only they told me 'you're no good, you don't play', I'd understand. But even that's not the case. There's no communication.

"And yet I've given so much to this club. I've never created waves or problems. Even when I lost my mother, I still gave everything.

"My future lies elsewhere. They've managed to turn out almost everyone from the Zola era. I hope they don't wreck everything when I'm gone."

Faubert, 27, accuses the club of making him a scapegoat for that home loss by Birmingham three weeks ago while his baby son was ill in hospital.

He said: "My new-born son was sick and I stayed with him in hospital on the Friday and Saturday before the Birmingham game and could not go training.

"My bosses were informed but on the morning of the game I was told they needed me as someone was injured. So I went home from the hospital, got my car and sped to the stadium. And then, surprise, when I arrived I wasn't in the squad.

"So, as players usually do, I left and went to see my son as he'd had a relapse. The hospital was an hour away and when I arrived I got a call from the club saying they needed me for the bench as one of the players had been injured. But it was impossible.

"They said I didn't want to come back and I disrespected the club. They wanted to tarnish my name, make me look a mercenary.

"But the club was looking for excuses after the defeat by Birmingham."

Faubert said: "I've been contacted by many European clubs but my wife wants to stay in England."






the sun




Image




Matt’s back on the Up



WEST HAM boss Avram Grant insists Matthew Upson will be available soon after he came through a light training session.

Upson aggravated an Achilles injury during the Hammers' 1-0 defeat to Birmingham three weeks ago and it had been feared he would be crocked for the rest of the season.

The club have received several different diagnoses on their captain's injury and it is still unclear when he will be fit to play again.

However, Grant has received some encouraging news when Upson came through a light workout with the squad at Upton Park ahead of Sunday's home match against Liverpool.

Upson is unlikely to be considered this weekend but Grant is hoping his star defender, and his other sidelined players like Robbie Keane, Jack Collison and Kieron Dyer, will be fit soon.

Boss Grant said: "We don't know how long Matthew Upson will be out for.

"He trained today but it was not training with pressure so we will wait and see.

"It's important when you get to the last few games that you have all your players available.

"We need them back to create competition within the squad.

"It's no secret that part of our problem this season has been injuries at the wrong time.

"All the players we have out were good before they got injured so it hasn't been easy."

The last time Liverpool and West Ham met the game was a disaster for the Hammers as they lost 3-0 to an out-of-form team under Roy Hodgson.

West Ham were left rooted to the foot of the table following the November defeat, five points from safety, but they could move out of the bottom three with a win over Kenny Dalglish's side on Sunday.

Grant believes the loss at Anfield was an important moment in the club's season.

The Hammers boss said: "When we played there we had a lot of injuries but we still played poorly in every aspect of the game and Liverpool played well.

"There are good things we learned from this. From this game we played different and better. "We have not played like we did there since."

Grant will give midfield ace Thomas Hitzlsperger his first league start and is expected to continue with Winston Reid at centre-half if Upson does not recover in time.





the sun



Image




Karren Brady’s football diary



UEFA are guilty of typical hypocrisy over the prices of their Champions League final tickets at Wembley.

I'm not against making a profit from showpiece games - that's supply and demand.

But UEFA pretend to be working for the good of football by passing rules to depress transfer fees while also cashing in on the rising admission prices which have become necessary to help pay for top players.

They should be setting an example by selling football to everyone, not playing the market.

After-match Press conferences are, rightly, a UEFA rule. Just how long a manager should wait before launching out is another matter.

The next morning, heat-of-the-moment utterances can prove embarrassing or expensive.

After the 0-0 draw at Hereford, the Burton Albion manager said: "Had the ball gone the other side of the post, we could have gone on to win it." I love that man.

Sunday 20 February

WHEN Bill Shankly's comment about 'football being more important than life' is wheeled out, try to remember the name Carlos Noe Gomez, the vice-president of Deportivo Xinabajul.

It is reported today that Gomez was shot dead as he went into his club training ground because the two ambushers were displeased that the team were bottom of the First Division.

In Central America, they take football seriously.

War was declared there after an international match while only a month or two ago a top player, again in Guatemala, was killed and his body dismembered because he had been "messing with the women of others".

Crikey, I hope John Terry didn't read that.

I'll also be looking about me next time I go to the West Ham training ground.

Monday 21 February

THE Pilgrims' progress down to the Second Division was confirmed today with a 10-point penalty for going into administration.

Like an old warhouse, Peter Reid was grazing happily with Tony Pulis in Stoke pastures when he answered Argyle's appeal in the summer. Now I wonder if he wishes he hadn't. Reviving a lower league club is a young man's business.

Just as one important player returns - clump - another disappears for the rest of the season.

Matthew Upson's Achilles problem leaves West Ham short of centre-backs but at least Thomas Hitzlsperger comes back with a debut cracker against Burnley in the FA Cup.

Touchingly, the German has been apologetic about missing so much of his debut season with us.

What is it about Cups, Avram? We've had more wins in them than in the Prem this season.

Tuesday 22 February

RANGERS announce favourite son Ally McCoist is to take over as manager in the summer with Walter Smith's blessing.

And just in case Prince Charles thinks this is the kind of step the Queen should take, it isn't.

McCoist was once the best team leader Question of Sport has had and as he also scored 355 goals in his Ibrox career, he should have all the answers. He won't of course. But best of luck, funny chops.

Chelsea's season isn't quite over now they have won comfortably in Copenhagen.

But I have a strong feeling perhaps the best equipped squad in the land need a Londoner or at least an English guy as No 2 to Carlo Ancelotti, who seems almost as isolated a figure as Fabio Capello with the international team. Cue Ray Wilkins!

Wednesday 23 February

I'M aghast at UEFA's leniency in giving Gennaro Gattuso only a four-match ban for his apparently unpremeditated touchline attack on Spurs No 2 Joe Jordan.

The AC Milan midfielder feels he was treated too harshly, which only goes to show the arrogance of the man.

He adds sarcastically that 'at least they didn't jail me for a month'.

Had he committed such a violent assault in the street or, more likely, in a nightclub, the likelihood is he would have been.

Reports the Al Thani family of Qatar are set to offer £1.8billion for Manchester United ring true to me for two reasons.

They would love to lord it over their rivals from Abu Dhabi who own Man City.

More than that, Qatar needs all the football credibility it can get before the 2022 World Cup there. Amazing, isn't it, what a few oil wells can do?

Thursday 24 February

IT has been a long time since I've received a phone call from a lap dancing club.

The one I get tonight is from a Premier League director of no little renown, who rather likes to shock me.

He's been trying to appear in this column for years!

Advertisement

Tonight he's fed up because he had beckoned to his favourite dancer, who breathlessly told him she was already engaged for the evening. He reacted, he admits, with a bit of a snarl.

I'm sure this is true because he has an ego the size of Wembley.

The dancer pointed to his rival - heavily built and wearing a flat cap.

And my pal's resistance collapsed in a heartbeat when he recognised him as a world boxing champion.

What do I think of that, he asks. Try the Championship, I say.

Friday 25 February

RAISED in a strictly Arsenal-supporting house, I also spent 16 years running Birmingham City off-the-field.

So you can understand why I would be torn in two by who I want to grasp the Carling Cup come Sunday evening.

Arsenal haven't won a bootlace in five years, Blues haven't since ever.

All in all, I guess winning the trophy would mean even more at St Andrew's and therefore my heart will be with the Brummies at Wembley.

They have gone from strength to strength under the manager we left them with and most of the current team.

It's true that with the help of a few of the faithful, we transformed the club from a Jasper Carrott joke into one that has rubbed shoulders with the giants.

And, anyway, I want to see Alex smile like a big Scottish kid.





the mirror



Image



Faubert rocks West Ham with exit demand



Julien Faubert has rocked West Ham by announcing he wants to quit Upton Park in the summer.

The Hammers defender claims he was made a scapegoat for the 1-0 home defeat by Birmingham three weeks ago which left them deep in the Premier League relegation quicksand.

And although manager Avram Grant last night insisted he had "no problem" with the French defender who was good enough to go on loan to Real Madrid two years ago, Faubert says his differences with the club are irreconcilable.

For Grant, who has 11 games to save the Hammers from the trapdoor, Faubert's strop is an unhelpful prelude to tomorrow's big home game with resurgent Liverpool.

The £5 million signing from Bordeaux was accused of walking out in a huff when he failed to answer a late call-up to the bench for the game with Brum on February 6.

But Faubert, 27, insisted he was attending to a family crisis after his baby son had been admitted to hospital and raged: "My story with West Ham is at an end.

"I worked flat out for them, even when my mother died, and I have never created any problems. If they told me I'm not playing because I am no good I would understand, but that is not the case. I am in good shape and just want to play, but I don't expect anything more here.

"My future lies elsewhere and I hope they will not try to prevent me leaving."

Faubert, who has a year left on his contract, added in France Football magazine: "At the time of the Birmingham game, my newly-born son was ill and in hospital. I spent the Friday and Saturday with him and could not go to training.

"My bosses knew the situation. On the eve of the match they told me I was in the reserve squad, but when I turned up on the Sunday the assistant manager told me the first team needed me as a player was injured.

"So I jumped in my car, rushed home and then on to Upton Park - but when I got there surprise, surprise - nobody was injured and I was not in the squad.

"I left the ground, as players do in these situations, and went to see my son as he had suffered a relapse. The hospital was an hour's drive away.

"On my way I got a phone call saying that a lad (James Tomkins) had got injured five minutes before the kick-off, and that I had to come back to replace him - but that was impossible.

"Afterwards the bosses said I had not wanted to return, and that I lacked respect for them. They made me out to be a mercenary.

"West Ham were simply looking for excuses after their defeat against Birmingham. This chapter is now closed - but so is mine at the club."

Manager Grant insisted last night: "If there was a problem with Faubert, he would not have been on the bench in the next game. The other matter is internal."

Faubert's ill-timed outburst, when the Hammers are fighting to stay afloat, will not go down well with the hierarchy - although Grant's admission that he would like to repatriate Joe Cole in the east end will be a vote-winner.

Grant last night admitted he tried to sign West Ham's former prodigy when his Cole's contract expired at Chelsea last summer, but they could not match Liverpool's £90,000-a-week offer.

He said: "I would always want a player who performs so well in my team - when I was at Chelsea, he had a very good season, but since then he has had a bad injury and it is not always easy to come back.

"I'm sure he will still be very good for Liverpool - if, then you can bring him to me. Of course he is not my player at the moment, but I will always be happy if a player like this is in my team.

"We had the opportunity to sign him last summer, but he was too cheap! But seriously, you know the situation - you need to play top players the top wages, and we cannot do that at the moment.

"But I think in the next few years players will follow the project that we want to do here."






the mirror



Image



West Ham still in the dark over Upson fitness



West Ham manager Avram Grant is hoping Matthew Upson will soon be available for selection after he came through a light training session today.

Upson aggravated an Achilles injury during the Hammers' 1-0 defeat to Birmingham three weeks ago and it had been feared he would be out for the rest of the season.

The club have received several different diagnoses on their captain's injury and it is still unclear when he will be fit to play.

Grant received some encouraging news today though when Upson came through a light workout with the squad ahead of Sunday's home match against Liverpool.

Upson is unlikely to be considered this weekend but Grant is hoping his star defender, and other sidelined players such as Robbie Keane, Jack Collison and Kieron Dyer, will be fit soon.

"We don't know how long Matthew Upson will be out for," Grant said. "He trained today but it was not training with pressure so we will wait and see.

"It's important when you get to the last few games that you have all your players available. We need them back to create competition within the squad.

"It's no secret that part of our problem this season has been injuries at the wrong time. All the players we have out were good before they got injured, so it hasn't been easy."

The last time Liverpool and West Ham met, the game was a disaster for the Hammers as they lost 3-0 to an out-of-form team under Roy Hodgson.

After the match, Hammers striker Carlton Cole slammed his team's "diabolical" performance and suggested Grant's poor tactics were the reason behind the defeat.

The outburst almost led to the striker's departure in the transfer window, but he and Grant have patched up their differences now, with Cole playing a leading role in the team's push for survival.

West Ham were left rooted to the foot of the table following the November defeat, five points from safety, but they could move out of the bottom three with a win over Kenny Dalglish's side on Sunday.

Grant believes the loss at Anfield was a pivotal moment in the club's season.

"When we played there we had a lot of injuries but we still played poorly in every aspect of the game and Liverpool played well," he said. "There are good things we learned from this. From this game we played different and better. We have not played like we did there since."

Hodgson presided over Liverpool's worst start to a season in 57 years before Dalglish came in to galvanise the club when he took over last month.

Dalglish enjoyed a stellar career at the Reds as a player and as a manager before returning for a second spell in charge and Grant is happy to see the Scot back in the game.

"The results are better since he took over," he said. "They are playing good football now and getting results.

"The first time I came to England, in 1977, Liverpool bought him for £440,000. People were saying: 'Why are we spending this amount money?' Now you cannot buy the kit man for that price.

"He was a great player. I wish we could have a few of him here playing in English football today."

Grant will give Thomas Hitzlsperger his first league start and is expected to continue with Winston Reid at centre-half if Upson does not recover.

Reid spoke of his sadness this week at the deadly earthquake that rocked his native New Zealand, but Grant has no qualms about playing him this weekend.

"I spoke with him about it," the West Ham boss said. "His family is not from that area but, of course, when something like this happens in your country you can't be relaxed, but in training he was okay."





the star




Image



AVRAM GRANT: I'D LOVE TO HAVE JOE COLE AT WEST HAM


WEST HAM boss Avram Grant has told Liverpool: I’ll take Joe Cole if you don’t want him.

West Ham host Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool tomorrow desperate for a result in their fight against the drop.


Former Upton Park favourite Cole turned down the offer of a return last summer in favour of a new life at Anfield after Chelsea showed him the door.


But he has so far failed to make much of an impact in an injury-hit season and might not even make the bench tomorrow.


Grant said: “Sometimes when you are injured it’s not easy to come back. But I am sure he will be very good for Liverpool. If not then they can bring him to me.”


The Hammers tried to land Cole before the season started, but were outbid.


Grant added: “You know the situation in our club. We had the opportunity to take him but for West Ham it was big money.


“You need to give top players like Joe the wage he deserves and we can’t do it at the moment.”


Meanwhile, Grant insisted skipper Matthew Upson would be back from an Achilles injury – but he doesn’t know when.


He added: “He is desperate to play and will play again this season.


"His injury is not so bad.”


But one man not playing is French wing-back Julien Faubert, who said: “My story with West Ham is at an end.


"I still have two months to play, but I know they will not call on me.”





the mail




Image




West Ham outcast Julien Faubert vows to quit Upton Park after bust-up with bosses



Julien Faubert has launched a stinging attack on West Ham - and insisted he will quit Upton Park in the summer.

The Frenchman, a £6.1million buy from Bordeaux in 2007 and with a year left on his contract, is furious at the way he was treated earlier this month when he missed the Hammers' clash with Birmingham.
Julien Faubert

No more: Julien Faubert insists his West Ham career is at an end

Faubert was accused of walking out on Avram Grant's side when he failed to heed a late call-up for the substitutes' bench on February 6. West Ham lost 1-0. But the 27-year-old said he was preoccupied with his baby son in hospital. He claimed West Ham used him as an excuse for defeat, and tried to tarnish his name.

'My story with West Ham is at an end," the France international said. 'I still have two months to play for them in theory this season, but I know that they will not call on me. I worked flat out for them even when my mother died, and I have never created any problems.

'At the time of the Birmingham game my newly-born son was ill and in hospital. I spent the Friday and Saturday with him, and could not go to training.

'My bosses knew the situation. On the eve of the match they told me I was in the reserve squad, but when I showed up on Sunday the assistant manager told me the first team needed me as a player was injured. So I jumped in my car, rushed home and then on to Upton Park, but when I got there - surprise, surprise - nobody was injured and I was not in the squad.

'I left the ground, and went to see my son as he'd had a relapse. On my way I got a phone call saying that a lad (James Tomkins) had got injured five minutes before kick-off, and that I had to come back to replace him - but that was impossible.

'Afterwards the bosses said that I had not wanted to return, and that I had lacked respect towards them. They wanted to tarnish my name and my image.

'They made me out to be a mercenary. West Ham sought excuses after their defeat against Birmingham. This chapter is now closed - but so is mine at the club.'





official site


jonjo well on track




http://www.whufc.com/articles/20110226/ ... 84_2302807" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; :thup:





the independent




Image



'I enjoy the English game more than the German'



Thomas Hitzlsperger was thrilled by his reception from West Ham fans


It is four days since Thomas Hitzlsperger finally made his competitive debut for West Ham United on Monday night and the Germany international, who will for ever be known as "Der Hammer" in English football, was still smiling at the memory yesterday.

Sitting in a lounge at Upton Park yesterday he reflected on a "dream debut" that went some way to alleviating the pain of seven months out injured, watching his new club fight relegation. Just 23 minutes into the FA Cup fifth-round tie against Burnley the 28-year-old let fly with one of his trademark, left-foot thunderbolts. A new Upton Park legend was born.

Even before Hitzlsperger's goal on Monday he had been given the warmest of receptions by the home crowd. Something about the timing of his return to the side, his gilded international career (he has 52 caps) and, of course, sharing a nickname with the club itself just seemed to make him a good fit for West Ham.

"The reception was quite amazing because I have been introduced here before when I played pre-season against Deportivo La Coruna," Hitzlsperger says. "I was overwhelmed really and that makes it even more special. It was just a game I was really looking forward to, Monday night football – brilliant.

"The gaffer asked me before the game, 'Are you fit to start?' I said I felt good and I could definitely play for an hour. As the game went on I didn't want to come off. I have been known for those kind of shots and to score a goal like that in my first game ... it is nice. People recognise you quite easily, the nickname as well, it all fits together."

The nickname comes from his time at Aston Villa, who took him from Bayern Munich's academy at the age of 18 and where he spent five largely happy years before returning to Germany to play for Stuttgart in 2005. Hitzlsperger says "Der Hammer" originates – somehow – from a line from John Gregory, who introduced him at Villa as having a left foot so good that he could "open a tin of beans with it".

"It's strange because the Germans call me 'The Hammer' and here they call me 'Der Hammer'," Hitzlsperger says. "I don't know why they do it."

Hitzlsperger is different from the average footballer. He is very bright, although he is reluctant to talk about his interest in economics because he does not want to show off. He speaks impeccable English, still with the Brummie accent from his Villa days. He is part of the new generation of German footballers – he just missed out on the World Cup squad last year – but he loves English football and the Premier League.

It was that which drew him back in the summer. Put simply, he decided that he had the best times of his career in England with Villa and despite having been captain of Stuttgart, where he won a Bundesliga title in 2007, his heart was still in the Premier League.

"Although it has been great most of the time in Germany I have felt that football is more enjoyable for me in the Premiership," he says. "Of course, you cannot say it is the best league in the world. You never really know. Just being in the Premier League I have had more joy playing than in the Bundesliga.

"They [Germany] have got a lot of good young players coming through, the national team has played ever so well in the World Cup and the years before that. You can see the progression in German football but [in England] it all comes together: the physical side, the pace of the game, the passion from the fans. The people show you a lot of respect. Sometimes people in Germany are very critical.

"I find there is a difference with the top four teams in England because you expect a lot of them. In the [rest of the] Premier League most of the teams are fighting to stay in it. You have a few good games and people are really upbeat. You show a bit of what you have to offer and people are really excited. We have talked about my shooting and when that came off – they are just happy about it.

"It is easier to make them [fans] happier over here. A good pass, a good tackle, people stand up and cheer. Whereas in Germany I often felt that you have a good game and ten bad minutes, they remember the ten bad minutes."

That is not to say he does not appreciate what Germany has given him. He captained the team in their first friendly after the World Cup in August against Denmark – when he first got injured – despite having been left out of the squad for South Africa by coach Joachim Löw. His problems started in January last year when Stuttgart's new manager Christian Gross told him he could leave. His subsequent move to Lazio did not work out.

He signed for West Ham as a free agent on 26 June, the day before England's defeat to Germany at the World Cup finals, catching a flight home to watch the match. He had been told by Löw that he simply had not played enough football post-Christmas to warrant a place in the squad.

"I said, 'I totally understand' I had a year behind me that was anything but great and these are the things that happen in football," Hitzlsperger says. "Devastated."

A veteran of the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008, Hitzlsperger has seen big changes in German football in the last 10 years, especially the push to develop better young players, which began after Euro 2000. But some things never change. "We definitely know how to prepare for a big tournament, we use every single day," he says. "They prepare us. The whole team around the players are first class. We create this spirit and that is really good.

"The set-up is good and the players believe in it. Most of the time we go into a tournament and they say, 'They are not that good a side, it's just Germany, they might win games because they are lucky and over-confident.' Now we have got to the stage where we play well. If we are honest we look at the Spanish team and they are the ones to beat. We are getting there."

Is he more English than German? "What is English, what is German? I think we have developed and changed over the years. Look at the national team: we are not that side we were 20 years ago. We have moved on from that: a young team, open-minded, not [simply] 'single-minded', as we were seen for many years."

After the injury sustained playing against Denmark he returned to training with West Ham in October after eight weeks out and within a few days had ruptured the rectus femoris tendon in his thigh, which required surgery. Now back in contention to start his first Premier League game for the club, against Liverpool tomorrow, he has a very different perspective on West Ham's woes.

"It is definitely not easy because we have been in the relegation zone for pretty much the [whole] season. It is interesting to see what happens. It is fairly quiet and I understand the fans are disappointed – they want to see changes. There was a short period when there was talk of a new manager but mostly people stayed calm and that is what I find interesting. When I look back at Germany and Stuttgart, they were in a similar situation when there were three managers in a season and it was chaotic.

"We were struggling in the first half of the season and people were going mad in the press, the fans – they would go to the training ground. As the captain I had to see a special group of supporters and explain why we were [struggling]. You think: 'Should we do this?'

"In Germany the club tries to satisfy the fans and if you don't perform they think they have the right to see the players, the manager. Here we just get on with it and improve things in training. I do prefer it this way. It is far more quiet. They trust us to do the right things and although it has not always been easy I feel we have turned the corner. I believe in the players and I am sure we will turn it around."

He has played two years of Champions League football at Stuttgart as well as two major tournaments for Germany and could have waited for better offers last summer. But he just has a thing for England and not even West Ham's travails have shaken his belief. "Lifestyle is excellent, the people are kind," he says. "I came to the conclusion that England is where I want to be."

My Other Life

I like music, the last albums I bought were James Blake and Muse. Books? I have read 'Nemesis', by Philip Roth; 'The Big Short', by Michael Lewis and something by Tim Parks when I was in Italy.




the telegraph




Image




West Ham manager Avram Grant is keeping an eye on old favourite Joe Cole




Avram Grant has confirmed that he attempted to bring Joe Cole back to Upton Park in the summer but the England international’s wage demands proved too high.
West Ham manager Avram Grant is keeping an eye on old favourite Joe Cole
On the ball: Joe Cole has had injury problems since joining Liverpool but could return to the fray against old club West Ham Photo:

On Sunday, Cole returns to Upton Park and Grant, who managed him briefly at Chelsea, admitted he remains a huge follower of a player whose progress at Anfield has been hindered by injuries.

Cole was wanted by Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp, who worked with him at West Ham. Now Grant has confirmed West Ham also showed an interest but, like Spurs, found his wage demands too great.

“We had the opportunity to take him but for West Ham it was big money,” said Grant. “He started well at Liverpool then he had an injury and then it was not so good. Joe is a very good player with a good spirit and is a benefit to any team both on and off the pitch.

“Sometimes when you are injured it’s not easy to come back but I am sure he will be very good for Liverpool. If not then they can bring him to me!




babe of the weekend





http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3488/399 ... 9b5c8a.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
Jarvo
Posts: 4818
Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2005 1:06 am
Total likes: 1 like

Re: saturday's gossip 26th feb includes west ham

Post by Jarvo »

Cheers CH :thup:
Swiss Pauli
Posts: 4828
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 12:44 pm
Location: Reading
Has liked: 425 likes
Total likes: 155 likes

Re: saturday's gossip 26th feb includes west ham

Post by Swiss Pauli »

Cheers, CH.
User avatar
Hammer Smith
Posts: 3253
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2004 6:43 pm
Location: In the shadows

Re: saturday's gossip 26th feb includes west ham

Post by Hammer Smith »

Not sure about Cole. He seems to be very injury prone.
Thanks CH
User avatar
w4hammer
Posts: 8057
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2005 2:22 pm
Location: ..my heart says... West Ham.. my head says ...West Ham
Has liked: 1 like
Total likes: 3 likes

Re: saturday's gossip 26th feb includes west ham

Post by w4hammer »

Hammer Smith wrote:Not sure about Cole. He seems to be very injury prone.
Thanks CH

//and seemingly pretty crap too, nowadays. His legs have deffo gone..
User avatar
UniS-Hammer
Posts: 1387
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2007 7:26 pm
Location: Harrow

Re: saturday's gossip 26th feb includes west ham

Post by UniS-Hammer »

Julien Faubert wrote:And yet I've given so much to this club. I've never created waves or problems. Even when I lost my mother, I still gave everything
Sorry Julien, I disagree with you. You've shown quality occasionally, but when your mother died is the ONLY time you gave everything...

Cheers CH
User avatar
cockney hammer
Resident badge expert
Posts: 108461
Joined: Sat Dec 07, 2002 12:52 pm
Location: http://boleynbadges.com
Has liked: 1 like
Total likes: 143 likes
Contact:

Re: saturday's gossip 26th feb includes west ham

Post by cockney hammer »

Shaun Wright-Phillips claims he does not want to leave Manchester City after getting more chances in the first team.
Metro

Blackburn's England Under-21 international goalkeeper Frank Fielding will join Derby for a second time on loan.
Daily Mirror

Wigan's Charles N'Zogbia says he is holding out for a move to one of the Premier League's biggest clubs in the summer.
Metro

Cardiff City have reopened talks with Wigan in the hope of securing a loan switch for the Latics' third-choice keeper Chris Kirkland.
Daily Mirror

Arsenal have cooled their interest in Ipswich's teenage striker Connor Wickham because the Gunners have doubts that the 17-year-old could make the grade at the Emirates.
Daily Mail

Tottenham duo Gareth Bale and Luka Modric top Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson's summer wish-list.
Daily Mail

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has assured fans that the club will be buying big-money players in the summer after midfielder Cheik Tiote extended his contract.
Metro

West Ham outcast Julien Faubert has lashed out at his Upton Park employers and vowed to leave the club in the summer.
Daily Mail



Cesc Fabregas' Arsenal team-mates want the injured skipper to lift the Carling Cup trophy should they beat Birmingham on Sunday.
Daily Mail

Fabregas was stunned to find out he would miss out on playing at Wembley through the Gunners' official website.
Daily Express

The Spaniard is "hugely disappointed" to miss the final but is confident he will have other chances to play at Wembley this season - in the FA Cup and Champions League.
The Sun

West Ham boss Avram Grant admits the Hammers tried to sign Liverpool's Joe Cole when he was released by Chelsea last summer, but they could not afford the midfielder's wages.
The Sun

Manchester City defender Kolo Toure says that his team will owe former boss Mark Hughes a huge debt if they go on to win a trophy this season.
Daily Mirror

Aston Villa may offer midfielder Stewart Downing a new long-term contract this summer as they face up to losing winger Ashley Young.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Sunderland midfielder Sulley Muntari says his former boss at Inter Milan, Jose Mourinho, is desperate to return to the Premier League.
Daily Mirror

One of the five players banned by the Football Association for betting on the outcomes of their own games says that the practice is common in the lower leagues.
The Independent

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has been pencilled in to make his comeback from the calf injury that has sidelined him for the last month against Liverpool next Sunday.
The Sun

French midfielder Samir Nasri will earn £100,000 a week after agreeing a new five-year deal worth at least £26m to stay at Arsenal.
Daily Mirror

Kenny Dalglish's hopes of being made Liverpool manager on a permanent basis continue to look up after Reds owner John Henry again heaped praise on the team's resurgence. "We all have to be extremely happy with the progress, work-rate, determination and coaching staff," said the American tycoon.
The Times (subscription only)

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan rates the Hammers' chances of Premier League survival this season as 50-50 and estimates relegation will cost his club £40m.
: The Guardian


Blackpool manager Ian Holloway claims he has unearthed "the next Gareth Bale" in 19-year-old winger Matt Phillips, who was signed by the Seasiders from Wycombe for £250,000 last summer. Daily Star

Chelsea want Arsenal chief scout Steve Rowley to replace Frank Arnesen as the club's head of player recruitment.
The Independent


David Beckham has revealed a new tattoo on his chest via his Facebook page. The design depicts Beckham as Jesus with the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder describing the three cherubs as symbols of his sons.
The Sun

Birmingham midfielder Craig Gardner believes his team's run to the Carling Cup final might have been helped by his lucky underpants.
The Sun

Arsenal are expected to confirm a small pre-tax loss when the club publishes its half-yearly accounts on Monday following a period without a sale of a major player.
The Daily Telegraph

Queens Park Rangers manager Neil Warnock has criticised Manchester City youngster Abdul Razak for "vanishing" from Crystal Palace when the Eagles - with Warnock then in charge - tried to help the deportation-threatened Ivorian as a 15-year-old.
The Independent

TV duo Ant and Dec will make a half-time appearance at the Carling Cup final to film a penalty shoot-out for their ITV show Push the Button.
Daily Mail

The latest proposal to revamp the FA Cup involves staging the third, fourth and fifth rounds over six days of the week, from Friday through to the following Wednesday, with no replays.
Daily Mail

The Premier League has delayed fining Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson for not conducting post-match interviews with the BBC because the broadcaster's top brass want to sort out the six-year impasse before completing their sport department's move to Salford, where United will be next-door neighbours.
Daily Mail






Cesc Fabregas claims he learned of his Carling Cup final KO from Arsenal's website, while his team-mate Samir Nasri has agreed a new £26m deal.
The Sun

* Samir Nasri has agreed a new five-year deal to stay at Arsenal worth at least £26million.
* Port Vale boss Jim Gannon was left stranded at a motorway service station after a bizarre bust-up on the team bus.
* Rio Ferdinand has been pencilled in for his Manchester United return at Liverpool next Sunday.
* Julien Faubert has accused West Ham of trashing his reputation and does not expect to play for them again.
* Avram Grant has offered to end Joe Cole's Liverpool nightmare - but admits West Ham cannot match his £90,000-a-week wages.
* DAILY MIRRROR
* Cesc Fabregas discovered he had been ruled out of the Carling Cup final by reading Arsenal's website.
* Sir Alex Ferguson insists the Premier League title race has come down to a straight fight between Manchester United and Arsenal.
* Julien Faubert has rocked West Ham by announcing he wants to quit Upton Park in the summer.
* Aston Villa could give Stewart Downing a new long-term contract this summer as they face up to losing Ashley Young.
* Cardiff boss Dave Jones hopes to sign Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland at the second attempt.

Daily Mail

* Cesc Fabregas could still lift his first trophy for Arsenal if the Gunners beat Birmingham in Sunday's Carling Cup final.
* Newcastle boss says Cheik Tiote's new contract is a sign of owner Mike Ashley's ambitions for the club.
* Arsenal have cooled their interest in Ipswich striker Connor Wickham.

Daily Star

* Manchester United's owners insisted again on Friday that the club is not for sale - at any price.

Daily Express

* Sulley Muntari says it is not a question of if Jose Mourinho will return to the Premier League, but when.

Daily Record

* Clubs could face each other nine times in one season under controversial SPL reconstruction plans.
* Neil Lennon insists Celtic will fight off summer bids for his star players.
bubblesbubbles
Posts: 232
Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2009 5:16 pm

Re: saturday's gossip 26th feb includes west ham

Post by bubblesbubbles »

Thanks as usual CH you do a cracking job
User avatar
the oldham stripper
Duke Nuke 'em
Posts: 5181
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 9:15 am
Location: for 25 years I've lived with fear. i sometimes wish I'd never met her

Re: saturday's gossip 26th feb includes west ham

Post by the oldham stripper »

propper botd ch :thup:
User avatar
PrawnSandwich
Posts: 10097
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 10:42 am
Location: Reaching for the Sky

Re: saturday's gossip 26th feb includes west ham

Post by PrawnSandwich »

Thanks CH & Hammer for your dedication.
Bonus Babe No2 for me please.

Good interview with Hitz.
As for Faubert... he hasn't exelled as a Right Back or a Winger and has never seemed to fit.
Again doesn't beat his man, rarely crosses over the first defender - however that cross for Ilan last year was awesome.
A mixed bag really but I can't see anyone queuing up for him either which speaks volumes.
User avatar
Muddy
Posts: 11572
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2010 1:50 pm
Has liked: 12 likes
Total likes: 27 likes

Re: saturday's gossip 26th feb includes west ham

Post by Muddy »

Cheers CH.
Faubert wants to quit? Thank you lord! Thank you!
User avatar
cockney hammer
Resident badge expert
Posts: 108461
Joined: Sat Dec 07, 2002 12:52 pm
Location: http://boleynbadges.com
Has liked: 1 like
Total likes: 143 likes
Contact:

Re: saturday's gossip 26th feb includes west ham

Post by cockney hammer »

Villa making plans for Young exit

Faubert rocks West Ham with exit demand

Arsenal deny "immoral" activity claim over their latest signing from Barca

I don't want to leave City - Wright-Phillips

Sunderland sign up boss Bruce until 2014

Cardiff hoping to nab Kirkland at the second attempt

Rovers starlet joining Derby for a second spell

Fulham's Hughes defends his Man City transfer record

Samir Nasri has agreed a new five-year deal to stay at Arsenal worth at least £26m (The Sun)

Manchester United have made Tottenham duo Gareth Bale and Luka Modric their top summer priorities (Daily Mail)

Tottenham are preparing a summer bid for Barcelona striker Bojan Krkic (Daily Mail)

Arsenal have decided Ipswich's teenage striker Connor Wickham probably won't make the grade at the Emirates (Daily Mail)

Wigan's Charles N'Zogbia is holding out for a move to one of the Premier League's biggest clubs in the summer (Metro)

West Ham tried to sign Liverpool's Joe Cole when he was released by Chelsea last summer (The Sun)

John W Henry has praised Liverpool's resurgence, indicating that Kenny Dalglish could get the manager's job on a permanent basis (The Times)

Alan Pardew has assured fans that Newcastle will be buying big-money players in the summer (Metro)

Chelsea want Arsenal chief scout Steve Rowley to replace Frank Arnesen (The Independent)

Celtic have signed Cardiff City defender Adam Matthews on a pre-contract agreement. The Wales Under 21 international interested Manchester United and Arsenal (Daily Mail
User avatar
cockney hammer
Resident badge expert
Posts: 108461
Joined: Sat Dec 07, 2002 12:52 pm
Location: http://boleynbadges.com
Has liked: 1 like
Total likes: 143 likes
Contact:

Re: saturday's gossip 26th feb includes west ham

Post by cockney hammer »

footballfancast.com



Surely for the good of the Premier League it’s a no brainer?


Carlos Teves, doing his best to keep warmA late-winter break is a no-brainer. This week I learned that Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott will both miss this weekend’s League Cup Final Against Birmingham. Arsenal are still in 4 competitions this year, an impressive feat, but could fall victim to their own success. They have already played 43 games this year, and sadly for them, could still play another 23. The amount of games will surely put pressure on players and will not only lead to injuries but also burn-out. This could be solved by a winter break.

Their fixture list for the rest of the season is a bizarre one. They will have a 13 day break between the end of March and the beginning of April, only to go into April having to play 8 games. Similarly, Tottenham have more than 10 days off until their next game, but could also have 9 games in April.

The timing of these two ‘natural’ breaks at this stage of the season is an odd one. No doubt it was planned by the FA to allow players to recover. But such sporadic breaks will no doubt affect every club in a different way, depending on when they come in a season. Would it not make more sense to have an organised break at the same time, for every club, every season?

The idea of a winter break is a contentious one. Although almost every other league in Europe does it, the FA have always been reluctant to follow suit. And I can see why.

The Boxing Day and New Year’s day football matches are synonymous with Christmas for many families across the UK and the festive period just would not be the same without them. It is tradition in English football and not something I would want to see changed.

Arsene Wenger agreed recently but stressed the need for a winter break. He proposed that a break should come in January, following the festive frenzy. I can’t argue with a single word he said.

“I would like a winter break but after Christmas. Create a break after January for two weeks. We can go on holiday for one week and prepare for one week.”


There would be no league or domestic cup games for two weeks, giving the players a chance to recharge their batteries. This seems to make so much sense.

A club should not get a break, depending on how well or badly they do in a cup. This will only give the smaller Premiership sides, whose main focus is to retain their league status, a reason to not try and win their cup ties.

It has been reported that there are four times as many injuries in the Premiership between April and May than leagues that do have winter breaks. Furthermore, Wayne Rooney highlighted that “Towards the end of the season the intensity in some of the games which is normally there is missing”. A winter break could reduce injuries and keep the intensity of matches high.

Another alternative to a festive break has been to scrap international weekends. This is something I would love to see happen. International weekends do little but reduce my interest in the national side. Players do not seem up for it, and if they are the opposition are not. They are just not fun to watch.

A break in January would be beneficial in a commercial way too. Steve Bruce highlighted this week that clubs manage to draw in their biggest crowds of the season over the festive period. January on the other hand is not a busy time at matches as people are recovering from the excesses of Christmas. A January break would allow the Christmas period to carry on how it is, but then give payers a rest after a frenetic month. It just seems to make sense to me.

The other option, as proposed by Sir Alex Ferguson, is to have the winter break and then extend the season on into June. This might reduce the summer holiday, but would also reduce the accumulation of fatigue on players. All these reasons give a very strong case to a break in January. Surely it is only a matter of time before we see it come into existence?
User avatar
nobleforengland
Posts: 2669
Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2007 1:12 pm
Location: Super Sussex by the Sea

Re: saturday's gossip 26th feb includes west ham

Post by nobleforengland »

Cheers CH :thup:
User avatar
Cookedskunk
Posts: 976
Joined: Tue Jun 05, 2007 8:40 pm
Location: Booooom, Blast & Ruin

Re: saturday's gossip 26th feb includes west ham

Post by Cookedskunk »

Cheers CH :thup:

Getting a little tired of all this Joe Cole stuff, just let it go will you? It's just meaningless talk. So's KB's diary, she can poke it, gobby cow.

Hungover & grumpy? Me?!
User avatar
west ham15
Posts: 10980
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 6:55 pm
Has liked: 1 like
Total likes: 5 likes

Re: saturday's gossip 26th feb includes west ham

Post by west ham15 »

Cheers CH :thup:
aaronwhufc
Posts: 666
Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2010 8:01 pm

Re: saturday's gossip 26th feb includes west ham

Post by aaronwhufc »

Hitz sems like a decent bloke. I heard he spent 2 hours after the game doing interviews and after all of that, more time signing autographs after.

Plus, he apologised for being oiut for so long. How many of our players would have done that? Deffo not Faubert.

Cheers CH.
User avatar
Aceface
Posts: 16360
Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2010 11:01 am
Location: Blighty
Has liked: 358 likes
Total likes: 1446 likes

Re: saturday's gossip 26th feb includes west ham

Post by Aceface »

Faubert: "My future lies elsewhere and I hope they will not try to prevent me leaving."

Guys, I'm going now. Guys?! Last chance - this time I'm really going...
mushy
Posts: 18465
Joined: Mon Dec 17, 2007 3:17 pm
Location: Kumb Poster of the year 2009
Has liked: 640 likes
Total likes: 844 likes

Re: saturday's gossip 26th feb includes west ham

Post by mushy »

From Brady's diary...
'Just as one important player returns - clump - another disappears for the rest of the season.

Matthew Upson's Achilles problem leaves West Ham short of centre-backs but at least Thomas Hitzlsperger comes back with a debut cracker against Burnley in the FA Cup.'

So she gets her news of the players fitness by reading the Daily Mail does she?
Unless Upson IS actually out for the season and we are being fed another crock of ****.
Post Reply