tuesday's gossip 8th march includes west ham

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tuesday's gossip 8th march includes west ham

Post by cockney hammer »

the sun



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AVRAM GRANT reckons there is at least one more twist in the title race - and West Ham will play a massive part in it.

In-form Hammers have still to play Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Spurs.

Boss Grant said: "I am sure we will win one or two of those, if not draw.

"But it is not my top priority to affect the title race or the race for places in the top four.

"Keeping West Ham in the Premier League is the only thing I really care about."






the mail




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Police step up security for Stoke and West Ham's FA Cup tie following clashes between supporters


Staffordshire Police will consider increasing security ahead of the FA Cup quarter-final between Stoke and West Ham after nasty clashes between rival supporters on Saturday.

The Hammers climbed out of the relegation zone with a 3-0 win over Tony Pulis’ side - but the match was marred by ugly scenes outside Upton Park between opposing supporters.

Metropolitan Police made a total of six arrests during the scuffles - four for public disorder, one for drunk and disorderly and another for a drugs offence.

With emotions already likely to be running high given a place in the FA Cup semi-final is at stake, the unsavoury scenes will fuel the possibility of further trouble ahead of this weekend’s encounter.

And Staffordshire Police could bolster their resources and alter tactics to combat further flare-ups that may have stemmed from Saturday’s brawls when the two sides meet again at the Brittannia Stadium.

Officers from Staffordshire travelled to London on Saturday and information from the visit has been relayed back to the match commander who will decide whether to increase policing measures in light of the braw

Staffordshire Police said last night that security measures for the clash have been agreed but may be changed if the force deem it is necessary.

Meanwhile, West Ham’s Chadwell Heath training ground will undergo intensive repair work this week after criticism from manager Avram Grant.

The freezing winter has taken its toll on the pitches and Grant revealed after the win over Stoke that it even caused talisman Scott Parker an injury.

West Ham will return from a mid-season training camp in Portugal tomorrow (WEDS) and club groundsmen have worked to ensure the pitches are in a better state ahead of the squad’s arrival.

The pitches at the Hammers’ Essex base will be re-laid in the summer.




newham recorder




West Ham’s Grant and his little black book



Hammers boss Avram Grant keeps all his potential signings in a little black book - and Demba Ba was right at the top of it.



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If Stoke City had taken a chance, then West Ham striker Demba Ba could well have been playing in red and white stripes at Upton Park on Saturday.

The 25-year-old Senegal international failed a medical at the Britannia Stadium and Potters boss Tony Pulis decided it was too big a gamble to sign the big centre forward.

And he lived to regret it on Saturday as Ba made it four goals in five games in claret and blue by opening the scoring at Upton Park.

But for manager Avram Grant, the decision to sign the Hoffenheim hitman was a no-brainer.

“I never had a doubt,” said Grant after Saturday’s 3-0 win. “It can’t be that a player who has played 21 games this season in the Bundesliga can’t cope.

“I believe in the medical books, I believe in the book of tactics, but if you think only by the books, you will be a writer and not a coach.”

West Ham’s manager has a little book of his own and Ba has been written in bold letters within it for quite some time. He prides himself with the fact that he spotted the potential of the player first.

“I follow all the leagues in Europe, so I have followed the German League for many, many years,” explained Grant. “His team were in first place last season so I have been watching him for a long time.

“I will look in my book and tell you when I first spotted him,” he laughed.

It is a little galling to the manager that the battle for Ba became such a difficult one as a number of teams tried to muscle in on the deal.

“I’m very happy Stoke didn’t sign him,” he said. “Nobody knew about Demba before I wanted him.

“I followed him a long time as one of the best strikers in Germany. We brought him here, his name was in the paper and all the other teams started to be interested.”

Stoke attempted to grab Ba from under the noses of the Hammers, but Grant is convinced that the player would still have opted to join West Ham, even if he had passed that medical.

“I don’t try to steal players from other teams,” said Grant. “I don’t say that Stoke did that, maybe they heard from other sources, but when I read about players going to other teams, it is okay with me.

“I believe in players who don’t change their mind and from the first day he said he wanted to play for us.”

And play he certainly he has. Four goals in five matches have made him one of the hottest properties in the Premier League.

“I don’t remember a player who has made such a big impact in the first few games he has played in the Premier League,” said the manager.

So was it a gamble to sign Demba Ba?

At the moment, far from a gamble, it looks like the bargains of the season.




talk sport





Double boost for West Ham as Keane and Collison return



Robbie Keane and Jack Collison are set to hand West Ham a major injury boost by resuming full training this week.

Keane has been sidelined for a month after picking up a calf injury in just his second game for the club following his loan move from Tottenham back in January.

But the Republic of Ireland international has already resumed light training and hopes to join the rest of the first-team squad this week.

Collison has been sidelined for the last year with a knee injury, but has also stepped up his recovery and is set to finally resume full training in the next few days.

The news will come as a major boost to manager Avram Grant who is hoping to have a full squad to choose from as they look to move clear of the bottom three.




itn




West Ham boss praises team spirit


West Ham boss praises team spirit West Ham manager Avram Grant has praised the fighting spirit shown by his players which has seen the club secure back-to-back wins and move out of the bottom three.

An impressive display against Stoke on Saturday followed a 3-1 win over Liverpool the previous weekend and West Ham now appear to be building momentum ahead of the run-in.

The Hammers boss said he believes the players were strengthened whilst going through a barren run of form which included one win in six Premier League games.

"When we were bottom of the league, we were fighting and fighting. We always wanted to find a solution and the spirit was very good."

He spoke of his belief that the attitude of the squad during the bad times galvanised the team: "Of course no one was happy when we lost. But from every bad situation we became stronger and stronger. That is the reason why we now have good momentum. You cannot push a button and be good. You need to do the right things even when things are going wrong."

Only three weeks ago West Ham's Premier League future appeared in doubt when Grant's team found themselves on the wrong end of a 3-0 scoreline at half-time against West Brom. But a spirited fightback to earn a point has heralded a turning point in their season and they have won two in a row since.





whtid




The Resurgent Hammers Squad Retreats to the Algarve ….

For three days of warm weather training, team bonding and rest and relaxation. While at home, we fans continue to bask in the reflected warmth of the Liverpool and Stoke City performances. Well, they certainly did not disappoint, as the team faced up to the very different challenge of Stoke City’s physicality and came through with flying colours!

The adaptation of the back line, in moving James Tomkins to right-back and playing Da Costa alongside Upson, was spot on tactically. It gave us far more height and ariel strength to counter Stoke City’s route one tactics. I was personally pleased to see Tomkins cover so well at right-back, because I have long wanted to see him tested there in the PL. Last season, under Zola, we were struggling to cover the right-back berth and I suggested playing Tomkins there as an auxiliary option. It did not happen then, but it is nice to see that Tomkins did eventually get a successful run out in that role. Whilst Cole, Demba Ba and Piquionne combined very well, up front, to give us pace, power, movement and a genuine goal scoring potency in the final third.

Our midfield triumvirite of Hitzlsperger, Parker and Noble are outstanding both individually and collectively as a unit. I would go as far as to say that they are as good a combination as you will find anywhere in the PL. And the way in which we are moving the ball and playing sharp passing football is a delight to behold. Some of our football in the last two matches has been excellent, even good enough to match the Spurs, Man Utds, Chelskis and Man Citys. And if we are to continue our move up the table, secure safety and avoid a tense last day of the season, we are probably going to have grab an away win against one of the top five sides.

We need another three wins to reach 40 points and the obvious target matches are the Villa, Blackburn and Sunderland fixtures at home. I would not bet against us getting a result against Man Utd either, but the key to avoiding a tension packed final day of the season, is picking up a win or two away from home. If I was a betting person I would go for Spurs, Bolton and Wigan as the best possibilities for three points. I am confident that we can match Spurs, as long as we do not freeze at WHL. We are well overdue a win against Bolton and we should be able to beat a distinctly average Wigan side. Getting results away against Chelski and Man City are admittedly longer shots, but having said that neither of those teams have been very consistent this season, so who knows? For instance, Blackpool, yesterday evening, proved that Chelski can be vulnerable at the back, when put under pressure.

What pleased me most about the Stoke City game was the way that we matched them physically, but did not get dragged in to playing their sort of football. We negated their one dimensional offensive threat and then set about playing them off the pitch. It showed that, as well as matching the top sides, we finally appear to have overcome our long-standing phobia with regard to the ‘long ball teams.’ And long overdue it has been as well! Now hopefully Bolton (although they do, admittedly, play more expansive stuff under Owen Coyle) will not succeed in muscling us out of the points up at the Reebok Stadium.

If we do survive this season, then I feel that we have the basis of a very good squad for 2011-12. It means stripping the remaining deadwood out of the squad and building around the core of our best players and promising youngsters. The club must promote some of the best Academy products to first team duty (i.e. Brown, Spence, Fry, Lee and Montano), whilst investing further in quality additions. Within that context, I was concerned to read a recent report that David Sullivan has warned that the next two or three seasons will be tough financially at the club. If that means starving the squad of investment next summer, then they really have not learnt from the turbulent events of this season. In the PL you must invest year on year and keep continually improving the squad, otherwise you end up regressing. We do not necessarily need a lot of new players, just add three or four of significant quality in the right positions and then challenge the youngsters to ‘push on’ to increase competition for places.

I guess a lot depends on outstanding issues like whether Matt Upson leaves in the summer? I hope not, if he continues the form that he has shown recently. However, it may be that, at 31 years of age, he will be tempted by negotiating a lucrative Bosman move for himself? If he does then we are going to be in the market for an experienced, left sided, central defender. Other factors include whether the club continue to show faith in the ability of Winston Reid and Pablo Barrera, if we sign Wayne Bridge from Man City, to cover left-back, and whether Victor Obinna signs a permanent contract in the summer? There are quite a few variables to ponder before we establish our transfer priorities and targets. But, if we survive this season, the club must get their signings right in the summer, for once, so we can look forward to having a good 2011-12 season in the top half of the PL.

Talking of getting key decisions right, Avram Grant will be considering whether to rotate the squad in the quarter-final match with Stoke City. Whilst it is an FA Cup qQuarter-Final, I am sure that he will be tempted to rest one or two key players and give some others much needed match time. For instance, will he name Scott Parker on the bench? Grant will know that Parker is our most important player, but he will also know that his body probably needs a rest from its almost superhuman efforts and the effects of the recent shoulder injury. The FA Cup is important, but it is even more important to have Parker fit for the remainder of the PL programme. I am sure that Hitzlsperger will play, as long as the medics monitoring his former injury give the green light. On the one hand he needs to continue building his match fitness, on the other he has played a awful lot of football, in a very short period, for a player that was out injured for well over six months! Grant will probably play the same defensive formation that coped so admirably with Stoke City’s ariel threat, but perhaps they will re-jig the striker force to accommodate Victor Obinna’s inclusion?

Perhaps, Grant will, indeed, throw caution to the wind and just select his strongest first team line up? We shall see? But one thing is certain, we stand every chance of going up to the Potteries and coming away with a result. I know that it is a cliche, but we really do need to keep our focus and take it one match at a time. The form and the winning momentum is with us, at long last, and if we do that we can amass the points to guarantee PL safety and progress in the cup. Of course, the real test will be if we lose a match, can we we bounce straight back and maintain our direction of travel towards safety? With this team, yes, I feel that we can!

SJ. Chandos.




Liverpool and Spurs are back in the chase to sign January transfer target Mirko Vucinic after his agent hints that Roma may listen to offers for the 27-year-old striker in the summer.
Metro

Italian giants Juventus are eyeing up Bolton's Swedish striker Johan Elmander, who is available on a free this summer. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City could all come in with big money bids for Borussia Dortmund's £20m rated central defender Neven Subotic.
Metro

Championship sides Burnley and Ipswich want to sign Aston Villa's 20-year-old striker Nathan Delfouneso on loan. (Daily Mirror)



Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says rivals Tottenham are still in with a shout of winning the Premier League title even though they are currently 12 points off the pace.
Metro

Spurs striker Jermain Defoe, 28, says he was so frustrated by manager Harry Redknapp's rotation policy that he almost quit the north London club in January.
Daily Mail

Former Arsenal defender Nigel Winterburn says the speedy return from injury of 27-year-old striker Robin van Persie will be "massive" for the Gunners ahead of their Champions League tie with Barcelona.
Talksport

Manchester United are missing a Roy Keane-style midfield general according to ex-Red Devils striker Teddy Sheringham. (Daily Mirror)

Everton look set to hand 33-year-old French defender Sylvain Distin a new contract because manager David Moyes is so impressed with the player's consistent performances.
Daily Mail


Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas has had enough of people saying he wants to move back to his boyhood club Barcelona. "I'm fed up of people saying what I feel because they don't know what I feel," he declared. (Daily Mirror)

Meanwhile, Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola says Fabregas's Arsenal colleague Jack Wilshere would be in the reserves if the teenager was a player at the Spanish club. (Daily Mirror)
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Re: tuesday's gossip 8th march includes west ham

Post by Tiit Hämarik »

:thup:
Cheers CH!
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Re: tuesday's gossip 8th march includes west ham

Post by Norridge »

Cheers CH, from what that Mail article infers I wouldn't be at all surprised to read a litany of complaints about treatment from Old Bill after the 1/4 final. You just know they'll come down hard on our travelling support.
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Re: tuesday's gossip 8th march includes west ham

Post by terrapinstation »

it's a shame that the aftermath of sunday's game against stoke was written up as being reciprocated by our fans; by all accounts it sounds as if theirs were to blame.

cheers ch, cant wait for sunday :crest:
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Re: tuesday's gossip 8th march includes west ham

Post by PrawnSandwich »

Cheers man.
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Re: tuesday's gossip 8th march includes west ham

Post by west ham15 »

Cheers CH :thup:
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Re: tuesday's gossip 8th march includes west ham

Post by Hambrosia Stu »

Nice one CH! :thup:

Interesting how it is now being reported how **** our training pitch is, and "may" have been responsible for some of our injury problems.

Makes me wonder...
How long has it been like that?
Why hasn't something been done about it before now?

I also can't help wondering who it was who came up with the idea to send the boys away for a week in the sun, whilst working on the training ground?
Sharp thinking, imo
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Re: tuesday's gossip 8th march includes west ham

Post by hammerjohn »

Well done CH top man :thup:

A fully fit squad (pretty much)... brilliant news.
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Re: tuesday's gossip 8th march includes west ham

Post by hammer »

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Post by mokum hammer »

:thup:
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Re: tuesday's gossip 8th march includes west ham

Post by thamesironworksfc »

Cheers CH :thup:
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Re: tuesday's gossip 8th march includes west ham

Post by Cuenca 'ammer »

Cheers lads...

All this getting up early doesn't help when you have a day off and your bladder is still set on work time !!!!

:oops:

Thanks for the stirling work, is it a bit light on news today?

Hammer number 1 please (although all three are VERY nice...)

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Re: tuesday's gossip 8th march includes west ham

Post by maidenhammer »

I wonder if this problem with the training ground will speed up work on the ford site or is that a dead duck now?

Fanx CH
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Re: tuesday's gossip 8th march includes west ham

Post by rciron »

Cheers CH :thup: Stoke Tools, bring it on!
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Re: tuesday's gossip 8th march includes west ham

Post by nobleforengland »

Cheers CH :thup:
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Post by UptonHammer »

cheers CH :thup:
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Re: tuesday's gossip 8th march includes west ham

Post by kitthehammer »

I'm assuming chadwell heath will still be the training ground once we move to the o/s?
I'd have thought there must be facilities in Stratford which could be converted though surely, following the games?
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Re: tuesday's gossip 8th march includes west ham

Post by 'Appy 'Ammer »

They do have a second training ground not too far from chadwell heath, the name escapes me, but it's state of the art, just not ready yet
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Re: tuesday's gossip 8th march includes west ham

Post by Muddy »

Cheers CH.
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Re: tuesday's gossip 8th march includes west ham

Post by Hammer Smith »

Thanks CH
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