Thursday, 23rd February 2012: News Digest

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Thursday, 23rd February 2012: News Digest

Post by Up the Junction »

Blackpool 1 West Ham Utd 4
KUMB.com

What a night. What a performance. What a win.

After completely dominating a first half in which we could have been out of sight, a soft Kevin Phillips goal brought the hosts back to 2-1, and following Rob Green’s sending off just five minutes into the second half leading to midfielder Henri Lansbury going between the sticks, we could have just imploded and ended up losing a game we were in complete control of. But not this West Ham team, we have got more about us than that, more spirit, more guts and more passion.

It was a night where every hammers supporter was proud to be West Ham. The football played, which can be rarely said about us under Big Sam this season, was at times a joy to watch last night and the team spirit and commitment from the players in claret and blue was quite outstanding.

The most satisfying thing about last night was the way, whether with ten or eleven men, we completely controlled and dominated the game against a team on top form and genuine contenders for promotion.

From start to finish we simply looked a cut above Blackpool, playing with confidence and class going forward and once again defending so resolutely. Every West Ham player out there deserves huge credit, not just for the way they performed but for the commitment to the cause. Big Sam has certainly got them playing for the shirt.

We are beginning to get used to, and dare I say, enjoying this ten men lark for large parts of games. Three red cards in three games and we have produced three of our best performances this season. As the chant went last night ‘We only need ten men’. Still it would be nice to keep a full quota of players on the pitch from time to time.

Full report here: http://www.kumb.com/report.php?id=101184" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Morrison fined
KUMB.com
http://www.kumb.com/story.php?id=126034" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ravel Morrison has been fined by the FA after admitting a charge relating to
a comment he made on Twitter. The new Hammer - who is yet to make his first
team debut for the Hammers, who he joined on transfer deadline day - was
fined £7,000 for referring to an anonymous poster who had abused him via his
Twitter account as a 'faggot'. "Ravel Morrison has been fined and warned as
to his future conduct after he admitted a charge of using abusive and/or
insulting words including a reference to a person’s sexual orientation," a
brief statement on the FA's website said this afternoon.

Money for old rope: Hammers fined by the FA

Danny Gabbidon
May 2011: £6,000

The Welsh international waas fined for a tirade against supoprters who had
criticised his performance in the wake of a 2-1 home defeat against Aston
Villa. Gabbidon, now at QPR threw his toys out of his pram when he Tweeted:
"U know what f*** the lot of you u will never get another tweet from me
again u just don't get it do you . Bye bye ."

Carlton Cole
April 2011: £20,000

The current Hammers striker, whose Twitter account has proved enormously
popular with supporters closed his original account with the social network
after being fined the huge sum for comments he made following England's
friendly with Ghana. "Immigration has surrounded the Wembley premises! I
knew it was a trap! Hahahaha," wrote our Carlton - whose mother hails from
Sierra Leone and father from Nigeria. The FA failed to see the funny side.

Avram Grant
April 2011: £6,000

Sam Allardyce's predecessor was hit with a fine for 'improper conduct' after
criticising referee Mike Jones for an appalling performance during West
Ham's FA Cup quarter final defeat at Stoke. Referee Jones recently redeemed
himself by sending off Kevin Nolan against Millwall a fortnight ago.

John Hartson
November 1997: £1,000

The former Hammers striker was penalised by the old farts at the FA for
rightly referring to match official Mike Reed as both a 'sh*thouse' and a
'homer' after an inept display during a home match with Leicester. Then-boss
Harry Redknapp, who insisted that, "the slightest touch on one of their
players and he was blowing up; he gave them foul after foul," escaped
censure.

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Big Sam hails Blackpool heroes
WHUFC.com

Sam Allardyce could not hide his delight after West Ham United secured one
of their greatest-ever away results with a 4-1 npower Championship win at
Blackpool on Tuesday.

The Hammers were leading 2-1 when goalkeeper Robert
Green was sent off in the 54th minute and, with no substitute goalkeeper on
the bench, midfielder Henri Lansbury had to go in goal. But rather than
resting on their laurels, the Hammers went on to attack the home side and
were rewarded with maiden goals from Gary O'Neil and Ricardo Vaz Te.

"I can't imagine how the lads feel as they're so excited about the result and
what they've achieved," Big Sam said. "The thousands of West Ham fans who
were here must have seen one of the finest West Ham performances they've
ever seen in the entire time they've been watching West Ham United.

"To win as we did and the way we played against all the odds was
magnificent. To score even more goals when we went down to ten men to go
from 2-1 to 4-1 was amazing. "Nicky Maynard might have made it even more so
we didn't just defend correctly with ten men we just took them apart when we
had the opportunity with some fantastic finishing."

Lansbury's clean-sheet performance is likely to go down in West Ham folklore
as he showed some assured handling and solid command of his area during his
36 minutes in goal - plus six minutes of added-time. "He's an outfield
player who had a very accomplished game in goal today. There weren't many
good chances created by Blackpool because of the quality of our defending
but he did the basics brilliantly - the kicking and the handling - and he
got a great reception from the fans."

Green's sending-off meant the Hammers had to finish a game with ten men for
the third consecutive fixture. But just as they did against Millwall and
Southampton, the Hammers stuck together and made it seven points from nine.
"We'd been threatening to do this for a long time when we had ten against
11. It really is a fantastic result. We got three points when we were
fighting against the elements from having Robert sent off. "I thought it was
a bad decision as we had players covering and it should be a yellow card
maximum but of we've managed to overcome that and it's not cost us."

Full story here: http://www.whufc.com/articles/20120222/ ... 84_2619378" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Gaz and Vaz
WHUFC.com

For different reasons, Gary O'Neil and Ricardo Vaz Te both had reason to be delighted after scoring their maiden West Ham United goals this week.

O'Neil bagged the third and Vaz Te the fourth in Tuesday's memorable 4-1 npower Championship win at Blackpool - a result achieved despite the sending-off of Robert Green which forced Henri Lansbury to play in goal for 40 minutes.

For O'Neil, the strike was another step in his comeback after eight months out with a serious ankle injury. For Vaz Te, the goal capped an oustanding first full 90 minutes in a claret and blue shirt following his January arrival from Barnsley.

The duo - christened Gaz and Vaz - spoke to West Ham TV after an unforgettable night at Bloomfield Road.

"It's been a long wait, about ten months, and a long road back so I'm just glad to be back and involved and helping the lads," said O'Neil. "That was a big result, especially the way the game panned out.

Full story here: http://www.whufc.com/articles/20120223/ ... 84_2620181" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Under 500 left for Palace
WHUFC.com

Fans wanting to attend the Kids for a Quid game with Crystal Palace at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday should buy today to avoid disappointment.

Tickets for the London derby are proving extremely popular and it is expected that the fixture will sell out by Friday. All standard and disabled Under-16s tickets for the match are available for just a pound, making sure for a bumper turnout. Any supporter who has already purchased a full-price Under-16s ticket for this fixture should contact the Ticket Office for a refund.

With Academy members also granted Half-Price entry to the match, with ticket prices starting at just £16, there is sure to be huge demand to watch the Hammers continue their quest for promotion against the Eagles.

The 12.45pm kick-off will mark the second time Sam Allardyce's men have taken on Dougie Freedman's exciting young side, who recently reached the Carling Cup semi-finals.

Tickets are already on General Sale and fans should book soon to avoid disappointment. To do so call 0871 222 2700 (calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras), visit the Alpari Stand Ticket Office during normal opening hours or book online.

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Four Thoughts on... Blackpool 1-4 West Ham United
Up The 'Pool

It was a bizarre night at Bloomfield Road and sadly for Blackpool it was a match for the visitors to savour as they lost 4-1 in strange circumstances against a strong West Ham side. Here are my observations from the game:

1. West Ham seize early initiative

When the line-ups were announced it looked inevitable that the game would be won and lost in the middle of the pitch. The visitors lined up in a 4-1-4-1 formation, with James Tomkins in the midfield holding role and Nicky Maynard leading the forward line, ****ed when attacking by Julien Faubert and Ricardo Vaz Te. Blackpool began with a 4-3-3-cum-4-5-1 formation with John Fleck being used wide left and Lomana Lua Lua through the middle up front - Ian Holloway decided on a central midfield trio of Barry Ferguson, Ludo Sylvestre and Chris Basham.

With so many bodies in central areas, it was West Ham who stamped their authority on the game as they overran 'Pool from the first whistle. Mark Noble, Jack Collison and the highly impressive James Tomkins showed their class, forcing the home side into a succession of errors as they conceded possession far too easily through a combination of slack passing, poor control and failing to move the ball quickly enough when hounded by the West Ham midfield.

The poor state of the pitch seemed to be weighing on Blackpool minds but West Ham's attacking players were coping much better with the conditions, as Vaz Te and Faubert looked dangerous with the ball at their feet in wide areas. The warning signs were plentiful in the opening 25 minutes as the Hammers went close on several occasions and the pressure did eventually tell for the opening goal.

Noble put an excellent free-kick into the right area - the 'corridor of uncertainty' between goalkeeper and defence, if you will - and Tomkins powered past his marker to head home, although other West Ham players were, somewhat worryingly for Blackpool, queueing up behind him had he failed to connect. The second goal followed minutes later and with a little over 30 mins on the clock West Ham were in cruise control.

2. Unusual tactical switches and confused approach

On the back of the opening half an hour, Ian Holloway clearly felt compelled to change things with a first half substitution. It's rare to see a manager resort to a tactical substitution so early in a game, but the change saw Basham make way for Kevin Phillips. Basham certainly wasn't enjoying the best of evenings (like most of his teammates), and while some may feel the goal for Phillips just before the break justifies the change, it did seem an odd switch to make. The Seasiders were clearly losing the battle in the midfield area, so weakening this further was a curious move.

In fact, the longer the match went on, the more Blackpool seemed to bypass the midfield altogether. Holloway gambled further at half-time and introduced two more players off the bench, with Roman Bednar and Nouah Dicko replacing Sylvestre and the ever-frustrating Lua Lua. Quite whether such a bold move was required having gained an unlikely foothold in the game courtesy of Phillips' goal is up for debate, and it may have been that just one half-time change could have been preferable. Nonetheless it saw 'Pool emerge from the break in a quasi-4-2-4 formation - Fleck and Ferguson asked to hold the fort in midfield while those ahead had little defensive responsibility.

One theory here is that Holloway was looking to stretch the game having struggled to find their way through the visiting side in the first half, and that risking an end-to-end game could work in Blackpool's favour rather than their opposition's. A glimmer of light did emerge when Rob Green was dismissed after bringing down Bednar outside the area - the referee judging Green to be guilty of a professional foul. However, 'Pool's approach to playing against 10 men with an outfield player in goal was woefully inadequate.

With over 35 minutes (plus stoppage time) remaining, Blackpool could have afforded themselves a little more patience, but the response to the sending off was frantic, ill-thought out and unintelligent. Ian Evatt was almost immediately deployed as a centre forward alongside Bednar, as 'Pool proceeded to play right into West Ham's hands. Having been reduced to 10 men, Sam Allardyce's team retreated and Blackpool going long meant they were more than able to cope with the aerial assault.

It was at this point the lack of midfielders left in the Blackpool team was evident. Leaving so many bodies up front ensured that it was difficult to pass out from the back as the home side repeatedly gave their outnumbered opponents the ball back when going long in an attempt to hit the makeshift forward line. Holloway's side should have made the ball do the work and make their extra man count using the full width of the pitch, especially with so much time left in the game after the sending off.

Unfortunately it was a fumbled approach though, with players appearing to receive different instructions from the touchline every few minutes. Ian Evatt for example found himself on the left wing at one point, and while West Ham prepared to take the corner that would lead to their third goal, Evatt looked to be told to go back in defence alongside Alex Baptiste and Craig Cathcart, with the plan to push Stephen Crainey on into midfield. This surely played a part in the way Blackpool handled the corner with Evatt only just back into his own area as the ball came in. It seemed that nobody had their calm, thinking head on as the events of the second half unfolded, and as a result 'Pool were punished for their performance.

3. Poor performances all round for 'Pool

It goes without saying that on a night as bad as the one Blackpool experienced, few players emerged with any level of credit. Matt Gilks can be absolved of much of the blame, and he was often quick to let some of his colleagues know what he thought of their sloppy play in defence and midfield, and Kevin Phillips kept his head to find an undeserved goal just before half-time. Aside from those two it was an off day for virtually every other Blackpool player and they will no doubt be smarting having tried to build themselves up as genuine automatic promotion contenders.

Cathcart and Evatt, perhaps unsettled by rotation in recent weeks, looked like strangers for most of the game, with one incident in the first half particularly embarrassing for Evatt as he appeared to completely switch off as Cathcart headed the ball in his direction. In midfield Ferguson was well below par and Fleck was anonymous for large periods of the first half, although the Rangers loan man did try to get things going in the final 20 minutes when so many others had almost given up.

In attach Lua Lua continues to do show his ability only in small doses - for every excellent moment there are six or seven occasions where he misplaces a pass without looking up or gets caught in possession. He seems to have acquired a starting berth almost by default and it maybe is time to look at fielding Kevin Phillips from the off in certain league games. It was also a rare quiet day for Matt Phillips, and with all the changes he didn't see enough of the ball.

Perhaps it was only inevitable that a bad performance was on the cards at some point given the excellent run since the New Year, but too many had their bad day in the same game. In a match that had significant importance in terms of the automatic promotion race it was a slip up 'Pool probably couldn't afford. Sights probably now return to the more realistic goal of a top six finish, and bouncing back quickly is vital.

4. Hammers bound for the Premier League

Over the course of two matches this season West Ham have now racked up an aggregate score of 8-1 against Blackpool, and on both showings they have looked every bit worthy of a promotion-winning side. Much has been made of the money spent, both at the beginning of the season and in the January transfer window, but it looks like Allardyce will do the job asked of him and guide the Hammers back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

To have taken seven points from the last three games despite having a man sent off in each shows an ability to get results from difficult situations, and the ease with which they coasted to victory at Bloomfield Road demonstrated a difference in class of the two sides. Not only do West Ham boast a strong defensive unit, they also have a number of quick and skilful attacking players who were threatening on the counter-attack, often exposing Blackpool's gung-ho approach in the final third of the game.

There is still a good chunk of the season remaining, but of all the teams in the race West Ham are possibly best placed to maintain their position until the end of the campaign. Allardyce may have bad memories of his final season on the Fylde coast, but at this point it's difficult to imagine a similar collapse might be in store for those at the Boleyn Ground.

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West Ham's Ravel Morrison fined for Twitter comments
BBC.co.uk

West Ham midfielder Ravel Morrison has been fined £7,000 by the FA and
warned as to his future conduct following comments made on Twitter. The
punishment comes after he admitted a charge of using abusive and/or
insulting words, including a reference to a person's sexual orientation.
After joining West Ham on deadline day, Morrison is yet to make his debut.
The midfielder made two Carling Cup appearances for his former club
Manchester United earlier this season.

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Morrison fined over slur
SSN

West Ham midfielder Ravel Morrison has been fined £7,000 by the Football
Association for using a gay slur on Twitter. The 19-year-old was "warned as
to his future conduct after he admitted a charge of using abusive and/or
insulting words including a reference to a person's sexual orientation." The
teenager posted the tweet shortly after joining West Ham from Manchester
United last month. "West Ham United's Ravel Morrison has been fined £7,000
and warned as to his future conduct after he admitted a charge of using
abusive and/or insulting words including a reference to a person's sexual
orientation," read a statement on the club's official website. "The charge
was in relation to comments Morrison made on Twitter."

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Hammers consider signing new keeper after Robert Green's sending-off
Evening Standard

West Ham were today considering using the emergency loan system to sign a
goalkeeper following Rob Green's red card in the 4-1 win at Blackpool. Green
faces a three-match automatic ban after bringing down Blackpool striker
Roman Bednar early in the second half, a decision manager Sam Allardyce felt
was harsh and is likely to appeal. "It was a bad decision," said the West
Ham manager, "because we had players covering and it should have been a
yellow card maximum."

Allardyce has other goalkeeping options but Ruud Boffin has failed to
impress in two cup appearances this season while the club will have to pay
Sparta Prague £700,000 if second choice Marek Stech plays two more games.
Allardyce may instead decide to try to loan an emergency replacement, as
they did earlier this season when Arsenal's Manuel Almunia joined West Ham
whilst Green was recovering from injury. West Ham, who went back to the top
of the Championship table as a result of last night 's win, have had a
player sent off in their last three matches but still managed seven points.
Without a goalkeeper amongst his names substitutes, Allardyce brought on
midfield player Henri Lansbury to replace Green. Lansbury, on loan from
Arsenal, had previously seen emergency 'keeper duty for England Under 21's
and looked relatively unruffled for the rest of the match as West Ham, who
were leading 2-1 at the time through James Tomkins and Nicky Maynard on his
debut, doubled their tally with goals from Gary O'Neil and Ricardo Vaz Te.
"We're doing it the hard way," said Allardyce. "Every player is doing his
bit when we get something that is going against us and we seem to find the
resilience and the ability and skill to overcome it. In my time I've never
seen anything like it. "We've picked up three results - two wins and a draw
- after going down to ten men, once after eight minutes, once after 12
minutes and against Blackpool after 54 minutes."

"I enjoy playing in goal," said Lansbury. "I had a muck-about with our
goalkeeping coach Martyn Margetson recently and he told me to watch the ball
into my hands."

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Part compiled by http://vyperz.blogspot.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Matt of iron
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Re: 23rd February 2012: News Digest

Post by Matt of iron »

I remember Gabbidon's.

He may have had a point if he hadn't been so ***** whenever he played last year.

Cheers UTJ
lukeWHU
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Re: 23rd February 2012: News Digest

Post by lukeWHU »

The Gabbidon one still annoys me. He should have been fined £6k after every game for his **** performance.
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Paddy O'Hammer
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Re: 23rd February 2012: News Digest

Post by Paddy O'Hammer »

Good man Barlton Bole, made the missus over chuffed :) We need to keep this man!



Image
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clawhammer
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Re: 23rd February 2012: News Digest

Post by clawhammer »

If Stech has 2 more appearance before we need to pay £700k then to me it is a no-brainer. What is the point of keeping him if it is not for exactly this situation. If Greeno was banned for 3 games then get Almunia back. I am afraid Boffin is not up to the job at the moment.
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Cuenca 'ammer
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Re: 23rd February 2012: News Digest

Post by Cuenca 'ammer »

Cheers Boss

Well unhappy with no totty though...................

:wink:
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Romford Iron
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Gaz and Vaz

Post by Romford Iron »

Image

What a double act :lol:

http://www.whufc.com/articles/20120223/ ... 84_2620181" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Aceface
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Re: Gaz and Vaz

Post by Aceface »

"Gaz" looks like Spud from Trainspotting :lol:
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Matt of iron
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Re: Gaz and Vaz

Post by Matt of iron »

O'neil looks more like a rat everytime I see him.
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nobleforengland
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Re: 23rd February 2012: News Digest

Post by nobleforengland »

Cheers UTJ :thup:
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Re: 23rd February 2012: News Digest

Post by RyanWHUFC »

Cheers UTJ :thup:
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Adie64
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Re: 23rd February 2012: News Digest

Post by Adie64 »

Thanks UTJ :thup:
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the oldham stripper
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Re: Gaz and Vaz

Post by the oldham stripper »

dangermouse & penfold :lol:
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Kitt the car
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Re: 23rd February 2012: News Digest

Post by Kitt the car »

Cheers C... I mean UTJ!!!
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Re: 23rd February 2012: News Digest

Post by TampaHammer »

Paddy O'Hammer wrote:Good man Barlton Bole, made the missus over chuffed :) We need to keep this man!
hahahahahahahahaha! That's a classic!
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