WHUFC.com
West Ham United midfielder Diego Poyet has been named in Aidy Boothroyd's first squad as England U20 manager. Boothroyd took his role with the U20s as they build towards next summer's Toulon Tournament and includes summer signing Poyet in his selection for the friendly international against Romania on Friday 5 September (kick-off 7.30pm).
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Howes receives England call
WHUFC.com
West Ham United goalkeeper Sam Howes has been called up for England U18s' International Friendly with the Netherlands next month. Howes will be part of the squad for the fixture, which will be played at Bury's The JD Stadium, Bury FC on Friday 5 September 2014 at 7.30pm.
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Big Sam on: Southampton
WHUFc.com
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce wants his side to show a greater ruthlessness when they host Southampton on Saturday. The Hammers have given good performances in all three of their games at the start of the 2014/15 campaign, but only have a victory at Crystal Palace to show for their efforts.
They could conceivably have won all three matches against the Eagles, Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield United, and Allardyce believes that a similar showing in front of goal as last Saturday would see off Ronald Koeman's Southampton side.
Morning Sam. Can we start with any injury news please?
SA: "We still have Carroll, Jarvis, Nolan, Jenkinson and Collins out, along with Sakho, who we had to take off just after half-time on Tuesday. He tweaked his back and we're not sure if he's going to be fit or not, which is obviously another blow to us to have this many injuries at an early stage of the season.
"It's only tired legs otherwise from the extra time and our training is very limited at the moment, so we're nursing the lads through training to be available for the game on Saturday. It's getting rather too long, the list, but saying that, after last Saturday's performance - and Tuesday's too - we're looking pretty good as a team in the way we're playing. What we haven't done at home is turn the two good performances into results and that's a little concern, because we need to be more ruthless and finish teams off, as we did against Crystal Palace."
What effect is the length of that list having on your dealings in the transfer market as the deadline approaches?
SA: "That's not the key element, the key element is how much budget is left. Speaking to the Chairmen we have enough for one quality player and that's a possibility before the window shuts. At the moment I can't see anyone going out the other way. One more player in the squad and we'll have a good one, and hopefully a fit squad that will stay that way and get results.
"When it shuts, we've got an international window which is coming for us at a good time based on those injuries. The training we can do in that period will get some of the lads fitter than they are and hopefully we'll have some of the injured players recovering for Hull City."
Looking at Saturday's game, Southampton have had a big turnover of players, both in and out. They have a new manager too - what does the scouting report tell you about them?
SA: "I think a new manager means that the players want to prove they're good enough to play for him, then the new manager gets impressed by one or two players who perhaps didn't play quite us much under the previous manager. Everybody is there to prove they are worthy of their place, and there are new signings settling in too. Having watched their game against Liverpool, they put up a very good performance in that match, then they played at home against West Brom and got a draw, so I expect, as every game at this level, a very difficult one indeed.
"What we need to do is produce the quality of finishing we did against Crystal Palace. If we do that on a regular basis this season we'll get a lot of wins under our belt. A little bit more consistency in front of goal and we'll be fine."
Is Enner Valencia working towards getting to his peak level?
SA: "The trouble with football is that people expect players to come in straight away. His first full game since the World Cup was on Tuesday, and if he had been playing his first game in pre-season, we'd have given him 45 minutes. We had to play him for 120 minutes because of the circumstances - he got through it exceptionally well, but he has a long way to go still to catch his match fitness up.
"We give the players six weeks in pre-season to get themselves ready, but when a new player comes in everybody expects him to be ready in ten days or two weeks. It's mind-boggling to me how people keep asking about him and keep saying why is he not playing. I've heard that for the last ten, twelve years, but I know it's my job to make sure he is 100 percent fit to be ready to go on a regular basis, and once he does that, we hope he proves himself as soon as he possibly can to show the goalscoring ability we know he's got.
Reece Oxford was on the bench on Tuesday at the age of 15. Are you excited about more than just him, but a couple of other youngsters that you'll be looking
to factor in?
SA: "It's a shame that we got knocked out because your Burkes, your Pottsys, your Poyets, it would have been great for their development to carry on playing in the Capital One Cup. Leo Chambers, who is injured at the moment, would have played a big part in that game too. For me it's a great shame we got knocked out because these lads would have played in more of these ties. We just have to keep developing them here in training and they did put on a very good show, the lads who played on Tuesday night. Ravel Morrison played his first game since Stevenage in pre-season too, so the players at the younger end are proving to be pretty successful when they play.
You've been quoted as saying that you're delighted with the way Cheikhou Kouyate has started off at West Ham, and that he comes in every day with a smile. Has that rubbed off on the other players?
SA: "I don't know about that, but what is rubbing off is his performances. The other players will look at him and say 'yeah, we've got a player here'. Somebody who steps into the Barclays Premier League for the first time and gives those two performances is pretty impressive. It's rarely seen that a player does so well from the start. They normally feel the pace of the game or they don't quite get their feet right, but certainly in the last two games he seems to have hit the ground running."
On a similar note, Aaron Cresswell has earned a lot of praise for his performances. How impressed have you been with him?
SA: "We can look at him and say it should be a little easier because he's come from this country, from the Championship to the Premier League. But there's a certain nervous element that they must feel when they make that step, thinking 'am I good enough?' I think Aaron is using that nervous energy in a positive way by saying that he's going to go out and prove himself.
"His CV suggested that his steady progress through the leagues in this country has been very good indeed. Not only from a performance point of view, but a reliability point of view too because for the last three years at Ipswich he played 40 games plus. If you can find a player like that, then you have consistency and reliability, which is very important. His game is adjusting well and not many Premier League clubs dip into the lower divisions, but we've done that and hopefully he can keep improving. I think there's even more to come from him."
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Big Sam defends big signing
KUMB.com
New arrival Enner Valencia should be given time to settle, argued Sam Allardyce today following criticism of his new striker following Tuesday night's Capital One Cup defeat to Sheffield United. A small section of fans took to various forms of social media in the hours following the match to pan the Ecuador international, who missed a gilt-edged opportunity to seal a win in normal time before missing the penalty that ultimately resulted in United's exit from the competition.
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LET'S NOT GET CARRIED AWAY
By Bob Ballard 28 Aug 2014 at 21:06
West Ham Till I Die
You will forgive me, if I don’t turn cartwheels following our three-one win over Crystal Palace.There’s an opening line that will, immediately, turn many against me.
Yes, of course, a win is a win and we should be grateful after the few three point hauls we managed to achieve last season. But, I believe, The Capital One Cup defeat to Sheffield Utd, albeit on penalties, might be more indicative of where we are going into September. More than a victory against a rudderless Palace who, now, have delighted all Hammers fans with their appointment of the pantomime villain Neil Warnock.
Let’s face the facts, aside from that unexpected, but most welcome, purple patch in February, we have only won back to back games once in the last 12 months…the epitome of a Jekyll and Hyde team if ever there was one.
What’s happened to fortress Upton Park? There used to be genuine fear and trepidation amongst visiting teams in the not-too-distant past about playing at the Boleyn…but now they accept taking three points away from East London as a matter of routine.
Some will point to the fact that the pitch as not as intimately placed as it once was with the ‘Chicken Run’ being further away from the action, so, consequently, the intimidation factor is not as prevalent as it used to be ..but I put it more down to the style of play we adopt at home.
Instead of setting our stall out for three points – the tactical genius that is Sam Allardyce seems happy for us to escape with a point and there are no genuine signs that that is about to change.
Yes, we heard all the bluster about Teddy Sheringham coming in as an attack minded coach – but that was a move designed, only, to take the heat off Big Sam and try and hoodwink us to thinking that we could look forward to a more expansive style in season 2014/15.
On the evidence of the game against Spurs and the Cup defeat to the Blades, it’s not happening and I don’t expect under this manager it ever will.
The fact that, in the run up to the transfer window closing, all he could talk about was bringing in defenders and was happy with our forward options, filled me with dread and fear that once again we are in for a season of dull, uninspiring football.
Much as I wouldn’t wish harm on anyone, the injury to Kevin Nolan does mean that Allardyce has to be a bit more creative you’d hope. That name isn’t inked in on the team sheet every week so other options have to be explored.
That penalty miss aside, Ennar Valencia has looked a great acquisition, though why he wasn’t introduced when Spurs were reduced to ten men on the opening day, is beyond me. He is one of the players who gives me just the tiniest crumb of comfort about how the next 7 months might pan out – but it is just a morsel.
I have been very vociferous, as have many of you, about the long term strategy at the club and that we are going nowhere fast with the approach of this manager.
His arrogance and disdain for anyone who doesn’t buy into his philosophy on football is both galling and perplexing.
We have the players who can and I’m sure would adapt well to a more expansive and creative system, but you can’t see them being given the chance to show it. That, in turn, must limit who we can attract to the club under the current regime. Whilst Joe Cole didn’t have the most sparkling of seasons last year, I would rather see him wearing the Claret and Blue of West Ham than Aston Villa.
And, if last season is anything to go by, we can’t even hope for a good FA Cup run as our manager seems to view that competition as an inconvenience. In all my many years of supporting the club, which was formed out of watching our 1966 heroes, I have never felt so downbeat about our chances.
I would sincerely love to be proved wrong, but the early indications aren’t good.
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Sam Allardyce only in for ''one quality player'' despite West Ham injury crisis
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce is in the market for "one quality player" before the transfer window shuts on Monday. Before Saturday's home match with Southampton, the Hammers already have a long injury list with Andy Carroll, Kevin Nolan, Matt Jarvis, Carl Jenkinson and James Collins ruled out. And new signing Enner Valencia is unlikely to feature after playing his first match since the World Cup in the Capital One Cup defeat to Sheffield United on Tuesday night.
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Episode 3 (Volume 3) of the KUMB Podcast is now available:
http://www.kumb.com/story.php?id=127766
