The game against Spurs on Saturday was one of West Ham best performances over the last few years. Definitely better than anything Zola ever achieved. The first signs of change took place after West Ham gave Chelsea a two-goal lead. Although there was no coming back, they showed some good battling qualities. The same was true against Stoke. They are also a team with a fair amount of skill. This combination will get West Ham results against the very best. They were even more impressive against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in the Carling Cup. This was a competition that Sunderland desperately wanted to win and therefore played their first-team whereas Avram Grant brought in several reserves.
I watched the Spurs game live via the internet. The Upton Park crowd really appreciated this new combination of strength and skill. There does not seem a weak link in the team, (except for maybe Boa Morte). We also have Thomas Hitzlsperger to come into the team. All his new signings look like good acquisitions. Both Pablo Barrera and Victor Obinna look to be players with an excellent future.
Kieron Dyer seems to have recaptured the form he showed that made him an England international. Although he went off suffering from “dizziness” at half-time. I reckon that he was really suffering from shock after surviving as long as 45 minutes without injury.
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
Friday, 27 August 2010
Allesandro Diamanti
Allesandro Diamanti has been sold to Serie A side Brescia for a fee of approximately £1.8m.
Another financial disaster as the Italian came from Livorno for £6m. The transfer therefore represents a loss of over £4m on the player, who spent only one year at the Boleyn. I cannot recall a club in the premiership making so many mistakes in such a short-time in the transfer market.
Another financial disaster as the Italian came from Livorno for £6m. The transfer therefore represents a loss of over £4m on the player, who spent only one year at the Boleyn. I cannot recall a club in the premiership making so many mistakes in such a short-time in the transfer market.
Thursday, 26 August 2010
Victor Obinna
West Ham are expected to complete the signing of Inter Milan winger Victor Obinna, 23, on a free transfer on Thursday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5taqDmlkGMk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5taqDmlkGMk
Tuesday, 24 August 2010
Avram Grant in Denial
Another very flawed performance on Saturday by West Ham against Bolton. Grant seems to have Zola's problem of not understanding the English language. After the game he said: "We played like a team at the top. I am very happy with the performance. I am very disappointed with the result." If he does not realise we have serious problems in defence he is in denial. A person in denial does not make a very good football manager.
Friday, 20 August 2010
West Ham: 2010-2011
I only saw the highlights of the Aston Villa game but they were indeed poor. However, I do think that Grant is better than Zola and think we will finish mid-table.
Rob Green: Confidence is unstandably low but think he will come back.
Winston Reid: Thought he was very good in the World Cup. However, he needs to be played in his right position as centre-half.
Danny Gabbidon: Needs to retire.
James Tomkins: Should go out on loan for a year.
Kieron Dyer: It is just a matter of time before he is injured again.
Scott Parker: Our best player but should be sold if the offer is over £10m.
Carlton Cole: With the right service and no injuries this will be his season. I hope they don't sell him.
Jack Collison: Very promising. I hope the injury does not have long-term condequences.
Thomas Hitzlsperger: Looks a class act and a great free transfer. Could be the buy of the season.
Pablo Barrera: Have not seen enough of him to comment.
Luis Boa Morte: Amazed that he was given a new contract. Must have accepted a major pay-cut.
Radoslav Kovac: Moderate. I hope they manage to sell him.
Matthew Upson: I thought his form was poor last season. He had such a poor World Cup that we will not be able to sell him.
Mark Noble: Needs to play in the centre of midfield. A good replacement for Parker.
Benni McCarthy: He is probably the main reason that Zola got the sack. He told Sullivan and Gold that he had to have him. Why did Zola not check out his fitness?
Jonathan Spector: Not good enough for the premiership.
Freddie Sears: Was unimpressive on loan with Crystal Palace. I expect he will go out on loan again.
Julien Faubert: Puts in the odd good cross but will never be good enough at full-back.
Valon Behrami: Like his energy and effort but clearly wants away.
Manuel Da Costa: Promising. Should play instead of Tomkins.
Herita Ilunga: He was good when on loan but now he does not look interested since he was signed. Hopefully, he will eventually return to top form.
Frank Nouble: Very raw. Needs to go out on loan. He might be another Cole in two or three years.
Junior Stanislas: He must do well in training but I have yet to be convinced he can do it in games.
Zavon Hines: This is his second serious knee injury in his short career. Have grave doubts about whether he can come back again. It is a shame as I thought he had great potential.
Jordan Spence: He is highly rated and might breakthrough this year.
Frederic Piquionne: Strange signing. Another Heskey but I am not sure we have the right people to play with him. Surely we cannot afford to have another striker who does not score goals.
Alessandro Diamanti: A class player. However, he does not work hard enough to be a success in the premiership.
Fabio Daprela: Has a lot of potential. In my opinion he should be given a run in the first-team.
Rob Green: Confidence is unstandably low but think he will come back.
Winston Reid: Thought he was very good in the World Cup. However, he needs to be played in his right position as centre-half.
Danny Gabbidon: Needs to retire.
James Tomkins: Should go out on loan for a year.
Kieron Dyer: It is just a matter of time before he is injured again.
Scott Parker: Our best player but should be sold if the offer is over £10m.
Carlton Cole: With the right service and no injuries this will be his season. I hope they don't sell him.
Jack Collison: Very promising. I hope the injury does not have long-term condequences.
Thomas Hitzlsperger: Looks a class act and a great free transfer. Could be the buy of the season.
Pablo Barrera: Have not seen enough of him to comment.
Luis Boa Morte: Amazed that he was given a new contract. Must have accepted a major pay-cut.
Radoslav Kovac: Moderate. I hope they manage to sell him.
Matthew Upson: I thought his form was poor last season. He had such a poor World Cup that we will not be able to sell him.
Mark Noble: Needs to play in the centre of midfield. A good replacement for Parker.
Benni McCarthy: He is probably the main reason that Zola got the sack. He told Sullivan and Gold that he had to have him. Why did Zola not check out his fitness?
Jonathan Spector: Not good enough for the premiership.
Freddie Sears: Was unimpressive on loan with Crystal Palace. I expect he will go out on loan again.
Julien Faubert: Puts in the odd good cross but will never be good enough at full-back.
Valon Behrami: Like his energy and effort but clearly wants away.
Manuel Da Costa: Promising. Should play instead of Tomkins.
Herita Ilunga: He was good when on loan but now he does not look interested since he was signed. Hopefully, he will eventually return to top form.
Frank Nouble: Very raw. Needs to go out on loan. He might be another Cole in two or three years.
Junior Stanislas: He must do well in training but I have yet to be convinced he can do it in games.
Zavon Hines: This is his second serious knee injury in his short career. Have grave doubts about whether he can come back again. It is a shame as I thought he had great potential.
Jordan Spence: He is highly rated and might breakthrough this year.
Frederic Piquionne: Strange signing. Another Heskey but I am not sure we have the right people to play with him. Surely we cannot afford to have another striker who does not score goals.
Alessandro Diamanti: A class player. However, he does not work hard enough to be a success in the premiership.
Fabio Daprela: Has a lot of potential. In my opinion he should be given a run in the first-team.
Friday, 13 August 2010
Benni McCarthy
The weight loss regime will continue for five weeks as the Premier League club have finally lost patience with the South African striker, who has struggled for fitness since he moved to Upton Park.
Club chairman David Sullivan told Telegraph Sport: "Benni has a rigorous weight loss programme and if he doesn't lose the weight we will be fining him. We are not being unrealistic. We've given him a target of losing a kilo – 2.2lb – a week. He has to lose five or six more kilos.
"He's training very hard so he must be eating or drinking something very wrong. Short of spending 24 hours a day with him, we have to assume that.
"With the amount of training he is doing his weight should be going down with a normal diet. We are not starving him. It's just don't eat ice cream, don't eat cakes, don't drink wine. Who knows when they go home what they do.
"They say he's lost five kilos but he still looks heavy to me. But we are very optimistic. I can fine him. I can't be unrealistic and say half a stone a week but a kilo a week is a realistic target for a man of his size.
"It's like a jockey turning up overweight. He can't ride a horse can he, and no one is going to pay him? I think we are fully within our rights to say 'you are not honouring your side of the contract'. You expect him to turn up in a state to be a footballer."
McCarthy, 32, is the club's fourth-highest earner and has two years left on his contract having arrived from Blackburn Rovers in January for £2.2 million. His weight problems meant he was left out of South Africa's World Cup squad. It remains to be seen whether he survives the overhaul of the squad Sullivan and new manager Avram Grant are carrying out this summer.
"In a perfect world I would love to have been able to throw every player out, get all the money that was paid for their transfers in a pot and start again," Sullivan said. "I look at some of the money the club has paid for some players and it does not make sense."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/west-ham/7941574/West-Ham-to-fine-Benni-McCarthy-if-striker-does-not-lose-weight.html
Club chairman David Sullivan told Telegraph Sport: "Benni has a rigorous weight loss programme and if he doesn't lose the weight we will be fining him. We are not being unrealistic. We've given him a target of losing a kilo – 2.2lb – a week. He has to lose five or six more kilos.
"He's training very hard so he must be eating or drinking something very wrong. Short of spending 24 hours a day with him, we have to assume that.
"With the amount of training he is doing his weight should be going down with a normal diet. We are not starving him. It's just don't eat ice cream, don't eat cakes, don't drink wine. Who knows when they go home what they do.
"They say he's lost five kilos but he still looks heavy to me. But we are very optimistic. I can fine him. I can't be unrealistic and say half a stone a week but a kilo a week is a realistic target for a man of his size.
"It's like a jockey turning up overweight. He can't ride a horse can he, and no one is going to pay him? I think we are fully within our rights to say 'you are not honouring your side of the contract'. You expect him to turn up in a state to be a footballer."
McCarthy, 32, is the club's fourth-highest earner and has two years left on his contract having arrived from Blackburn Rovers in January for £2.2 million. His weight problems meant he was left out of South Africa's World Cup squad. It remains to be seen whether he survives the overhaul of the squad Sullivan and new manager Avram Grant are carrying out this summer.
"In a perfect world I would love to have been able to throw every player out, get all the money that was paid for their transfers in a pot and start again," Sullivan said. "I look at some of the money the club has paid for some players and it does not make sense."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/west-ham/7941574/West-Ham-to-fine-Benni-McCarthy-if-striker-does-not-lose-weight.html
Felipe Caicedo
According to several newspapers, the 21-year-old Manchester City striker Felipe Caicedo is heading to West Ham on a season-long loan, having fallen out of favour under Roberto Mancini. Caicedo, an Ecuadorian, signed when Sven-Goran Eriksson was in charge in 2008. I am surprised that Grant seems to think that he needs another striker. I hope that this does not mean he plans to sell Carlton Cole, who in my opinion is just coming to his prime.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)