Goals from Nolan and Collison ensured West Ham continued their best pre-season form since the glory days of the Avram Grant (pre-season) era.
A few points of interest from this game:
Titus Bramble did not feature so possibly he really was just training with the club to maintain fitness.
Mo Diame came on after 60 minutes to make his first appearance since returning from the summer break (he was granted a couple of extra weeks due to international duty).
Trialist Orlando Engelaar came on for Nolan after 50 minutes. Engelaar is a 33 year old Dutch international central midfielder.
Jaaskelainen, Demel, Collins, Reid, Rat, Noble, Collison, Nolan, Vaz Te, Jarvis, Maiga
Subs: Adrian, O'Brien, Tomkins, Potts, Taylor, Diarra, Diame, Engelaar, J.Cole, McCallum, Morrison, Whitehead, Lletget
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Boreham Wood 0 - 3 West Ham United
Goals by Morrison, Vaz Te and Nolan in a game dominated by the Hammers. Hopefully Morrison's second goal in successive pre-season games is a sign that he will be pushing for a first team place this season.
First half XI: Adrian, Guy Demel, Pelly Ruddock, Winston Reid, Razvan Rat, Mark Noble, Jack Collison, Matt Taylor, Ricardo Vaz Te, Paul McCallum, Ravel Morrison
Second half XI: Jussi Jaaskelainen, Jordan Spence, James Collins, James Tomkins, Dan Potts, Alou Diarra, Danny Whitehead, Kevin Nolan, Joe Cole, Modibo Maiga, Matt Jarvis
Subs (not used): Elliot Lee, George Moncur, Sam Baxter
First half XI: Adrian, Guy Demel, Pelly Ruddock, Winston Reid, Razvan Rat, Mark Noble, Jack Collison, Matt Taylor, Ricardo Vaz Te, Paul McCallum, Ravel Morrison
Second half XI: Jussi Jaaskelainen, Jordan Spence, James Collins, James Tomkins, Dan Potts, Alou Diarra, Danny Whitehead, Kevin Nolan, Joe Cole, Modibo Maiga, Matt Jarvis
Subs (not used): Elliot Lee, George Moncur, Sam Baxter
Monday, July 8, 2013
Cork City 2 - 6 West Ham United
To end the week's training in Ireland West Ham played against Cork who are half way through their season so should be the fitter team. Having said that Cork did have a league game on Friday night so I'm not sure if all their first teamers played.
A few points of interest:
Titus Bramble played. I was a bit concerned when I read he was training with us, not because of lack of ability but because of his propensity to make blunders, not what you want from a centre back. I'm coming round to the possibility of him joining though. We do need another central defender and as we are still working within a budget he is probably the best we are going to get. I assume he would start the season as the fourth choice assuming James Tompkins stays.
Ravel Morrison scored one and also won a penalty.
Alou Diarra played and also scored a goal. Diarra is a top player, a French international. I saw him play in the League Cup last year and he looked good before he stomped off back to France.
If Bramble, Morrison and Diarra could prove they have overcome their various issues they could be good, cost effective additions to the squad.
Paul McCallum scored one and made one. It's widely reported that another striker signing is being sought but that's still going to leave us short on numbers up front. It will be interesting to see if McCallum can push for a first team squad place this year.
New signings Adrian, Rat and Whitehead made their debut's for the club.
West Ham United first-half XI: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Collins, Bramble, Potts, Diarra, Collison, Nolan, Cole, Jarvis, Maiga
Second-half XI: Adrian, Potts, Tomkins, Reid, Rat, Noble, Morrison, Whitehead, Vaz Te, Taylor, McCallum
A few points of interest:
Titus Bramble played. I was a bit concerned when I read he was training with us, not because of lack of ability but because of his propensity to make blunders, not what you want from a centre back. I'm coming round to the possibility of him joining though. We do need another central defender and as we are still working within a budget he is probably the best we are going to get. I assume he would start the season as the fourth choice assuming James Tompkins stays.
Ravel Morrison scored one and also won a penalty.
Alou Diarra played and also scored a goal. Diarra is a top player, a French international. I saw him play in the League Cup last year and he looked good before he stomped off back to France.
If Bramble, Morrison and Diarra could prove they have overcome their various issues they could be good, cost effective additions to the squad.
Paul McCallum scored one and made one. It's widely reported that another striker signing is being sought but that's still going to leave us short on numbers up front. It will be interesting to see if McCallum can push for a first team squad place this year.
New signings Adrian, Rat and Whitehead made their debut's for the club.
West Ham United first-half XI: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Collins, Bramble, Potts, Diarra, Collison, Nolan, Cole, Jarvis, Maiga
Second-half XI: Adrian, Potts, Tomkins, Reid, Rat, Noble, Morrison, Whitehead, Vaz Te, Taylor, McCallum
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
David Sullivan now majority shareholder
Co-chairman David Sullivan has become West Ham United's largest single shareholder, having acquired a further 25 per cent stake in the club from CB Holdings taking his personal stake to 56 per cent and giving him overall control of the Club.
On the face of it a good thing, reducing the remaining CB Holdings (the Icelandic's) stake but I wonder what David Gold thinks about it. Presumably Sullivan discussed the move with him beforehand...?
On the face of it a good thing, reducing the remaining CB Holdings (the Icelandic's) stake but I wonder what David Gold thinks about it. Presumably Sullivan discussed the move with him beforehand...?
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Transfer rumours
Incoming
Wilfred Bony - West Ham have reportedly made a £10.2m bid for Bony. The official transfer twitter feed has denied the story though, stating we did make a bid but it was rejected so Bony will not be joining.
Titus Bramble - training with West Ham at their pre-season camp in Cork. West Ham fans will be nervous that this is more than just a way of helping Bramble to keep fit.
Gary O'Neil - O'Neil is our latest signing after his last contract ran out at the end of June. Presumably the new contract is at a lower wage rate and as he has proved his worth as a squad player since recovering from his long term injury in the promotion season I think this is a good signing for the club.
Outgoing
Matt Taylor to Newcastle - bit of a surprise this one, after a couple of years of Tompkins to Newcastle stories. If true it could mean the Geordies have changed their transfer tactics from buying young French players to old English ones, especially if the Darren Bent story to NUFC is true as well.
Rob Hall has left the club and signed for Bolton. Real shame this one as he was the youth player who we expected big things from. I suspect he calculated that Sam's preference for experience meant his first team chances would continue to be limited.
Wilfred Bony - West Ham have reportedly made a £10.2m bid for Bony. The official transfer twitter feed has denied the story though, stating we did make a bid but it was rejected so Bony will not be joining.
Titus Bramble - training with West Ham at their pre-season camp in Cork. West Ham fans will be nervous that this is more than just a way of helping Bramble to keep fit.
Gary O'Neil - O'Neil is our latest signing after his last contract ran out at the end of June. Presumably the new contract is at a lower wage rate and as he has proved his worth as a squad player since recovering from his long term injury in the promotion season I think this is a good signing for the club.
Outgoing
Matt Taylor to Newcastle - bit of a surprise this one, after a couple of years of Tompkins to Newcastle stories. If true it could mean the Geordies have changed their transfer tactics from buying young French players to old English ones, especially if the Darren Bent story to NUFC is true as well.
Rob Hall has left the club and signed for Bolton. Real shame this one as he was the youth player who we expected big things from. I suspect he calculated that Sam's preference for experience meant his first team chances would continue to be limited.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Allardyce the new Cloughie
The Mail reported Sam Allardyce as saying about the arrival of Andy Carroll, 'I look at Andy and think, “Is he better than what I already have here and the answer to that is yes”.’
Which reminded me of one of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor's golden rules of the transfer market. Taylor explained in his autobiography they would always give the same speech to a new signing: 'Son, the first time we can replace you with a better player, we'll do it without blinking an eyelid. That's what we're paid to do - to produce the best side and to win as many things as we can. If we see a better player than you but don't sign him then we're frauds. But we're not frauds.'
Which reminded me of one of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor's golden rules of the transfer market. Taylor explained in his autobiography they would always give the same speech to a new signing: 'Son, the first time we can replace you with a better player, we'll do it without blinking an eyelid. That's what we're paid to do - to produce the best side and to win as many things as we can. If we see a better player than you but don't sign him then we're frauds. But we're not frauds.'
Thursday, June 20, 2013
West Ham sign Danny Whitehead
Like London buses two new players have turned up more or less together. This one is a little lower profile than record signing Andy Carroll though. Danny Whitehead has signed from Stockport County (who were relegated from the Conference last season - just saying). Whitehead is a 19 year old attacking midfielder, he made 59 appearances for Stockport and spent 2 weeks on trial at West Ham at the end of last season. BFS and his coaches have obviously decided Whitehead has the potential to make an impact in the Premier although he will no doubt be in the U21 team next season.
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