Try it... it's harder than it looks

So earlier today I tried this quiz in which you have to name all the players who have scored a goal for West Ham United since 2002. There are 88 in total and I got 70. I dare you to do better than me. Here is the link to the website where you can take the quiz (I believe you get 16 minutes to complete it) and also my email address, so you can tell me your score afterwards. Give it a go, and try not to cheat. Good Luck!

http://www.sporcle.com/games/JayWillo/west-ham-goalscorers-since-2002#

domryder13@gmail.com

Hey, remember that guy... oh yeah... well he's in prison now

Former West Ham winger Savio Nsereko has been arrested by police in Thailand for claiming to his family that he was abducted, before then demanding a sum of around £2,500.

The 23-year-old had spent £20,000 on his trip before he allegedly thought about taking the  unusual measures to refill his holiday bank account, stated a report by the Bangkok Post.

Having signed with West Ham from Brescia for a sum of £9 million in 2009 (with high expectations), he became an absolute flop at the club, making just one start and failing to score in any of his ten appearances. However, he played an important part in West Ham's win against Manchester City on 1 March 2009 by providing the assist for Jack Collison's 71st minute goal.

After being sold to Fiorentina for an undisclosed fee (with Manuel da Costa going the other way as part of the deal), the Uganda-born attacker has since enjoyed spells at Bologna and 1860 Munich before ending up at German third division side SpVgg Unterhaching, all on loan from Fiorentina after he was unable to break into the first team. 

Here is that goal that he assisted in against Manchester City in 2009, scored by Jack Collison. Apologies for the quality of the video.

 

Where We Went Wrong Against Wigan

Unfortunately, I didn't get to visit the DW Stadium yesterday to see my beloved West Ham eventually lose 2-1 to Wigan. However, after reading an extensive amount of match reports and watching the highlights, it is clear to me where our problems lie.

Going forward, we have looked far better than I've ever seen us in the 9 years that I have followed the Hammers. This can almost certainly be brought down to fantastic signings in attack that Sam Allardyce has made in his year-and-a-bit at the club: Kevin Nolan, Matty Taylor, Matt Jarvis, Yossi Benayoun, Andy Carroll, Ricardo Vaz Te etc. To be in a position where we have scored more goals and have a better goal difference than teams like Liverpool, Newcastle, Stoke City and Aston Villa is an impressive start for any team that has just been promoted (much better than Southampton and Reading).

However, I do strongly believe that it is in our defence where we are slipping up. 

Allarydce has the choice between three centre-backs: James Collins, Winston Reid and James Tomkins. He started off the season with the combination of Collins and Reid, which seemed to be a good choice. Last season, I was very doubtful about the quality of Reid, but he has definitely proved me wrong this season. He has started brilliantly, picking up a couple of man of the match's along the way and I think he's going to be a long term fixture at the club.

James Collins, on the other hand, has started poorly. Big expectations were heaped onto the shoulders of the 29-year-old with the quality that he's shown in the past. But, a costly error against Swansea to let them go 2-0 up and effectively put the game beyond doubt was to be the beginning of a roller-coaster of bad performances from the Welshman. A long ball from him that was deflected off the back of Mohammed Diame led to Sunderland's new signing Stephen Fletcher to open the scoring against us and cost us the win. Another mistake from him let Olivier Giroud equalise against us when we played Arsenal, meaning that we went into half-time on the back-foot (we eventually lost 3-1). If it hadn't been for a fantastic save from Jussi Jaaskelainen, we would have lost 1-0 to Norwich due to an error from Collins to let Simeon Jackson make a long range effort on target. Despite the fact that Collins is 6ft 4in tall, his presence clearly isn't being felt in the box, which is a worry that could cost us more points in the future.

Guy Demel's injury against Arsenal also hasn't helped after he made a very bright start to the year. Although he has been replaced at right-back by Tomkins, who is doing a very good job both in attack and in defence, it is clear that full-back isn't his natural position and that he'd be much happier at centre-back.

George McCartney also seems very promising, especially in attack where he is constantly lending a hand to Matty Taylor and Matt Jarvis on the left. However, it is still unclear whether he will have the pace to defend against some of the fastest wingers in the league, such as Aaron Lennon, Ramires and Nani.

Although Joey O'Brien is currently injured, he has looked very shaky in defence and I would be very unconfident to start him against the big teams like Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea. As he is at the moment, he would get torn apart by strikers like Robin Van Persie, Sergio Aguero and Fernando Torres. 

This defensive issue really needs to be assessed by Allardyce, and with the only reserve defenders being the youngsters Jordan Spence and Daniel Potts, it needs addressed sooner rather than later, especially if a few more injuries occur. 

If I was manager, my defence would consist of: Demel, Tomkins, Reid, McCartney.

We'll soon see what Big Sam chooses when we play Manchester City at home next week.

Top Ten West Ham Players Ever - Part 1

Yes, I've started to do some top 10 lists, don't judge me. To start us off, what could be more appropriate than looking over the greatest players that have ever played for the greatest club in world (slightly over-exaggerated there). 

10. Alvin Martin

After rising through the ranks with the youth team, Alvin Martin went on to gain almost 600 first team appearances (scoring 34 goals) in a 21-year spell for West Ham. It was in the centre of defence alongside Billy Bonds where he played the best football of his career, winning an FA Cup and the Second Division in two consecutive years with the Hammers. Martin always stayed loyal to West Ham even through two relegations and for decades was the clubs longest serving player. He also made 17 appearances for England and was included in the 1986 World Cup squad (he was left out of the 1982 squad due to injury) in which he played in several games including the victory over Paraguay, but was dropped for the quarter-final defeat by Argentina's 'Hand of God'. After leaving West Ham, he had a brief spell with Leyton Orient and after retiring in 1997, went on to manage Southend United for two years. He is one of only two players (the other being Billy Bonds) to have been awarded two testimonial matches for his time at West Ham.

9. Julian Dicks 

Julian Dicks had two spells with West Ham. After helping the Hammers gain promotion in his third season, the following year he picked up an injury that would eventually end his career. However, after recovering well from the injury to finish off the second half of the season, he was given the captain's armband when still only 23. After leaving the Hammers to go to Liverpool, he was re-signed by Harry Redknapp playing a major part to keep West Ham in the Premier League. In the 1995-1996 season, he was the clubs joint top goalscorer in the league with 10 goals as they finished 10th. He then sustained another knee injury meaning that he missed out on the whole 1997-1998 season, but returned the next year helping the Hammers secure fifth place and a UEFA Cup spot. He retired (due to his injury problems) after 11 years in total at West Ham (playing 315 games, scoring 64 goals and picking up the Hammer of the Year award 4 times) during which he was constantly a fan favourite due to his grit, determination and no-nonsense playing style.

8. Scott Parker

Scott Parker remained a constant success throughout his short 4-year stay at Upton Park. After joining in 2007 for £7 million, he received a few injuries meaning he didn't properly start his West Ham playing career until 2008. Throughout the next three seasons, he would play a major part in the side, orchestrating the team from the heart of midfield, making consistent intelligent  passes and tackles, creating many match winning performances and constantly being able to keep his side in the game when all hope seemed lost. He also made a big influence on the players around him. Mark Noble has changed greatly for the better since his midfield partnership with Parker, and his current playing style can  be said to slightly mirror the 32-year-old. His best season for the club came in the 2010-2011 season, where even though West Ham finished bottom that year, he still managed to pick up the PFA Player of the Year award and earn a place in the England starting line-up. He left Upton Park that summer in the most upsetting transfer saga in the club's history. He is one of only two players (the other being Trevor Brooking) to receive the Hammer of the Year award 3 times in a row. Scott Parker deserves his place in this list not because he was the best player in the team, but because he was the best player in the team by far!

The rest of this list will be coming soon.

Matches of the Past - Part 2

28th September 2002 - Chelsea 2 West Ham 3

Glenn Roeder will almost certainly be remembered at West Ham not for guiding his players to 7th in his first season, but for relegating a team blessed with eighteen full internationals (and the seventh best supported club in the Premiership). Granted it was the players who lost the matches, but Roeder's intransigence with his stars and his unpredictable style of management clearly contributed to the club's problems. 

Roeder's main problem was with Paolo Di Canio. Sulky, moody, two-paced ... and Di Canio wasn't much better. The Italian, given a free rein by Redknapp in his glory years, was soon made to understand that Roeder's West Ham was an egalitarian outfit, without room for big heads and egos. The kids who had grown up there with Roeder liked this - the Defoes, Johnsons, Coles and Carricks. The older professionals, including Di Canio, Winterburn and Breen, might have learned something from them. When Roeder named Joe Cole captain in November, it couldn't have pleased those at the club who had felt the honour ought to have been theirs. 

By their seventh game, the Hammers had mustered just two points out of a possible eighteen, their worst ever start in any league. Not a great time to face Claudio Ranieri's Chelsea, who had finished just one place above them the previous season, yet would finish this one in fourth place. A hostile Stamford Bridge saw Hasselbainck put Chelsea ahead from the spot after twenty minutes, but the rout did not materialise. Instead, despite Kanoute hobbling off early on from an injury that would sideline him for most of the season, they came back into the game, inspired by Cole, Carrick and Sinclair's mastery of midfield, and Di Canio's trickery up front. Just before half-time Defoe, who after the next match would not miss another all season, tucked away an equaliser. 

Di Canio might not have seen eye to eye with Roeder (it was said they weren't on speaking terms at the training ground) but he never lost his affection for the reciprocal West Ham crowd. Shortly after half-time, receiving the ball 40 yards out, he hit a stupendous volley beyond countryman Cudicini into the far corner of the net. From the noise, it seemed he had scored at Upton Park. Maybe the players could hear the roars from the 5,000 ticketless fans who had made the journey that day to Upton Park to watch a live beamback of the game on the big screens. 

It was a good day for Italian geniuses; Gianfranco Zola, later to manage West Ham, put away an equalising free-kick and it looked as though the Hammers would have to settle for a point.  Rising to the occasion as only he could, Di Canio had other ideas. Strolling through the Chelsea defence, he pulled wide on the left-hand side, too wide it seemed, until he hit a controlled near post shot that caught out Cudicini. Again the emotional celebrations. Some who were at the game said that the Chelsea fans were cheering, too. That's what fans used to do at football games, or so I'm told. They would cheer even when a player from the opposition scored a superb goal. This is entertainment, after all, and if you've paid money to watch someone entertain, and they entertain you, shouldn't you applaud?

It could have been the Italian connection, but after the game Claudio Ranieri was not sparing in his praise of Di Canio, who he declared had been the difference between the two sides. Di Canio had made his statement on the pitch, and did not make himself available for interview, but Roeder, often impossibly shy and awkward in front of the cameras, went out to say his piece and praise Di Canio's efforts. It was a good time for plaudits, as the Hammers had just won their first game of the season. The home hoodoo continued, but West Ham won two of their next three matches and climbed to fourteenth. It would, sadly, be another fifteen games until their next win, only their fourth all season and their first at home for eight months.

Starting XI: David James, Sebastien Schemmel, Scott Minto, Steve Lomas (capt), Tomas Repka, Gary Breen, Trevor Sinclair, Joe Cole, Fredi Kanoute, Paolo Di Canio, Michael Carrick

Subs: Jermain Defoe

MoM: Paolo Di Canio

West Ham Midfielder Described as the Next Paul Gascoigne

West Ham United midfielder Ravel Morrison has received high praise after being compared to England legend Paul Gascoigne by Birmingham manager Lee Clark.

The former Manchester United midfielder has had his share of difficult moments away from the pitch and arrived at West Ham in January for an initial fee of £650,000 with a reputation as being hard to handle.


He has yet to be able to prove his ability in a West Ham shirt but put in an impressive display for Birmingham after joining the Championship side on a season-long loan.

Clark made the surprise decision to give Morrison his second league start and was duly repaid as the midfielder made a big impact as Birmingham secured a much needed draw against high-flying Leicester City.

"He has the natural ability of a Paul Gascoigne," stated Clark. "He probably doesn't know who Paul Gascoigne is but I am delighted with the way he has reacted, and there is definitely a lot more to come from him in the future."

Clark had previously questioned the temperament of the West Ham midfielder and had come close to trying to terminate the loan deal after a number of players were said to be unhappy with his attitude in training.

Manchester United decided to allow Morrison to leave the club despite his natural ability but Clark believes that the similarities with Gascoigne are not just on the field, but also with the attitude he shows.

"He's had publicity before he's come here away from the pitch but I've never seen any of that".


"There hasn't been a minute's problem. Sometimes when he gets disappointed if he's not in the starting XI, it affects his training performances. But I think he's shown people what he's about. I can comment because I was around Paul Gascoigne at the same age. They have the same natural ability.

"He just goes past people with ease; as if they're not there. He sees a pass quickly and he can deliver the pass.

"Paul only had his problems later in life when he picked up the injuries. But he's so much like Rav - they're at their happiest when they're on the football pitch. They love it in a genuine way and not because of the trappings that come with it."

Morrison will have the whole season to prove that Manchester United were wrong for letting him leave the club, while West Ham manager Sam Allardyce will hope the youngster can profit from regular first team football.

West Ham 4 Southampton 1

At the end of a week in which an England match was postponed because no one in Warsaw could close a roof to prevent rain from flooding the national pitch, Nigel Adkins turned to a Polish stopper to plug Southampton's leaky defence. So Artur Boruc, the former Celtic goalkeeper signed as a free agent in late September, made his Premier League debut – but could not deter another deluge of goals.

Southampton did not manage a shot on goal before half-time, but if they were contemplating a first clean sheet of the season as they went into the dressing room at the interval, they were to be badly disappointed as West Ham scored twice in the opening three minutes of the second period.

Mark Noble scored the first, although unintentionally as his long free-kick eluded friend and foe alike, bouncing on the six-yard line and past Boruc, who was anticipating a touch from James Collins that never came. Then Yossi Benayoun seized the opportunity given by an error from Saints’ stand-in left back Maya Yoshida, ran down the right and hit the ball across goal for Kevin Nolan to apply the finishing touch.

Southampton found a way back into the game when Rodriguez, who appeared to be offside, held off Collins and got in a shot that was going so far wide that it became a pass to Adam Lallana, the Southampton captain turning to hit the ball high past Jussi Jaaskelainen. Enter Lambert, with a chance to level from a free-kick, but he chipped the ball into the roof of the net. Before he could make any further impact, it was 3-1, Noble scoring from a penalty after Jose Fonte handled as he challenged Carroll for Noble’s set-piece.

Modibo Maiga, a late substitute for Carroll, who had made up for any lack of technique with his usual physically committed display, then scored a goal that the match barely deserved, capping West Ham’s second half with a splendid strike, a curling shot past Boruc with the outside of his right foot after he had dribbled down the right and swerved inside the hapless Yoshida.

'It was a surprise we won 4-1 when you look at what we did in the first half,' Allardyce said after the match.


'The good thing for us is the professionalism of players that took a little bit of criticism at half-time for what was a bit of a lacklustre performance. The only good thing we did was not to allow Southampton any real chances in the first half. We were just not playing well enough and, if we were to overcome them, we had to play better than that and we had to do that by upping the tempo and showing the sort of desire we showed against Arsenal, Fulham, Sunderland and Aston Villa this year.

'Of course, doing that in the second half and giving that sort of performance and scoring the goals - obviously the timing was brilliant because we went out, got right at them and scored two very quick ones - gave us a fantastic 4-1 victory.'


'We can forget the first half now and just enjoy the victory and really focus on the positives of how we turned the game around when we looked like we were struggling. In fact, we didn't look like we were struggling, we were. To come out and put it right, not just in terms of winning the game but winning the game comfortably is great.

'Scoring four goals against any side in the Premier League is no mean feat and 4-1 is a brilliant result for us.'


The result means Southampton have now conceded 24 goals in just eight matches back in the Premier League. It is a record that will no doubt see the position of manager Nigel Adkins come under scrutiny.

West Ham (4-3-3): Jaaskelainen: Tomkins (Spence, 88), Reid, Collins, McCartney; Noble, Nolan, Diame (O’Neil, 68); Benayoun, Carroll (Maiga, 82), Jarvis

Man of the match: Mark Noble 

Whatever happened to Nicky Maynard?

On 31 January 2012, Bristol City striker Nicky Maynard signed for West Ham United for an undisclosed fee on a two and a half year deal. He became a big prospect at the club as he had scored plenty of goals at Bristol and looked good enough to score more for the Hammers. But after a half season of very few games and only two goals to his name, he was sold to Cardiff City for £2,750,000 in the summer. His debut came on 2 September, against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 3-1 win and two games later he gained a torn anterior cruciate ligament, which will see him sidelined for several months. As Maynard starts his long road to recovery, here his a clip (from the Hammer's fan's perspective) of one of his goals last year in the 4-0 victory against Barnsley.

West Ham vs. Southampton Preview

West Ham will be aiming to move into the European places this weekend if they can manage to win against 17th placed Southampton. Despite losing against Arsenal 3-1 in their last match, the Hammers will be confident that they can defeat the Saints at home this Saturday which would become their fourth win of the season so far. 

The bad news for Sam Allardyce will be the absence of Ricardo Vaz Te who is out for 3 months with a shoulder injury, however he does have the choice of on-loan Yossi Benayoun, Mali-international Modibo Maiga, Carlton Cole, Matty Taylor and Gary O'Neil to replace the injured Portuguese striker. 

Yossi Benayoun will especially be hoping for a place in the starting line-up. He stated in an interview last week that he is really enjoying himself back at Upton Park and will hope to extend his loan spell to the end of the season, as the current deal only keeps him at the club until January. 

Nigel Adkins may not have the same luxury after star signing Gaston Ramirez picked up a severe dead leg that could keep him out until December. Much of Southampton's hopes of survival were pinned on the Uruguayan, who signed for a club record £12 million this summer, however the Saints do have right-back Nathaniel Clyne back in the squad after he missed the clash with Fulham.

Southampton won 1-0 at St Marys when the side met last season in the Championship and earned a 1-1 draw in the corresponding fixture at Upton Park, but both squads have changed considerably since then.

Guy Demel is also a doubt for the Hammers after picking up a knock against Arsenal. Although he travelled to the Ivory Coast for the World Cup qualifiers, he didn't feature due to his lack of fitness. However, full-back Joey O'Brien may be fit once again after being subbed off due to injury against QPR in the 2-1 victory at Loftus Road.

Likely West Ham First 11: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien, Collins, Reid, McCartney, Noble, Diame, Benayoun, Nolan, Jarvis, Carroll

My prediction: West Ham's successful home form combined with Southampton's poor away form should be enough evidence to show that this will be a very difficult task for the Saints to get anything from this game. The attacking combination of Jarvis and Carroll, the defensive barricade of Reid and Collins and the determination of Benayoun to make an impression in the West Ham side will almost definitely be too much for Southampton to handle.

West Ham 3 Southampton 0

Confirmed: Vaz Te out for three months

It has been confirmed that Hammers striker Ricardo Vaz Te will be out for three months with a shoulder injury after undergoing surgery.

Manager Sam Allardyce said the 26-year-old Portuguese striker dislocated his shoulder in the Hammers' 3-1 defeat by Arsenal on 6 October.

"We think we've chosen the best option to strengthen the shoulder and get him back as quickly as we can," he said.

Vaz Te, who has one goal this season, fell heavily after colliding with Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone.

West Ham signed the striker from Barnsley for an undisclosed fee in January 2012. Vaz Te scored 12 goals in 18 matches as West Ham were promoted to the Premier League from the Championship via the play-offs last season, including the winner in the 2-1 Wembley win over Blackpool.

Allardyce said the player, who often operates as a winger, could have returned sooner but keyhole surgery was considered the best option to avoid complications.

"There would have been a slightly quicker option to get him back but we would have been unsure on the stability of the shoulder and it could have been more susceptible to dislocate again," he said.

Vaz Te's absence will give several attacking players - including Mali international Modibo Maiga, loan signing Yossi Benayoun, Matt Taylor and Gary O'Neil - the chance to establish a regular first-team place.

Hammers Hero - Ludek Miklosko

Ludek Miklosko was back at West Ham's Chadwell Heath training ground recently to talk about his life after football, the Czech Republic and of course his beloved Irons.

The 1991 Hammer of the Year is now working for a sports agency looking after up-and-coming Czech players after leaving the club as goalkeeping coach in March 2010, but still keeps a keen eye on the goings on in East London. He was delighted to see West Ham not only return to the Premiership, but make an impressive start to the season. 

"I have not seen any games yet but I have seen the results, which have been fantastic," said 'Ludo', whose name was sung regularly during the 2-1 win at QPR. "It is great for the club to be back in the Barclays Premier League. It is where they need to be and I am very happy that they are doing well. Hopefully after a very good start they can continue to play well throughout the season and finish in the top half."

Miklosko also hailed the impact of Jussi Jaaskelainen, after the Hammers' new No.22 produced another fine display to help his side win at Loftus Road. 

The Finland international is now 37, but having played until the age of 39 himself, Miklosko believes that talent is the only attribute that should matter when it comes to goalkeepers.

"He is a fantastic goalkeeper who has proved it in the Premier League over the course of many years. He has great experience and it is so far proving to be a great move for him. I think that sometimes as a goalkeeper, age isn't important. It all depends on how he is feeling and if he is feeling well he can continue to play for a few more years."

Like many professional footballers, Miklosko was faced with the question of what to do next after retiring, but after a spell in coaching he admitted he is simply happy to still be involved in the game. 

His recent visit to his old stomping ground saw the 50-year-old keeping tabs on former Hammers stopper Marek Stech, who is now with npower League One side Yeovil Town.

"I am working for a sporting investment agency which tries to find young talent in the Czech Republic. I am looking after the goalkeepers who have already signed and they are why I am in England. I am just happy to still be working in football, which for me is the most important thing."

Czech stars Miklosko, Stech, Jan Lastuvka, Petr Mikolanda, Tomas Repka, Pavel Srnicek and Radoslav Kovac have all represented West Ham in recent years and the big man 'from near Moscow' believes there could soon be more to come.

"Hopefully we will see more Czech players come and play for West Ham in the future, especially younger players whose development would be aided by coming to England."

Spot the Difference

As I said in my match report of Arsenal's 3-1 victory over West Ham, Mohammed Diame's opening goal for the Hammers was scored in a very similar way to George McCartney's goal against Cardiff in the Championship last year, when West Ham went on to win 2-0 (one of my favourite goals of last season). Here are the two goals to see for yourselves. 

Matches of the Past - Part 1

13th May 2007 Manchester United 0 West Ham 1

In short, this game proved that football has had its magic squeezed out by money and greed. Alan Pardew had gone, the reasons for his going a book in itself; Icelandic takeovers, the pathological need for a scapegoat, the pathological need for a messiah (Alan Curbishley), Argentinian 'signings', Phil Hall - a man who came and went without ceremony, an inability to win home games, untimely injuries... the list goes on. 

Pardew's achievements were promotion and that FA Cup final. Harry Redknapp achieved many things in his seven years at Upton Park, but Pardew managed more, and in less time. Redknapp signed Di Canio and has since won the FA Cup with Portsmouth, but it's difficult to measure these achievements because of other madness plaguing football. Pardew had the two Argentinians forced upon him, with pressure to play them despite their being unfit. In the end it was Curbishley who benefited from a fit Carlos Tevez. Without Tevez, West Ham would unquestionably have been relegated, but arguably it was with him that problems first arose. 

This was the game immediately after United had claimed the Premier League, so the result was irrelevant in that sense, but to lose in front of their own 70,000+ crowd after being presented with the trophy would reduce Sir Alex Ferguson to apoplexy. The West Ham team formed a guard of honour to welcome the champions onto the pitch. 

West Ham needed at least a draw to stay up if results went their way; a win would ensure safety. History has shown that the 'difficult' tasks are often achieved by struggling West Ham sides where avoiding relegation is concerned. The 'impossible', however, away from home, was a tough call.

United knocked the ball around in the opening half-hour, but as half-time approached started making unforced errors and conceding unnecessary corners. Tevez was always a threat to them, and now he broke into the United penalty area, got lucky with the bounce, and slid an opening goal for West Ham. 

The second half was predictably backs-to-the-wall. The occasion recalled the Redknapp win in 2001 after Di Canio's goal. Like Di Canio, Tevez had been the foreign import to stir things up. Like in 2001, the Hammers held on to finish an improbable 15th in Alan Curbishley's first half-season. How much credit could the messiah take? Depends which messiah you mean. If the Argentinian one, then the answer is plenty. 

For West Ham, this was certainly their Greatest Escape ever. No one had given them a prayer just a few matches earlier. The West Ham end-of-season DVD outsold Chelsea's by almost two to one, for it told a tale that could hardly be believed. 

Starting XI: Robert Green, Lucas Neill (capt), James Collins, Anton Ferdinand, George McCartney, Yossi Benayoun, Nigel Reo-Coker, Mark Noble, Luis Boa Morte, Bobby Zamora, Carlos Tevez
Subs: Jonathan Spector, Marlon Harewood, Hayden Mullins

MoM: Carlos Tevez

Injury plagued Gary O'Neil forced to think of life after football

West Ham midfielder Gary O'Neil says spending time on the sidelines made him think about where his future lies once he retires.

The 29-year-old missed eight months of last year after suffering a serious ankle injury.

"While I was injured I started my coaching badges, just in case," he stated in an interview.

"It was hard to make myself do it because you are preparing for something you don't want to happen."

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The former Portsmouth and Middlesbrough player had to undergo surgery on an osteochondral defect after sustaining damage to his cartilage in April 2011.

He suffered the injury after a tackle from Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker.

O'Neil continued: "When you're a footballer, you say 'I'll stop when I'm 35'.

"When you're only 29 you think you're miles away from stopping.

"One minute you're running around freely and playing in the Premier League and a second later you can't to it any more.

"There was a spell after five months when I was trying to run and it was too painful. It was that point when I thought I might not get back."

Continue reading the main story

“I don't know how I would have reacted if I didn't get back playing”

Gary O'Neil

O'Neil says his ankle problem was the most serious injury he has had since making his debut for Pompey in January 2000.

"It was quite painful and I couldn't walk on it," he said. "But I thought it was bad ligament damage or I might have cracked it.

"I didn't ever think my career might be threatened by it.

"The guy who did the surgery had only done about two before and he's been operating about 15 or 20 years.

"It was a big shock and took me a while to come to terms with it.

"It was really rare. I've been lucky it's all moved on so well and I've managed to get back out there.

"I know a few boys who have had to retire though injuries. It must be very tough to deal with not making it back."

Despite starting his coaching badges while out of the first-team picture at Upton Park, O'Neil also harboured ambitions of playing golf professionally.

He plays off scratch and attempted to qualify for The Open earlier this summer.

"I didn't do great," he said. "I played ok but I went to enjoy it and it was good experience.

"Being realistic, I'd go down the coaching role [after retiring] as I love football.

"I'd like to try and help people improve and stay in the game as long as I can.""Being realistic, I'd go down the coaching role [after retiring] as I love football.

O'Neil has made two appearances for the Hammers this season in the League Cup and says he occasionally feels the effects of the injury.

"The ankle still needs some managing so I still have to stay on top of it with the physios," he said.

"When I get a knock on the ankle it gets sore for a couple of weeks. You panic and think I don't want to go through all that again.

"All the little knocks have repaired themselves and I've been able to carry on."

Ex-Hammers find new clubs

 



Two Ex-West Ham players have found new clubs in the past couple of days.

 

Papa Bouba Diop has signed a one-month deal with Birmingham city after agreeing terms and passing a medical. The 34 year old impressed on trial at St.Andrews and manager Lee Clark says they will greatly benefit from the experience that Diop brings to the squad.

 

The midfielder was deemed surplus to requirements at Upton Park after being released in the summer upon his contract expiring. He made 16 appearances last season scoring 1 goal in a 1-0 victory over Barnsley.

 

He has also played in England for Fulham and Portsmouth, with whom he won the FA Cup in 2008.

 

 

 

Luis Boa Morte has suprisingly signed a short-term deal with League Two side Chesterfield. The Portugese Winger, who has also played for Arsenal and Fulham, will stay at the club until January. The 35 year old's presence will add a wealth of experience to a Chesterfield side that is looking to bounce back from relegation from League One at the first attempt.

 

Spireites manager Tommy Wright was quick to express his delight at finalising a deal for the midfield veteran. He said: "To have a player of Luis' quality coming to Chesterfield is a fantastic coup for us. It's great that a player of his ability wants to play football. The financial aspect of the deal was no worry - he just wanted to come and play."

 

Boa Morte was signed for West Ham in January 2007 for an undisclosed fee, which was believed to be around £5 million, by then-manager Alan Curbishley. In August 2011 Boa Morte's contract with West Ham was cancelled by mutual consent. He made 91 appearances in total, scoring only 2 goals.

 



West Ham News

West Ham delayed defender Winston Reid's flight to New Zealand ahead of their upcoming World Cup qualifiers as he awaits scans in London after suffering from back spasms in Sunday's 3-1 English Premier League loss to Arsenal. Reid suffered the spasms late in the match but had to play on as West Ham manager Sam Allardyce had already made his three substitutions. 

New Zealand Football chief executive Grant McKavanagh said the 2010 World Cup star would be available for both matches against Tahiti, the return leg being next Tuesday night in Christchurch. Reid had indicated he wanted to play in both matches and if he couldn't make the first one but was available for the second, he would still be flown out for the Christchurch fixture. 

The last thing West Ham will want to do is release Reid under any sort of injury cloud but if the scans reveal nothing of concern, they have no option as the matches are in a Fifa window and New Zealand have all the rights.

Sam Allardyce is ready to give Modibo Maiga his Premier League debut after losing Ricardo Vaz Te for up to 12 weeks with a dislocated shoulder. The forward suffered the injury after a collision with Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone in the second half of the Gunners’ 3-1 win at Upton Park. Vaz Te will miss at least six weeks but  will have a clearer view of how long he faces  on the sidelines after seeing a specialist  this week.

The Hammers manager is set to put his faith in summer signing Maiga to fill the gap left by Vaz Te. Maiga has impressed Allardyce and his backroom team during training and  first-team cameos during his opening weeks in England. And the 26-year-old is in line to play against Southampton on October 20. The Mali forward is yet to make a Premier League start since his £4.7million arrival from Sochaux, but has scored twice in the Capital One Cup.

Midfielder Alou Diarra has revealed his frustration at picking up an injury so soon after his move to the Premier League but is hopeful for a return sooner rather than later. The France international arrived at Upton Park form Marseille during the summer, making his debut as a substitute against Swansea City on August 25, only to suffer a thigh strain in training just weeks later. 

This is Diarra's second spell in English football - the 31-year-old having been on the books at Liverpool between 2002 and 2005 - though he never played a league game for the Reds in that time.

Defeat to Arsenal overshadowed by injuries

West Ham's Saturday night 3-1 defeat to Arsenal was overshadowed by injuries sustained during the game, most seriously that of striker Ricardo Vaz Te. The Portugese forward dislocated his shoulder after a collision with the Arsenal goalkeeper, Vita Mannone and a heavy fall, which could keep him out for up to 3 months. 

Right back Guy Demel was also brought off with a thigh strain, which could keep him out for up to 3 weeks, and centre back Winston Reid was forced to play on with a back spasm after all of West Ham's subs had been used. 

Arsenal dominated the game very early in the first half, although it was Hammers midfielder Mohammed Diame who opened the scoring with a fantastic curling shot after performing a star run through the Arsenal defence (very similar to left back George McCartney's goal against Cardiff last season in the Championship). 

Unfortunately, Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud was able to put the visitors level merely a few minutes before half time after a defending error from centre back James Collins meant that Giroud could gently tap it past goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen. 

West Ham did have a couple of chances before half time to pull infront once more, but an Andy Carroll header aimed directly at Mannone and a Kevin Nolan miss weren't enough to break the deadlock. 

Deep into the second half, the West Ham skipper had enough chance to go ahead, but Nolan couldn't take the chance after he sprung the Arsenal offside trap and allowed Per Mertesacker enough time to tackle and clear the ball. 

Substitute Theo Walcott then put the Gunners ahead when he latched onto Giroud's through ball to slide a shot around Jaaskelainen and Cazorla wrapped up the points six minutes later, with a stunning 25-yard strike.

England Manager Roy Hodgson also won't be happy after his promise that Andy Carroll wouldn't play the full 90 minutes was broken after the injuries gave Sam Allardyce no choice but to keep the on-loan Liverpool striker on the pitch. 

Arsenal's win is their 350th under Manager Arsene Wenger and also takes them up to fifth in the table, seven points behind leaders Chelsea. West Ham are eighth.

West Ham vs Arsenal Line ups

No big surprises in the West Ham side. 2 changes from the side that beat QPR on Monday: Andy Carroll replaces Carlton Cole upfront and George McCartney comes in to replace the injured Joey O'Brien at left back. Matt Jarvis keeps his place in the first 11 after Matt Taylor has recovered from a calf injury.

West Ham: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Collins, Reid, McCartney, Noble, Diame, Vaz Te, Nolan, Jarvis, Carroll

Subs: Henderson, Tomkins, Benayoun, O'Neil, Taylor, Cole, Maiga

Per Mertesacker returns from a virus for Arsenal to replace Koscielny at centre back, and Olivier Giroud starts up front to attempt to score his first Premier League goal. Gervinho is moved onto the right wing.

Arsenal: Mannone, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, Gibbs, Ramsey, Arteta, Gervinho, Cazorla, Podolski, Giroud

Subs: Martinez, Koscielny, Santos, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Coquelin, Arshavin

Happy Birthday Vaz Te!

West Ham striker Ricardo Vaz Te celebrated his 26th birthday on Monday with a goal in the 2-1 victory over QPR. 

Vaz Te was signed in January last season from Barnsley for £500,000, and he was worth every penny and more! Especially after he scored the winner in the play-off final against Blackpool to take us back up to the Premier League.

To celebrate, here's a little video tribute of his time at Upton Park.

West Ham vs. Arsenal Preview

Sam Allardyce will be deciding today whether or not Andy Carroll is fit enough to start against Arsenal on Saturday. Carroll returned from a hamstring problem in West Ham's win at QPR on Monday but he is short of match fitness and Allardyce is nervous about exposing him to further injury risk.

Arsene Wenger howver will be hoping that defender Per Mertesacker will be available after a virus. If so, the Carroll-Mertesacker battle could be a very interesting one to watch. 

West Ham will also expect Winston Reid to have recovered in time for the match, after he was accidentally knocked unconscious by goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen on Monday. However there will be more concerns over full back Joey O'Brien who pulled a hamstring early in the first half against QPR. George McCartney and Matt Taylor will be waiting in the wings to replace him at left back. Jack Collison and Alou Diarra are still out with long term injuries.

Likely West Ham First 11: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Collins, Reid, McCartney, Diame, Nolan, Noble, Vaz Te, Carroll, Jarvis

Subs: Henderson, Tomkins, Taylor, Benayoun, O'Neil, Maiga, Cole

The Facts:

• West Ham have won both of their games against London opposition so far this term, defeating Fulham 3-0 and QPR 2-1.
• The Hammers have picked up more bookings (15) than any other side in the Premier League so far this season. 
• Carlton Cole is two appearances away from the 300th of his career.
• West Ham have not beaten their north London opponents since April 2007, losing seven of their nine meetings since. 
• Arsenal lost five of their 10 domestic games after Champions League ties last season, also going down to defeat in each of their away games following continental competition.
• Arsene Wenger is into his 17th year as the Gunners' manager after celebrating the 16th anniversary of his appointment last Sunday.
• If Arsenal are victorious, it would represent the 350th win of Wenger's reign.
• The Gunners have the joint-best (with Chelsea) defensive record on their travels in the Premier League, having conceded just once on the road so far this term. 

My prediction: West Ham's recent home form, plus the inclusion of Andy Carroll and Winston Reid, may just be enough to snatch a point from the Gunners.

West Ham 1 Arsenal 1

Hodgson plays down concern over Andy Carroll's fitness

England boss Roy Hodgson has played down fitness concerns surrounding West Ham striker Andy Carroll.

The powerful striker has been named in England's squad for the World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Poland, despite having only just returned from a hamstring injury.

Hodgson claims the player to be somewhere close to full fitness by the San Marino encounter at Wembley on October 12.

"Andy played 23 minutes including injury-time on Monday and I am expecting him to play more minutes on Saturday against Arsenal, either from the start or coming on," said Hodgson.

"He has another week after that so I don't think there is any reason for me to question his fitness."

This will not only displease West Ham fans (who won't want to put any risk towards the fitness of the new star striker), but also manager Sam Allardyce who stated that he was going to have a discussion with the England manager and request that he not be placed in the squad.

Could this be in any way, shape or form, the fault of striker Ricardo Vaz Te, who was in danger of incurring Big Sam's wrath after urging Hodgson to pick Carroll for the squad.

Vaz Te after the recent 2-1 win against QPR said: “He’s great to have back. He’s such a handful. He is an England striker."


"With Andy’s strength, England can do anything. Every time you play a ball to him, you know he is going to control it. He lets the team breathe, he lets you push on. He buys you time."

“Normally, you get big players who are strong but not so good with their feet. Andy is an all rounder. He is not fast - but not slow either. He showed that at QPR."

"He is a terrific player.”

Andy Carroll himself said: “I was devastated when I got injured, but I’ve worked hard and I’ve been in the gym every day."

“As soon as I stopped feeling the hamstring a week or two ago, I wanted to get back on the pitch, but they wouldn’t let me because they told me it wasn’t right."

“I’ve had to keep working on it and I’ve got it right. I’m absolutely fine.”