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Steve Kean to resign as Blackburn boss

September 29, 2012 By Stevo Leave a Comment

steve kean resigns as blackburn boss

A bit of Saturday morning news that will make a few Hammers smile is that Blackburn Rovers boss Steve Kean is to leave the club with immediate effect after a disastrous innings.

Many Rovers fans are claiming that there will be parties all over the town as a result of such good news! Everyone remembers the famous video of Steve Kean slagging off big Sam, let’s have a recap of what he said:

“I haven’t spoken to him. He mullered me so I said f*** him.
“I worked my b***s off for him and then he had a go at me so f*** him.”

He’ll get no sympathy from the Hammers or their fans for his snide remarks and even the owners of Blackburn apparently had started looking for a new manager while Kean was in charge, ouch!

Tim Sherwood has been touted as the man to take over from Kean but Eric Black will take the reins today for their match against Charlton. Many are saying that former Blackburn man Sherwood, shouldn’t step into Kean’s shoes just yet even though it will mean a return to Lancashire for him.Sherwood holds a good job at Spu*s and shouldn’t go running back to Blackburn on a whim, given the fact that the current owners are very fickle and would make life hard for whoever finally gets the job at the club.

Steve Kean had already arrived in London with his squad for the Charlton clash but released a statement last night at around 7p.m to state the good/bad news.

Ex Blackburn boss Steve Kean had this to say about his departure:

“For reasons that I cannot discuss on legal advice, it is with deep regret that I have been forced to resign as manager of Blackburn Rovers with immediate effect, due to my position becoming untenable.
“I wish to thank all the players and coaching staff for their support and the majority of the fans.
“They now see their club heading towards an automatic promotion position back to the Premier League.
“I wish the club all the very best for the future.”

Some people had other opinions though.

Glen Mullan of the BRFC Action Group said:

“That man has single-handedly turned thousands of fans away from our club. There will be parties around Blackburn tonight.”

There you have it lads and lasses, The Keano is no more and it has produced a wry smile from me! There’s no weekend football for the hammers but we travel North on Monday, North West London to be exact, to meet Queens Park Rangers.I’m sure big Sam has been thinking about our last game and will not be fielding 9 changes, sorry, had to say it!

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Allardyce tears his Hammers off a strip

September 26, 2012 By Stevo Leave a Comment

figueroa tussles with allardyce new boy jordan spence

Big Sam Allardyce slammed his boys last night after their lack lustre performance in which they gave away four goals to Wigan and were dumped out of the Capital One Cup.

Allardyce made nine changes to the team that faced Sunderland last Saturday and paid the price  for doing so. After the match his team got a rocket and felt the wrath of the big man when he said that his team “couldn’t defend a fish supper”.

The Hammers boss really laid into his team despite going into the lead with a strike by Modibo Maiga. He brought on youngsters in the shape of Jordan Spence, Dean Potts and Robert Hall. It was pretty disappointing for the fans too, who let the claret and blue boys know their feelings by booing them off the pitch – those that chose to stay, anyhow.

Wgan’s in form Mauro Boselli snapped up a brace in the first half either side of  Ramis’ goal to make it 1-3 to the Wigan outfit only for Jordi Gómez to put the game well and truly out of  Hammers’ reach with a late penalty kick that left Allardyce livid.

Comical defending

Allardyce said after his team’s dismal outing:

“We couldn’t defend a fish supper, there were so many errors from our defenders in all four goals it was comical and it’s very disappointing for me to sit there and watch that”.

“All the good work we might have done with the ball meant nothing in the end, as off the ball we were just rubbish. You make so many changes because you have to have a look at what your squad looks like and what youngsters are doing but, unfortunately, from 15 minutes on they were not good enough”.

“I don’t regret making changes but I am disappointed and upset by an embarrassing defeat. It tells me about the players I have and it means they cannot come knocking on my door saying they should be playing – they can’t after a performance like that. I can’t defend them in any way, shape or form but I have to take it on the chin as I pick the team, so it is my fault.”

Wigan boss Roberto Martínez was overjoyed at Mauro Boselli’s performance and it looks like he has finally settled down in England after being shipped out on loan on two occasions since he went to Wigan two year’s ago.

Martínez had this to say about the Argentine:

“Mauro has come back with a real desire to be successful and score goals. Now we have a real good competition in the forward line”. “He looked sharp with his build-up play and has that clinical finishing in front of goal. Now it is a matter of allowing him to settle into the Premier League and, if he is at this best or can enjoy his football, he is a real asset”.

All in all it was a risky decision to change so many players and Allardyce has unfortunately paid a high price with the Hammers being dumped out of the Capital One Cup and suffering their first home defeat this season. I suppose we could say that he should give the youngsters a fair crack of the whip but as Allardyce has already said: “the defending was comical”.

My advice is do not mess around with a team that you know can deliver the goods. West Ham aren’t Barcelona, just yet 😉 –  who can afford to change nine players at the drop of a hat and still expect a win. Go with the flow and go with what you know. The Hammers should have given Wigan a better run for their money – for crying out loud, we even made them look good!

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Mark Noble agrees new West Ham contract

September 24, 2012 By Iron Bobby Leave a Comment

Reports are coming out today that Mark Noble has finally put pen to paper on a new deal with West Ham United.

Noble is in the final year of his contract and West Ham needed to get this contract signed as a number of Premier League clubs were thought to have been keeping tabs on Mr. Noble with the idea of getting him for a minimal fee in January or on a free transfer next summer.

Noble, 25,  who has come through West Ham’s famous academy, has already notched up over 200 games for West Ham since making his début in a 2-0 win over Southend in the League Cup as a 17-year-old.

Last season was a stand out season for Noble who really started to shine in West Ham’s midfield and he found himself picking up West Ham’s Player of The Season gong for his efforts.

West Ham have not confirmed this news as yet, but Sky Sports are reporting Noble is to sign a three-year extension to his current deal.

This will be a huge boost to manager Sam Allardyce who would loathe to lose one of his best midfield players for nothing at the end of the season.

Great news for West Ham as Mark Noble is a local lad and has been outstanding for West Ham for a while now, who could forget his 98% pass completion ratio against Fulham!

Looking forward to the cup game against Wigan tomorrow and I hope Jarvis, Benayoun and Maiga all get a start as we need something different up front.

 

 

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Kevin Nolan rescues Hammers with late goal against Sunderland

September 22, 2012 By Stevo 1 Comment

steven fletcher scores for sunderland

 

Hammers in-form captain Kevin Nolan came to his team’s rescue with a late equalizer to keep the dream alive and kicking in the Premier League.

We’ve taken just a point but it could so easily have been 3 points lost if you look at it from another angle. It was Sunderland’s in-form striker Steven Fletcher who did the damage in the first half with a powerful shot that beat the claret and blue keeper Jaaskelainen.

Fletcher hit the target after just 9 minutes of play with a left-footed shot across Jaaskelainen’s goal from the left hand side and was assisted by a cross from Sebastian Larsson.

The Hammers rose up and put pressure on Sunderland and nearly had a goal out of it when a Kevin Nolan volley was majestically saved by their keeper Simon Mignolet.

On 12 minutes a fine header from West Ham defender James Collins went wide after a Vaz Té cross following a corner kick. The Hammers had and missed more chances in the first half and on 23 minutes both mark Noble and Kevin Nolan had shots blocked. Almost straight after Vaz Té had a chance of a header that went begging after a cross from Matthew Taylor. On 25 minutes Mohamed Diamé missed a chance from an assist from the captain. His right-footed shot just went wide of the post.

Nearing the half hour mark it was Sunderland’s turn to miss with a shot from James McClean that went wide after an assist by Steven Fletcher following a quick break.

On 34 minutes a Carlton Cole header went too high over the bar after a cross from Mohamed Diamé . Then it was Nolan in the mix again with a shot from close range that failed to find the marker after a headed pass from front man Carlton Cole.

In the dying stages of the first half the Hammers were all over Sunderland like a rash. First, a right footed shot from the centre of the box was saved by Simon Mignolet, then a header from Carlton Cole who was assisted by  Joey O’Brien was also stopped.

The second half got underway and the Hammers kept up the pressure. On 57 minutes West Ham made two substitutions: Yossi for Vaz Té and Matthew Jarvis for Matthew Taylor.

Craig Gardner of Sunderland was shown the yellow for a nasty little foul on 60 minutes and the Hammers win a free-kick. Then it was Sunderland’s turn to sub; David Vaughan replaces Sebastian Larsson then on 71 minutes they brought on Fraizer Campbell for Stéphane Sessegnon.

The Irons were playing well but running out of options fast and sunderland looked like they had this one in the bag. On 77 minutes Sam Allardyce brought on Modibo Maiga to replace Carlton Cole. Winston Reid  also picked up a yellow for a nasty foul on David Vaughan.

With the clock ticking away Modibo Maiga’s header from the centre of the box misses to the left. He was assisted by Mark Noble with a cross following a set piece.

With time now critical the Hammers’ keeper Jussi Jääskeläinen gets shown the yellow card and Sunderland use their final sub by bringing on David Meyler for Fraizer Campbell who suffered an injury.

It was like watching last season’s final at Wembley, it was too much and someone had to step up to the plate! the one to do it was West Ham’s captain fantastic Kevin Nolan! Modibo Maiga headed the ball into the path of Nolan who shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner and gave the Sunderland keeper no chance.

A close call for the Hammers with 6 minutes of extra time being played, too.

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Sullivan dips into own pocket for Carroll

September 21, 2012 By Stevo 1 Comment

david sullivan and david gold

West Ham boss David Sullivan has revealed that he and co owner David Gold are financing the Andy Carroll deal out of their own pockets.

Sullivan had this to say:

“We are financing everything out of our own money,” Sullivan told the Daily Mail. “Had we not put money in this year we could not have bought a player. Because there is not sufficient money to pay the debt. I cannot give confidential details of contracts but for the period of time Andy will be with us it’s as expensive a player as we have ever signed.

“But our manager thought he was the most important player we could sign this summer and that is why we pursued him. Unfortunately he got this hamstring injury. But that’s just bad luck.

Sullivan also praised his signing for the enormous impact he had on the Fulham game where the Hammers won by a comfortable 3 goals to nil. He also went on to praise West Ham’s captain, Kevin Nolan:

“Kevin Nolan was a very bold and pleasing signing. We signed the captain of Newcastle when he had just scored 12 goals in the Premier League and convinced him to come to the Championship. He was expensive but he’s the most fantastic captain, the most wonderful influence in the dressing room. And he’s scored two goals in three games.

What do you think about David Sullivan dipping into his probably industrial-sized pockets for Carroll?  I’m just glad it was Andy Carroll he dipped in for as Grant Holt might have been a howler 😉 Just kidding Grant!

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