Up The Hammers – Latest West Ham United FC News

This was a romantic tale speared by a twisted knife. Joe Cole, the name on everybody’s lips, had done all that he could to steal West Ham hearts all over again. He looked like being the game’s catalyst, as he helped his team to recover from a goal deficit with two creative deliveries that James Collins finished off gleefully. He took a blow to the face that made him bleed, and…

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Minute-by-minute report: Get the latest news from Upton Park with Rob Smyth Rob Smyth

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• Sam Allardyce likely to put new signing in at deep end • ‘I’m probably going to have to throw him straight in’ Sam Allardyce plans to throw Joe Cole in at the deep end by putting him straight into the West Ham team for Saturday evening’s FA Cup match against Manchester United at Upton Park, despite the midfielder only completing the move back to his boyhood club from Liverpool on a free transfer on Friday. He has signed an…

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• Striker will play for West Ham until the end of the season • Chamakh will not be available to face Manchester United West Ham United have signed the striker Marouane Chamakh on loan from Arsenal until the end of the season. The West Ham manager Sam Allardyce confirmed on Friday afternoon that the Moroccan has completed his move across London but not in time …

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West Ham’s much-travelled promotion winner steps out against Manchester United on Saturday after the toughest of journeys Ricardo Vaz Tê has the look of an action hero and his story might have been scripted in Hollywood. The West Ham United forward trades only in the extremes of emotion and…

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Joe Cole’s move back to the club where he started his career has delighted Sam Allardyce

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• Cole signs 18-month contract on return to first club • ‘This is where I learnt my trade,’ midfielder says Joe Cole has completed his free transfer move to West Ham United, according to the club. The midfielder has signed an 18-month contract after leaving Liverpool and is available to face Manchester United in the …

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Hastings’ big battle at the Riverside, Wolves feel the pressure at Luton and Mansfield’s manager targets winning wedding weekend as Stags take on Liverpool 1. The battle of Hastings There are not quite 1066 places between Middlesbrough and Hastings United in the football pyramid but the chasm is still enormous (153 places, to be precise) and defeat for the Championship side, or even…

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The Hammers’ favourite son is set to re-sign on Friday but expectations are a whole lot lower this time around The sustained applause that greeted Joe Cole’s introduction as a substitute during Liverpool’s victory at West Ham United last month would have told him how highly regarded he still is at Upton Park and perhaps reminded a player who was once English football’s great white hope what it is like…

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Criticism of Rafael Benítez’s rotation is unfair, Emmanuel Adebayor has a big decision to make and Wigan’s woes appear worse than ever 1) Rafa’s rotation is not the problem As Rafael Benítez sat in the Stamford Bridge press room on Wednesday night and found himself having to defend his decision to rest key players ahead of Chelsea’s match …

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• Cole expected to complete return to former club • Started just nine Premier League games since 2010 Liverpool’s Joe Cole is understood to be undergoing a medical at West Ham United ahead of his proposed return to the club where he began his career. Cole has started just nine Premier League games since he swapped Chelsea for Liverpool in the summer of 2010. The midfielder has played the majority of his games with the Reds in cup competitions …

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• Cole was earning £92,000 a week at Anfield • Midfielder rejoins his first club at the age of 31 Joe Cole is set to end his unhappy spell at Liverpool by returning to his first club, West Ham United. “I’m not sure if a deal has been totally agreed. I know there have been talks,” said Liverpool’s manager, Brendan Rodgers. Queens Park Rangers’ manager, Harry Redknapp, who managed Cole at West Ham, said…

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Sam Allardyce said this match would be a test of West Ham’s nerve after a recent wobble left them peering anxiously over their shoulders, but by the end of it no one could quite remember what all the fuss was about. They were, however, given a huge helping hand by a curious refereeing…

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On a day plump with top-flight fixtures, we take a look at the most dramatic images from around the grounds – and an image of a turkey missing a sitter from close range Jonny Weeks

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Demba Ba is a target for several clubs, Thierry Henry could return to Arsenal and Wesley Sneijder is highly coveted Arsenal Money to spend Arsène Wenger still has a large transfer kitty. Ivan Gazidis, the chief executive, has confirmed this and, in short, Wenger can spend whatever he wants to strengthen the squad. The age-old question, though, concerns whether the manager can find sufficient value in the market or quality that represents an upgrade on what he already…

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Roberto Mancini faces more trouble, Demba Ba’s next move, Randy Lerner’s losses mount and the worth of Rickie Lambert • Watch all the weekend Premier League highlights (UK only) 1) Gunners should eye bargain Ba When is a seven-goal victory not totally convincing? When it comes from this Arsenal team , who against Newcastle laced wonderful potency with wonky defending and, in the first half, quite moribund…

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• Kevin Nolan says West Ham will overcome slump in form • Pavel Pogrebnyak’s goal gives Reading heart and hope For the first time this season, West Ham are looking nervously over their shoulders. When they beat Chelsea at the start of December there was cautious talk of pushing for Europe but reality has bitten hard. The loss of Mohamed Diamé to a hamstring injury has contributed to a winless run of four matches …

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Although Reading are mired in a relegation battle, they can always count on a visit from West Ham to cheer them up. This was the sixth time in seven visits to the Madejski Stadium that West Ham have been beaten but of rather more importance to Reading was a second league victory of the season that gives Brian McDermott’s side renewed hope that they can stay in the Premier League. It did not take long for West…

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Alan Pardew’s casualty list at Newcastle grows; Rafael Benítez braced for Goodison banter; Manchester City refuse to panic Arsenal v Newcastle, 5.30pm Saturday 29 December Fortune is not being any kinder to Alan Pardew, whose casualty list was extended at Old Trafford by the injury to Vurnon Anita and who now must…

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• Everton midfielder avoids three-match ban • FA also exonerates West Ham centre-forward Everton and West Ham United have been successful in their appeals against the red cards issued to Darron Gibson and Carlton Cole when the two met at Upton Park on 22 December. Gibson was sent off by …

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• Taylor’s two red cards spark Upton Park controversy • Home and away fans chant: ‘You’re not fit to referee’ It is a rare day when both sets of fans chant “You don’t know what you’re doing” in the referee’s direction at the final whistle, but that was the situation facing Andrew Taylor when he and his assistants headed for…

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Redknapp the man to save QPR; Spurs would be top but for odd substitutions; Fans taking to Big Sam after win over Chelsea QPR – Adam Boxer, QPR.vitalfootball.co.uk 3/10 Are we pleased with how it’s going? Not especially … I don’t things would have felt so bad, though, had we not been promised that our struggles of last season wouldn’t be repeated. We seem to …

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All the key moments from around the grounds in the top flight, including Man City’s late win over Reading and Liverpool’s defeat of Fulham Jonny Weeks

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Everton’s quest for Champions League qualification is back on track but only after a series of controversial detours against West Ham. Anthony Taylor’s direction of proceedings baffled and infuriated both teams and caused swift shifts of momentum at crucial times. Everton prevailed and even though their third victory in 12 Premier league matches lifted them into the top…

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• Services on London Underground will be limited • RAC expects severe delays on roads on Boxing Day Despite Boxing Day’s Premier League fixture between Arsenal and West Ham falling victim to the London Underground strike, the rest of the festive programme is not thought to be in danger of cancellation. …

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Not for the first time David Moyes will have his work cut out having lost his top scorer, Marouane Fellaini, to suspension and after revealing there is “quite a lot” of injury news within his first-team squad, without going into specifics. Nine draws have hampered their push for a top-four spot and West Ham, who welcome Jack Collison into the squad for the first…

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