Saturday 23 June 2007

Nicky, A Shore Thing?

The Independent is not usually a paper for spurious transfer tittle-tattle and this morning they claim West Ham United are closing in on the signing of Reading's Nicky Shorey, with the intention of announcing a £6million deal for the left-back as early as next week. Jason Burt states that Shorey has two years left on his present contract at the Madejski Stadium but has been promised that he can re-negotiate it and become one of the club's highest-earners. With Reading's strict wage structure that would see him earn around £20,000 a week, although West Ham are prepared to offer far more. Shorey, who has been a virtual ever-present since signing from Leyton Orient for just £25,000 in 2001, has also interested Newcastle United but it is thought that West Ham are favourites to secure him should he decide to move on. The Hammers have a long-standing interest in the player and have grown increasingly confident that a deal could be struck. Hayden Mullins is central to any move as he is a Reading target and would be a makeweight in any proposed transfer. The article also claims that Craig Bellamy and Shaun Wright-Phillips are still very much on Alan Curbishley's shopping list.

The Sun has a different take on the West Ham left-back situation. According to Andrew Dillon, West Ham management have now targeted Wayne Bridge after growing frustrated in their pursuit of Reading's Shorey. Bridge, 26, has overcome two major hurdles to establish himself in the team at Stamford Bridge, having battled back after eight months out with a broken ankle. Although holding his own against Ashley Cole in the fight for a first-team place, the ex-Southampton defender privately admits Cole is Jose Mourinho’s first-choice. Dillon speculates that Bridge’s £26,000-a-week wages would easily fit in with the Hammers’ pay structure.

Elsewhere, The Mirror have become the first to spark the 'Tevez to Arsenal' speculation in the wake of Thierry Henry's belated decision to join Barcelona. Darren Lewis claims Arsene Wenger will now turn to Tevez as he has become one of the most sought-after strikers in European football following his success in almost 'single-handedly' dragging West Ham to Premiership safety from the jaws of relegation. At 23 Tevez - who plays in next week's Copa America for Argentina - would be a sound long-term investment for the Gunners who have registered their interest with the player's advisors. Lewis states Manchester United and Inter Milan are also interested in the pint-sized hitman, who recently admitted he would be more than happy to stay at Upton Park if the right package could be put together, but Arsenal's need now appears greatest. The Gunners are desperate to prove to their fans that there is life after Thierry Henry.

Finally, it wouldn't be Saturday without the regular piece of anti-West Ham bluster from the Daily Mail. Today it is the 'explosive' news that Sheffield United are closing in on 'new explosive evidence' which threatens to 'explode' the Carlos Tevez affair wide open again like a very big 'explosion'. According to Sportsmail there are three contracts are in existence which prove that Kia Joorabchian and MSI maintained third-party 'influence' over Tevez — even after West Ham had been fined £5.5million having pleaded guilty to not holding exclusive ownership of the Argentina striker. Lawyers working on behalf of Sheffield United chairman Kevin McCabe are, even as I type this, supposedly pressurising lawyers of Joorabchian to make the documents available to the Premier League. Rather meekly, the article adds the caveat that these three contracts cannot actually influence the decision of the arbitration tribunal as no new evidence is now admissible. However, claim the Mail, the League will be under pressure to act if these documents are made public and prove West Ham continued to play Tevez illegally.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for that info.I found it interesting.

Anonymous said...

You can dismiss the Daily Mail if you like, but if McCabe is right (it wouldn't surprise me if he is) and can prove it (that will no doubt be the hard bit) then West Ham will be playing Championship football next season with Eggert Magnusson on his way home. I wouldn't be so smug if I were you. There remains a small chance of a very bad outcome for West Ham.

Anonymous said...

Every bit of news that comes out regarding this makes West Ham look worse and makes a mockery of the pathetic punishment they were handed down.

I assume the PL will ignore this evidence and Martin Samuels will desperatly continue to try and paint Sheff Utd as they bad guy?

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the League will get a chance to look at these, even though there is no evidence of 3rd party ifluence being exerted on West Ham, after they've gone through the contracts relating to Steve Kabba's tranfer to Watford, where there is a very strong indication of a third party influence on Watford by Sheffield Utd.

Anonymous said...

When will the crying over spilt milk in Sheffield end? They were relegated because they threw away a 10 point lead. Now they are trying to manipulate the Premier League to save their skins at the expense of a team that pulled off an amazing escape on the pitch. Shame on Sheff United! There is no requirement in the PL rule in question for a points deduction of any kind. About time they shut up and got on with life in the fizzy pop - which they fully deserve based on their performances on the pitch.

Anonymous said...

The Kabba transfer is a very obvious piece of mud-slinging by the PL in a pathetic attempt to discredit Sheffield United. Even if it was true its Watford who have the contract and what's the difference between what Watford/Sheff Utd are alledged to have done and te arrangement made by ManU/Everton.

The WH affair is VERY different they have deliberately broke the rules - probably twice - to enable them to continue to play a player they otherwise would have been unable to field. Relegate them - they've lied and cheated - they cannot be trusted.

Anonymous said...

Im Sick and tired of reading West Ham fans saying "Sheffield Should stop crying over spilt milk" and comments to the such. Cheats and liars should never prosper, and while it seems in this case West Ham will get away with a slap on the wrists, i feel this may set a precedent for other Premiership clubs. Those "Media friendly Loveable" West Ham Fans, Who watched there team pull together a fantastic run towards the end of the season should ask themselves would this run have been possible without Tevez`s influence? I think not. Fair enough, we lost a ten point lead, but would we have done this if we had managed to sign Kaka on a third party agreement? I dont think so.
Any team in danger of relegation next year- Take note of West Hams, do what we want policy. Yeah you will be fined. But £5.5 Million, your having a laugh! Your Uppance will come!

Anonymous said...

The 'crying over split milk' will end when West Ham United are rightly relegated to the Championship for breaking the rules of the game, covering them up, lieing about it, and then failing to ensure they did not continue to break rules regarding the player that saved them for their deserved relegation.

On the other matter, Watford have announced that no deal exsisted in Steve Kabbas contract which would have forced him to be left out of the game versus Sheffield United-case closed.

The same obviously can't be said the Tevez debacle which has ruined both the credability of the PL and of West Ham, and if proper justiuce isn't done will make a mockery of english football.

Anonymous said...

I am sure that all the coverage of this situation has been unsettling for the clubs, supporters and players. The pre season is about preparing for the 2007/08 season not about turning over what's been. Sheffield United need to work towards getting back into the Premiership by working hard on the training ground and signing players that are going to improve their squad and West Ham need to continue where they left off last season. Press why speculate - the general public don't think this is news worthy anymore.

Also, Mark Noble also played a massive part in West ham's revival they played as a team which they were not doing at the beginnning of the season yes Tevez did play well but I did not hear anyone moaning when he did not score in 19 games at the end of the day it was in Sheffield United hands and they blew it because over the season they as a team were not good enough

Anonymous said...

Sheffield Utd will be sorry next season that instead of laughable marches to parliment, they didn't concentrate more on the preparation for the Championship, where they'll probably end up in mid-table mediocrity for a long time to come.
They don't deserve to be in the premiership. West Ham do.

HeadHammerShark said...

Two questions for Pete

1: Please show us exactly in the PL constitution where it states that the "right" punshment for West Ham is relegation?

I would like the specific clause number please otherwise you could come across like a halfwit who is posting about something that you know nothing about and haven't bothered to read up on. And we wouldn't want that.

2: Also, why, simply because Watford have said no clause exists in Kabba's contract, is the case closed? West Ham have said there was no doubt that the 3rd party influence was severed after the original hearing and yet you insist there is still wrong doing? That sounds hypocritical to me, and we all know that Sheffield United don't do stuff like that because they are so high minded.

(Unless they're trying to get a match abandoned against West Brom because they're losing)

Anonymous said...

About time sheff utd shut up and got on with it. u went down cos ur team is crap and warnock is a nonce!!! enjoy the fizzy pop and hope u go down next season and all. up the sheff wednesday!!!!

 

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