The Power Behind The Throne

On a relatively quiet Saturday, honours for West Ham United related article of the day goes reluctantly to Simon Cass over at the Daily Mail for his feature on Steve Clarke.

Wily Clarke is the power behind the throne as Zola's Hammers go from strength to strength
by Simon Cass

An icy wind is cutting across an open field in Essex, a train rumbles past on the track close by, but a group of footballers are enjoying the challenge of another session with one of the brightest coaches of the modern game.

Gianfranco Zola has the ball at his feet and is closed down by hungry midfielders, no doubt including home-grown pair Mark Noble and Jack Collison.

But the man taking charge of this latest exercise is barking instructions and demanding more.

Steve Clarke, once of Chelsea, is Zola’s right-hand man and the West Ham players consider his input crucial as they continue to advance up the Barclays Premier League table.

Unbeaten away in their last six League games - they go to Arsenal - the improving fortunes are a result of Zola’s management, but also Clarke’s coaching.

While the little Italian is eager to play ball, Clarke takes all the sessions, organises the drills, calls the shots.

Training is based around short and sharp passing, closing down and hunting the ball in hungry packs, no long passing from back to front. It’s enough to warm the heart of any West Ham supporter, a club where they expect football to be played a certain way. For Clarke it is all about putting the drill on the training pitch into practice on the real thing.

‘Improving is all about repetition. The players work on how to receive the ball, how to see angles and how to pick a pass,’ he said.

‘We practise every day and, when it comes to Saturday, they know what to do: control and pass. Seeing it happen in games is our measure of success.’

Clarke has worked with some of the best in the game, after all. Ruud Gullit, Sir Bobby Robson, Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant and even Luiz Felipe Scolari have all placed their faith in him. Understandably, Chelsea were sorry to see Clarke leave after he opted to work with his former Stamford Bridge colleague.

But now it is Zola’s turn to reap the benefits of working alongside a coach of Clarke’s undoubted ability, a fact borne out by West Ham’s recent upturn in form.

Taking the decision to quit the club for which he played 421 games before going on to work his way up through the coaching structure following a spell at Newcastle was clearly an emotional wrench for Clarke.

But while Scolari did his utmost to persuade Clarke to stay, describing him as ‘a man that is a link between me and the players and between me and the staff’, the Brazilian’s arrival left him feeling simply redundant on a training field where he had enjoyed significant input into the sessions under both Mourinho and Grant.

Significantly, it was Clarke who ran the set-piece drills under Scolari’s predecessors. Such has been Chelsea’s vulnerability in that area in recent weeks that the Brazilian may live to regret his reluctance to delegate responsibility a little more.

What is beyond doubt is the manner in which Clarke’s presence has been felt at West Ham. Having flirted dangerously with the relegation zone after losing four consecutive games in October, Zola’s side now sit in eighth place, a healthy 11 points away from the drop zone.

Zola is certainly indebted to his assistant for bringing his wealth of experience to West Ham’s training ground. ‘He knows a lot about the league and the way he organises the training sessions are unbelievable,’ said the manager.

‘I have to give him a lot of credit because a lot of the work that has gone on is because of his fantastic job.’

Chelsea’s multi-million pound Cobham headquarters, fingerprint entry system and all, may knock West Ham’s Chadwell Heath base into a cocked hat, but it is what goes on in the sessions out on the training field that really counts.

Smell The Atmosphere

West Ham United have completed the signing of Czech Republic midfielder Radoslav Kovac on loan until the end of the season, with a view to a possible permanent transfer believed to be in the region of £4million. The imposing 6'3 Kovac, who has been handed the No14 shirt, is equally adept at playing in central defence. He joins from Russian giants Spartak Moscow, where he was the captain. The 29-year-old, who played at the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008, is vastly experienced and caught the eye at Wembley last August when the Czechs more than held their own in the 2-2 friendly draw with England. He is set to play for his country in next month's friendly against Morocco, having appeared in their last World Cup qualifier back in November.

At club level, Kovac has also played 14 games in the UEFA Champions League, with one goal, as well as gaining UEFA Cup experience. "I've spent four great years at Spartak but now it's time for a change," the midfielder told Spartak's website today, before stressing that he was unlikely to be lonely in England. "I have the phone numbers of my former Spartak team mates (Manchester United defender) Nemanja Vidic and (Tottenham Hotspur striker) Roman Pavlyuchenko so I can get in touch with them in England."

Gianfranco Zola said: "I am pleased to have Radoslav here. He has a lot of experience with the national team and he will give us competition in a midfield which is already very strong. I am sure he will help us with what we are trying to achieve this season."

Kovac arrived at the Boleyn Ground on Friday to finalise the deal and have a medical. He watched his new team-mates being put through their paces by Gianfranco Zola, Steve Clarke and Kevin Keen. Negotiations were completed on Friday evening to allow him to join a strong Czech contingent at the club following goalkeepers Marek Stech and Jan Lastuvka, along with Ludek Miklosko.

West Ham United CEO Scott Duxbury said: "I am delighted we have managed to secure the services of a proven international like Radoslav ahead of interest from clubs at home and abroad. He brings considerable quality and will fit right into Gianfranco Zola's talented squad. The deal is such that the manager will be able to sign him permanently in the summer if he so wishes."

Elsewhere, West Ham have confirmed midfielder Julien Faubert is discussing a loan move to Real Madrid. The Hammers gave the Frenchman permission to talk to the Spanish champions after he struggled to secure a sustained run in the first team this season. He is due in the Spanish capital for a medical after a loan fee of £1.5million was agreed. Real's coach, Juande Ramos, has turned to Faubert after turning down Jermaine Pennant and failing to land Wigan's Antonio Valencia.

West Ham signed Faubert from Bordeaux for £6.1m in the summer of 2007 but the Frenchman tore his achilles tendon in a pre-season match only weeks later, an injury which kept him out of action for over six months. Faubert has made 24 appearances this season and has proved himself versatile, regularly making the switch between right-back and right midfield. Ramos reportedly regarded Faubert as a last option after hopes of a more expensive deal faded.

Chief executive Scott Duxbury told the club's website: "Julien has struggled to get into Gianfranco Zola's team this season - and despite the high hopes we had for him when he joined us 18 months ago, he has not had the best of times. He had asked the manager about a possible move, and we felt it right to let him talk to Real Madrid. If it does not happen then we will, of course, welcome Julien back into the squad. I was first contacted by Madrid on Friday morning - and after extensive negotiations, we have agreed in principle a deal that would see them paying us a £1.5million fee to take Julien until the end of the season. His long-term future would then be reviewed in the summer, with a significant transfer fee payable should Madrid want to take up their option. If Julien does go on loan, then we will look to quickly bring in a replacement."

Also on the way out could be Calum Daveport. Several papers today report that Wolves are set to complete the £3million signing of West Ham's unsettled defender. The 25-year-old, whose move to Bolton fell through two weeks ago, is desperate to leave Upton Park after falling out of favour with Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola. Birmingham and Cardiff have also been linked with the former Coventry man, but Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is ready to offer him a three-year deal at Molineux.

With the transfer window set to slam shut in a matter of days, optimism abounds at United. January was supposed to be a month of asset-stripping at Upton Park but instead it has been a time of bounty and reward as West Ham continue to prosper under Gianfranco Zola’s management. "Life has started again for us," said Zola. "It has been a great month and I believe that is because of all the things we went through in October. Because of that we are now strong mentally, physically and technically. It is good because we are building something important. You can sense that and smell the atmosphere around the club."

Matthew Upson can certainly sense it. The defender has blossomed into a full England international at West Ham, a far cry from his frustrations as a youngster when he failed to break through under Arsene Wenger at Arsenal. He joined the Gunners from Luton but made just 35 appearances before being allowed to leave, for Birmingham. Wenger has admitted he remains an admirer of the central defender, and was linked with a transfer window move for the player, now 29.

Upson could be forgiven for criticising Wenger's policy now, having been allowed to leave, but instead he offered praise for the Frenchman's style. "Arsene's recruitment of young players is second to none," Upson said. "He is the master at it and has brought a lot of young players from nowhere into that team and they have gone on to become top players. That is such a great boost for a football club because financially they can bring a player in for next to nothing. It's very impressive. I learnt from the training every day [at Arsenal]. There were so many top players there at the time so you take good habits from all of them."

Upson is now expected to sign a new three-year deal this summer after renewed interest from today’s opponents was rebuffed in recent weeks. Speaking to the media last night last night he revealed he snubbed the chance to go back to Arsenal because the future is brighter at West Ham. The England defender was happy to pledge his loyalty to Upton Park even though big guns have reportedly been circling in the transfer window. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger inquired about Upson, who he sold for £3m in 2003, but was knocked back by West Ham despite their financial problems.

It was an admission by Wenger that he made a mistake by letting Upson go and it looks an even worse piece of business now as Arsenal's defensive frailties are the reason why their Champions League status is in danger. Unlike Craig Bellamy, who fled Upton Park as soon as Manchester City came calling, Upson said he wanted to be a part of what Gianfranco Zola is trying to build. He will be desperate to prove his point against his former club today, having become an England regular under Fabio Capello.

"There was speculation about me leaving," admitted Upson. "But I was always confident I was stopping around. The club pointed out their intentions at the start of the transfer window and, to be fair to them, they've pretty much stuck with them, which is impressive. It shows there is an intention for success at the club and as long as there is that here, I'm enjoying myself and all the other players are and I think the manager is too. There's nothing like a few wins to get everyone smiling, and especially at home. But we have the same thoughts we would have with any away game." Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Hull confirmed West Ham’s resurgence in form and confidence with four wins out of the last five Premier League games. That has raised Zola’s stock but now comes a test of resolve with today’s trip to Arsenal followed by the visit of Manchester United next weekend. "There is no reason why we shouldn’t go there and take something from it," said Upson. "We’re ready for it."

As United move across London to the Emirates today Gianfranco Zola insists he is looking forward to pitting his wits against one of the managers he most looks up to at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. After two consecutive 2-0 wins against Hartlepool United and Hull City, Zola believes there is no better place to see just how far the Hammers have come under his stewardship. "I think the players right now feel they can go out and compete with Arsenal, even away. That is great. I'm looking forward to this game and it is one of those games where everything will come out," Zola said. "I said it last time they were here, that he [Arsene Wenger] is one of the mangers I look up to. The way he manages is like what we want to do over here as well. We want to develop the players we have got and make them better. We want to achieve success by doing that."

Like the West Ham manager, Wenger has demonstrated his commitment to blooding youngsters in the Barclays Premier League and the Sardinian belies it offers a viable alternative to spending vast sums on more established players. "It is more or less the same way as we are doing here," Zola said. "There are two ways. You can either spend £200m and get top class players and win titles like that or another way you go around and get young players and develop them to build up your team. It takes longer but that is the way I prefer to build up a team."

Zola, who is expected to name the same squad that beat Hull City on Wednesday, must decide whether to field Savio, the latest recruit to his project in north London, or stick with the in-form forward line that has served him so well in recent weeks. It is a choice he admits to being happy to face. "It is a nice problem to have. My way to select them is they select themselves. The way they play, the way they perform. The players know that the best one will play. The one that does well will be in the team."

Although Arsenal are currently sit eight point behind leaders Manchester United at the summit, Zola is sure that his French counterpart will turn the current Gunners' crop into title contenders before long. "Arsenal are very talented but young. I'm sure they will become a winning team but they need time to improve because the Premier League is a tough place to be a winner in. What he has done for the club is a great thing and he keeps bringing in very good players. Nowadays, it is not easy to compete with teams like Manchester United and Chelsea, even for Arsenal. Personally I believe he is doing a great job. I like the project they are bringing forward and Arsene Wenger is doing well and sooner or later he will get the team winning again."

The last time James Collins turned out at the Emirates Stadium, on 7 April 2007, West Ham United secured a heroic 1-0 victory on the way to their 'Great Escape' from Barclays Premier League relegation. Since then, the Wales international defender had endured a frustrating period, spending ten months battling back to full fitness after suffering a serious knee ligament injury in a reserve team fixture at Portsmouth in January 2008. Now, the 25-year-old is back in the Hammers team and at the top of his game.

Preparing to return to the scene of that memorable afternoon 21 months ago, Collins believes Gianfranco Zola's in-form side have every chance of extending their six-match unbeaten run away from home in north London. "Of course if we play the way we did in the first half against Fulham and go there with the right attitude I think we can give them a good game. We beat them there a couple of years ago and there's no reason why we can't do it again. I think this is the highest I can remember confidence being in my time at the club. Obviously playing games gives you confidence and that's what I'm doing at the minute. I've been a bit unfortunate the last few seasons with injury but I'm playing now and that builds confidence. I'm playing in a great team. Everyone's playing good football and it's a pleasure to be involved in."

Collins insists the Hammers' recent success can be put down to the hard work the players and coaching staff are putting in every day on the training pitch. Manager Zola and first-team coaches Steve Clarke and Kevin Keen are using all their know-how to give United the best possible chance of picking up points in every single match - including Saturday's match at Arsenal. "We split it up in training. We have certain days when we do defending and certain days when we do attacking. It's not just the back-four that are defending well. It is the whole team that is chipping in. The boys are defending from the front. It's a group effort all over the pitch and I think that shows. We're playing football the West Ham way and we're getting results."

The defender, who arrived at the Boleyn Ground from Cardiff City in July 2005, is also quick to heap praise on his team-mates, including central defensive partner Matthew Upson and West Ham United and Wales team-mate Jack Collison. "I think we [myself and Matthew] both complement each others' game quite well. We're both half-decent on the ball and are both aggressive players. From a personal point of view it's just great being back in the team and performing well and I'm just looking forward to every game. Jack has been brilliant. I saw him early doors away with the Under-21s with Wales and the quality he was showing there. To come here and train and be given his chance by Mister, he is showing his class. Hopefully he's working in a good midfield with Valon [Behrami], Scotty [Parker] and Mark [Noble] and all of them are putting in good performances. Long may it continue."

Speaking of Collison, the first time he pulled on a West Ham United shirt at the Emirates Stadium he was an unknown 19-year-old making his Premier League debut. Today, the midfielder will return to Arsenal as a regular in Gianfranco Zola's in-form side and a full Wales international. Now a relative veteran of 15 league and FA Cup appearances, Collison is confident that Zola's team can gain revenge for the 2-0 defeat they suffered on his first ever appearance in claret and blue. With United on a seven-match unbeaten run in all competitions and having not tasted defeat on their travels since 29 October, that confidence is well-founded.

"We're on a really good run of results and we don't want to stop that. We've had good results away at Liverpool [drawing 0-0] and Chelsea [drawing 1-1] this season and we're going to look to go one better and get all three points at Arsenal. I don't see any reason, playing the way we are at the moment, why we can't do that."

Collison was one of a whole host of players who produced the goods during Wednesday evening's home victory over Phil Brown's Tigers. The 20-year-old was involved in many of the hosts' best moments, including a flowing 40th-minute move that saw him crash David Di Michele's cross against the post - one of four occasions on which the Hammers hit the woodwork. While the team's performance left the home supporters leaving the Boleyn Ground purring with pleasure, a typically modest Collison insisted there was more to come from him and his team-mates. The youngster also reserved praise for manager Zola and his coaching staff for the exciting, entertaining brand of football the team is now producing on a regular basis.

"It was a good performance, but I thought we were superb a couple of weeks ago against Fulham. Obviously it's nice when you're playing well, getting results and really pushing up the table and looking ahead of us. The manager and his staff have come in with their ideas and the boys have adapted and there is a real buzz about the place at the moment. Every time we go out on the pitch we are confident and feel like we can take points out of every game we play in." That confidence is clear not only in Collison but also his midfield cohorts Scott Parker, Mark Noble and Valon Behrami. The quartet have started six of the last seven Premier League matches, with Noble's absence from the 2-1 win over Stoke City the only time during that span when the group has not all been involved from the kick-off.

Collison believes that continuity has been key to the understanding the four now have in each others' games. The youngster also alluded to the belief that manager Zola has instilled in them both individually and collectively, belief that has seen Parker in imperious form in front of the back-four and Noble, Behrami and Collison himself all find themselves on the score-sheet in recent weeks. "The midfield has been brilliant. It's been quite settled over the past few weeks and that's made a difference. The manager has given us the freedom to go out there and express ourselves and that's given us confidence. It's made a really big difference. When you've got experienced players like Scotty Parker in there and then the youth of myself, Nobes and Valon, it's working well for the team."

Arsenal (from): Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Nasri, Denilson, Song, Eboue, Adebayor, van Persie, Fabianski, Djourou, Diaby, Vela, Ramsey, Bendtner, Gibbs, Wilshere.

West Ham (from): Green, Neill, Collins, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker, Collison, Noble, Di Michele, Cole, Lastuvka, Nsereko, Tristan, Tomkins, Sears, Faubert, Boa Morte.

The Rabbit That Roared

There was a time, not long ago, when it appeared Carlton Cole would have found the task of hitting a cow's backside with a banjo a considerable challenge, observes Ken Dyer. For all his selfish, powerful play outside the box, he was firing blanks where it mattered most and the Upton Park crowd were letting him have it in spades. Gradually though, with a little help from his friends and his manager, the big West Ham striker has begun to score the goals which were missing from his game - and has won over the doubters in the process.

Cole is keen to pay tribute to Gianfranco Zola, for helping him achieve the best form of his career and win over supporters who had been vocal in their criticism. The striker's goal in Wednesday's 2-0 victory over Hull City was his 10th of the season and equalled a post-war club record set by Tony ­Cottee that had stood for more than two decades. Naturally, Cole is in ebullient mood but he admits his success could not have been achieved without Zola's help off the pitch. In truth, he says, his manager has unleashed the lion in him.

"Claudio Ranieri gave me two options when I was at Chelsea — become a lion or a rabbit," recalls Cole. "For a long time I was a rabbit but I think the lion in me is coming out. At one stage football was just secondary to me. But now I’m thinking I have only got one chance and I’m going to take it with both hands." The former Chelsea youngster is in the form of his life at the moment, to such an extent he was linked with a move to Italian giants Juventus- and a reunion with Ranieri- earlier this month. La Vecchia Signora's alleged interest should not surprise, even if the Italians subsequently denied it. When he was Chelsea manager, Ranieri declared Cole the best youngster with whom he had ever worked. Presumably the Italian kept an eye on the one-time prodigy and has noted that now, at last, Cole has started to fulfil his formidable potential.

Not that he is the finished article, far from it, but he is getting there. His strike on Wednesday night made it five in as many appearances for United, but the 25 year old is still not happy with his record in front of goal. "I need to get more goals, more of the easier ones,” said Cole. "I'm proud - but I just need to keep on going and add more goals to my game." With new found pragmatism he added: "I could have scored a hat-trick against Hull but I musn't be greedy."

Such is Cole's confidence that he was even able to smile after those several glaring misses against the Tigers. That, he admits, is partly down to the more relaxed atmosphere he finds himself playing in now, specifically at home, where he was regularly the target of abuse from frustrated supporters. "It's nice to have the fans on my side now," he said. "When you have a relationship with the fans you can make mistakes and know they are not going to get on your back. That's why it's nice to have them on your side. I've been there when the fans ain't been really great to me and that's been tough. You have to take the rough with the smooth but I'm happy I have them on my side now and they really help me out with my goals."

It's not only the fans who have sat up and taken notice either. Purring with satisfaction at the big striker's current strike rate is the man who could lose the record tomorrow, West Ham legend Cottee. The former striker was at Upton Park on Wednesday night to see Cole score one and miss a few more and he said: "Confidence is the key word for all strikers. I remember that season of 1985, I didn't hit the target for the first seven games while Frank McAvennie was scoring for fun. That spurred me on though and I soon began hitting the back of the net. It's a great feeling when you're on a run like Carlton's because you go out in every game convinced you're going to score. My advice would be not to think about it too deeply but just enjoy it, because those sort of scoring runs don't come along too often in your career.

"Carlton could certainly have scored a hat-trick the other night but I wouldn't be too worried about that if I was him. Strikers usually have to get three chances to score one and although you always want to score more, he's doing fine. I heard someone the other day say some nice things about the rest of Carlton's game but added that he doesn't score enough goals. The harsh reality is, although you might be playing well for the team and doing everything else well, a striker is ultimately going to be judged on how many goals they score. The fans often don't see the runs you make or the hard work you put in. If you're a striker it's the end product which really counts and Carlton is certainly achieving that."

Yet the hottest striker in the Premier League insists he will not allow his current blistering streak to turn him into a big-time Charlie, despite a run of form that has reportedly catapulted him into the thoughts of England boss Fabio Capello. "My personal opinion is that it might be a bit too early to talk about Carlton and England but if he goes on improving as he is, he won't be that far away," insists Cottee. "After all, if Fabio Capello wants to play a big man up front the choice is limited to Emile Heskey, Peter Crouch and Carlton, who is different to the other two."

Cole will lead the line for Gianfranco Zola's side at The Emirates on Saturday, where victory would be the Hammers' seventh in eight matches and could take them seventh in the table, just five points off a Uefa Cup spot. "The statistics will show that this is best form of my career but I've just got to keep on going," said Cole. "I'm not going to let it get to my head. I know what I'm capable of and I just have to keep getting in the right positions." While his record would go by the wayside if Cole scores against Arsenal, Cottee is hoping the former Chelsea man makes it six in a row. "Players are very protective of their records," he admits, "but if West Ham win 1-0 and Carlton scores the goal, I will be happy."

"The boys know what we can do, We're playing well, training even better and people can see how confident we are at the moment," enthuses Cole. "We just need to keep it going now. The keyword for us at the moment is unity, we're at one with each other. Obviously we have a lot of respect for both Arsenal and Manchester United because they're both great teams but we can only go out there and play our game. We're certainly not fazed by the thought of playing Arsenal but on the other hand we're not getting ahead of ourselves because if we go to The Emirates thinking how good we are, we're going to get brushed aside. We just need to carry on with the same things we've been doing so well in the last few weeks. When you step out on that pitch though you have to feel confident. That's the most important thing for a player, to have confidence in your ability to try and get the right result. For me personally I would love to score against any of the top four teams because that would put me on a different level."

The former England U21 international was a trainee at Chelsea during Zola's time at the West London club and enjoyed loan spells at Wolves, Charlton and Aston Villa before settling at the Hammers in 2007. Since Zola took over from Alan Curbishley in September Cole has blossomed with breathtaking effect. "I'm playing with more awareness now," said Cole of the effect of the man he used to play alongside at Chelsea. "That is because the manager has made an effort in trying to make me aware of what's going on around me on the pitch and that only comes with games. When you play more games, the more aware you become of things around you. Now I know I can play at this level, I just need to keep on going."

Like the Lion who develops the taste for blood, Cole admits: "The goals have changed me. I have been playing the same all year, but now I am notching a few and that is all I was missing. You need to follow your own instincts and you only get that when you play more games in the Premier League. I did a lot last season to warrant a place in the squad and I am just happy that everything is working out for me now and I am getting the goals this club deserves."

Whether Cole will get the English place he deserves should not even be open to question. Paul Doyle, writing in The Guardian, sees Cole's rise as another feel good story in what has been a great season for 'Jilted of London'. As Arsenal fans have been denouncing Arsène Wenger for his short-sighted sales of Lassana Diarra and Matthew Upson, and Tottenham have gone down on their knees and pleaded with Jermain Defoe and even Pascal Chimbonda to forgive and forget, for a huge fee, the loudest laugh could yet belong to Carlton Cole, a player passed from pillar-to-post in his nomadic early career. For in Premier League terms, argues Doyle, Cole is now better in the Heskey role than Heskey is. He may have been central to England's wins over Croatia and Belarus, but Heskey's England days are numbered and, since Dean Ashton is crocked and Kevin Davies is (a) nearly 32 and (b) Kevin Davies, Cole is the obvious heir.

Cole boasts all of Heskey's vaunted physical attributes plus a surer touch, superior finishing and a better football brain. As Doyle notes, it is easy to find strikers with better scoring rates than Heskey – and Cole has eight league goals this season to Heskey's four – but Heskey's preposterously poor goal haul is frequently excused on the grounds that he is a selfless grunt whose work enables others to enjoy the glory. Thing is, Cole is better at this side of things too. Last season he had more than three times as many assists as Heskey (indeed, only four forwards – Ashley Young, Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Salomon Kalou – contributed more assists than Cole) and that trend has continued this season. Cole, then, has the technique you would expect from a player regularly picked by Gianfranco Zola.

Cole, like Heskey, still sometimes comes across as infuriatingly dozy, as if he needs a few pokes with a cattle prod to convince him to harness his power, but mostly he appears to have found a consistency that has long eluded him. Clearly he is benefiting from a sustained spell of first-team action; though he has been knocking about for years, he has only made 80 first-team starts in his career, exactly the same as Heskey made at Wigan.

The final word on Cole goes to Doyle: An Emile Heskey-a-like who also scores goals? Isn't that a Didier Drogba? Well, not quite. But it's certainly someone who deserves a call from Fabio Capello.

Something Special

Gianfranco Zola feels West Ham are slowly building "something special" at Upton Park after watching his side extend their unbeaten run with a 2-0 win over fast-fading Hull. In-form striker Carlton Cole struck again to take his tally to six in seven games after Italian David Di Michele had put the home side ahead as the Irons consolidated their position in eighth place with the hard work put in by Zola and his team now paying off.

Zola said: "The team is strong mentally, technically and physically and it is good as we are building something important here and you can smell the atmosphere here, I am very pleased to be involved in this. We want to build an atmosphere with fair competition between each other with everybody looking forward to getting into this team. They are enjoying themselves, and that is what we want here. Every time they play, it is always the best game, which is the biggest complement you can give to a team."

Away from the pitch and Zola said he despises the transfer window but still hopes to do some more business before it closes next Monday. The West Ham United boss, who started with new signing Savio Nsereko on the bench for last night's game, is searching for a midfield replacement for Hayden Mullins, who has joined Portsmouth. "If we feel the squad need strengthening we will try and do something but the transfer window is a nightmare and I can’t wait until it’s over," said Zola.

To that end, West Ham appear to have won the race to sign experienced Czech international Radoslav Kovac. He arrives as a ready-made replacement for the recently departed Mullins, a vacancy that has left the Hammers somewhat thin on the ground in central midfield. The club, who are thought to have been trailing 29-year-old Kovac for several weeks, have moved swiftly to land the defensive midfielder in order to fill the void.

United's interest had been confirmed earlier in the week by Spartak Moscow general director Valery Karpin; he said: "We have received a formal proposal for Kovac from West Ham in London, as well as another one in England and Spanish clubs. All of them will be considered, taking into account the views of the player, but the final decision may be taken as early as Wednesday."

Kovac, who currently plays for Spartak Moscow has featured predominantly in midfield throughout his career but can also cover in central defence. A former Czech League winner with Sparta Prague, he is valued around the £4million mark but United will look to take the player on loan initially with view to a permanent deal in the summer.

Kovac began his career with Sigma Olomouc before moving to Sparta Prague in 2003/04 where he was a member of the squad that won the Gambrinus Liga in 2004/05. After two years at Prague he moved to Russia to join Spartak Moscow. Having made his debut for the Czech Republic in their 1-0 win over Romania in October 2004 Kovac has gone on to make 26 appearances for his country, briefly featuring in the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2008 tournaments.

Despite Kovac's age and United's new found preference for bringing in mostly young talent, the club have been actively seeking an experienced head to complement their relatively young midfield line-up, and is able to challenge immediately for a first team spot. At an imposing 6'3", Kovac would also provide an aerial threat at set pieces- something Gianfranco Zola feels the first team is currently lacking.

Kovac, who is set to fly to England in order to rubber-stamp his move within the next 24 hours, could be involved in the squad that faces Arsenal at the Emirates this weekend alongside United's other new boy Savio Nsereko, who made his debut in last night's 2-0 win against Hull City. Talking to Sovietsky Sport, Kovac confirmed that he rejected a number of other offers in order to play in the Premier League. "The last decision was for me to choose West Ham over Celtic, but my decision was because of the Premier League. West Ham's manager and executives want me. West Ham love Czechs, they already have Jan Lastuvka and Marek Stech in their squad. This year I will be 30 and I only have a few years left before I become known as a veteran, so I want to realise my dream of playing in one of the main championships. Everyone whom I have asked for advice have told me to go, and the examples of Vidic and Pavlyuchenko gives me the motivation - they have both moved to England and succeeded there."

Kovac - who has been on Gianfranco Zola's hit-list for some time - confirmed that the deal had been completed in little more than a day. "Everything happened on Wednesday," he added. "My agents recently started to actively work and they found a few options, but I never really thought my pre-season with Spartak now would be my last one. I haven't even had chance to say goodbye to my team-mates, but I have had a call to say everything is ready and my ticket to London is booked."

One man definitely not coming to Upton Park is Mario Balotelli. Inter Milan remain adamant the teenage striker will not leave the club in this month's transfer window. The 18-year-old is reportedly a target of West Ham, but Inter assistant coach Giuseppe Baresi told the club's website the player is going nowhere. "He is an Inter player and will remain so," Baresi said. Balotelli, an Italy Under-21 international, has also been linked with a loan move in order to gain more first-team experience after making 14 appearances for the Serie A leaders this season. In the meantime he was left out of Inter's squad to face Catania for 'disciplinary reasons', according to coach Jose Mourinho. Reports suggest the teenager was originally included but, upon finding out he was set to spend the entire 90 minutes either on the bench or in the stands, refused to travel.

West Ham's technical director, Gianluca Nani, insists the Hammers have had no contact with Balotelli - a player Hammers manager Gianfranco Zola knows well from his days as assistant Italy Under-21 coach. "I have never talked to Balotelli," Nani told Sky Italia. "I don't even know what his voice sounds like. We are happy like this, and Inter have never called me to complain."

Elsewhere, there is a curious little piece in the Mail where West Ham's much publicised ban on selling players to Tottenham has supposedly coincided with an outbreak of "transfer gloating" emanating from White Hart Lane. The article states that this month's issue of Spurs’ official magazine recalls the biggest deal between the two clubs — Jermain Defoe’s £7million switch five years ago — and that its blatant triumphalist tone will not make for pleasant reading in east London.

Finally, appropos nothing really, I thought I'd print the 'Harry Redknapp Flow Chart' as was sent to me this morning.

West Ham United 2 Hull City 0

Carlton Cole Fires West Ham And Closes On England Call by Tom Dart

Is it time to place the Tigers of Hull City on the Barclays Premier League’s endangered list? Tenth they may be, but this was Hull’s sixth successive league defeat and the concern last night was not just about the result, but how easily West Ham United achieved it... Times

Gianfranco Zola's West Ham In Good Shape by Nick Hoult

Gianfranco Zola does not like the January transfer window. He thinks it rewards lazy manager. He may change his mind at the end of this month. With Craig Bellamy shipped out and the exciting talent of Savio Nsereko brought in, Zola's team are in a fine state of health as the season enters its second half... Telegraph

Zola's Hit Men Blast Past Weak Tigers by Simon Cass

The West Ham fans in the Bobby Moore Stand chanted, 'Who needs Craig Bellamy?' and on the evidence of this display it was hard to disagree with the sentiment. West Ham used the money from Bellamy's £12million sale to Manchester City to bring in Savio Nsereko, a 19-year-old prospect with blistering pace... Mail

Cole Provides A Cutting Edge For Zola's Cavaliers by Jason Burt

Seven undefeated, level on points with seventh-placed Wigan Athletic and they should have scored seven – just as they did the last time Hull played at Upton Park in 1990 when even Steve Potts scored. Such was West Ham's dominance again. These are sweet, sweet times for Gianfranco Zola, fashioning a team in his own exuberant style and making all and sundry believe. Really believe... Independent

Di Michele Runs Riot As Hammers Nail Hull by Sachin Nakrani

These are truly peculiar times for West Ham United. Off the pitch the club continues to be haunted by financial uncertainties but on it they are playing like a side that has won the jackpot. Victory here was their sixth in seven games and was delivered by arguably their best performance of the season. The hosts were dominant throughout and should have scored more than twice. Indeed a repeat of the 7–1 thrashing West Ham inflicted on Hull the last time these sides met here in October 1990 would not have come as a shock... Guardian

Heaven For Zola As Hull Are Humbled by Gideon Brooks

West Ham's record signing Savio Nsereko may have made the bench at Upton Park last night following his £9million move from Brescia, but David Di Michele and Carlton Cole made a convincing case for manager Gianfranco Zola to leave him there... Express

Savio: The Cockney Fantasista

At age 16, Gianfranco Zola had a choice to make. If you want to succeed, he was told, you need to be out training five times a day. He couldn't do that and go to school, so he gave up school, joined a gym and started to build himself up. At 18 he was signed by Nuorese (in nearby Nuoro, the third city of Sardinia) and within three years he had moved to Torres (in Sassari, the second city of Sardinia), in the Italian third division. Six years on and he was still plugging away, still dreaming of making it to the big time. But there was no sign of a breakthrough. Scouts from the mainland rarely visited. He must have thought his moment would never arrive. "Hmmm, I certainly knew it was going to be difficult," he says. "But never, never, never did I feel defeated or discouraged. What happened occurred naturally because I loved what I was doing."

What happened was that Luciano Moggi, then general manager of Napoli football club, later general director of Juventus and ever a man who can spot a good piece of business, saw Zola in action. "I have been down to Sardinia," he reported, "and I can assure you that this is a little Maradona." In fact, both men were 5ft 6in, but at Napoli Zola soon found himself operating as Maradona's understudy. Zoladona, they called him, and he spent most of his first season watching the great man from the substitutes' bench.

Gradually, stories of his apprenticeship drifted back to Sardinia. In training, Maradona had kicked the ball 20 yards with such spin that it turned all the way back on itself to its master's feet. Zola had watched a few times, then produced an exact replica. Zolito - little Zola - Maradona had said, is truly great. The two men only spent one year together, with Napoli winning the league that season, but in that time as Maradona's understudy Zola says that… well he’ll tell it better.

"I learnt everything from Diego. I used to spy on him every time he trained and learned how to curl a free kick just like him. After one year I had completely changed. I saw him do things in training and in matches I had never even dreamed possible. He was simply the best I’ve ever seen. I’m not saying I wouldn’t have been a good player if I had not played with him at that stage of my career but I do know I wouldn’t have been the player I eventually became."

When Maradona left, due to what Zola will describe only as his having had "a few problems with other things," Zola became the new occupant of his No 10 shirt. In Italy, it is the number given to the fantasista, the fantasy man. So yesterday, when Gianfranco Zola made the decision to hand his new signing Savio Nsereko the West Ham No.10 shirt, the message was clear: You can become as good as me. The Hammers boss beat Arsenal, Chelsea, Roma and his former club Napoli to the signature of the Ugandan-born Germany Under-20 star, and despite admitting he has only seen him play on tape, Zola sees his own reflection when he gazes at his raw protege.

The 19-year-old Nsereko moved from Uganda to Germany when he was two years old and played for 1860 Munich, where he was spotted by Gianluca Nani, who took him to Italy with Brescia. Zola is convinced the German has the all the attributes needed to become a big star in the Premier League and follow in his own footsteps. "We have been following Savio for a while. I saw him on tape a long time ago and I have seen him on television recently," he said. "I think he is very similar to the player I was when I was 19 years old. When I was that age I was not the same player I was later, but I was very good at taking players on and that is one of the main qualities that makes the difference between a normal player and a special player."

Zola believes West Ham fans are in for a treat if Savio is given time to settle in at Upton Park. "He is already a top player, but on top of that he needs to build other qualities and that is why he is here," stated Zola. "I am going to try to give him the other bits that are missing in his game to take him a step higher. I think he is the type of player who catches the eye. In modern football there are not many players with that ability. He's one of those players who in one-on-one situations is deadly. He is quick, the kind of player I like and who is very important to be in the team. He creates something for you. He can play well with Carlton Cole but he can play in different positions. He is adaptable and is willing to learn to improve."

The Hammers smashed their transfer record by splashing an estimated £9million on the Ugandan-German from Italian Serie B, but Zola insists it is not a gamble. The fact that he elected to give Savio the shirt number of the fantasista is evidence enough of the huge faith he has in the talent of the Germany Under-20 international. For his part, Savio says he wants to follow in the footsteps of his new manager – and insists he has moved to England to learn from the master. "I spoke to the coach and I know Gianluca Nani very well and it is important to have someone I know at the club and who believes in me," said Savio. "I have heard a lot about Zola as a player because he was a big player. I don’t want to say I am like him but he had very good characteristics and good technique and I can learn from him."

Addressing the media throng yesterday in perfect English, Savio added: "I am very happy to be here and am proud to have the possibility of playing for a club like West Ham. I was happy [to move to England] because West Ham is a big club and a big story so I was very excited. I know a lot about the manager. I saw him play and he was a great player and I think he is also a great manager and can improve me a lot. I will try to do my best to improve and help the team to get better. I know it's a big responsibility [to wear the No 10] but I think I know what I can do and I'm happy for that and that's it. I see myself that I hope I can help us. I have to improve a lot and I will try to improve and get better in training every day."

When Gianfranco Zola took over the helm at West Ham he was the unanimous choice of the United board. After Alan Curbishley took the decision to walk, claiming he had been undermined over transfers, it gave the club the opportunity to recruit a different style of manager. A coach. Duxbury came close to appointing Roberto Donadoni but then, in Rome, met Zola. He read through the Football Project and found it chimed with his own ambition. "He's got an incredible reputation as a winner and he wouldn't do anything to risk that so he agreed to join on the basis of the Football Project," Duxbury said.

"He believed it was the way to achieve success and it's what excites him. What's lost in football is that people think the only way to be successful is to buy great players, but why can't you coach them into great players? Take Freddie Sears and let Zola work with and teach him how to be a striker. If you buy Kaka you defeat the object, you buy success. We want to create it." Zola brings to Upton Park a clear and defined commitment to attacking football, underpinned with steel. Zola's way is clear. "I have my system," he said. "I like to train a lot with the ball with a lot of intensity in the sessions. I know my training sessions are very demanding, but they are always with the ball and always with a lot of enjoyment. The players have already said to me they like it very much."

As for the style of play fans can eventually expect: "The idea is to get to the point where we play offensive football as much as possible." That commitment is in the Sardinian's blood, of course, but developed during those years he spent at Napoli, first as Maradona's under-study then as his team-mate. The rotund genius was despised by Three Lions fans for scoring a dishonest goal against England in the 1986 World Cup. His blatant cheating was captured on TV but it never detracted from the skill and verve he brought to games. He never stopped encouraging Zola.

"Maradona has been a great influence on me. When I first met him I was only 23 and just a young player trying to get better and I had him in from of me. The best player in the world, so I felt lucky," Zola said. "When you have that it inspires you to do better and it was a challenge to get my level of football to his. He spoke to me a lot. Anybody who has played with Maradona can tell you he is a lovely, simple guy. Then he was the best player in the world by far and probably the best player of all time. But it was easy to talk to him. He was humble and genuine. We had a particularly good relationship and I used to stay longer on the training ground with him, trying free-kicks and playing small games. My challenge was to get my level of football to his. What I liked about Diego was he had always had the right solution on the pitch. I hope we can do that here at West Ham."

It developed Zola's commitment to attacking football. "I was a striker and was a player who liked to play the ball and enjoy myself so that is my mentality," he said. "When I went to Naples we had a team with Maradona, Careca, Alemao – quality players – and we used to play good-looking football. That is where my ideas on playing come from. When I used to look at them in games and in training, there were many times when I thought I’d never get in the team. They were so good but I never gave up. I always said to myself ‘If I want to play in this team I will have to get better than them’."

Zola is hoping his mentality will rub off on his young Hammers. He said: "My mentality was to always improve, it was a good outlook. And it should be enjoyable for the players. If they are enjoying it the results you get are much better. I’m not pretentious to say everything will be all right. So I need the crowd to be patient and support us all the time. I don’t have a magic wand. But it feels good to be at this club."

He also hopes that patience extends towards his new number ten. Savio will face Hull tonight if his international clearance comes through. "We have expectations of Savio, but we do not forget that the boy is 19 years old and he has come here for the future" said Zola. "We are going to try an improve him and make him a better player. We know that he has got great potential and can become a top player. But everybody needs to be patient. He wants to improve and we want to help him, but he also needs time to settle. The reason why we bought Savio is that we saw the potential which belongs to special players. We like to gamble, but I do not think that Savio is a gamble. He will become an important player but we have to allow him time to get used to the rhythm of the Premier League. I am confident he will, he is a strong boy and he is mature."

A New Philosophy

West Ham United chief executive Scott Duxbury believes that the club is moving in the right direction following the signing of Savio Nsereko. Duxbury, talking to Sky Sports News in the wake of Nsereko's unveiling yesterday morning, reiterated that the club are determined to hang on to their key players despite constant media reports claiming an imminent fire-sale due to Chairman Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson's financial difficulties. He also repeated claims, first published in the Independent last week, that the days of selling star players to local rivals Tottenham are well and truly over.

"The January transfer window is perplexing," said Duxbury. "You're in the middle of a race and then suddenly you've got to lose some of your players. You should be able to get to the end of the race with the squad you've got - and we're doing well. We didn't want to lose any players because I think we can achieve something quite special this season. There is a change of philosophy at this football club; I keep referring to the football project, it's a business plan that we stick to [in order] to deliver success.

"Part of it is that we need to be aware of our fans expectations, and we need to be aware who our local rivals are. There's a massive rivalry between ourselves and Tottenham. As I've said, it's nothing against Tottenham but why on earth should we sell any player that would strengthen their team? We're competitive, we're in a competitive league. I want to finish above Tottenham year after year and I want to deliver success - so I won't be selling any of our players to our local rivals, it just makes no sense to me."

The United CEO also emphasised that Scott Parker, Matthew Upson and Robert Green would stay at the club. The trio have been linked with a move away from the Hammers this transfer window, given West Ham owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson has been hit by the credit crunch. But Duxbury - while admitting there has been 'a lot of interest' in the players - says the club are determined to keep hold of all three.

Asked what was the latest on the contractual situation with the trio, Duxbury revealed: "Throughout this window there was a lot of interest in all of those players, some of it real and some of it through the media. I contacted every single player, reassured them that we didn't want to sell them and got the commitment back from them that they didn't want to go. I have spoken to their agents. When the window shuts we will be sitting down and we will be talking about extending their contracts - and all of them are happy to stay."

The club have reinvested some of the £14million they recently received for Craig Bellamy on record signing Savio. Duxbury restated his pledge to fans that the club will keep their best players as well as look to strengthen Gianfranco Zola's squad. He said: "I tried to reassure everybody at the start of the window that we would be keeping our best players and where possible, we would try and strengthen. I think today is a vindication of our activity during this window."

He also stressed to fans that the club's finances are fine, adding: "It's robust, it's absolutely robust - it's the nature of the football project. We have a manager that doesn't require external investment. He knows that what he sells, he can keep, so he can constantly evolve this football club. He's very, very happy with the squad."

Scott Duxbury says he is looking forward to clearing West Ham United's name at the forthcoming hearing into the ongoing Carlos Tevez affair. The latest step in the ongoing legal battle regarding Tevez and possible compensation for Sheffield United is a new hearing to determine whether the Hammers broke further rules relating to the final three games of the season - games seen by the most recent tribunal, who ruled in favour of the Championship club, as having paramount importance to the club's final league placings.

Yet Duxbury, who recently appointed a new legal team to oversee the case, remains adamant that United would ultimately be vindicated. "We welcome it absolutely," he said. "It's an affair that seems to have gone on for far too long now and this is an opportunity for us once and for all to show that we did absolutely nothing wrong. We didn't break any undertakings to the Premier League - we absolutely adhered to them. Myself and (former executive chairman) Eggert Magnusson of course met with Tevez's representatives, that's what you would do as a competent official of a football club. We often meet with players' representatives and this is an opportunity once and for all to clear it up and prove that we did absolutely nothing wrong, so we absolutely welcome it."

Duxbury also hit back at his critics, stating that nothing would deter him from achieving his ambitions for the club. "I have been at this football club for many, many years now, I've got the absolute support of the Board and the Chairman and I'm absolutely confident in what I'm trying to achieve," he added. "Of course Tevez is a distraction, but there are numerous distractions - and I think my job here is just to guide the football club with the board through these distractions and make sure that my management team, which I've got complete confidence in, is absolutely focused on delivering success. There may be people out there who want to criticize, there may be people who want to distract us, but it simply won't happen. Nothing will deter us from delivering the success that we know we can achieve."

Asked if he would ever consider resigning over the affair, he said: "No, absolutely not. As I have said, I have got the complete support of my board and my chairman and I've done absolutely nothing wrong." Duxbury also called for trust from the fans. "We have got to get trust back with our fans and this is why I took the unprecedented step at the start of the window to try and reassure the fans what the club is about, what we are trying to achieve, and I think that it's so far so good. I can talk all I want and reassure the fans the top players aren't going to leave but I think the fans will wait till the 1st of February. What I can say is that they won't be disappointed, the top players are not leaving and we are trying to reinforce."

Duxbury also admitted there was never a chance of Craig Bellamy joining Tottenham. The Hammers flatly refused to consider an offer for Bellamy this month because they suspected Spurs were trying to unsettle him. Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp denied this but Spurs backed out of the transfer, allegedly striking a pact with Manchester City which allowed City a free run at Bellamy in return for dropping their interest in Wigan’s Wilson Palacios, who then moved to White Hart Lane. Duxbury told Sky Sports News: "I made it quite clear to Craig that there wasn't any possibility of him joining Tottenham. Why on earth should we sell any player to our rivals that would strengthen their team?"

He reiterated Spurs can no longer expect to plunder Upton Park for talent like Jermain Defoe and Michael Carrick. "It just makes no sense to me. I won't sell any of our players to our local rivals," said Duxbury. "We need to be aware of our fans’ expectations and to be aware who our local rivals are and there is a massive rivalry between ourselves and Tottenham."

Of Bellamy's move to Manchester City, Duxbury added: "I am not sure it is a sale, because a sale implies that we wanted to do it - which we didn't. We made it quite clear to Craig that we wanted him to stay. We didn't want to lose any player because I think we can do something quite special this season. I think it might have been six bids that we turned down. I wouldn't say there was animosity. We didn't want him to go and he left, so that is never a comfortable situation. But as far as I am concerned Craig is no longer a West Ham player, he's not my concern. My concern is (new signing) Savio and the rest of the West Ham players."

Duxbury also confirmed that rumours of Bellamy going on strike were wide of the mark. "He did not go on strike. On the Friday that we had the meeting he made it quite clear to me that he wanted to leave and join Tottenham. He was in no frame of mind to train so we both agreed that it was probably best he went home and considered his position. At that point I was still hopeful he would reconsider and continue to play for West Ham, but as the days went on it became quite clear that wasn't a possibility. I made it quite clear to Craig that there wasn't any possibility of him joining Tottenham. I think he understood that the transfer was never going to be a possibility - and he thought again."

Bellamy also denied reports that he refused to play against Fulham, a game won 3-1 by the Hammers. "I've heard all this talk about me going on strike but I have absolutely no idea where it has come from," he said. "I cannot understand it. Maybe in the past I have done some things that I shouldn't have - but this one is not true."

Meanwhile, Sheffield United chairman Kevin McCabe has responded to charges by writer Martin Samuel of further third-party interefence with regard to the transfer of Matthew Spring from Luton to Charlton. Spring, who was on loan at Sheffield United was allowed to prematurely end his season-long arrangement with the Blades in order to sign a permanent deal with Charlton - but, according to Samuel, only on the proviso that he sit out Charlton's FA Cup fourth round clash with Sheffield, which the Yorkshire club won 2-1.

Speaking in a club statement posted on Sheffield United's website on Monday evening, McCabe said: "This is an outrageous article and wholly inaccurate. We have not broken any Football Association and Football League rules. For some time now Mr Samuel - whether at The Times, his past employers, or at the Daily Mail where he now works - has pursued a crusade against Sheffield United. As usual his reports are without foundation and I suggest he concentrates his time on reporting the truth rather than spurious allegations. I gather Martin is a West Ham supporter so, maybe, in some clumsy way, he believes his regular attacks on the Blades helps to protect their wrongdoings over the Tevez affair."

The Sheffield United fans have now orchestrated an online petition to argue "Martin Samuels (biased journalist) should be sacked." If we ignore for a minute that they have even failed to get the man's name right, a closer inspection of the some 850 signatures (eg... Wilfred Whippetsniffer, Clungepipe McTwunt, Tripe Ekerslike and Big Gay Blade) reveals things are not all they seem.

The Damned United

"I want no epitaphs of profound history and all that type of thing. I contributed. I would hope they would say that, and I would hope somebody liked me."
Brian Clough

This is nothing to do with West Ham United but it is a quiet night and I thought I would post the following video. It is the newly released trailer for the upcoming film version of the excellent David Peace novel The Damned Utd. The book is concerned principally with the 44 fateful days its hero, Brian Clough, spent as manager at Elland Road, Leeds, after taking over from Don Revie in 1974. "It imagines Clough exactly as he always wanted to imagine himself: a protagonist of Shakespearean proportion, outrageous, maniacal, big-hearted, vindictive, brilliant, pissed - a Coriolanus of the dug-out," reads the Observer review. "The book takes Clough's voice - that inspired nasal bombast that was once such a feature of British life - and turns it inwards. Peace attempts to see the world as Clough might have seen it; the book is told in a stream of consciousness diary form, a page or three a day for each of the purgatorial 44 days at Leeds, with flashbacks to his triumphs at Derby County a couple of years earlier." In short, it is a football manager's guide to heaven and hell and it is a staggering work of art.

The full Observer book review: The genius of the life of Brian

How it will translate to the big screen is anybody's guess. Directed by Tom Hooper (John Adams, Elizabeth I), adapted by Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon, The Last King of Scotland) and starring Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon, Blood Diamond, The Queen) it is due for release March 27. To say I am looking forward to it is quite an understatement.

The Pearl Of Africa Is Now On Show

Well, it's official...West Ham United have finally unveiled the signing of 19-year-old forward Savio Nsereko from Brescia Calcio. A brief statement on the club website reads:

West Ham United are delighted to announce the signing of Germany Under-20 international Savio Nsereko from Brescia Calcio on a four-and-a half-year contract.

The 19-year-old forward, who can play wide or through the middle, chose the chance to play under Gianfranco Zola ahead of long-standing interest from some of the continent's leading clubs. The fee is undisclosed, although the club confirm it is a significant investment.

Savio, who will wear the No10 shirt, has made his name with Brescia, who are well-placed to secure promotion back to Serie A this season. His last outing for the Italian club saw him score two spectacular goals in a minute in the 4-0 win against Pisa on Saturday 17 January.

A West Ham United delegation led by technical director Gianluca Nani flew to Brescia in the middle of last week to secure his services. When terms had been agreed with both club and player, Savio made the reverse trip to England over the weekend to meet Gianfranco Zola and finalise the deal. He passed his medical on Monday and, subject to international clearance, could even make his debut on Wednesday night against Hull City.

"We are delighted to sign Savio, particularly with the fierce competition for his services across Europe," Scott Duxbury, the West Ham chief executive, said. "He is an exciting prospect, who Gianfranco Zola believes will prove a valuable asset for this club now and in the years to come. It is a significant investment and shows our determination to continue moving this club forward."

Despite interest from a host of European clubs, including Bayern Munich, Juventus, Roma and Napoli, the Telegraph states the Ugandan born striker was encouraged to move to London because of the opportunity to work with Zola. It is also true Gianluca Nani‘s father in-law, Luigi Corioni, is the president of the Serie B club from which the player moves, and that Nani knows the player well after being responsible for taking him to Italy from Hertha Berlin in 2005 when Nsereko was just 16. Writing in the Mirror, Darren Lewis claims Savio had been on the club's radar for several months - even before Craig Bellamy demanded to leave Upton Park.

Although the final fee is undisclosed, the Times reports it is almost certainly greater than West Ham’s previous biggest outlay, the £7.5 million spent signing Bellamy from Liverpool in 2007. The Mail states previous reports suggested that West Ham had agreed to pay Brescia £5million, which could rise to almost £10million depending on the success of the forward. The Guardian are none the wiser, but suggests a figure in the region of £9million to make Nsereko the new club record transfer. The Mirror also has the same number in mind.

The Independent writes that the versatile Savio, who has scored three goals in 17 games for Brescia this season, will be expected to fill the void created by Craig Bellamy's £14million transfer window switch to Manchester City. It is inevitable that such comparisons will be drawn (and perhaps invited), especially as the Ugandan-German inherits the No 10 shirt by vacated by Bellamy following the Welshman's acrimonious departure.

The signing will reassure fans who had feared the club would only be a selling club during the January transfer window, states the BBC. Owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson has been beset by financial problems in recent months and is considering selling the club. But other than Bellamy, who was determined to leave Upton Park, West Ham have only sold fringe players Matthew Etherington, Lee Bowyer and Hayden Mullins.

Gianfranco Zola is now excited about working with Savio, but acknowledges that the former Brescia star will require the opportunity to find his feet in England. When asked about the Germany youth international, Zola told Sky Sports News: "We have expectations of him, but we do not forget that the boy is 19 years old and he has come here for the future. We are going to try an improve him and make him a better player. We know that he has got great potential and can become a top player. But everybody needs to be patient. He wants to improve and we want to help him, but he also needs time to settle. The reason why we bought Savio is that we saw the potential which belongs to special players. We like to gamble, but I do not think that Savio is a gamble."

Meanwhile, Savio expressed his delight at sealing his move to East London. The youngster, who has relatives living in London, was born in the Ugandan capital of Kampala before his family moved to the German city of Munich when he was just two years old. Speaking in perfect English, he said: "I am very happy to be here and am proud to have the possibility of playing for a club like West Ham. I was happy [to move to England] because West Ham is a big club and a big story so I was very excited. I know a lot about the manager. I saw him play and he was a great player and I think he is also a great manager and can improve me a lot. I will try to do my best to improve and help the team to get better. I know it's a big responsibility [to wear the No10] but I think I know what I can do and I'm happy for that and that's it. I see myself that I hope I can help us. I have to improve a lot and I will try to improve and get better in training every day."

In other news, this morning's Sun reports Cardiff City have rejected West Ham’s £5million bid for Joe Ledley. Everton, Spurs, Wigan, Fulham and Stoke are said to be watching the midfielder too. Bluebirds chairman Peter Ridsdale is quoted as saying: "Joe is not for sale." The Times reveal Sunderland have opened negotiations with United over the £3million capture of defensive outcast Calum Davenport.

Savio Nsereko- The Last German

With everyone in the free and right thinking world (with the exception of the club itself) seemingly aware that we have signed Savio Nsereko, I thought I would post this rare interview/profile I discovered in the dark depths of Al Gore's internet. It appears to be a couple of weeks old and my German isn't the best these days so apologies for the occasional stilted phrase and incongruous fact (given the latest developments).


Full name: Savio Nsereko
Date of birth: July 27, 1989
Birthplace: Kampala, Uganda
Nationality: German
2nd nationality: Ugandan
EU passport: Yes
Height: 176 cms/ 5.7ft
Weight: 73 kgs


In former times there was Matthäus, Klinsmann, Völler or Häßler - today it is Savio Nsereko. The U-19 King of Europe keeps the German flag flying high in Italy with Brescia Calcio. But for how much longer? Half of Europe courts the attacking player- and also Bayern Munich has him in on their radar.

The Last German

There are players whose names portray their heritage, that sound German by their very essence. Jürgen Klinsmann for example, or Rudolf Völler. Savio Nsereko is not one of them. Nsereko was born on July 27, 1989 in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Yet apart from the national language of English, or the dialect Swahili, he retains little else from his formative years. It was in Munich where he grew up and it was in German that he learned to communicate, fully embracing the Bavarian lifestyle. That remained the case up until three years ago, when Italy came into his life.

Since then Savio Nsereko has represented the German flag with pride in the Italian Serie B. In the summer of 2005 the then 16-year-old moved club and country, swapping the familiarity of his first club, 1860 Munich, for an unknown adventure with Brescia Calcio.

Nsereko would be the latest member of a long line of German heroes, who arrived in Italy to seek fame and honour. Ludwig Janda was the pioneer, then the Schnellingers and Hallers, followed later by Matthäus, Klinsmann and Völler. Now Nsereko is the sole standard barer of this exalted tradition, the last German in Italy.

But for how much longer will he ply his trade in the second league in the country of the World Champions. The question is about to be answered.

Interest From Bavaria

Brescia president Gino Corioni, who has already brought Luca Toni and Roberto Baggio to Lombardy, openly admitted in a discussion on Radio Kiss Kiss that Nsereko's prospective buyers stand in a very long queue: "Large clubs, Italian and foreign ones, have already approached me about Savio. Also Bayern Munich have been in very close contact."

Napoli Hot Candidate

As revealed by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Napoli, Palermo and Genoa have long been the most persistent prospective buyers. Information leaked by the largest Italian sports daily disclosed Napoli's director of sport Pierpaolo Marino has already tabled an offer of five million euros.

Of course, the southern Italians have a good relationship with the Rondinelle; Slovak midfield starlet Marek Hamsik, Italian international defender Fabiano Santacroce and Daniele Mannini were all transferred in from Brescia in the last few years.

"When Marek Hamsik was 19 years old, there was not as much interest in him as there is now with Savio" revealed Corioni, speaking of his German jewel. A starring role in the Under 19 European Championship, where he scored one goal and had four assists on his way to be named player of the tournament, was more than enough to provoke the attention. Since when, Brescia have had to live with the fact that almost every week brings a new suiter for their prize asset.

It is heavily reported in the English media that West Ham United are the latest club to have Nsereko's name on it's purchase list. However the London club, due to the financial crisis, might at the moment have a difficult problem making the lucrative offer that would be needed to secure his services.



Uganda, Germany, Italy

Nsereko remains unaffected by the clamouring attention and attendant wild predictions for a spectacular future.

"The interest flatters me, but at the moment I am concentrating completely on Brescia", he told internet site Golmania. "I would like to win promotion with Brescia into Serie A."

Nsereko's history, itself, sounds like a modern football fairy tale. At the age of just two years he was taken with his family from Kampala to Munich. Once he was of an age, he then spent six years with TSV 1860 Munich, steadily progressing with the Lions through all their youth teams. It was at the age of 15 that the lure of Italian interest first became apparent. Instead of trying his luck in Munich, it did not take Savio long to decide to accept the offer from Brescia and succumb to the pull of Italy. He departed in the summer of 2005, aged 16, the minimum age limit allowed by FIFA for international transfer among European Union nations.

"I dreamed always of making my money as a professional in Italy. To put it simply, Italian football fascinated me," Nsereko explained to the German press. "Others like the combative football in England or the elegant football in Spain. I like the tactical and technical approach in Italy."

A Little Like Owen

His football style does not seem to correspond to the cynical result-orientated football of the Italians at all. "I live by my speed", says Nsereko, rather than by strength. Indeed at just under 5ft 8", the relatively diminutive Nsereko needs to be terribly quick- but it is a speed allied with excellent technical abilities and exceptional football instinct.

With his stature and breath-taking dribbling, he is somewhat reminiscent of the young Michael Owen. Others have compared him to Simao. A maker and taker of goals, equally comfortable as an orthodox winger or operating centrally further up the field.

Yet, of fame and glamour the flying forward has little or no interest.

Indeed, his actions on and off the pitch gives us hope for the new German generation. The glittering world of the modern footballer's existence is rather strange to him. Compared with the Beckhams and Ronaldos, Nsereko is defined in contra-distinction.

Inter? No Thanks

A few months ago he received a solicitation from Milanese giants Inter. Nsereko thought hard but kindly declined.

"I am a young player and need to practice and play. It would not have help me there if I practiced with those stars only to watch them from the grandstand at the weekend," explained Savio. "A change at that time would have been simply not intelligent."

Perhaps this grounded personality has something to do with his first professional coach in Italy. It was under the guidance of the imposing Zdenek Zeman that he made his Brescia debut in May 2006 against FC Crotone. He gained more chances in 2007–08.

Break-Through With The U-19s

The real break-through, though, came only in the past summer with the U-19,s with the title secured by the victorious Germans. By the end every scout and manager was aware of Nsereko and the whereabouts of Brescia.

"Before the tournament the Brescia coach Nedo Sonetti had the thought to keep me with the team rather than let me participate", he recently told Mediagol. "Thank God we decided, together with President Corioni, to go for it."

Roy Millar, UEFA's technical observer, bestowed upon Nsereko the 'Player of the Tournament' award, saying: "The best player in the tournament for me has been Nsereko. He can go inside on his right foot to make you a goal, or can go wide left and get in behind defenders."

It was a defining moment for Savio, who was about to miss the biggest game of his career to date. In the semi-final he saw his second yellow card and was suspended for the final game against his adopted country of Italy.

Football's New Morality

Hayden Mullins has joined the growing list of transfer window departures, with Portsmouth completing the signing of the combative United midfielder for an undisclosed fee (thought to be in the region of £2million) this morning. Pompey boss Tony Adams has been looking to bolster his midfield all month after losing Lassana Diarra to Real Madrid and Papa Bouba Diop to a long-term injury, while West Ham have decided to let Mullins move on as Gianfranco Zola looks to trim his squad and balance the books at Upton Park.

Mullins has agreed terms on a three-and-a-half-year deal and passed a medical to join Pompey. The midfielder could make his debut in tomorrow's Premier League clash with Aston Villa, live on Sky Sports 1. "Hayden has been on our radar for some time," said Portsmouth executive chairman Peter Storrie. "He will add strength to our midfield. Central midfield is an area we have needed to strengthen - that's why we brought in two players."

Mullins' move comes just two days after his final appearance for the Hammers, as a substitute in the 2-0 FA Cup win over Hartlepool. The 29-year-old has spent the past five years at Upton Park having become Alan Pardew's first signing back in October 2003, when he joined from Crystal Palace. He went on to make over 200 appearances for the Hammers but sadly missed out on the 2006 FA Cup Final having been sent off the week before.

Mullins told the club's website: "It was a little bit of a shock. I trained on Sunday with West Ham after the game on Saturday and then it all happened very quickly, but I'm very pleased to have joined. It was a great experience to have worked under Gianfranco Zola but it's a great challenge here to come and work with some really talented players. I enjoyed my time at West Ham but I was there for five years and thought that maybe it was time for a change. Portsmouth are a club with a lot of history. They won the FA Cup last year, so I'm very excited to be here."

Gianfranco Zola revealed that he allowed Hayden Mullins to leave as he could no longer guarantee him first team football. Zola, speaking on the official site this morning, stated that Mullins had asked to join Portsmouth having started in just eight of his 21 appearances for the Hammers this season. "I did not want to lose him but at this point in his career he wanted to play regularly and I respect his wishes," said Zola. "He asked me if he could talk to Portsmouth and I could have said 'no' but he is a man that has shown this club a lot of respect. He has been loyal and it would not have been fair to stand in his way."

Exodus: who's left West Ham since the end of last season (courtesy of KUMB)

Sold: John Paintsil (Fulham, £1m); Bobby Zamora (Fulham, £5.3m); Anton Ferdinand (Sunderland, £8m); George McCartney (Sunderland, £6m); Matthew Etherington (Stoke, £3m); Craig Bellamy (Man City £14m), Hayden Mullins (£2m). Total £39.3m.

Released: Freddie Ljungberg; Richard Wright; Nobby Solano.

Currently on loan: Jimmy Walker (Colchester Utd); Kyel Reid (Wolves); Lee Bowyer (Birmingham); Nigel Quashie (Wolves); Joe Widdowson (Grimsby Town).

Meanwhile, Scott Parker insists he sees his long-term future at Upton Park. The midfielder has been linked with a January move away from the Hammers, with Manchester City having already failed with a bid. With Craig Bellamy having already joined City, Parker was keen to reiterate he has no plans to follow his former team-mate out of the club, amid reports he will be offered a new contract by West Ham. The England international admits he has no control over the speculation, but says he is happy to be playing for Gianfranco Zola's side.

"Do I see my long-term future at West Ham? Yes," Parker said in the Daily Telegraph. "The team are playing well under the new management and with the lads here, we've got something that's really good. I'm happy, I'm enjoying myself and I feel I'm playing some good stuff. I'm owned by West Ham and I get paid by West Ham. I want to play football and that's it, everything else is out of my hands. If someone rings me tomorrow and says, 'We're selling you', I can't do anything about that. But I'm a West Ham player and until anyone tells me any different that's the way it is."

Meanwhile, Mark Noble feels the Hammers would struggle to cope without the influence of Parker, if he moved on. Noble said: "Bellamy is going to be a great miss for us. He was a good lad and great in the changing room, but we've proved we can live without him. But Scott Parker? No, I don't think we could. He's such a great player for us. He just sits there, gets the play going, makes great tackles and takes responsibility all the time. Playing in midfield with him is great. He's a fantastic player and always has been. He's very important to us and hopefully we will keep him. I'll be happy if this transfer window closes and we've still got him."

On the transfer front, several media outlets are expecting West Ham to confirm today the signing of striker Savio Nsereko from Brescia. The Mail are reporting a deal worth £9million and say Gianfranco Zola has seen enough of Nsereko to be suitably impressed. The youngster could even play in Wednesday's clash with Hull City. The signing would be a boost for the club following the loss of Craig Bellamy to Manchester City earlier this month.

At the very least, West Ham United director of football Gianluca Nani has confirmed the club's interest in the Brescia striker. "We are working on Savio of Brescia, and we are well advanced," confirmed Nani to Mediaset. Savio's agent Patrick Bastianelli also expects the deal to West Ham to go through soon. "The player is very close to West Ham," he admitted to the Italian press over the weekend. "Savio will go away soon, and the boy is happy to find Zola, a great coach and with him he will only embrace an important technical programme from which he will only grow and improve. West Ham have accelerated the negotiations."

The Hammers have also been linked with Mario Balotelli, the young and wayward Inter striker. However a circumspect Gianluca Nani denied reports that a deal was likely to be struck soon. "We have never talked to anyone about Balotelli," he said, "but if we have Savio in place then that could be us done in January." United are thought to have been monitoring Balotelli closely, and despite Nani's denials are rumoured to have made enquiries into his availability. The club have also intimated that the capture of Nsereko may not necessarily be the last bit of business done during this transfer window. For the moment, at least, the brother and agent of Mario Balotelli is saying there's been no contact with West Ham for the Milanese striker. Corrado Balotelli said: "He was calm after meeting with the club and I think he is prepared to accept any decision from (coach) Jose Mourinho."

In another strange twist, Sky Sports sources 'understand' Juventus have made an approach to sign West Ham United striker Carlton Cole. They report that the former England Under 21 international has been in sparkling form for the Hammers of late after scoring five goals in six games, and is now wanted in Italy, with Juventus understood to have made an approach for the 25-year-old. Juve coach Claudio Ranieri gave Cole his professional debut at Chelsea in 2002 and still appears to be a fan of the powerful front man. The striker was recently linked with a move to Tottenham after Spurs boss Harry Redknapp missed out on a deal for former Hammers team-mate Craig Bellamy. Cole also undertook loan spells at Wolves, Charlton and Aston Villa before leaving Chelsea on a permanent basis for West Ham in the summer of 2006. During his time at Upton Park, Cole has scored 18 goals in 80 appearances and is a key part of Gianfranco Zola's plans.

Thankfully (before my head explodes from the insanity), reports have subsequently emerged that have cast doubts on the veracity of the rumour. Juventus sporting director Alessio Secco told PA Sport today: "We are not interested in Carlton Cole. We are very happy with the players we have in the team and we will not make any moves in the January transfer market." Juventus, who are second in Serie A following a run of six wins in their last seven games, have recently seen veteran striker David Trezeguet return from a lengthy injury lay-off.

Finally, Martin Samuel has taken another judicious swipe at the vagaries of third party interference in football, especially as it pertains to Sheffield United. West Ham are not mentioned directly in what is an excellent piece, but the implication is readily discernible.

Some brief extracts...

The Football Association will this morning begin an investigation into the circumstances around the transfer of Matthew Spring from Luton Town to Charlton Athletic, on the basis of possible third party interference from Sheffield United.

Don't hold your breath.

It has long been Sheffield United's lot to be painted as victims of grave injustice, so do not expect this latest twist to make a ripple in that smug little pond, or to appear anywhere beyond these pages. Even so, this is important; or it would be if football cared for anything more than grand gestures to the gallery.

Followed by:

The Football League, despite Lord Mawhinney's (right) regular land-grabs for the high moral ground, do not have rules governing third party interference, and a spokesman yesterday presented this issue as a hospital pass to the Football Association, who have been so anxious for involvement in third party rulings in the past.

Now they have the chance. Rule C1 (b), clause 3 states: 'No club shall enter into a contract which enables any other party to that contract to acquire the ability materially to influence the club's policies or performance of its teams in matches and/or competition.'

In English? For Spring to join Charlton, his registration would have to be held at that moment by Luton, not Sheffield United. And once this document was restored to Luton, Sheffield United became a third party and any involvement in his career should cease.

For Sheffield to then influence whether a permanent Charlton signing plays against them is therefore third party interference; just as it was when Sheffield and Watford publicly announced the gentlemen's agreement that kept Steve Kabba out of the Watford line-up against his former club in 2007, the year Sheffield went down.

In conclusion:

Chances are that Sheffield United will get away with it again. Despite all that has happened these last two seasons, the rules seem either vague, easily circumvented or non-existent.

Many pontificate, but few seem moved to act. We have, however, cornered the market in hypocrisy.

For clearly, it is unthinkable that a man as publicly committed to fair play as Kevin McCabe, chairman of Sheffield United, would not have checked the regulations first and ensured that everything about Spring's transfer was above board and not at all wonky or open to abuse.

And what a good thing that is, really, for otherwise a fellow could get quite confused by football's new morality.

Football is a funny old game. Not really.

Hartlepool 0 West Ham United 2

West Ham Ease Past Hartlepool To Side-Step Banana Skin by Graham Chase

West Ham United are used to living with a sense that crisis could strike at any time, yet Gianfranco Zola, the manager, continues to rise above the uncertainties and has steered his team to a six-match unbeaten run. The present worry is that, like Craig Bellamy, the insistence that Scott Parker will not be sold to Manchester City will be followed quickly by him posing in a sky blue shirt. Having had four clubs in five years, the midfield player is in familiar territory, but said: “If someone rings me and says, ‘We’re selling you’, then I can’t do anything about that. But I’m enjoying myself and feel I’m playing some good stuff.”... Times

Hammers Beat Unlucky Hartlepool by Nick Townsend

In the middle ages, when shipping was such a thriving industry in Hartlepool, piracy was rife. Gianfranco Zola’s team could not have been more chillingly efficient than those pirates if they had arrived armed to the teeth with cutlasses, boarded a treasure-laden galleon at anchor, dispatched the crew and made off with the spoils... Sunday Times

West Ham Progress Aided By Disputed Penalty by Graham Chase

It was about as magical as a trip to the Morrisons next to Victoria Park but West Ham continued their recent improvement by overcoming stout resistance to record a routine victory over their League One opponents... Sunday Telegraph

Noble Spot On For Hammers To End Hopes Of Hartlepool by Bob Cass

Hartlepool had their moment in the spotlight but dominant West Ham never looked like becoming the League One side's third Premier League cup victims this season. West Ham did not need any help to overcome opposition from two leagues below them, but they received it anyway when referee Lee Mason awarded them a penalty in first-half added time... Mail on Sunday

Zola Ready For Fresh Journey To Final Frontier by Michael Walker

Gianfranco Zola spoke in the build-up to this tie of seeing his father on the King's Road in May 1997 straining to witness his son take part in Chelsea's celebrations for winning the FA Cup just six months after Zola joined the club. "I remember my father was climbing up a lamp post to try to get a view of the bus," Zola said... Independent

Parker Is Paramount As Hammers Strike by Louise Taylor

It would be fascinating to watch Scott Parker star in a football version of the film Sliding Doors. The 1998 film portrays how the life of Gwyneth Paltrow's heroine hinges on whether the doors of a London tube train slide shut on her or remain open until she boards the train. These two scenarios are played out in parallel and the same format would surely work if 'Sliding Clubs' became a big screen extravaganza. In the 2009 version, cinema goers could see just how Parker's career might have unfolded had West Ham sanctioned his mooted £12m move to Manchester City... Guardian

The Golden Clasp

Ah, financial collapse, spirally debt, conspicuous greed, scorned lovers and sordid exhibitionism; spiritual and literal human frailty laid bare on a licentious platter of poorly researched, badly written tabloid journalism. Sunday, truly is, the golden clasp that binds together the volume of the week...

West Ham will offer new deals to Scott Parker, Robert Green and Matthew Upson to secure their long-term futures at Upton Park. The News of the World claims the contracts for Parker and Green will come into immediate effect while negotiations with Upson will take place at the end of the season. Displaying an alarming amount of inside knowledge, the article insists keeper Green, 29, will sign a three-year extension of his current deal and slightly improve his basic £25,000-a-week salary. While Parker, 28, gets a two-year extension on his current £50,000 deal, struck in the heady days when former chairman Eggert Magnusson was controlling the purse strings. That will take the England midfielder through to 32 but with the terms remaining the same. The club will wait until the end of the season until they sit down and discuss a potential new deal with Upson.

Rob Shepherd believes Green and Parker will have success-related bonuses inserted as part of the club’s new strategic policy of streamlining their excessive wage bill. It will allow Gianfranco Zola to plan for the future without the fear of seeing his leading players sold off. The ability of the Hammers to secure the services of Green and Parker will enhance the club’s insistence they can withstand the consequences of the collapse of owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson’s business empire.

While the Hammers have sold Matthew Etherington, loaned Lee Bowyer to Birmingham and expect both Calum Davenport and Julian Faubert to leave, they have also handed long-term deals to Carlton Cole and midfielder Jack Collison. Shepherd states it is all part of the club’s new planning, aimed at reducing the core playing squad to 20, bringing down the wage bill and nurturing new, young talent. The policy will help reduce debts which now stand at around £42million having risen to nearly £50million before Christmas, while also making the club more attractive to a potential new buyer.

West Ham is still up for sale but Gudmundsson is holding out for at least £150million. His business liabilities will be reviewed by a court in Iceland in March but West Ham remain adamant that, such is the structure of the club, it can’t be forced into administration. An insider is quoted as saying: "Gudmundsson has told the board to carry on running the club. They can’t go to him for any more money but the income stream is strong enough to keep the club running smoothly."

That belief, claims the paper, has been enhanced by re-investing most of the £14million received from Manchester City for Craig Bellamy in 19-year-old German wonderkid 'Savio Nserkeko' from Italian club Brescia. Of course, that is Savio Nsereko to you and me, but who am I to quibble with such a fine journal. Nserkeko (just go with it) will be formally unveiled by the club tomorrow. His fee is eventually expected rise to £10million, blusters the article, which would make him the club’s record signing, eclipsing the £7million spent on Dean Ashton three years ago (not to mention the £7.5million we subsequently spent on Craig Bellamy!). The paper also believes the club is weighing up a move for Fiorintina’s Italian under-21 forward Pablo Daniel Osvaldo. If that name sounds familiar, by the way, then it might be because it is the same Pablo Daniel Osvaldo who only last week publicly snubbed the Hammers when he signed for Bologna. It was obviously a rough night for somebody over at the News of the World offices.

The same paper reveals Portsmouth hope to tie up a deal for Real Madrid’s Javier Saviola when the Argentina star’s agent arrives in England tomorrow. The striker has been given the all-clear to leave the Spanish giants. Saviola, 24, is furious he has only started just once for Real this season and says the situation is "intolerable". He said: "I expressed to our coach Juande Ramos that I needed to play. I even said that if I wasn’t part of his plans, that he should tell the management to let me leave in the January transfer window because this situation is intolerable. I’m going through a very tough time." The article then credits West Ham United, Everton and Newcastle United as other interested parties. Speaking of the Geordies, another snippet contained elsewhere states Joe Kinnear is thinking about renewing his interest in Lucas Neill, while Sunderland are said to be weighing up a move for Calum Davenport.

Speaking of Davenport, the Sunday Mirror decided to dredge up the story of how the defender had a monumental bust-up with Gianfranco Zola when he was omitted from the side to play Stoke after the 4-1 Boxing Day win at Portsmouth. Zola explained that it was purely down to tactical reasons that he changed personnel for the visit by Stoke. Davenport was livid and made his protests clear. The article states Zola informed him that he would never play for the Hammers again and the humiliation didn't end there for Davenport. He was axed from the first-team squad and forced to train with the kids. All of which is to say, the paper agrees that Davenport is now poised to join Sunderland in a £3million deal.

Further raking through the more salacious aspects of the club's business, the Mirror also claims Craig Bellamy had a massive fall-out with West Ham after they refused to pay for his chauffeur. Bellamy, who was earning £65,000 a week at Upton Park demanded that the club should pay £35,000 a year to his driver. West Ham steadfastly refused to give in to his demands prior to his exit to Manchester City last week. The Wales star did a dramatic U- turn after demanding to go to Tottenham. When the Hammers refused even to entertain a bid from their London rivals it took Bellamy less than five minutes to tell City boss Mark Hughes he was on his way to Eastlands instead. Bellamy hit the jackpot by landing an £85,000-a-week contract and getting City to pay for his driver.

Over at the People, Gianfranco Zola is linked with making a move for Middlesbrough right back Matthew Bates to replace Captain Neill. The article states Zola's spies have singled out the Boro defender, who is a free agent at the end of the season. They suggest Bates could join the club in the summer, if Aussie star Neill leaves, but the deal could yet happen in this window. It is believed Neill can leave Upton Park for around £2million and if a buyer comes in Boro have enough cover in his position to let the 22-year-old Bates go. If you are anything like me then the one thing you will know about young Master Bates (snigger) is that the poor lad hit the tabloid headlines in 2006 when private photographs of him were posted on the internet. Worryingly, one of which showed him wearing a pair of skimpy briefs and another squatting in front of a mirror with an erect penis. It is understood that he had taken the pictures himself over a period of months for the benefit of his then girlfriend. For those curious male readers who are particularly comfortable with their sexuality, you can view the offending photos here. For those female readers... oh, you've already made the jump haven't you?

Another random nugget comes courtesy of Sky Sports News, where an interview with Mick McCarthy revealed United, Leicester City and Bolton are in a tug-o-war over unsettled Wolves winger Mark Davies, 20. The exciting prospect, currently out on loan at League One table-toppers Leicester, was left out of the Foxes' squad for Saturday's home game with Huddersfield. "We've had bids for Mark," said McCarthy. "We actually want to keep him and have offered him a new deal but he doesn't want to stay and has put in a transfer request." Telford-born Davies was considered a superb prospect when he first broke through from the Wolves Academy four years ago. He was rated as the club's best home-grown product since Robbie Keane by then Wolves Academy director Chris Evans, who is now on the coaching staff at Bolton with Gary Megson. Davies did well when handed his first-team chance under Glenn Hoddle, becoming almost a regular over the latter half of the 2005/06 season. "It's kind of sad that he sees his future elsewhere but, if the deal is correct, then we'll do it," admitted McCarthy.

Elsewhere, various media reports have Kieron Dyer's latest comeback stalling again. The West Ham midfield man hoped to be on the bench for the 2-0 FA Cup win over Hartlepool but is back on the treatment table with a calf problem after lasting only 38 minutes of a reserve match against Fulham last Tuesday. Dyer, 30, has made two fleeting substitute appearances this month after 17 months out, having broken his leg just weeks after his £6million move from Newcastle. Now, nearly every credible source is saying the player needs an operation and is expected to be out for a further 2 months. The News of the World, on the other hand, think the setback will be far less painful. They quote a club insider as saying: "It’s not an uncommon reaction after a long time out. He’ll need 10 days’ rest." Despite the deep misgivings already expressed in this post about the standards of reporting in that particular publication, I reserve the right to believe them when it suits me. Besides, until it is confirmed one way or the other in the Mail, nothing is gospel.

Finally, as I finish writing this, the Daily Mail are claiming Hayden Mullins is set for a move to Portsmouth. The club's have reportedly agreed a £2million fee for the former Crystal Palace man, who will have a Fratton Park medical upon agreeing personal terms. The article states Mullins has been told he can leave Upton Park as part of the cost-cutting measures forced on Gianfranco Zola (or maybe just part of Zola's stated preference for a smaller squad), while Tony Adams sees Mullins as a replacement for Lassana Diarra. In which case, I suggest somebody check Tony hasn't been adding a little "extra something" to his Gatorade again.

Welcome To Monkey-Hanging Hell

West Ham United have told Tottenham Hotspur not to bother submitting a new bid to sign the striker Carlton Cole after they immediately rejected an £8m offer. Jason Burt, writing in this morning's Independent, says the bid was made earlier this month, after which Spurs concentrated their attention on trying to sign Craig Bellamy, who subsequently joined Manchester City for £14m this week.

United chief executive, Scott Duxbury, said earlier this week that he does not want to sell the club's best players to Spurs – and rejected four bids for Bellamy – and has informed them that they will be wasting their time if they make an improved offer for Cole. One of Spurs' failed bids for Bellamy included a straight swap for Darren Bent, but this was dismissed by West Ham. Burt believes that the striker may be offered again in return for Cole, who has been a long-term target at White Hart Lane. West Ham tried to sign Bent before he joined Spurs but they no longer have any interest in him, while the striker has also been offered, without success, to Sunderland. Spurs also tried to sell him to Aston Villa, who have subsequently agreed a £3.5m deal to acquire Emile Heskey from Wigan Athletic.

West Ham rejected two bids from Sunderland for Cole last summer, including an offer of £5m, and since then he has signed a new five-year contract, while his form has improved dramatically under the manager Gianfranco Zola, a former team-mate when both were players at Chelsea. Cole has scored five goals in his last five games, and nine in all this season, and is being monitored by the England manager Fabio Capello, who was at Upton Park last Sunday when the 25-year-old was man-of-the-match in the victory over Fulham. Capello is considering Cole as an understudy for Heskey and has been impressed by recent performances.

West Ham are understandably determined to hold on to Cole, not least because they have sold Bellamy and promised Zola that he will not lose any more key players. The manager has also been told that the funds from the Bellamy sale will be re-invested and West Ham have been in negotiations this week to seal a club record £10m signing – the fee includes add-ons – of the German Under-19 international Savio Nsereko from Brescia. One of his agents, Patrick Bastianelli, who represents Savio in Italy, told romanews.eu yesterday: "At the moment West Ham are in pole position. The situation could be unlocked next week. Roma were following him, but in the January market many teams – including Roma – are not entering into transactions."

According to the Sun, Gianfranco Zola will unveil Nsereko as Craig Bellamy’s replacement on Monday. He ran a personal check on the young star after director of football Gianluca Nani identified the German Under-19 star. Pat Sheehan writes that Nani worked with the player when he was in charge at Brescia and has gone back to grab one of Europe’s emerging talents.

Elsewhere, West Ham's Jordan Spence has rejoined Leyton Orient on loan until the end of the season. The 18-year-old spent six weeks at Brisbane Road this term but made one appearance under former boss Martin Ling. But with his side struggling in League One caretaker manager Kevin Nugent has brought the defender back.

Before that, Zola takes his side to Hartlepool for the FA Cup fourth round clash on Saturday. The Italian wants Hammers fans climbing up lamp-posts — just like his dad did when the former Chelsea star won the FA Cup. Zola is desperate to put the smile back on the faces of fans who had their hearts broken in the 2006 final. Zola remembers the sheer pleasure of helping Chelsea win the Cup in 1997 but insists nothing could have prepared him for what he saw as the open-top bus went through West London. He said: "We’ve nothing like it in Italy so, even after we beat Middlesbrough, I did not expect that. When we turned down the King’s Road, the joy on fans’ faces was fantastic. I was waving and then saw my father Ignazio. He was trying to get a better view and climbed a lamp-post! I’ll never forget him holding on tight and waving at me. Unbelievable."

Zola wants a team spirit at West Ham that reflects his time at Chelsea, where he won two FA Cups — the second after beating Aston Villa in the final in 2000. He added: "We tried to create the environment to work — if you can do that, you are a step ahead in what you want to achieve."

West Ham have no major fresh injury worries ahead of today's FA Cup fourth-round match against Coca-Cola League One side Hartlepool. Striker David Di Michele is pressing for another start after he replaced Craig Bellamy and scored last week. Midfielder Kieron Dyer has been nursing a slight muscle strain, but could again feature among the substitutes as his recovery from a broken leg continues. Striker Dean Ashton (ankle) and defender Danny Gabbidon (groin) are long-term absentees.

Team (from): Green, Neill, Collins, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker, Noble, Collison, Cole, Di Michele, Stech, Boa Morte, Tristan, Sears, Faubert, Mullins, Dyer

Hartlepool United caretaker manager Chris Turner will urge his players and the club's supporters to "give them hell" when West Ham United head to Victoria Park on today. The former Manchester United goalkeeper wants his League One side to make life as uncomfortable as possible for Gianfranco Zola's Premier League team when they visit the North East for their FA Cup fourth-round tie. And his hopes of an upset have been bolstered by the way his team dumped Stoke out of the competition in the previous round as well as eliminating West Bromwich Albion from the Carling Cup last August.

"They will have seen enough to know that they will be in for a rough ride even though they have fantastic players," Turner said. "It will be a pleasure to have them here at Victoria Park but for the 90 minutes we want to give them hell. West Ham will have taken notice of the fact we beat West Brom who are a very good football side and we beat Stoke who are a strong, powerful unit. We have the opportunity to be mega giant-killers this year in the greatest knockout competition in the world and we've got every chance of securing a little niche in football folklore."

The FA Cup's rich tradition for serving up shock results has convinced Turner, the club's director of sport, that the League One side can overcome the odds. The former Sheffield Wednesday manager added: "I'm not daft and I realise that because they have a fantastic array of talent but you know that if they come here in the right frame of mind which I'm sure they will do and they play to their strengths they will make life very difficult for us. But it's a great opportunity for the players to go head to head with some of the best footballers in the business and it will be fascinating for the fans to watch. I know it's a cliché but in football anything is possible. It's 11 versus 11 and it's what happens on the day. Obviously we need a little bit of luck or West Ham to be off-key. I will say to our players we can win this game. There have been FA Cup upsets throughout the course of the competition's history. That's because when it's your day, it's your day. I know my team will give 100 per cent effort and commitment and if that's enough to beat them on the day then so be it."

Zola Skills In A Wales Shirt

Here's a nice piece about Jack Collison that merits a post. It's not often the Mail features a positive West Ham United article so I've placed it here for posterity.

West Ham star Jack Collison puts Zola skills in a Wales shirt
By Matt Barlow

When Jack Collison chose to play for Wales ahead of England it was all a matter of his family's sporting heritage. Collison may have been born in Watford, raised in southern England and barely visited the Principality before he became an international, but the West Ham starlet is related to a Welsh rugby legend.

John Gwilliam was captain of the teams who won the Grand Slam in 1950 and 1952 and Collison's mother Amanda descends from another branch of the Gwilliam family tree.

"You could say it runs in the family a bit," said the 20-year-old midfielder, who is keen to learn more about Gwilliam. The former No 8 is now 85 and lives in north Wales. "There's a book about him called The Gwilliam Seasons. I've read bits. I've never met him but my Mum's told me about him. She's Welsh so I wanted to play for Wales."

Amanda's father was also a keen rugby player but the game never tempted Collison.

"A bit rough for me," he grins. A series of composed displays for West Ham prove he has found the right sport for his talents.

Hammers manager Gianfranco Zola was thinking of sending Collison out on loan until he threw him on to replace Matthew Etherington against Manchester United in October. Three months later, Etherington has been sold to Stoke and Collison is a fixture in the team.

The Welsh dragon was already part of his life. Under 21 boss Brian Flynn had been tipped off about Collison's ancestry and made the trip to West Ham's Essex training base to pop the question, 18 months ago.

Collison went straight into Flynn's squad and was soon playing in a team who almost stunned England in the European Championship qualification play-off.

"As soon as Flynny came, my mind was made up," Collison said. "My Mum was very proud. She's been a massive part of my career. My Mum and Dad split when I was quite young and she was on her own at times bringing up me and my brother and sister. It must have been hard for her but I think we've all turned out all right."

Collison joined West Ham as a 16-year-old from Cambridge, who were forced to close their Centre of Excellence due to financial problems. The same thing had happened at the age of 12. He was at Peterborough but they closed down the youth system to save money.

A cheap joke about West Ham's own financial problems gets a laugh from Collison, but he has every right to be excited about the future, starting with Saturday's FA Cup tie at Hartlepool, live on TV. At least his days at Cambridge and Peterborough mean the culture shock of Victoria Park will not be too great.

It was Collison's Dad, Ian, who introduced him to football and the magic of Zola, as well as the defensive qualities of West Ham's assistant manager, Steve Clarke.

"My Dad was a Chelsea fan but he's made the switch now," said Collison. "I've given him a West Ham shirt. He gets stick off his mates. He's a roofer and I'd probably be working with him if I wasn't a footballer. We'd watch Chelsea back when it was John Spencer and Gavin Peacock. A bit later, Zola was there. I even saw Clarkey playing a few times. I remember Zola's goal against Norwich (in 2002) when the corner came in and he flicked it in. I watched it over and over again. I was blown away by it. It's one of those goals that will never get old."

The Zola repertoire is occasionally on show in training and Collison has been refining his skills with the help of his manager's personal tuition.

"He's been brilliant with me," said Collison. "He's spent a lot of time working after training on my technique. I'm hoping he's going to teach me a few free-kicks soon. Mostly he's given me confidence to play."

On another trip to Stamford Bridge, to support his friend Junior Stanislas, on loan at Southend from Upton Park, Collison found himself studying the movement of Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack for tips.

He analyses his own game closely and was disappointed with his debut, when he came on as a substitute at Arsenal last January.

"I felt I didn't give a good account of myself," he said. "But I feel a lot more settled now, like I'm improving with every game."

Steven Gerrard is another player he admires, although Collison's slender six-foot frame and poise on the ball will remind West Ham supporters of Michael Carrick, another West Ham Academy graduate.

Collison made his full Wales debut in a friendly against Iceland last May. He now has three caps and his rapid progress begs questions about how he escaped the attentions of the England youth set-up.

Never mind the next Gerrard, Lampard or Carrick, Collison could be destined to become the next Ryan Giggs, the man who inspired a generation of England fans to wonder what would have happened had he not chosen Wales.

NEXT ON THE WEST HAM PRODUCTION LINE

JAMES TOMKINS- England Under 19 defender who made six West Ham appearances last season, the highlight being a start at Old Trafford. Spent a month on loan at Derby and is back covering for Matt Upson and James Collins.

FREDDIE SEARS- Joined West Ham as an 11-year-old having supported the club growing up. The England Under 19 striker (right) made an instant impact, scoring on his debut against Blackburn last season. Twelve more appearances this campaign.

JUNIOR STANISLAS- Creative midfielder (left) with impressive set-piece skills. Recently recalled from a three-goal loan spell at Southend, where he played on the wing in nine matches, including two FA Cup clashes with Chelsea.

JORDAN SPENCE- Yet to make his West Ham debut, but this promising central defender (right) captained England Under 17s to the quarter-finals of the youth World Cup in 2007, where he scored the winner against Brazil. One appearance on loan to Leyton Orient.


And an equally good one, this time from that bastion of simpatico pro-Hammers sentiment... the Daily Express.

Jack Is Pushing Right Buttons For Hammers
By Gideon Brooks

You could argue until you were claret and blue in the face about which tradition has its roots entwined deeper in the fabric of West Ham – bringing young talent through the ranks and into the first team, or selling it.

But long-suffering Hammers fans who have seen a title-winning side nurtured and exported down the years might be forgiven for exchanging nervous glances once again as the latest shoots of recovery begin to poke through the Upton Park turf.

Jack Collison is at the forefront of that new crop of talent beginning to blossom under manager Gianfranco Zola. But before the pessimists clear their throats, the midfielder who recently signed a five-year deal is adamant he could not be in a better place.

Collison has every right to a little swagger in his step at the moment. After being picked from Peterborough and Cambridge United youth football to sign trainee forms in 2005, he has progressed smoothly through the levels via reserves captain to first-team regular with barely a hitch.

As if he needed further emphasis that he is living a life most 20-year-olds might not even dare to dream, before this interview he was being paid to play a game of FIFA 09 against Hartlepool’s Gary Liddle ahead of their FA Cup meeting tomorrow.

He lost as it happens (Scott Parker missing his penalty in a shoot-out) but, as Collison pointed out without a hint of irony, lucky it was not real. “In reality, we have a good chance to go through on Saturday,” he said confidently.

Collison had options to join two other clubs aged 15, but insisted there was no question of going anywhere else once the Hammers moved for him.

He made his debut for Alan Curbishley on New Year’s Day last year. But while he credits both academy coach Tony Carr and former team-mate and fellow Wales international Craig Bellamy as “big influences”, it is the Italian manager who everyone calls simply ‘Mister’ that he insists has taken his game up a level.

Zola has given Collison one-on-one technical coaching since his arrival at the club in September. “Not bad is it? Classes from one of the most technically gifted players ever to play in this league,” he said with a smile.

“His enthusiasm for the game is superb and he can still can do it in training. In fact, he is one of the best players we’ve got. I’m not joking, he could pull a shirt on and play for us now and do himself justice.

“Some of the stuff he does makes us look silly. A few of the boys have tried to tackle him or had a go, but he just sidesteps past them.”

Such a positive assessment will do no harm to his chances of selection for today’s fourth-round tie against Hartlepool.

As if to emphasise that they always thought him a prospect, Collison was taken along by Alan Pardew “for experience” when West Ham played in the final in 2006.

He said: “I was 17 and got to have a kickabout in front of all the fans beforehand – it was such a great buzz and experience. But we have an opportunity on Saturday to stick ourselves in the next round and get one step closer to another final.”

Collison, uncluttered by the financial considerations that have lengthened faces in the boardroom, sees nothing but brightness in the future and predicts that more will follow him through the ranks from youth to first team. “Junior Stanislas will be the next one,” he said.

But it is an exciting thought that while Collison bids to emulate his hero Michael Carrick – albeit in his football progression and not that which took him through the exit door – there are already those in the academy set-up talking of emulating him.


Finally, if all that's not enough to satiate your frowzy Collison cravings then you could always watch the youngster talk about how he was in the stands at the 2006 FA Cup final - and how he hopes to help his side go one better this year.

Nsereko Nears Completion?

West Ham are closing in on a deal for Brescia’s Savio Nsereko, according to several media reports this morning. The Telegraph states Gianfranco Zola is set to break the club's transfer record to bring the German Under-19 international striker to Upton Park, despite competition from a host of European clubs, including Milan, Bayern Munich and Napoli. Writing in the Independent, Jason Burt claims United are close to agreeing a fee that could total £10million after club executives spent the past two days in Italy holding talks. Technical director Gianluca Nani has been over this week to orchestrate the deal with the president of Serie B side Brescia, Luigi Corioni, who is Nani’s father-in-law.

Nani, who was involved in the development of Luca Toni and Andrea Pirlo at Brescia, was brought in to West Ham while Alan Curbishley was in charge. This deal represents another major visible contribution to the club’s transfer policy, following the successful arrivals of Valon Behrami and Herita Ilunga. Crucially, Nani knows Nsereko well after being responsible for taking him to Italy from Hertha Berlin in 2005 when he was just 16.

The Mirror thinks the Ugandan born striker has already been negotiating terms with the club and could officially become a West Ham player within a matter of days. Reports in Italy also suggest the move is close, speculation fuelled by the fact that the player missed training with his team-mates yesterday. Although United hope to make an announcement soon over the 19-year-old German, any deal would come too late for Nsereko to be included in West Ham’s squad to face Hartlepool in the weekend’s FA Cup fixture. Burt believes the club hope to give some confirmation of the transfer after that game.

The forward, who can play as a conventional striker or a wide player, was voted player of the tournament at the European Under-19 Championship last summer and is widely expected to claim a first full cap for Germany in February. The £10 million transfer fee would eclipse West Ham’s previous biggest outlay, the £7.5 million they spent singing Bellamy from Liverpool in 2007. The Hammers hope that if they sign 'Savio' it will demonstrate the commitment given to Zola that, beyond a number of fringe players, the proceeds of any sales would be reinvested. Although there is interest from other clubs, most notably Napoli who are known to have close transfer links with Brescia, West Ham are hopeful that the size of their bid will prove successful. One of the player's agents, Dieter Heimen, confirmed that the club were in the race to sign Savio, who can play in a variety of attacking roles and is on a list of potential signings drawn up by Zola, Nani and chief executive Scott Duxbury.

Elsewhere, Gianfranco Zola contended he had no choice but to let striker Craig Bellamy seek his 'fortune' at Manchester City. Bellamy signed for cash-rich City earlier this week in a deal worth £14million after refusing to play for West Ham in a Premier League match with Fulham. Zola said: "We respect the fact that Craig had to go somewhere else to find his fortune but we want to get on with our lives here and to be successful." Denying reported claims by the Wales international striker that he wanted to stay at Upton Park, Zola insisted: "I don’t think he wanted to stay. We are not going to send players away who want to stay."

Zola, who once turned down a lucrative offer from Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to return to Stamford Bridge after going back to his native Sardinia, also praised Brazilian star Kaka for staying at Italian giants AC Milan rather than moving to City in a £100m deal. Zola added: "Kaka proved that values are more important than money and I would also like to think that is the case."

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail's latest brain-fart has West Ham rejecting an £8million bid from Tottenham for Carlton Cole. The article suggests Harry Redknapp is set to improve his offer after failing to land Craig Bellamy, and could use £17million forward Darren Bent in part-exchange. Spurs were rumoured to have failed in an attempt to sign Cole last summer after they sold Dimitar Berbatov to Manchester United.

The former Chelsea striker has scored nine goals this season and has even caught the attention of England boss Fabio Capello. Redknapp seems desperate to sign new strikers but the paper insists Zola is refusing to do business with Spurs at present, and wants to keep Cole after already losing Bellamy. West Ham are also in a good bargaining position as Cole's contract does not run out until 2013.

The same paper claims West Ham have made an approach for Cardiff winger Joe Ledley but have been stunned by an £8million asking price. This despite the fact that United publicly distanced themselves from the player earlier in the week. The Mail 'understands' there has been contact between the clubs but that Cardiff have made it clear it will take a bigger offer to prise Ledley away. Ledley only turned 22 on Wednesday but has already attracted strong interest from several Barclays Premier League clubs after finishing as Cardiff's joint-top scorer with 11 goals last season and bagging an FA Cup semi-final winner against Barnsley along the way.

Stoke had a £6million bid rejected at the start of the season, while Everton are believed to have enquired about him twice and Arsenal, Tottenham and Championship leaders Wolves have all tracked his progress. With Cardiff holding out for their valuation, after seeing prices soar since Manchester City began flexing their financial muscle, the ball is back in West Ham's court. The article states United are reluctant to go above £5million but may try and meet the Championship side halfway with a renewed offer of between £6million and £7million.

Finally, there are some speculative reports that West Ham United are close to completing a deal for Sligo Rovers 'star' Seamus Coleman. The 20-year-old right back has attracted attention from Coca-Cola Championship duo Ipswich Town and Birmingham City over the past two months but United are said to lead the chase for the Republic of Ireland under-21 international. A native of Donegal, Coleman has blossomed since joining Sligo from Donegal side St Catherine’s two years ago and is rightly regarded as one of the most promising young players in the League of Ireland. Of course, he would have to be if he were ever to make it in the Premier League.

Truth Undistorted

German philosopher Hans Margolius once wrote that only in quiet waters do things mirror themselves undistorted. So it is that on a sedate news day during the transfer window, one's mind sets to wonder if today's stories linking the club with a bargain buy from the Championship, and an unheralded young defender from Greek abstrusity, might actually more accurately reflect the club's intentions and ambitions for the immediate future. Is it too much of a stretch to believe that for all the talk of lavish indulgence on exotic transfer fruit... Osvaldo, Nsereko, Saviola, Cavenaghi, Balotelli, Pazzini, Cavani, Acquafresca et al... the tastes of the club come the end of the month might turn out to have been nauseatingly prosaic.

So, Fulham and West Ham want to hijack Middlesbrough's move for Ben Watson, according to this mornong's Mail. The versatile Crystal Palace midfielder had been due to seal a switch to Teesside on Thursday after Boro's £2million offer was accepted by the Championship club, but both London sides have now reportedly matched that bid. Watson, 23, had gone to the north-east for a medical and talks over personal terms last night, but is believed to have a preference for staying in the capital. Wise boy.

Palace boss Neil Warnock, however, has moved quickly to scupper the speculation. "Middlesbrough have got the opportunity to speak to him first and I’m not sure if he’s going to speak to anybody else," he revealed. "Once we agreed a fee other clubs quite rightly can match the fee and talk to him. We’ve had a couple of Premier League clubs, but it’s not West Ham or Fulham. I’m pleased for Ben, the club and Simon Jordan because we had such a derogatory offer from QPR. We’ve got a realistic valuation now - £2million is realistic for someone of Ben’s quality."

Meanwhile, today's Mirror claims West Ham have taken a shine to defender Bryce Moon at Panathinaikos. The South African, 22 and rated at £500,000, has caught the eye of technical director Gianluca Nani - and the fullback last night admitted the two clubs have made contact. Moon said: "I know about the interest of West Ham but I have nothing official yet in my hands. My agent is working on it." Also linked is Bochum's centre-half Antar Yahia, as Gianfranco Zola looks to strengthen his resources in defence.

Finally, the Daily Star believe Birmingham boss Alex McLeish remains hopeful of signing West Ham defender Calum Davenport on loan with a view to a permanent £3m switch at the end of the season. Also, Wolves are apparently set to take Nigel Quashie on loan until the end of the season. The player is at the Compton training ground today with a view to completing a deal that will see him become the second loan arrival from Upton Park in the space of a week.

The Glow Of Optimism

Fabio Capello is considering including Carlton Cole in his England squad for the friendly international against Spain in Seville next month. The West Ham United striker would be a surprise call-up because he has not come close to featuring in the senior squad under the past three managers and appeared to have stagnated since making the last of his 19 appearances for the under-21 side four years ago. Of course, Capello is no stranger to unconventional decisions when naming his squads but Cole’s inclusion, should he be drafted in for the Feb 11 game when the squad is announced four days prior, would still be a major surprise.

A key tenet of Capello’s managerial philosophy is to focus on the players who are fit and in form, however, with Cole certainly falling into that category. The 25-year-old has scored five goals in as many matches to help to take West Ham up to eighth in the Barclays Premier League. The player has improved dramatically since Gianfranco Zola took over as West Ham manager in September, with the Sardinian tipping his former Chelsea team-mate for international honours after handing him a new four-year contract in November.

Capello is known to have reservations about Cole’s technical skills at the highest level, with particular doubts over the quality of his finishing, but has been impressed by his ability to hold the ball up and bring others into play. The Italian names his squad on February 7 and could give Cole the opportunity to win his first cap four days later. In an ideal world Capello would name two physically imposing strikers, such as Emile Heskey, and two nippier ones — in the style of Jermain Defoe — in his 23-man squad, but he is still looking for back-up to the Wigan Athletic forward. Peter Crouch replaced the injured Heskey in England’s most recent match, against Germany in Berlin last November, but appeared only as a last-minute substitute and he has yet to fully convince Capello of his merits, despite scoring regularly for Portsmouth this season.

Meanwhile, Cole insists that West Ham will not miss Craig Bellamy after the Wales striker completed his big money move to Manchester City. Bellamy has spent much of his two seasons at Upton Park injured and Cole believes they can shine without him. "We proved it," said Cole. "Last season Craig was injured and we did well without him. I don't see why we can't do it again." The former Chelsea star insisted the controversy surrounding Bellamy has not disturbed the spirit among Gianfranco Zola's squad. He said: "We're professionals. We get on with the job. We've had worse thrown at us. Craig is a professional player and he's got his own beliefs. We're professional, too, and we just carry on."

It is hats off to Craig Bellamy, writes Barry Glendenning in today's Guardian, for finally finding a club whose estimation of his worth goes a long way towards matching his own.

On a day when it seems the whole world is basking in an impenetrable Ready Brek glow of optimism, it seems strangely fitting that one noticeably black cloud remains docked in its usual berth over the City of Manchester Stadium. Kaka is staying at Milan, Robinho has seemingly thrown his rattle out of the pram and, as feverishly excited Americans revel in the inauguration of Barack Obama, decidedly underwhelmed Manchester City fans can only look forward to the prospect of Craig Bellamy being sworn in.

If the intention behind City's audacious £91m bid to seduce Milan's star Brazilian was to generate a smokescreen dense enough to distract fans from the wanton folly of paying £14m for a player who, until yesterday, was vying with Danny Gabbidon for the title of West Ham's star Welshman, then the club's wholly predictable failure to sign Kaka can be judged to have been a resounding success. But as City's suits don't seem blessed with the wit or imagination to hatch a scheme that clever, it must be blind luck that has allowed them to shell out so much for so little without attracting the scorn they almost certainly deserve.

Bellamy has lined up for seven different clubs throughout his career and left at least three of them under a cloud. His dream move to Liverpool ended largely in ignominy, with one of few notable high points being a Tyldesley-esque "famous night in Barcelona", where a celebratory golf swing commemorated an even more memorable evening's entertainment in Vale do Lobo.

Bellamy's career history has been punctuated with such incidents says Glendenning, and despite his ongoing protestations to the contrary, there seems little doubt that he is a disruptive influence whose well documented bust-ups, tantrums and moronic dismissals have always overshadowed a less than blistering career average of less than one goal every three games. With no shortage of malcontents already sowing seeds of dissatisfaction around Eastlands, it's difficult to know how the presence of another live grenade in the dressing room will calm things down.

His temperament aside, Bellamy is 29 years old, several months older than Michael Owen and even more reliant than the Englishman on searing pace to score goals. Like Owen, senior citizenship and a career dogged by persistent injuries are unlikely to make Bellamy any quicker, which makes the £14m or so paid by City to West Ham for his services seem all the more surreal. Considering they'd be lucky to recoup even half that fee if they sold the Welshman on tomorrow morning, we can only conclude that Manchester City's owner Sheikh Mansour doesn't care about paying distorted prices for any players, even those with great futures already behind them.

As the number of agents hawking tat around Eastlands for absurdly high prices increases, the ramifications for more financially prudent Premier League clubs will soon become clear. In the meantime, hats off to Craig Bellamy, who finally seems to have found a club whose estimation of his worth goes a long way towards matching his own.

As United begin the search for player reinforcements, an agent of Brescia winger Savio Nsereko claims West Ham have made enquiries about his client. The 19-year-old is believed to be interesting several clubs in Italy, particularly Napoli, and Nsereko's representative Dieter Heimen insists United have also thrown their hat into the ring. "There are a few clubs currently knocking on the door and asking about his situation and West Ham is one of them," he told Sport Bild magazine. "We have not started negotiations yet. The former general manager of Brescia (Gianluca Nani) now works at West Ham and therefore he knows him."

The Sun believes technical director Gianluca Nani flew to Italy yesterday as the Hammers see the German teen as a replacement for Craig Bellamy after his £14m switch to Manchester City. Nani hopes his friendship with Savio, 19, will swing the balance despite competition from Italian giants Juventus and Roma. It was Nani who introduced the player to European football at former club Brescia five years ago.

However, Heimen cannot see the talented teenager leaving Brescia this month. The Serie B club offers the player the best surroundings to further mature and improve, according to Heimen. "Savio should just keep playing and carry on this run he is on, increasing his self-confidence and then we will see where we are in the summer," he continued. "He is concentrating on Brescia at the moment, but you cannot rule anything out in football."

Two weeks ago another of Savio's agents, Patrick Bastianelli, first revealed the Hammers interest in the player; declaring at the time that the striker was being eyed by a host of clubs around the continent. He said: "We cannot forget that he was named the best player of the U19 European Championships, which Germany won by defeating Italy in the final. He would clearly love to join Napoli, but I cannot deny that Genoa and Roma are also in the race. Furthermore, West Ham sporting directo Gianluca Nani knows full well Savio’s qualities, since he worked with Brescia, and we talked about the lad a week ago, as (Gianfranco) Zola would like to bring him to London."

Nsereko was born in Uganda, but his family emigrated to Germany as a youngster. He started his professional football career with 1860 Munich before joining Brescia in 2005. He starred for the Germany Under-19 squad when they won the European Championships in the Czech Republic last summer and was voted the tournament's best player, despite missing the final due to suspension. After a slow start to the current Serie B season, the young attacking midfielder has now claimed a regular berth in the Brescia team and helped them rise to third in the table.



Finally, midfielder Julien Faubert is desperate to clinch a move to Lyon because he believes it would enhance his prospects of a return to the France squad. The 25-year-old has revealed the Hammers are in talks with the French champions about his possible move to the Stade Gerland and Faubert would relish a return to French football, with his chief target being a spot in the Les Bleus squad for the World Cup in South Africa next year.

"I am crossing my fingers - the two clubs are in talks," the one-time France cap told Aujourd'hui Sport. "Lyon would really be great. I would rediscover Ligue 1 and France but also the Champions League and the eyes of the national-team coach. Because my aim still remains the 2010 World Cup. I really hope this is going to sort itself out."

If Lyon were to conclude a deal for Faubert, they would primarily be buying the former Bordeaux player so he could plug the gap at right-back left by injuries to Francois Clerc and Anthony Reveillere. He could also be used on the right of midfield, with Sidney Govou out for the rest of the season through injury. It is thought Lyon's preference would be a six-month loan deal for Faubert.

Nice Guys Can Be Winners

With everything else going on I forgot to add this nice little article on Gianfranco Zola that was buried away in the Sunday Times...

Gianfranco Zola proves nice guys can be winners- Hammers boss is last of Italy’s golden generation in top-level management
Ian Hawkey

If points were awarded for a manager’s courtesy, his knack for being widely liked, then West Ham United and Fulham might be higher in the Premier League than mid-table. Gianfranco Zola could lose count of the number of polls he wins as the best ambassador for expatriate footballers in England over the past decade. Roy Hodgson has not had a long career as an Englishman abroad by rubbing people up the wrong way.

The conditions in which Zola and Hodgson assumed their posts have something in common, too, though the rescue of Fulham that the Englishman was asked to oversee just over a year ago was already a cliffhanger. Zola has been given the larger part of a season to pull West Ham clear of trouble and make sense of how that club operates at boardroom level. Under Hodgson, Fulham have become formidably hard to score against — no team in the Premier League is meaner away from home.

After a trying start in which Zola’s first seven matches produced a single win — against Fulham at Craven Cottage — with the idea growing that here was a novice manager too nice for the role, West Ham have gradually gone the same way. On their visits to Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea under Zola, West Ham have conceded three goals. Under his predecessor Alan Curbishley, they shipped nine on those three expeditions.

Tidiness at the back is what you might expect from men with extensive experience in Italian football. Hodgson and Zola both worked in Serie A when it was the most sophisticated league in the world, during the 1990s.

When Hodgson received the first of his three invitations to coach Internazionale, Zola was curling in free kicks for Parma. He left for Chelsea because he fell out with coach Carlo Ancelotti, and the story of that spat is one he tells when asked if he is too amenable for the confrontations that come with his current job.

"I can be very stubborn," he told me once. "My stubbornness first made me come to England. At Parma I had played my best football ever, but then something broke down. There were discussions about my position. So I preferred a change of scene. I didn’t think it was right for me to alter my position, so I left. Because of my stubbornness, I made the best decision of my life."

Growing up as a player in Serie A’s golden age had given Zola an outlook that would lead him into management. It was the world’s best league and was worldly in a way the Premier League has become. "When I first started playing properly, it was 1986," remembers Zola. "There was a lot of money in Italian football, with wonderful players: Diego Maradona, Michel Platini. I had in front of me fantastic players, not just on television, but close to me. Without them, I wouldn’t have done what I have done. If you only have one influence, you can only do the one thing. If you have several, your brain opens up. It’s about knowledge."

Many of his Italian contemporaries would say the same. Zola’s generation of Serie A superstars retired from playing with a professional standing that equipped them nicely for the best jobs in coaching. Club presidents and federation chairmen took them on as managers in large numbers. The past three Serie A titles were won by Inter under Roberto Mancini, Zola’s contemporary, formerly his competitor for a place as second striker for Italy. Barcelona won two of the past four Spanish leagues and the 2006 Champions League coached by Frank Rijkaard, a Dutchman whose distinguished playing career found its peak with the Milan team of the early 1990s. Didier Deschamps, the French midfield general when Juventus took up the baton from Milan as Serie A’s dominant force in European football, appeared to take brilliantly to management when he guided Monaco to a Champions League final. Italy themselves looked immediately to the Zola generation when they appointed the former Milan winger Roberto Donadoni in charge of the national team, putting Zola himself among the support staff as assistant coach to the under-21s.

Italians now are surprised to see that, out of this school of young managers, Zola is just about the only one presently in work at a top-division club in a leading European league. Mancini, whose friends like to promote him as a future head coach of Chelsea, has not had a job since being replaced by Jose Mourinho at Inter. Rijkaard took a year out after leaving Barcelona last summer. Deschamps has been waiting for the right offer for 18 months.

Donadoni’s post with the Azzurri ended after Euro 2008. All will return to coaching, and at least one will probably join Zola as a coach in the Premier League, which now likes to call itself the most glamorous in the world.

SERIE A STARS WHO STRUGGLED TO SURVIVE IN THE DUG-OUT

In the 1990s, Serie A was the best and most glamorous league, with some of the canniest footballers. Many were expected to feature in the top tier of the next generation of head coaches. Several did, although Gianfranco Zola, inset, is one of the few now in a job

FRANK RIJKAARD Dutch star of Milan’s 1990s team. Coached Holland and then Barcelona from 2003-08, winning two leagues and Champions League. Currently ready for job by summer

ROBERTO MANCINI A star with Sampdoria, European Cup finalists in 1992. Coached Fiorentina, Lazio and Inter, whom he took to three consecutive titles in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Currently sniffing around Chelsea

DIDIER DESCHAMPS Heartbeat of Juventus team when they reached three European Cup finals. As coach took Monaco to the final of 2004 Champions League. Left Juventus after a year there in 2007. Currently awaiting an offer

ROBERTO DONADONI Winger with Milan and Italy. Coached Livorno in Serie A before taking over the national team, the world champions. Quit after Euro 2008. Currently awaiting an offer

PAUL INCE Moved from Manchester United to Inter in the mid-1990s for two seasons. Rose through managerial rungs with Macclesfield and MK Dons. Sacked by Blackburn Rovers after four months. Currently awaiting an offer

RUUD GULLIT Star of Milan team. Joined Chelsea near end of his career and became player-manager. Managed Newcastle United, Feyenoord and most recently, briefly, LA Galaxy. Currently awaiting an offer.

Cope And Prosper

Craig Bellamy has been given permission to talk to Manchester City after the club agreed a fee with West Ham United for his transfer last night. There are conflicting media reports regarding the actual sum involved, with the figure variously reported to be between £10 million and a possible £15million. The Times understands the offer to be £12million upfront plus a further £2million in additional payments, while the Mail insist City have agreed to pay an initial £10million for the 29-year-old striker, with an additional £2million to follow related to performance. Whatever the truth, Bellamy is scheduled to undergo a medical at the City of Manchester Stadium, with City expected to confirm the deal later today.

Bellamy would be the second arrival at the City of Manchester Stadium this month after they signed Wayne Bridge, the left back, from Chelsea, also for £12 million. The Mail states Bellamy’s advisers were sorting out personal terms last night, with the Wales international thought to be keen on linking up again with his former national team boss Mark Hughes. The dramatic movement in City's transfer activity will come as a relief to manager Mark Hughes who has, because of West Ham's unwillingness to sell to their local rivals Tottenham Hotspur, finally succeeded in landing Bellamy.

The player walked out of West Ham on Friday after demanding that he be allowed to leave the club for Spurs who had bid £12m for him. In all, West Ham rejected six bids from Spurs and City for Bellamy as they held out to get as close as possible to their £15m valuation for the Welsh international. Last night Spurs manager Harry Redknapp conceded defeat, even though he felt he had persuaded Bellamy to move to White Hart Lane. However, in a series of discussions West Ham's chief executive Scott Duxbury reiterated the club's stance that they would not sell to Spurs and especially under the circumstances which led to Bellamy being left out of the squad for yesterday's home victory over Fulham.

The Times reports that Bellamy acknowledged that West Ham have been willing to sell him in an attempt to reduce their bank overdraft. He accepted that and believed that he had a verbal agreement with West Ham to talk to any club bidding more than £10 million. He was, therefore, angered when he was not given permission to talk to Tottenham last week when they offered an initial £10 million, rising by £2 million on appearances. West Ham turned down the offer, in part, because they did not want to sell to their London rivals, but also they want an initial £12 million transfer fee. West Ham have preferred that Bellamy joins City and the player, who often returns to his family home in Cardiff, is understood to be happy to move to City.

"Once Manchester City are in for a player, the rest of us have no chance," Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham manager, said. "They outbid and out-pay. It is difficult to get him now." Meanwhile, Redknapp wishes to locate the mole who keeps leaking his transfer business to the national media. This is puzzling, muses Martin Samuel in today's Mail, as the person who could be seen on Sky Sports News talking up the talents of Bellamy when the transfer window opened did not look much like a burrowing mammal of the family Talpidae. He did, however, look very much like Harry Redknapp.

As Craig Bellamy headed north for talks aimed at joining the sky blue revolution at Eastlands, the team he leaves behind believe they can cope and prosper and will invest the income. Gianfranco Zola wants the situation sorted out in the next 48 hours so he can get to work on finding a replacement. The Italian confirmed he has been assured by the board that he will be given the money from Bellamy’s sale. "Yes, I will get the money," he said. "We are looking for a replacement and we will find something. It is important to deal with the situation as soon as possible. I haven’t set a deadline, but it needs to be soon because I need to get on with my squad. I need to work out how we can sort things out, so it needs to be quick. My job is to make it work on the pitch and that is what I am trying to do. The club will deal with all the other matters. They know what I think about the situation and that is enough."

The Telegraph states Zola has been promised the profits from the sale to bolster his squad and one target is expected to be Cardiff captain Joe Ledley, who could be lured to Upton Park for around £5million. West Ham have a tradition of signing Welsh players; presently in the squad are Welshmen Danny Gabbidon (allegedly), Bellamy, James Collins and Jack Collison. Stoke failed in a bid to sign Ledley in August, and they could attempt to hijack West Ham's move. With his contract expiring in 18 months and with a new stadium to finance, Cardiff could accept a reasonable bid before the curtain comes down on the transfer window on Feb 2. Ledley is 22 on Friday but has already reached the milestone of 200 games for Cardiff, achieved at the weekend, when it is understood he was watched by West Ham representatives.

The Guardian agree that Gianfranco Zola has been assured that he will be allowed to reinvest the proceeds from Bellamy’s sale. They think the club are considering Pablo Daniel Osvaldo as a replacement after the former Italy Under-21 striker was told that he can leave Fiorentina if they receive a £7 million transfer fee. Bologna are also interested in Osvaldo, but want to offer Massimo Marazzina, the striker, as part of the deal.

West Ham United 3 Fulham 1

Craig Bellamy’s Absence Put On West Ham's Back Burner by Nick Szczepanik

"Who needs Craig Bellamy?" was the question sung with gusto by the Upton Park crowd as West Ham United hit three goals against a defence that, until yesterday, had been one of the most miserly on its travels in the Barclays Premier League... Times

West Ham Beat Fulham Without Want-Away Craig Bellamy by John Ley

"Who needs Craig Bellamy?" sang a united Upton Park and, on this evidence, the question is a fair one. After all, Bellamy managed just seven Premier League goals in 18 months as a West Ham player and, in his absence, Gianfranco Zola’s rejuvenated Irons made a mockery of Fulham’s nine-game unbeaten run with a disciplined and intelligent display... Telegraph

Cole Fire Roars Hammers On by Matt Barlow

Never mind East End hospitality, the next time Craig Bellamy appears at Upton Park he will be showered with the sort of vitriol normally reserved for Paul Ince, Frank Lampard and Jermain Defoe. Bellamy was nowhere to be seen as West Ham fans celebrated this comfortable win over Fulham with a collection of abusive ditties about the striker who demanded a transfer on Friday and then refused to play for the club who pay him £3.5million a year... Mail

Di Michele And Cole Flourish In Bellamy's Place by Andrew Warshaw

Who needs Craig Bellamy? Not West Ham judging by the way they romped to victory yesterday, climbing into eighth place and maintaining not only their impressive run of late but also the Indian sign over Fulham, who haven't got the better of them in league meetings for more than seven years... Independent

Hammers Receive Timely Boost by Paul Doyle

"Who needs Craig Bellamy?" crooned the West Ham United crowd throughout this comfortable win. Amid the controversy of the Welshman's refusal to attend training as he lobbies for a move to another club, and the ongoing rumbles of financial crisis at Upton Park, Gianfranco Zola's team extended their unbeaten run to five matches and crept up to eighth place in the league. For the Italian, it was the perfect end to what he afterwards described as the most difficult week since his appointment as manager... Guardian

Case For The Accused

It is an interesting Sunday tabloid round-up, even by this club's exceedingly high standards. Aside from the latest Craig Bellamy speculation (more of which later), the News of the World kicked off the morning with a spectacular double page 'exclusive' purporting to reveal the documents the Hammers will use to plead their case in the forthcoming Tevezgate inquiry. While I am far from convinced that Rob Beasley's article addresses all the issues surrounding the affair, it nevertheless provides some intriguing details...

The News of the World today publishes the documents West Ham insist will prevent them being hit with a points deduction and another massive fine in the long-running Carlos Tevez scandal.

The Hammers face a fresh investigation into allegations they broke strict rules on ‘third party’ agreements after the Premier League and the FA launched a new joint inquiry into the Argentine’s registration earlier this month.

So today, we publish the full, incredible story of how former Hammers boss Alan Curbishley personally handed Tevez a terse legal letter West Ham claim terminated his controversial third party agreement with the club. And how a tense 24 hours of sensitive phone calls, letters, faxes and emails resulted in the Premier League clearing Tevez to play in the Hammers’ final three games of the season which secured their top flight survival.

The Londoners are stunned at the new inquiry after they were fined a record £5.5million in April 2007 for playing Tevez when he was not owned by the club. However, the new probe has been prompted by the findings of FA arbitration panel chairman Lord Griffiths following Sheffield United’s £30million compensation claim after they were relegated while West Ham stayed up. Griffiths ruled Hammers chief executive Scott Duxbury had misled the League over the termination of the club’s third party agreement with Iranian businessman Kia Joorabchian, who owns Tevez’s economic rights.

Joorabchian’s lawyer Graham Shear gave evidence that Duxbury verbally assured him their third party agreement was still in place — despite Duxbury informing the Premier League West Ham had terminated it. But West Ham are adamant these documents will prove the agreement had ended BEFORE Tevez was cleared to play in the final game of the season when he scored the winner against Manchester United which kept the Hammers up and sent Sheffield United down.

Duxbury last night declared: "We welcome the new investigation because it is our chance to make it perfectly clear to both the FA and Premier League that we did everything in our power to terminate the agreement we had with Carlos Tevez and satisfy all the demands of the Premier League in order for him to continue as a West Ham player. Tevez’s advisors claim the third party agreement still existed despite the termination, but we dispute that that is the legal position. I saw it as my job to make sure Tevez played and helped the club in the fight against relegation, even though it was clear he was very unhappy with the agreement being terminated. I made it clear to Tevez’s advisors that if Carlos stayed and helped us to the end of the season then, yes, I would not stand in his way if he wanted to leave for another club. We contend that is not a third party agreement, that is simply part of running a football club and doing everything in the best interests of West Ham. Unfortunately, Lord Griffiths appears to believe that some official agreement still remained in place. That’s why we welcome the new inquiry so we can explain our position absolutely."

Duxbury, former West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson, Joorabchian, Shear and Blades chairman Kevin McCabe will all be asked to submit evidence to the new inquiry. The key date in the Hammers’ defence is April 27, 2007. That is when West Ham claimed they provided documentary evidence to the Premier League confirming the termination of the agreement — including a signed letter from Curbishley confirming he had personally handed a termination document to Tevez.

It was addressed to Carlos Alberto Tevez (the ‘player’), Argentinian citizen, single, professional football player — and included his identity card number and his national tax ID number. It was dated April 27 and signed by Magnusson, who had written the termination letter that morning. The Icelandic businessman was responding to a no-nonsense ultimatum from the Premier League who had fined West Ham £5.5m for non-disclosure of documentation and ordered them to scrap the third party agreement.



The League had examined the deal — which gave West Ham use of a player who was actually owned and controlled not by them but by Joorabchian’s two companies based in the British Virgin Islands. Premier League general secretary Mike Foster informed West Ham they had until 12 noon on April 28 — the day of their vital League clash at Wigan — to "modify the third party agreement in a fashion satisfactory to the (Premier League) board or terminate the third-party agreement outright" or Tevez would not be allowed to play again. It was a bombshell that began one of the most dramatic days in the club’s history.

So Magnusson immediately scripted a curt 81-word letter to Tevez, MSI Group Ltd and Just Sports Inc & Co making it clear the "Private Agreement dated 30 August 2006 between the Club, the Player and the Companies in relation to the services of the Player" had been "hereby terminated with immediate effect, and shall cease to have any further force or effect."

Then, just after lunch, West Ham’s lawyer Philip Cheveley emailed the Premier League a copy of Magnusson’s letter. Foster replied but insisted: "We require evidence that the notice of termination has been served. We also need you to notify the player, as he is party to the agreement in question, and provide evidence of this." So under-fire Curbishley, fighting to save his job and the club from relegation, took charge. He simply couldn’t afford to lose one of his most influential players for the last three games of the season so decided the termination letter must be served, and quickly.

However, in Curbishley’s letter to the Premier League he admits Tevez refused to acknowledge receipt of the letter. Curbs wrote: "I hereby confirm I have handed the attached letter to Carlos Alberto Tevez and asked him to countersign it to acknowledge receipt. Mr Tevez has declined to countersign the letter, but I confirm that he has now received it."



Curbishley’s confirmation was swiftly forwarded to the Premier League, while Cheveley emailed Shear and asked to confirm receipt of the notice terminating their private agreement. Later that afternoon Shear responded, saying: "I acknowledge receipt of your email and the purported ‘notice of termination.’ I shall take my client’s instructions, in the meantime all my client’s rights remain fully and expressly reserved."

Cheveley then emailed Foster again to ask for confirmation that the Premier League were satisfied with West Ham’s evidence and that Tevez remained registered to play for the club. But the Hammers had to wait until 10.57pm that night for the all-important clearance.

In an email to Cheveley, which was copied to Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore, Foster wrote: "I can confirm you have satisfied requirements of Board and player is eligible to play." But, ominously, he warned: "Board may have to review situation dependent on future developments and, in particular, if your termination of agreement is challenged."

The day before the final game at Old Trafford, when Tevez scored to keep West Ham up, Magnusson sent another letter to the Premier League confirming the club’s view that their private agreement with Tevez had been terminated. Foster replied by fax, email and post to Duxbury, again confirming that Tevez "remains registered with and eligible to play for your club." The ramifications of the saga are still reverberating around Upton Park — even though Tevez is now playing for Manchester United.

During the FA arbitration, Shear was asked if Duxbury assured him that West Ham would not depart from the terms of their deal with MSI. Shear said: "Broadly, yes. West Ham were desperate to ensure Tevez played for the club in the critical last few games of the season. Whilst having no choice but to adhere to the Premier League’s requirements, West Ham wanted to do everything possible to attempt to placate the rights owners."

And Lord Griffiths said in his ruling: "If the Premier League had known what Mr Duxbury was saying to Mr Joorabchian’s solicitor following the commission decision, we are confident the Premier League would have suspended Mr Tevez’s registration as a West Ham player." But West Ham are hoping their dossier of evidence will finally bring a positive end to the most controversial saga in Premier League history.

The same paper claims Manchester City have landed Craig Bellamy, who will supposedly move in a £14m transfer this week. The striker walked out of West Ham on Friday after a £12m bid by Spurs had been rejected. As soon as Bellamy said he would not play against Fulham today after turning down a new Hammers contract, the club realised they had to do a deal. They quote a club insider as saying: "There was no way we were going to sell to Tottenham."

The People agree, insisting Manchester City upped their bid to £14million last night in an attempt to hijack Tottenham's move for the Welshman. According to their story Zola sat down with Bellamy last week to try to convince him to stay at Upton Park but it was made clear he wanted to be allowed to talk to other clubs. The player wanted to stay in London by moving to Spurs but Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has now resigned himself to missing out on the Welsh firebrand. No talks will be granted between any club and Bellamy before West Ham have accepted an offer, which is why City have upped their bid. United, who signed Bellamy for £7.5m, would prefer to sell to City rather than their bitter London rivals but now it looks like coming down to money, which puts City firmly in the driving seat.

Amusingly, the Sunday Mirror report Tottenham fans have bombarded club websites in mass protests against the signing of Bellamy. And the signs are that the 29-year-old striker, who stormed out of West Ham’s training ground on Friday, will move to Manchester City. Bellamy was refused permission to speak to Spurs about a move to White Hart Lane on Friday, yet speculation about his potential recruitment sent angry Spurs fans into meltdown. They deluged the club and independent websites with demands that the Wales striker must not be signed, as his abrasive approach has caused problems at previous clubs. Even though manager Harry Redknapp is desperate to sign the striker, Spurs fans fear he would be a negative influence at their club. The paper states the Hammers won’t be forced to sell Bellamy, and to that end City's latest bid of £14milllion was turned down last night. The player has been named in the West Ham squad for today’s game against Fulham and if he fails to turn up he will be handed a two week fine.

As the Craig Bellamy saga rumbles on, Gianfranco Zola admits he is disappointed by the way the affair has been handled - but says there was little he could do to keep the star. Lashing out at the way some football business is conducted and vowing never to abandon his principles, Zola is quoted in the Mirror as saying: "I want to keep Craig, but no player is bigger than the club. He wants to leave and he has his own reasons, but I only want a player who is totally committed to the club. The whole transfer window is a nonsense. It means everything's about money and I think it should be closed down. Contracts don't seem to be worth the paper they are written on. I am proud of the way I operate, but some behave differently. I'll never change the way I do things. I will stay honourable."

Other snippets include West Ham leading the race to sign Brescia strike prodigy Savio Nsereko. The Mirror thinks Gianfranco Zola plans to raid his native Italy for the £6m-rated German youth international. And Hammers director of football Gianluca Nani, who previously worked for Brescia, has led transfer talks for the 19-year-old. The Uganda-born player's form this season has also attracted interest from Juventus, Roma and Napoli. Nsereko's agent Patrick Bastianelli said: "West Ham are in pole position to sign Savio. They are the club that has offered him the most interesting project, and they are keen to do a deal in a hurry."

The same paper speculates United could also make a £1million move for Sweden Under-21 star Mikael Lustig, with Lucas Neill's future at the club still in doubt. According to the gossip pages Neill is out of contract at the end of the season and certain to leave Upton Park with Newcastle desperate to sign him. The Hammers have started making plans for life without their captain, with Lustig at the top of the short-list. The Sunday Express, by the way, take the opposing view and think Neill is keen to commit himself to a new contract.

The Football Project

As an antidote to the Bellamy stuff flying around the press this morning, there is a nice unofficially sanctioned piece in The Independent from the Hammers-friendly Jason Burt. Whether it is a genuine manifesto for the future running of this football club, or merely a sop to the fans for impending unpalatable headlines, it makes for interesting reading...

No More Freddie Ljungbergs
By Jason Burt

They once typified the excesses of modern football, but West Ham are now a much leaner operation – as their dealings in the January transfer window have shown.

There is a document at West Ham United called the Football Project. It could, alternatively, be entitled the Freddie Ljungberg Legacy as it was drawn up with the fallout from the midfielder's ill-fated, hugely expensive move from Arsenal to Upton Park in mind. Its author is the club's chief executive, Scott Duxbury, and it is the template by which West Ham have rebuilt themselves, overhauling everything from their scouting network, medical facilities – to reduce a crippling injury list – coaching and the way they buy and sell players.

In Duxbury's words, it was an end to the "haphazard way of spending money" and the start of a model of working that would lead to the club being self-sufficient, not reliant on a wealthy benefactor and certainly not – as had been predicted following the Carlos Tevez saga, the financial travails of its owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson and the fallout from the departure of manager Alan Curbishley – in the business of conducting a fire sale in the January transfer window. If anything, the window is a relief for West Ham as it means they can provide concrete evidence that they are not in crisis.

Clubs have been circling, with bids and inquiries received for Craig Bellamy, Scott Parker, Matthew Upson, Valon Behrami and others. Duxbury insists that the only players that will be allowed to go are those on a list agreed by the manager Gianfranco Zola and the technical director Gianluca Nani, such as Matthew Etherington (who has joined Stoke) and Calum Davenport (whose move to Bolton fell through but is likely to move anyway).

Having said which, Duxbury says they are not afraid to sell. Everyone has a price and Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on the £15m valuation for Bellamy. But he expects Parker and Upson to stay and insists there there is now a crucial difference. West Ham will now sell only when they are ready and point to the record of Manchester United. They are one of the best selling clubs in the world. David Beckham is moved on, but only when they have Cristiano Ronaldo – younger, cheaper, better – to slot in. They sell on their terms and that is West Ham's goal and one of the goals of the Football Project.

The first step was the recruitment of Nani from the Italian club Brescia. Duxbury interviewed Leonardo, Milan's technical director, and Franco Baldini, with the latter declining the role because he was due to become England's general manager following Fabio Capello's appointment. But Baldini recommended Nani. With the Italian on board, West Ham then implemented a plan to reduce their first-team squad to a "core" of 20 players plus goalkeepers, with the reserve team a place for young, up-and-coming talents, rather than older players returning to fitness. The average age of the reserves would be 18 and they would play the same style of football as the first team so they could slot straight in when needed.

To do this required an improved network of scouts and, certainly, a better medical department. Injuries had to be prevented. So West Ham again raided Serie A – this time taking Marco Cesarini and Giorgio Gasparini from Milan's medical lab. The latter is famed for working with Filippo Inzaghi, who overcame serious knee problems and is still playing at the age of 38. It is no coincidence that West Ham's injury record is now vastly improved.

This was all done with Curbishley as manager but when he walked out, claiming he had been undermined over transfers, it did give West Ham the opportunity to recruit a different style of manager. A coach. Duxbury came close to appointing Roberto Donadoni but then, in Rome, met Zola. He read through the Football Project and found it chimed with his own ambition. "He's got an incredible reputation as a winner and he wouldn't do anything to risk that so he agreed to join on the basis of the Football Project," Duxbury said.

"He believed it was the way to achieve success and it's what excites him. What's lost in football is that people think the only way to be successful is to buy great players, but why can't you coach them into great players? Take Freddie Sears and let Zola work with and teach him how to be a striker. If you buy Kaka you defeat the object, you buy success. We want to create it."

To that end, Zola also made clear he didn't want a big squad. The final part of the personnel was the recruitment of Steve Clarke from Chelsea to give Zola support, especially with defensive coaching, and to bring his knowledge of working with Jose Mourinho and add experience. It is why West Ham paid substantial compensation for the Scot.

Duxbury, Nani, Zola and – sometimes – Clarke meet on a daily basis away from Chadwell Heath, West Ham's training ground, to discuss and appraise the squad, what the aims and targets should be. At the training ground, there is no talk of contracts, money, business, just coaching, tactics, fitness. The players know not to ask Zola about contracts and the manager doesn't deal with agents. That business is taken care of by Nani and Duxbury.

West Ham believe their project is working. Performances are better, results improving. "This isn't new," Duxbury said. "What's new is putting together all the different parts with a clear structure – scouting, medical, business, coaching – so that they are separate but work together.

"The club has a bad history of being seen as a selling club. We don't have to sell but we shouldn't be afraid to sell. But only on our terms. You constantly re-evaluate the squad. So if a bid comes in we appraise it: how old is the player, what's his worth, what's his worth to the team, and have we identified a better player in his position? If the answer is yes, then we do it. If no, then we don't. But the final decision rests with the manager."

West Ham may be sold. Gudmundsson is looking for a buyer but he maintains that, despite his financial problems, he doesn't need to sell. And the presentations that are being made, to potential owners, are on the basis of the Football Project continuing.

Case study 1 How not to do it:

After nine years at Arsenal, Freddie Ljungberg signed for West Ham for £1.5m in July 2007 on a four-year contract, in the middle of the former chairman Eggert Magnusson's spending spree. He earned an astonishing £85,000 a week, a significant increase in his Arsenal wages despite being 30 when he was signed. There was also surprise that West Ham paid a fee when it was believed he could leave for free. Ljungberg struggled and made just 25 appearances for West Ham, plagued by injuries and poor form, and was eventually paid off, receiving 50 per cent of the remainder of his contract, which amounted to around £3m. He has since signed for the MLS team Seattle Sounders.

Case study 2 How to do it

The 27-year-old left-back George McCartney had probably his best ever season in the last campaign, playing all 38 Premier League games following his arrival from Sunderland in exchange for Clive Clarke plus £600,000 in the summer of 2006. But he made it clear he wanted to return to Sunderland last August and was eventually sold for £6m. West Ham signed the little-known Congolese defender Herita Ilunga from Toulouse on loan as his replacement. The club were fiercely criticised for the sale of McCartney and arrival of Ilunga. A year younger than McCartney, Ilunga has been a major success and is set to sign a deal, with West Ham taking up an option to buy him for £1.5m in the summer.

Division Bell

Her love rains down on me easy as the breeze
I listen to her breathing it sounds like the waves on the sea
I was thinking all about her, burning with rage and desire
We were spinning into darkness; the earth was on fire
Take It Back

Craig Bellamy is unlikely to play for West Ham United against Fulham tomorrow after a "breakdown in the relationship" between the striker and the club which resulted in him turning down a contract extension and angrily walking out before training yesterday, an executive at Upton Park revealed to the Guardian. Reports last night said that Bellamy was refusing to play tomorrow and had cleared items from his locker at the training ground after a stormy meeting with Scott Duxbury, the West Ham chief executive, at which the Wales captain was informed of a bid made for him by Spurs and was also offered the contract extension that would keep him at the club until 2013 when he will be 34. Bellamy had already flatly refused West Ham's offer on Thursday afternoon to discuss a new contract, and then told Duxbury yesterday that he wanted to leave.

The 29-year-old was dismayed to hear that the offer from Spurs had been turned down. And, having rejected the fresh contract, Bellamy's mood was deepened when he was then refused permission to speak with the north London club. He left without training, although that is optional two days before a match. The Independent reiterates that after his meeting yesterday, Bellamy did ask for permission to be excused from training because he was not in a fit state of mind, and this was granted by Zola who is keen to keep the striker, but only if he has a change of heart and wants to stay. "The club made it clear that to the manager, Gianfranco Zola, and board he remains a West Ham player," the executive told The Guardian. "It is clear, at the moment anyway, that there is a breakdown in the relationship. That might change, of course." Would Bellamy play against Fulham? "It's unlikely," he added. "Ultimately that's an issue for the manager but if his head's not right, if it's all over the place, then the view from the training ground is likely to be that he won't be in the team." Bellamy remains, for the minute at least, part of the squad for the game.

According to the Independent West Ham are still insisting that Bellamy is not for sale but also add that if Spurs meet their valuation – £15million in cash, rather than a cash plus add-on deal based on goals and appearances – they will consider it and put the offer to manager Gianfranco Zola. Bellamy still has 18 months left on his current contract and the club had thought he was committed to staying after they showed considerable patience following injury difficulties since his move from Liverpool in July 2007. However, it appears likely that a deal may now be struck on Monday, if Spurs meet the asking price.

Duxbury had earlier rejected two more offers for Bellamy – with Spurs bidding £10m plus £2m in add-ons and Manchester City, who are now regarded as out of the running, tabling £9.8m for the Welsh international. Duxbury emphasised to both clubs that West Ham did not want to sell. United are adamant that Bellamy, who made his decision to leave after apparently holding talks, without permission, on Thursday evening, can only go if their asking price is met. The Wales striker is understood to be furious at the hard-line stance having made it clear he wants to move to White Hart Lane but, so far, has not submitted a formal transfer request. West Ham have rejected two previous offers from Spurs for Bellamy – a £6m offer on Christmas Eve and a straight swap deal for Darren Bent on Tuesday evening.

They have also declined three previous offers from Manchester City – a £15m offer, which would also have included Scott Parker, a bid of £8.5m plus £1m in add-ons and a £9.5m offer that was made on Wednesday. But Spurs manager Harry Redknapp, shocked by his team's defeat away to Wigan Athletic last Sunday, has convinced chairman Daniel Levy that Bellamy is the kind of player who can save the club from the threat of relegation and is likely to offer even more money. Importantly, Spurs are believed to be prepared to smash their wage structure to land Bellamy who is understood to currently earn around £70,000-a-week at West Ham, more than any Tottenham player.

Bellamy, the former Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United, Coventry City and Norwich City striker, arrived at West Ham for £7.5m in 2007 and is regarded as a key player at the club. Yesterday, Zola said: "What can I do about it? As far as I am concerned I want to keep him – and the club want to keep him. But if a player wants to go, it's difficult. At the moment he is a West Ham player and he will stay a West Ham player. However, I do not know if he will play on Sunday. We will see what happens."

Zola, though, admitted that West Ham were already considering replacements. "If Bellamy goes we will need to replace him and that's why we're looking," he said. "I respect Craig and I am disappointed he doesn't want to stay. He has done very well for me and I hope he stays and if he doesn't then I hope he does as well for someone else as he did for me. You need to have players who are committed to what you're doing. I've been told he's still our player and I'm confident he'll change his mind. [The] priority is to keep Bellamy. We have no commitments with anybody so that's most important. He is important for us but I am prepared to deal without him. I was hoping to have him until the end of the season. I think highly about him but it's his choice. He knows what he can get here but if he thinks he can't get what he wants here then that's up to him. He's a good player and gives us a lot on the pitch. I have no doubt that he is an important player as are many of the others. He's an important piece of a mosaic." If Bellamy is sold, West Ham will re-invest the funds to find a replacement and are understood to have a list of potential targets in addition to, according to sources in Italy, taking 23-year-old striker Pablo Daniel Osvaldo on loan from Fiorentina.

Bellamy has played his last game for West Ham insists Pat Sheehan. Writing in The Sun, he states the striker drove away from the Hammers’ Essex training ground yesterday having snubbed the new deal offered by Duxbury. He now aims to sign for London rivals Spurs — who have upped their offer to £10million plus another £2m in add-ons- and a deal will be forced through this week. Furious Hammers believe Tottenham have already tapped up Bellamy and they are waiting for Manchester City to top their bid. In the meantime, Bellamy is said to have taken the matter out of United's hands by effectively going on strike in the hope of forcing through a move. Despite Manchester City making at least three bids, Bellamy favours White Hart Lane because he believes there will be a guarantee of first-team football at Spurs whose latest offer is thought to have been around £12m. Also, the player does not appear to want to move his family again and he may also believe that Mark Hughes, whom he is close to, will not be City manager beyond this season.

West Ham officials have privately complained that Tottenham's interest has unsettled Bellamy after a media report said that the player had met a representative of Spurs on Thursday night. That follows similar complaints from Sunderland and Middlesbrough, who grumbled about Spurs' transfer tactics, rejecting bids for Kenwyne Jones and Stewart Downing respectively. If proved, it could embarrass Tottenham, who complained about how Liverpool and Manchester United tried to sign Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov respectively in the summer.

"We haven’t tapped anyone up," Redknapp said. "'I don't want to work like that. I haven't done anything wrong. If Craig Bellamy says he wants to go to Tottenham because someone has told him we've made an offer - and so have Man City - then that's up to him. It's not my fault. Daniel Levy [the Tottenham chairman] spoke to Niall Quinn [his Sunderland counterpart] and asked if they’d sell Kenwyne Jones. We haven’t spoken to an agent. Am I getting upset because José Mourinho [the Inter Milan coach] says he wants Jermaine Jenas? The chairman has made an offer [for Bellamy]. Someone has told me he wants to come here and play rather than City so we'll see how that develops. We did it all in private, it's not our fault it got into the public. But that's the way of the world now, everyone's got people they talk to and things always seem to get out."

Burst Bubbles And Broken Dreams

On a lighter note, the following post is an interview with Russell Brand. It is the latest in an occasional series about West Ham supporting celebrities, taken from this month's FourFourTwo magazine.

*Warning, if you offended by occasional fruity language you probably shouldn't read on...

Sing When You're Winning With... Russell Brand
By Matt Allen

You'd have to be living on Mars not to know that Russell brand is a bit of a ladies' man. But faced with "throwing around" a Hollywood starlet in a salubrious LA hotel room or watching his long-loved West Ham scrape a win over Fulham on a dreary winter's afternoon, the comedian, writer and Hollywood A-lister-in-waiting faces a serious dilemma.

"I tend to want what I can't have," he says, sipping a fruit juice in the kitchen of his north London flat. "So, if I was working in London and West Ham were having a good Cup run, and I was going to a lot of games, then I'd probably think, 'I'd like to fuck a lap dancer, right now, on the bonnet of a Chevrolet.' But when I was in LA I missed going to the games. I thought about going to the Galaxy. I met David Beckham when I was in LA and he said, 'Come along.' And I thought, 'Yeah, I will go.' He's quite impressive in real life. It's very difficult to distinguish what his natural persona is and what's been bestowed upon him by his position, but he was good looking and nice, so when he mentioned going I thought about it, but i didn't go in the end. It's not the same as Upton Park, is it? I love being part of the crowd and walking out of the tube station through the throng, into the police horse manure in the streets, and the smell of fried egg sandwiches."

With his anarchic hair and leggy, stage persona- part vaudeville actor, part alien sex-fiend- Brand makes for an unlikely Boleyn Ground patron. "No one would be surprised if I said things like, 'Urgh, football?! Twenty-two men kicking a ball? No thanks,' would they? The fact that I'm into football is akin to ray Winstone admitting he's into lacrosse. But I've been going since I was little. It's difficult to pinpoint from exactly when but according to my dad, I was with him at my first game, looking at all the people leaving and I said, 'Dad, is that all the people in the world?' I'd like to think I was no older than five because it would have probably been a bit embarrassing saying something like that if you were any older.

I really got into it about five years later when Frank McAvennie, Tony Cottee and Alan Devonshire were playing. Recently I went to a game and met Phil Parkes, the goalkeeper from that time. I saw him and I didn't approach him at first, not least because a few years ago, I slept with a woman who told me she'd slept with him a long time ago. I was really into that- she was nice and she had really nice boobs that disrupted your consciousness like lysergic acid."

Brand has won many admirers through his football column in The Guardian, though he admits to being no tactical expert. "I'm no David Pleat. I could never do nothing with a blackboard. Nor have I been caught kerb-crawling."

His left-field perspective on the game, however, has won many friends at West Ham. "People have got used to me being there. Because of my column, people seem to know that I have a certain amount of knowledge. When I first got spotted, it was at the FA Cup final against Liverpool and I was getting recognised a lot more because I was doing the Big Brother stuff. Then I went to the first home game of the next season and I remember someone going, 'Aaah, here he is now. I don't remember seeing you here before you got famous.' I thought, 'Of course you didn't, because you wouldn't have known who I was then.' And would I really think, 'Ah-ha, I am famous now! To Upton Park!'? No, I'd use fame as a way to have sex with as many people as possible with the minimum amount of effort."

More than anything, though, Brand loves the humanity of following West Ham: the unlikely humour ("Like, 'Rass-awl, git yer 'air cut yoo wankah!'") and the rage-venting. "The last time we were relegated, we were watching the game in a box," he says. "There was this bloke shouting, 'Roeder you cunt! You've killed West Ham!' And he said it with such rage, it was unbelievable. I love that feeling, that venting of emotion, because it makes football so mentally real. How often do you see that passion anywhere else in life?"

Another perk Brand experiences- access to the players' lounge- has its pitfalls. "Me and my mate Ade Adepitan- the black geezer, basketball player in a wheelchair on the BBC2 adverts- go in there sometimes. And after one game recently, Mark Noble turned up. Now, if he worked as a runner in a TV company that I own, I'd be able to ruffle his hair and say, 'Allo mate, how are you, you little sod? Have you got a girlfriend?' But because he plays for West Ham, I develop a squeaky voice and say silly things."

He scratches his lawless hair. "I can snog Pink or throw Christina Aguilera around a bit," he says. "But when Mark Noble comes in, I get tongue-tied. Now how does that work?"

Quick questions:

All time West Ham hero? I love Frank McAvennie and what he represents. I'd like to be the Frank McAvennie of stand-up. We did a programme for one of my tours and McAvennie and Tony Cottee were interviewed in it- it was mental for me, to think that they knew I even existed. I believe McAvennie said, 'Ah, he's the one who shags all the birds isn't he?'

Best West Ham moment? I was at a game when we beat Hull 7-1 in the early '90s. it was one of the only times when I thought, 'Ooh, we're good.'

Worst West Ham moment? The game in recent memory that has had the most impact on me was the 5-4 defeat against Spurs. I felt bruised- and I missed a fucking gig because of that.

Would you make your kids support West Ham? Definitely! I will introduce them to a life of burst bubbles and broken dreams.

The Beat Goes On...

To paraphrase The Mill, Kaka still belongs to Jesus and AC Milan. This blog still belongs to anyone who'll buy it a plastic rose and treat it like a lady for half an hour. Craig Bellamy still belongs to West Ham. Jesus belongs to all of us. And about £150m still belongs to Manchester City. For now.

This despite the news that Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp was locked in talks on Thursday night with Craig Bellamy after West Ham accepted a £12million package for the Wales striker. Or so salivates the Daily Mail, in an article that contains no credible facts, quotes or even a scintilla of credibility. Redknapp has reportedly agreed to pay £10m up front with a further £2m based on performance in a bid to head off interest from Manchester City for the 29-year-old forward. The Mail expects/hopes/preys/is engorged by the prospect of City matching the Spurs offer today, having had their last bid of £9.5m rejected. That will leave Bellamy facing a choice between linking up with Redknapp at Tottenham or rejoining Mark Hughes, whom he played under for Wales and Blackburn, slavers the paper. Although Spurs would be unable to match personal terms available at City, Redknapp will hope Bellamy's initial preference for a move across London will prove decisive.

Meanwhile Mark Hughes last night stepped up his game of transfer-window brinkmanship with West Ham and Blackburn. The City boss took time off from his pursuit of Kaka to warn he will pull the plug on deals for Roque Santa Cruz and Craig Bellamy if their clubs fail to lower their valuations. According to the Express, Hughes believes no other club would match the £16million offer City have made to Blackburn for Santa Cruz, or the £9.5m they have slapped on West Ham’s table for Bellamy. He believes both clubs are running the risk of ending up with two unhappy players who will command fees nowhere near as high if they try to offload them in the summer.

Blackburn are asking £20m for Santa Cruz, a player they bought for £3.8m 18 months ago, while the Hammers want £15m for Bellamy, who cost them £6m in 2007 – or £20m for both the striker and team-mate Scott Parker. Hughes accepts that City, flush with the wealth of Abu Dhabi ­billionaire Sheikh Mansour, will have to pay a “premium”. But he thinks Blackburn and West Ham are trying it on. They, in turn, are angered by City’s apparent ‘two-tier’ transfer policy, arguing that if City can pay £100m to land Kaka they should not be baulking at a few more million for Santa Cruz and Bellamy.

"We’ve made bids, had bids rejected, and now must decide if we go back to the table. January is always a difficult transfer window because if clubs don’t want to sell, there’s ­nothing you can do about it. That’s where we are at this moment in time. And we are well aware that Manchester City will always be asked for a premium. We always said we would look at each ­individual situation. We have ­values which we have placed on players, and we feel that those ­values are realistic. Maybe as we get towards the end of the window, situations and attitudes to deals will change. Maybe we will revisit or maybe we will walk away from some deals. That’s for us to know, and other clubs to take the ­gamble with. We still have some time until the window closes and we have to wait and see. We will get the right deals which we feel are correct for us. If the club doesn’t feel the value at this moment in time is good for Manchester City, then we’ll walk away from the deal."

The Express thinks West Ham are ready to sell Bellamy, who has made them well aware he is keen to join City. But they are thought to be highly irritated that City have only been ready to improve their offer from an original £7.5m to £9.5m. Although the Hammers want £15m, the word is they would sell at £12m. The paper quotes an insider as saying: "The ­manager has made clear that we can’t do any more to keep him at West Ham and we would all prefer it if Craig stayed. But we would obviously have to listen to offers of that sort [£12m]. However, there will come a point when this will all go away which would be fine by us. That, or they can make a realistic offer. We don’t have to sell."

Newcastle have been warned off Lucas Neill after West Ham said he was not for sale. The Geordies last night abandoned a seemingly muddled and one-sided attempt to the United captain after the Hammers said they were "astonished" by talk of any move. Just hours after Joe Kinnear, Newcastle's manager, had spoken of taking the Australian full-back on loan until the end of the season, a Newcastle spokesman said: "With regards to Lucas Neill, West Ham United have made it clear he is a player they value as a highly important member of their squad and who they have no desire to sell. Newcastle United respect West Ham's position and will therefore not be pursuing this matter."

This was all news to West Ham, who released a statement on the club's website, saying: "West Ham would like to make it clear that Lucas Neill is a contracted West Ham United player and that we have received no approach from any club for his services, including Newcastle United. We are astonished by reports that a Premier League manager has claimed contact with one of our players." Earlier Kinnear had spoken of the move as if it were well under way. "It would be a loan until the end of the season," he said. "Being happy to match his wages would probably be one of the reasons why we are taking him, or probably one of the reasons why they want to get rid of him."

Arsenal have been linked with a move for West Ham defender Matthew Upson. According to the Mirror, manager Arsene Wenger is desperate to sign a centre-half in the January transfer window and has earmarked Upson as the deal candidate. Should the 29-year-old move to the Emirates, in what is being suggested will be a £12 million deal, it would mark a "remarkable u-turn" (the one that would see Arsene Wenger re-signing a player he shifted on in 2003, and not the one pulled by Gianfanco Zola's tiny yellow bathtub Fiat in the Emirates car park on hearing he's being offered Nicklas Bendtner in return, snarks The Guardian).

West Ham will be reluctant to part with Upson. They have already rejected £12m bids from Tottenham and Manchester City for Craig Bellamy and have made a point of saying that their prize assets - namely Upson, Bellamy and Scott Parker - are not for sale. However, reveals the article, it has been suggested that Upson would welcome a return to the Gunners, who would provide him Champions League football and a regular shot at the Premier League title.

A couple of others snippets floating around the websphere this morning has West Ham United being encouraged to bid for Fiorentina striker Daniel Pablo Osvaldo. The Times says Fiorentina want to offload the 23-year-old forward for about £7 million. He has played for the Italy Under-21 team, for whom Gianfranco Zola was a coach. Osvaldo's representatives have confirmed West Ham's interest, though Bologna are also said to be keen. The same paper thinks striker Davide di Michele could be on his way back to Italy. Reggina are thought to be chasing Di Michele, who is on-loan at Upton Park from Torino.

Finally, as I write this, it is emerging that West Ham have rejected new bids from Manchester City and Tottenham for striker Craig Bellamy. Sky Sports News chief reporter Bryan Swanson 'understands' that the tug-of-war for Bellamy's services has intensified in recent days but Upton Park chief executive Scott Duxbury remains determined to retain the services of the former Liverpool forward. The Telegraph are reporting Mark Hughes tabled a fourth offer for the player, believed to be in the region of £11 million, though West Ham remain adamant he will not be sold, unless a figure they are unable to turn down is forthcoming.

So Kaka still belongs to Jesus and AC Milan. Craig Bellamy still belongs to West Ham. And Jesus belongs to all of us, except the Daily Mail. They sold their soul a long time ago. And so the beat goes on...

Latest Transfer Gossip And All That Jazz

West Ham United have rejected two new bids for Craig Bellamy, with Tottenham Hotspur offering Darren Bent in a straight swap deal for the striker on Tuesday evening and then Manchester City upping their offer for the Wales international to £9.5m yesterday afternoon. Jason Burt, writing in today's Independent, states the club are adamant that Bellamy is not for sale having already rebuffed three other offers for the 29-year-old. The club rejected a bid of £6m from Spurs on Christmas Eve and then had two offers from City which they turned down. The first was a £15m bid, which also included City buying Scott Parker, and the second, which was also immediately rejected, came on Monday morning when City offered £8.5m for Bellamy, plus another £1m if he scored 25 goals in a season or the club won the Champions League. They have since offered £9.5m cash.

City are now pondering their options, thinks Burt, with Roque Santa Cruz remaining their number one choice ahead of Bellamy, although they would have liked to buy both players. The Paraguayan is expected to move to Eastlands for £20m from Blackburn Rovers before the end of the month. If West Ham were to receive an offer of £15m for Bellamy they have promised that they will then put it to manager Gianfranco Zola who, ultimately, will decide which players are bought and sold at the club.

The Mail believes the Manchester club could walk away from attempts to sign both Bellamy and Scott Parker as they become "increasingly exasperated" by West Ham's demands. They report that City are keen not to be ripped off and are understood to have tabled bids of £12million for Wales striker Bellamy and £10m for midfielder Parker. Aware of the vast wealth at Eastlands, the Hammers are playing hardball. But City are losing are losing patience and face the dilemma of whether to push through the deal or walk away.

The article states Gianfranco Zola is determined to keep hold of his best players, but the reality in these straitened times is that every player has his price. That much is true, with Bellamy's price tag set at £15million. Clearly perturbed by United's impertinence at wanting to hold on to their better players, the Mail insists City's breath-taking £100m offer to AC Milan for Kaka shows the Barclays Premier League strugglers' intent and resources, but that they are also not frightened to walk away from "ludicrous demands".

West Ham are determined to hold on to their best players and have also rejected overtures to sign Valon Behrami – who was wanted by Roma – and Matthew Upson who has attracted inquiries from several Premier League side, most noticeably his former club Arsenal, Aston Villa and Newcastle United, although no formal bid has been received because all suitors were told the central defender is not for sale. To counter any attempts to lure away their most valuable assets West Ham have sold, or are in the process of selling or loaning, a list of fringe players which has been drawn up by Zola. Already gone are Matthew Etherington to Stoke City for £3m and Lee Bowyer, on loan to Birmingham City, with Luis Boa Morte wanted by Hull City for £2m.

Concerning Boa Morte, it is believed the Portugal winger has rejected a move to Humberside. The two teams agreed a fee and the deal was expected to be concluded in time for the midfielder to make his Tigers debut against former club Arsenal this weekend. But the 31-year-old instead chose instead to stay at Upton Park to fight for his first-team place, or at least his first-team wages. Hull boss Phil Brown conceded earlier today that the deal was close to collapse. "We are miles apart where Luis is concerned with personal terms," he said. "We have agreed a deal with regards to West Ham, but it is now down to Luis to come down in his evaluation of his next contract. It is up to Luis." It is not expected that Hull will go back in with an improved offer for the Portugal midfielder, as the fee had already been agreed and a medical passed by the Boa Morte as confirmed earlier by Hull assistant manager Brian Horton.

A deal to sell Calum Davenport to Bolton Wanderers for £3m fell through, despite the player travelling to the Reebok Stadium, after Bolton signed Sébastien Puygrenier on loan instead. But there are thought to be two other clubs interested in the defender, while West Ham would also part with Julien Faubert who is wanted by Lyons. The transfers mean that West Ham have not only trimmed their squad, reducing the wage bill as well as getting closer to the numbers – 21 plus goalkeepers – that Zola wants to work with, but have also balanced their books. The club are determined to show that they are not in financial difficulties. To that end the desire to hold on to Bellamy is apparent.

The unsettled Faubert has put his West Ham future in doubt after launching a furious attack on manager Gianfranco Zola. The out-of-favour midfielder, a £6.1 million recruit from Bordeaux in 2007, is keen on a move to French champions Lyon in a bid to revive his international prospects for Les Bleus. The 25-year-old angrily lambasted Zola after he was an unused substitute in the Hammers' 2-2 draw at Newcastle last weekend. And his days at Upton Park are seemingly numbered after the Italian boss transfer listed Birmingham-bound team-mate Calum Davenport, who previously spoke out against the manager following his exclusion from the side that beat Stoke last month.

"I don't know what he is up to," said Faubert. "Zola has said he relies on me but I don't see any opportunities coming." Faubert admits he is desperate to quit the Barclays Premier League outfit having endured a nightmare 19-month period in East London. The one-cap France international has failed to make an impact since his arrival having been blighted by a succession of injuries, notably the ruptured achilles tendon injury he sustained within his first few weeks at the club which saw him sidelined for six months and caused him to miss most of last season.

With no less than two weeks until the end of the window the unpopular Faubert, who has made 15 league starts in the claret and blue this term, is becoming increasingly desperate to end his tortuous stint in the capital alerting a host of Ligue 1 sides to his availability. '"Right now my agent is discussing a move with other clubs." he revealed with both Lyon and Nantes believed to be interested. "Playing for a club such as Lyon is my priority to re-launch my international career." Although the makeshift full-back is keen to hurry a swift exit, Faubert's hefty price-tag is thought to be putting off potential suitors with the frustrated winger's "financially troubled" (copyright Daily Mail) employers looking to recoup most of the fee they initially paid for him. "The problem is that my selling price is far too high," he added.

Similarly mystified is Nigel Quashie, who concedes he is unsure of his long-term future as he comes to the end of his loan spell at Birmingham. Quashie's loan deal at St Andrews expires this weekend after the game with Cardiff and as yet no permanent move has been agreed. Newcastle were linked with a shock move for Quashie earlier this week only for Joe Kinnear to dispel the rumours. The 30-year-old admits he is in the dark as to what his future holds after his loan move comes to an end. "I don't know if there's been any talks with West Ham, or what will happen," Quashie told the Birmingham Mail. "I'm just glad to be playing football. I've had a long time out and I'm still getting used to the feeling of getting round a football pitch. I've got 18 months left on my contract at West Ham, so it all depends on what West Ham want. I'm happy to carry on playing football, I haven't broken down, and I just want to keep enjoying myself. Whatever happens, happens. Like I said, I've got 18 months left at West Ham and we will take it from there."

Elsewhere, the Guardian claims Newcastle United have made enquiries as to the availability of the United captain Lucas Neill, who manager Joe Kinnear hopes to bring in on a loan deal with a view to a permanent move. Kinnear has asked about the 30-year-old defender as he attempts to cover for the loss of Habib Beye to an ankle injury. The Newcastle manager is now awaiting developments. He said: "We have spoken to his agent and it is ongoing at the moment, we are just waiting to see. We could get an answer at any time." If a deal was to go through it would remove one of the club's highest earners from the wage bill. The Australian is reported to earn around £70,000 a week at Upton Park after West Ham beat Liverpool to his signature from Blackburn Rovers two years ago.

The Mail go further and claim Newcastle are poised to make a £2million bid for West Ham captain Lucas Neill if they can move Geremi on to Besiktas. Football director Dennis Wise is hoping to come to an agreement with West Ham to buy out the remainder of Australia international Neill’s contract – which has six months left to run. Although his wages could be a stumbling block, Neill is understood to be keen to join Aussie team-mate Mark Viduka at St James's Park.

As far as incoming movement there are numerous unsubstantiated reports linking the club with sundry targets. These include Romanian sources adamant that a £2million offer for Rapid Bucharest's defensive midfielder Costin Lazar has already been tabled, a whisper on several forums that a loan deal for journeyman Atalanta striker Sergio Floccari is close to completion and a rather fanciful suggestion that United are keeping tabs on £5million Croatian scoring sensation Nikola Kalinic. The 21-year-old, who has been hailed as the 'New Davor Suker' in his home country, has won rave reviews for his goalscoring exploits with Hajduk Split. Croatia coach and former Hammers defender Slaven Bilic has already handed the player his international debut and rates the forward as one of the best young prospects in Europe. Kalinic scored 17 times in 25 appearances last season and has enjoyed similar success this year, netting 12 times in 20 games.

Closer to home and West Ham youngster Kyle Reid has joined Coca-Cola Championship leaders Wolves on loan until May. The 21-year-old returned to Upton Park at the start of January following a month at Blackpool and has previously enjoyed loan spells with Barnsley and Crystal Palace. Wolves manager Mick McCarthy has been on the lookout for a wide midfielder and swooped for Reid after a move for Rangers winger Alan Gow fell through. Reid, who could make his debut at Bristol City on Saturday, has made nine appearances for the Hammers' first team, scoring his only goal in the Carling Cup victory over Macclesfield earlier this season. He made his only league start for the club in the 1-0 win at West Bromwich Albion in May 2006.

Speaking on the official site, Reid spoke of his excitement about the new challenge. "I just want to get out there and play and show the manager and myself that I've got the ability to play," said Reid. "I'm at an age now where I just need to get games under my belt and see what happens. When I spoke to Mick McCarthy he said that he had been watching me for a while and he also liked the way that I played the game when we played them. It seems good and I just hope that I can do my bit for myself as well as them and then show them that I can come back and get into the West Ham team."

Reid will certainly be in the spotlight, with a televised game at Bristol City on Saturday evening set to be his Wolves debut and the prospect of an FA Cup fourth-round tie against Middlesbrough on Saturday week. "This is a chance to show the manager that I can play and hopefully he will be watching or getting reports and he will see something in me that he likes and I'll get my chance to play here. Reserve games are not like they are used to be a few years ago when there was a game every week. Now there is a game every two weeks if you are lucky so it's a bit difficult and with the first-team squad players playing as well it is a bit harder for some of the younger ones to break through."

With Wolves four points clear at the top of the Championship and pushing hard for promotion, Reid knows he will have to battle for a place. He is prepared to work hard to make things happen though. "They are top of the league and four points clear so hopefully I can go there and be amongst them and hopefully at the end of the season I can pick up a promotion medal. That would be good! Hopefully I'll do well there and then come back and play for West Ham. I've been here for a long time and I love the club. I'll still keep in touch with the players here like Jack Collison, Hayden Mullins and Carlton Cole because it's important to still feel part of it here. When Wolves aren't playing I'll come back to cheer the boys on."

On a separate (musical) note there is a curious little piece in today's Telegraph concerning a West Ham schoolboy footballer turned jazz musician who has signed a £1 million four-album deal with Universal. Tyler Rix, who has played for West Ham's Academy, signed the deal with Universal Music on the turf at Upton Park. The 16-year-old saxophonist, from London, was discovered by record executives when he took part in BBC2's Classical Star TV talent programme. Bosses at Universal Classics and Jazz offered him the chance to join a stable which includes Amy Winehouse, Take That and Jamie Cullum.

Tyler had a tough decision of his own to make – whether to pursue football or music. By the age of 15 he had experienced a string of successes as a footballer. Snapped up on the day of his trial, he played several times at Upton Park and was prominently featured in Junior Soccer, a coaching guide produced in association with West Ham United. Tyler said: "I always knew that one day I would have to choose between my music and my football commitments. I could never have dreamt of making that choice in such a spectacular way." As jazz aficionado Louis Balfour would say...'Nice!

Finally some good news, with Kieron Dyer in line to make his first Premier League appearance for West Ham since August, 2007 in Sunday's derby against Fulham. Dyer successfully came through 70 minutes of reserve team football unscathed against Aston Villa last night - it was his third outing since his return from an 18-month broken leg lay-off. The 30-year-old former England midfielder is in contention to start on the bench after continuing his steady progress from injury with an impressive performance.

A Litany Of Woes

"I will not be as those who spend the day in complaining of headache, and the night in drinking the wine that gives it"
Goethe

Was there ever a Premier League club with so far-fetched a litany of woes as West Ham United? ponders football finance expert David Conn in this morning's Guardian. In his column on the paper's SportBlog, he writes:

The old East End family club must concentrate on improving performances on the pitch — if only to take their minds off the Icelandic banking meltdown, which has hammered the owner's fortune and led to West Ham being for sale in an uninviting market, the compensation claim in the Tevez saga, which Sheffield United are understood still to put at £50m, and another Premier League and Football Association inquiry focusing on West Ham's conduct when they fielded the over-performing Argentinian in the final three games of 2006-07.

To these agonies can be added the looming threat, if West Ham are found to have breached the rules when they retained Tevez, that points could be deducted. Although the end of the inquiry is months away, an FA spokesman confirmed that a points deduction was one of the available sanctions . West Ham, on top of everything else, can barely contemplate relegation.

The club would argue that, even if they are found culpable — a possibility they reject — points deduction would amount to double punishment because Lord Griffiths has already ruled against them over their retention of Tevez. In his arbitration ruling Griffiths said West Ham breached the undertaking they gave to the Premier League in April 2007 that they would cancel their contract with Tevez's "owners". Instead Griffiths agreed that the club's chief executive, Scott Duxbury, had a series of "oral cuddles" in which he reassured the owners, two offshore companies represented by Kia Joorabchian, that they would, despite what Duxbury had promised the Premier League, still retain the rights to the player.

Of course, West Ham are already being sanctioned for that, forced to compensate Sheffield United for the cost of relegation. The Blades are understood to have finalised a financial inventory detailing their losses, to which West Ham have until the end of the month to respond. They dispute the figure of £50m, noting the increased income from Premier League status is mostly swallowed up by higher player wages. Griffiths will decide in March, barring delays.

West Ham say they have "nothing to hide" and that they "acted in good faith" — attitudes, notes Conn, which would have served them well from the off. He argues had they come clean to the Premier League about the "third party ownership" when they signed Tevez and Javier Mascherano in August 2006, none of this scandal would have unfolded. Yet the club's conduct seems to have been skewed, throughout, by 'trying to be a little too cute'. Paul Aldridge, then the club's chief executive, informed Richard Scudamore, the Premier League's chief executive, there were no documents relevant to the players' registrations which he had not shown the league. Records reveal the third party contracts came to light when Mascherano moved to Liverpool in January 2007, because they showed the Premier League everything. Scudamore fumed that West Ham had misled him; and disciplinary proceedings began.

For Conn, the maddening aspect of this for West Ham is that, if Aldridge and Duxbury, then the club's legal director, had shown Scudamore the arrangements, they were likely to have been asked for only minor alterations. The Premier League allowed Mascherano's third party "ownership" to continue when he went to Liverpool, insisting only that the loan be for a fixed period and that the "owners" did not retain any rights during the loan. When Tevez eventually moved to Manchester United, a fixed period was again insisted on; Tevez remains a loan player at Old Trafford and under the "ownership" of Joorabchian's investors. Conn continues:

Yet West Ham chose not to disclose the contracts at all. Even after being charged they argued their innocence, until shortly before the hearing, when they pleaded guilty. Aldridge was outraged that he was denounced as a liar in the judgment without an opportunity to state his case. He maintained he acted on advice that third party contracts were not relevant to Tevez's registration. West Ham, guilty, were handed their record £5.5m fine in April 2007, yet continued to attract more trouble. They were given three options: relinquish Tevez; keep him and negotiate a different arrangement with Joorabchian; or rip up the ownership contract and keep him. They chose to say they had ripped it up, although few understood how they could keep Tevez for free.

It was then, according to Graham Shear, Joorabchian's lawyer, that Duxbury gave the "oral cuddles," telling Joorabchian that the contract was not really torn up, and that the "owners" retained their rights. Tevez stayed, played magnificently, West Ham stayed up and the Blades went down roaring at the injustice. West Ham deny the "oral cuddles" testimony, arguing they did rip up the contract. They point to the fact Joorabchian sued in summer 2007 for Tevez to be released, and ultimately paid West Ham £2m — a process intimately supervised by the Premier League. Griffiths, though, accepted Shear's view of events. The forthcoming FA and Premier League inquiry will examine exactly the same evidence.

Faced with all this, observes Conn, West Ham are maintaining their brave front. The owner, Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, has been battered by Iceland's economic collapse but Asgeir Fridgeirsson, West Ham's vice-chairman, insists the club is safe. The holding company, Hansa, has been granted a moratorium on paying its creditors and must report back to an Icelandic court on 6 March to show progress in selling the club. Fridgeirsson, though, now says the club need not necessarily be sold. "If the market does not appreciate the value of the club, we will not sell," he said. Fridgeirsson emphasised that Gudmundsson was not taking money out of the club to service the needs of Hansa or any other debts, and that the manager, Gianfranco Zola, and Duxbury do not need to have a fire sale. West Ham have refused to sell Scott Parker or Craig Bellamy for below a handsome price.

"The club has to balance its books, which is normal practice in any business," said Fridgeirsson. "However, the idea is not to sell players and go into a downward spiral." He acknowledged the final pay-out to Sheffield United was "a question mark over the club's valuation" but said West Ham would not be forced into insolvency. Fridgeirsson said there were still parties interested in buying the club. The final word goes to Conn...

West Ham fans can only hope that this defiant talk, of stability in a sea of troubles, is the truth, not just wishful thinking by beleaguered directors blowing pretty bubbles in the air.

Amusingly, the fall-out from the Carlos Tevez affair has led to a further protest from Sheffield United, this time over Sky Sports’ coverage of the saga on their Goals on Sunday programme last weekend. Co-presenter Ian Payne’s said the latest investigation — into West Ham’s conduct after their £5million fine — was due to Sheffield United and West Ham still fighting over what legal action could or could not be taken. This apparently so infuriated the Sheffield United board that they immediately complained to programme producer Adam Chenery about Payne’s comments, which were described as nonsensical.

This comes after Payne and Chenery’s predecessors on the show, Clare Tomlinson and Nigel Dean, were replaced after former Hammers goalkeeper Stephen Bywater was allowed to spell out the C-word on air without a reprimand (see video below!). Sky Sports would not comment on the latest set-to apart from confirming the complaint from Bramall Lane.



On the transfer front, the Telegraph is carrying an article about how Manchester City's January spending spree is heading for anti-climax. Backed by the oil billions of Abu Dhabi and linked with a host of football's biggest names, the transfer window was supposed to see City reveal themselves as the game's new powerhouse. Yet the club's negotiating position, insiders admit, has been weakened considerably by their very public takeover by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. West Ham are said to be one of several clubs holding out for top dollar for their star men, safe in the knowledge that inflated fees will not scare away Hughes and chief executive Garry Cook. The price mentioned in the piece is £12 million for Craig Bellamy and the same for Scott Parker, while it is understood that Blackburn are asking for more than £18 million for Santa Cruz. In effect, City's wealth will force them to pay £15 million extra to two clubs in dire need of cash to swell their coffers.

The Telegraph concludes that the deals for Bellamy, Parker and Santa Cruz, currently at an impasse, are still likely to be completed before the window closes. West Ham and Blackburn are, essentially, employing the same technique as the one used by Tottenham to make sure Manchester United paid the full asking price for Dimitar Berbatov. A small piece in the Times states City are expected to agree a deal to sign Bellamy for about £12 million this week after preparing an improved bid for the Wales forward last night. It also suggests Mark Hughes has given up hope of signing Scott Parker. A snippet in the Independent reveals Bellamy's representatives met West Ham yesterday and are understood to have said that at the age of 29 he should not be held back by a valuation of £15m, the figure at which the Hammers are reportedly ready to sell.

The Mail claims Birmingham are in talks with the club to sign defender Calum Davenport, whose £3million switch to Bolton is off. West Ham have already loaned midfielders Nigel Quashie and Lee Bowyer to Birmingham this season. Speaking of Quashie, Newcastle United manager Joe Kinnear has denied reports linking him with a move for the much maligned midfielder. Yesterday's Mirror printed a story claiming that the cash-strapped North East club were looking to sign the former West Brom midfielder in a deal worth around £500,000. However that suggestion was laughed off by Kinnear, who informed reporters: "There has been talk about us signing Nigel Quashie but there is no truth in it whatsoever, so you can kick that into touch."

Counting The Cost

West Ham United and Manchester City remain a huge distance apart on their valuation of Craig Bellamy, according to a piece in today's Independent. The article states the Hammers are demanding around £15m, with Gianfranco Zola the ultimate arbiter on whether the player will leave. United have reportedly rejected an improved £9.2m bid from City for Welsh striker Craig Bellamy and continue to insist, publicly at least, that he and Scott Parker, another City target, are not for sale.

The latest offer for Bellamy arrived yesterday morning with Eastland officials confident it would be accepted, having had a package for both he and Parker, thought to be in the region of £15m, turned down last week. The Guardian reports that West Ham were once again in belligerent mood and made it clear that any separate deal for Parker, who was outstanding in the 2-2 draw with Newcastle United on Saturday, would also be turned down. Such a stance remains surprising considering the London club's financial plight, concludes Sachin Nakrani. Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson continues to look for a buyer to cover debts incurred following the collapse of the Icelandic bank Landsbanki, in which he had a 41% share, while the impending High Court verdict on the Carlos Tevez could land West Ham with further costs.

Yet insiders insist there is no pressure on manager Gianfranco Zola to sell and claim that the main transfer targets, which also include Matthew Upson and Robert Green, are happy to remain at the club. City are, however, expected to come in again for Bellamy, who has scored four goals in his past four league matches for West Ham, and it is thought a bid closer to £16m could persuade Upton Park officials to part with the 29-year-old, whom they signed for £7.5m from Liverpool in July 2007.

The Independent claims Bellamy appears to want out of Upton Park and though he prefers the idea of a move to Tottenham to City, Mark Hughes' buying power appears to leave him the most likely to secure his countryman. A £15m bid would be a huge deal for a 29-year-old – albeit one who is returning to form – and in readiness for a revised bid from Eastlands, the club already has a short list of three Italian strikers as a contingency. City, meanwhile, are endeavouring to be as realistic as they can in their bids. Hughes has been told that the reputations of the club's senior executives are on the line and they cannot just move in and blow every other club out of the water. But since City are the only club bidding for Bellamy the prospect of them signing him seems good even though he has been told he is under contract.

Hughes believes that Santa Cruz and Bellamy are the answer to his problems in the striker position and, suggests the Telegraph, is unlikely to be put off by a second rejection from the Hammers, who will face a backlash from supporters if the forward is allowed to leave. The City boss has been looking forward to this month since the Abu Dhabi United Group's takeover on Sept 1, but even though his team are struggling at the wrong end of the table, Wayne Bridge, who signed in a £12-million deal from Chelsea last week, has been the only arrival in almost a fortnight since the transfer-window opened. Now, insist the Mirror, United technical director Gianluca Nani has told Manchester City they will have to make an "extraordinary bid" to land Bellamy, Matthew Upson and Scott Parker.

Elsewhere, Luis Boa Morte has been given permission to speak with Hull City, who are hoping a £2m bid will bring him to the KC Stadium. Boa Morte has struggled to hold down a regular first team place at West Ham since his £5m move from Fulham in 2007 and has managed just one goal in 66 appearances at Upton Park. Despite the winger yesterday denying any knowledge of a possible transfer, Hull City manager Phil Brown today revealed he is hopeful of completing the signing by the end of the week. "We have made progress, things are ongoing," Brown said. "The clubs have agreed terms on Luis Boa Morte and we are trying to agree terms on Kevin Kilbane, on a personal front as well."

After a bright start to their debut season in the Premier League, which included victory at Arsenal, Hull are currently on a run of just one win in 12 games. Brown is hoping to tie up the deals for 31-year-old Boa Morte and Kilbane, also 31, before Saturday's return clash with Arsenal and has not ruled out further signings in January. Speaking ahead of Hull's FA Cup third round replay with Newcastle on Wednesday, Brown added: "They can't play any part in the Newcastle game but hopefully by Thursday or Friday they will bear some fruit.We said at the start of the season we wanted to flood the place with Premier League quality and both those players have it in abundance. To get that quality of player in to Hull City would be great for the football club. I would like in an ideal world maybe three or four players in and three or four out - but it is not an ideal world. If there are some players out there you can get hold of and they will strengthen the situation, it is always good to go and get hold of them. To freshen the place up wouldn't be a bad thing. We are looking to bring a striker in and we are looking to bring another defender in."

Another piece of good news, with the Mirror insisting Nigel Quashie is set to become the latest bargain buy at cash-strapped Newcastle. The Scottish international midfielder is approaching the end of a three-month loan from West Ham in the Championship with Birmingham. When it officially expires after the weekend Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear wants to move for the combative 'ace', who is available for around £500,000. The paper states Quashie's preference for a move to Premier League Newcastle is a blow to City, who would have been interested in doing a deal themselves. Meanwhile it looks like Birmingham are about to renew their interest in Calum Davenport, now he is not moving to Bolton. "I will have to pose the question to (managing director) Karren Brady, she had been talking with West Ham United and we left our proposal with them," Alex McLeish told the Birmingham Mail.

One player staying should be Herita Ilunga with Gianfranco Zola ready to hand the on-loan defender a two-year contract to keep him at West Ham. The 26-year-old has impressed for the Hammers since making the move to Upton Park from Toulouse in September and grabbed his first goal for the club in last weekend's FA Cup win over Barnsley. Ilunga's agent Daniel Striani stated last week that his client was growing impatient with the lack of progress over a new deal but Zola is desperate to keep hold of the Democratic Republic of Congo left-back and says Ilunga is one player he wants to retain at Upton Park. "Ilunga is one of the players we want to keep," said Zola. "He has been performing fantastically since the beginning and we want to keep him. We really trust him and he's not going to leave. I can tell you he's not going to leave and I think the club will go to him soon and offer him a new deal."

The Hammers appear to be ready to thrash out terms with the Toulousain at a time when Liverpool have emerged as a possible intereted party. French daily L’Equipe claim that Rafa Benitez is interested in luring the African out of East London, but Striani has rubbished the news. Speaking exclusively to Setanta, he said: "This Liverpool rumour is rubbish, and I’m glad you called me to check this, because there’s a lot of speculation surrounding Herita Ilunga’s future. What he wants to do is remain a West Ham player, and West Ham have first option to sign him. The player is waiting to know what they are going to do, and I can categorically tell you that these rumours about Liverpool or whatever other Premier League club are wrong. It’s up to West Ham, because the player is well-adjusted within the club, in harmony, and he wishes to stay. But you know I don’t have a crystal ball and don’t know what’s going to happen in the end."

Whether Gianfranco Zola is around long enough to conclude the Ilunga deal is another matter. SkyBet list the Italian, who has only been in charge at the Boleyn Ground since September as fourth favourite to be the next Premier League manager to depart despite his United side enjoying a recent run of good form. Zola, who made comments about his future before Christmas, has been given reassurances by the board that he will not be forced to sell key squad members during the transfer window. However that promise appears to have been ignored by large sections of the media and also the bookies, who still feel that things may come to a head before the end of the month. Joint favourites to go next are Chelsea boss Phil Scolari and Mark Hughes at Manchester City (5/2). Tony Adams, whose Portsmouth side are in freefall having been forced to sell their best players in recent months is listed at 11/4 whilst Zola is at 8/1. You can also get 16s for Middlesbrough's Gareth Southgate, Newcastle's Joe Kinnear and on no further managerial departures whilst the three rank outsiders are Alex Ferguson, Martin O'Neill and David Moyes, all 100/1.

Lastly, new research for Virgin Money shows as many as one in four season ticket holders are considering cancelling their tickets, with a further one in 10 season ticket holders planning to share the cost with friends as recession fears bite football. This latest research coincides with the launch of the latest figures from Virgin Money's Football Fans Inflation Index, which has been tracking matchday costs for three years. The average cost of a matchday currently stands at £95.60 - 22.6% higher than at the start of the index. The Football Supporters Federation is warning that many fans are turning to television to watch football as even the Premiership counts the cost of spiralling prices. Interestingly, West Ham United is fingered as one of the most at risk clubs of losing season ticket holders.

Research among 3,887 Premiership and Football League fans shows the cost squeeze is hitting all levels of the game but the pain is particularly acute in the Premiership. At West Ham United, Blackburn and Newcastle United as many as 37 per cent of season ticket holders are said to be having second thoughts about renewing. Even fans of Premiership and European champions Manchester United are feeling the pinch with 36 per cent considering giving up season tickets. However fans of Wigan are most likely to stay loyal – just 14 per cent are considering giving up their season tickets while 18 per cent of Stoke, Sunderland and West Brom fans are thinking of giving up season tickets.

Virgin Money’s Grant Bather said: "The recession is starting to bite football as fans count the cost of following the game. The game has been lucky so far but it looks like the winning run is over and the crunch is on the way. Football fans are legendarily loyal but when people are worried about losing their jobs something has to give and spending on season tickets is going to bear the brunt as supporters look to save money. No sector of the economy is immune from the downturn and clubs will have to start thinking about ways to make it easier for fans. To be fair there are signs that some clubs are responding but more needs to be done."

Malcolm Clarke, Chairman of the Football Supporters Federation, commented: "Over the last 15 years football inflation has consistently exceeded ordinary inflation and the industry may well now pay the price for its short-sightedness in allowing that to happen. At the end of the day watching football is a leisure activity and it would be very surprising if it was immune from the sharp effects of the recession, particularly at the top end of the game where prices are so high. Premiership fans know that these days they can watch almost any game in the pub for the price of a couple of pints, and this is becoming an increasingly attractive alternative for many."

PREMIERSHIP CLUB PERCENTAGE CONSIDERING CANCELLING SEASON TICKETS
West Ham 37%
Blackburn 37%
Newcastle 37%
Man Utd 36%
T*ttenham 34%
Portsmouth 31%
Bolton 31%
Man City 31%
Portsmouth 31%
Everton 27%
Aston Villa 26%
Chelsea 26%
Arsenal 24%
Middlesbrough 24%
Fulham 22%
Hull 20%
Stoke City 18%
Sunderland 18%
West Brom 18%
Wigan 14%

Ask Dr Stupid

Martin Samuel began his first day of work over at the Mail this morning and he has already commenced the arduous process of sucking out the anti-West Ham venom that has poisoned that publication for so long. You never know, the football segment of the sports section might actually become the first semi-palatable part of the newspaper ever. It's not a bad start...

With the announcement of a second Premier League investigation, some think the Carlos Tevez affair is getting stupid. Not quite. The day Lord Griffiths, 85, decided he could predict and measure in points the precise impact an individual player had on the football season, it got stupid.

When his panel processed the views expressed in a match report written by the chief football writer of The Daily Telegraph as if it were fact, not opinion, stupidity was pretty high on the agenda, too.

Indeed, at the moment when an independent committee first hit West Ham United with the biggest fine in the history of the Premier League, then announced they would have done something far worse had only they got their backsides in gear earlier, the Tevez inquiry pretty much decked common sense with a flying head-butt.

So to have a further investigation based on the meaning of an oral cuddle between Scott Duxbury, the West Ham chief executive, and Kia Joorabchian, owner of Tevez, cannot be classed simply as stupid.

It is post-stupid, in the way some TV shows are described as post-modern when concerned with ironic self-reference and absurdity.

Indeed, one such post-modern cartoon, the wonderful Ren and Stimpy, made by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi, actually contained a segment entitled Ask Dr Stupid, with foolish logic that pre-empted the Tevez inquiry by a good 15 years.

Yet, somehow even a psychotic chihuahua and his idiot fat Manx cat accomplice never got quite as stupid as this lot.

In keeping with the positive vibe, the same paper suggests Gianfranco Zola is expected to sign Paraguayans Nelson Amarilla and Juan Aguilar at the end of their trial. Amarilla, 20, a defender, and Juan Aguilar, 19, a midfielder, play for Guarani in Paraguay but have had a week of training in east London. According to the article, the West Ham manager said the club had yet to make a decision but he thought the Hammers would want them both to stay. "The project is to make a team capable of a high level," he said. "We cannot compete by spending £200million so we have to do it through getting young players. Not all the time we will be looking abroad. We have good young English players here like Freddie Sears and Mark Noble and we are trying to improve them.' Fair enough, the quote does not exactly corroborate the story but who am I to quibble? May the Boleyn reverberate to exuberant galopas.

Elsewhere Alan Pardew revealed yesterday that he had little or no respect for former West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson and that his exit was the best thing to ever happen to the club. Following a takeover by an Icelandic consortium, led by Magnusson at the start of the 2006/07 season, Pardew left the club and now admits he had "no relationship" with the Icelandic businessman. Speaking on Goals On Sunday he said Magnusson had unrealistic expectations and ideas about transfer policy and his subsequent departure was a good thing for West Ham.

"The big problem of course at West Ham was when Eggert came in, who I had no respect for and no relationship with," he said. "That was never going to end or start well. He never showed me much respect to be honest. He kept wanting to buy eight different positions, but the first time I spoke to him I said I didn't really need that many. He wanted to buy the world. I thought he was a bit naive and the best thing to happen to West Ham is that he's no longer there. I just feel at that time he was not really understanding how it worked."

Pardew said the takeover, which took place during the club's second season back in the Premier League, unsettled everybody at the club and was one of the reasons why they flirted with relegation that year. He recalled: "In our second year in the Premiership, which is always a tricky year, we had a takeover and it really caused havoc to be honest. It unsettles you. Everybody becomes wary of their position. Is the manager still going to be here? Are the players and the staff going to change? Everyone gets a little bit nervous. I've had three takeovers in my managerial career, which isn't particularly long. The first part of the West Ham takeover was slightly contrived because Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano were involved."

The signings of Tevez and Mascherano have certainly caused plenty of controversy and Pardew admitted that their arrivals caused problems for him in terms of team selection. He insisted he wanted to sign players in other positions, but was unable to do so because of the takeover, and felt the arrival of Tevez and Mascherano complicated things further at the club. He continued: "Up until that point we hadn't signed anybody in that window and I was getting very concerned. There were two or three positions I really wanted to fill. The board were obviously wanting the club to be taken over and I was not aware of some of the conversations that were going on at that time. At the end of the window I was told there was a chance of getting these two world-class players, but not in the positions I particularly wanted to fill if I'm totally honest. But I wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to manage two players I'd watched in the World Cup that summer. I was going to bring them in. We didn't actually fill the positions I wanted to. We had a weakness in the squad that unfortunately came out to play massively as the season progressed. Those two players were absolutely outstanding but Tevez hadn't played for eight months because of a ban and a problem at his former club and they were both not quite ready. We tried to introduce them, I think there was a bit of animosity and we had takeovers. It was a very complicated situation. They weren't expecting to play. I have to say they were both brilliant professionals in their time at West Ham. But every time I introduced them unfortunately nothing really worked for us and it didn't kick on, which was a shame. Tevez did show, especially towards the end, what he was all about. He played a big, big part in saving them from relegation."

The controversy over the legality of those signings refuses to die down and this week the FA and the Premier League revealed they are to launch a fresh inquiry into the affair. Pardew says he was not party to the contract negotiations, but feels the situation should have been dealt with by now. He added: "That's a nonsense because that was dealt with. In all honesty it should be dead and buried now. It all sounds so ridiculous. Something went on there that no-one really has got to the bottom of and this money situation which is supposed to be transferred from West Ham to Sheffield United, how are they going to agree on that? I've not been party to the contract situation that was there. I always felt that as part of West Ham, which I was at that time, I had some responsibility for that. But I wasn't party to those decisions and I'm still not. I still haven't seen those contracts so I wouldn't know in all honesty."

On a separate note, and with the world’s attention focused on the bloody conflict in Gaza, it was inevitable that some United related footballer somewhere would dip his toe into the maelstrom with something other than the usual bland “let’s all pray for peace” schtick. On this occasion it was not Di Canio or Pa(i)ntsil, but former Hammers sulk-meister Frédéric Kanouté. On Wednesday, while celebrating a goal against Deportivo La Coruña, he lifted his jersey to reveal a T-shirt that read “Palestine”. Note, observes Gabriele Marcotti, it didn’t read “May my Palestinian brothers drive the Israelis into the sea” or “Hamas: More Rockets Please” or even just “Free Palestine”. Simply “Palestine”. Despite receiving support from Raphael Schultz, Israel’s ambassador to Spain, who said that he did not consider Kanouté’s “gesture as an incitement to violence”, the former Hamas (see what I did there?) striker was fined just under £3,000. Then again, the Spanish FA had little choice: regulations state that “revealing messages of a religious or political nature on the pitch is strictly prohibited during the time of play.”

Talking of controversial figures, the Times are reporting Frank McAvennie has been given a four-month suspended jail sentence after he admitted fighting outside a bar on the Isle of Man. The ex-Celtic and United striker head-butted a man outside the Aperitivo wine bar in Loch Promenade, Douglas, on July 4. The High Bailiffs' Court in Douglas heard that McAvennie asked security guards to remove local man Ian Moffitt, 23, from the bar as he felt threatened by him. Sergeant John Manley told the court the two men then clashed on the street "first with words, then pushing each other and throwing ineffectual punches" before McAvennie head-butted Mr Moffitt. Ah, you can take the boy out of Glasgow, but...

McAvennie was on the island to take part in a Manchester United versus Liverpool legends charity match at the Bowl sports stadium, but missed the game following his arrest. McAvennie's advocate, Jerry Carter, said the footballer had not intended violence and was provoked. "The defendant called security staff to have Mr Moffitt removed, and has accepted that he over-reacted and used too much force but he clearly felt he was threatened at the time," he said. "These are not the actions of someone who was out looking for trouble, but someone who felt he was on the horns of a dilemma and was trying to deal with it." Michael Moyle, the High Bailiff, sentenced McAvennie to four months in prison, suspended for a period of two years. He also ordered him to pay court costs of £113.70, but said he was not to be permanently excluded from the island.

Back to the current team and midfielder Luis Boa Morte is reportedly unaware of interest from Hull City, according to his agent. The Portuguese attacker has been strongly linked with a switch to the KC Stadium in the January transfer window, having struggled for regular football at Upton Park. Tigers boss Phil Brown is in the market for a left-sided player and has conceded his admiration for the 31-year-old. Both clubs, however, are insistent that no agreement has been reached. Amadeu Paixao, the former Portugal international's agent, said: "We have read in the newspapers that Hull are interested but we don't know anything about it. This club we do not know. Nobody has contacted us to allow Hull to talk to us, nothing has been said to us."

The Hammers are thought to be keen to offload some of their fringe players to reduce both the wage bill and size of Gianfranco Zola's squad. Boa Morte, who moved to West Ham in a £5million switch from Fulham in 2007, would not appear to be keen to quit the East End. Paixao added: "He has never mentioned that he wants to leave West Ham. He has a house near the training ground, a wife and two kids. He is very happy there." Not to mention his vociferous 30,000 strong fan club that turn up to encourage him every other week.

Similarly content is Valon Behrami, who admitted to having mixed emotions after West Ham United fought out an entertaining 2-2 Premier League draw at Newcastle United. Speaking on the offical site, Behrami said he and his team-mates had ultimately been left disappointed not to secure three points at St James' Park. "It was a strange game because we lost the first half one-nil and won the second half two-one. I think the emotion I felt when the game was finished was disappointment because we could have won the game. If we had won, we would have been in a very, very good position. I think we showed the right mentality but we should not be happy with this result."

While in the past West Ham United might have been happy with a point on Tyneside, the Hammers went north on a run of five away matches undefeated and full of confidence. As a result, the 23-year-old admitted he and his team-mates felt they had missed an opportunity to win at Newcastle for the first time since 1998. "I think this is a good moment for us. Everybody gave their all to get the result. Maybe we would have been happier with this point earlier in the season but we had a lot of opportunities to close the game so we are little bit disappointed. We have to carry on doing what we are doing and we'll be OK. In the first half we were thinking if we could draw it would be OK but after half-time we wanted the three points. We had the chances to win the game. We have to improve."

Finally, as I write this, Sky Sports News are reporting the club have rejected a renewed offer for Craig Bellamy from Manchester City. Reassuringly, chief news reporter Bryan Swanson understands City's second bid was for £9million but Hammers chief executive Scott Duxbury still maintains the club do not need to sell their best players during the winter transfer window. Given that numerous reports in the media this morning have variously estimated the players value to be between £10 and £15, that hardly seems over generous from the Abu Dhabi United Group. Isn't there a striker in Seville who would be a cheaper, fitter, equally moody but slightly more politically sympathetic option? And in the meantime, in the words of Phill Jupitus, if somebody could please close that window, there’s a terrible draught blowing round Upton Park...

*You can see the Pardew interview here.

Banking On Survival

West Ham's future will be decided by an overseas bank and not by the new Carlos Tevez inquiry, insists Daniel King in the latest propaganda piece in the Mail. A big-name overseas bank is controlling the process of selling West Ham because they are the largest creditor in a consortium of five institutions owed a total of £42million by the club. Potential bidders, including the overseas party with a long-standing takeover interest, have reportedly been directed to speak to the lead bank rather than the club or Icelandic owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson.

The decision by the FA and Premier League to open a new inquiry into the relationship linking West Ham, Tevez and his 'owners' MSI at the end of the 2006-07 season will delay any sale, because the outcome will have an impact on the level of compensation an independent tribunal will order West Ham to pay Sheffield United. That, in turn, will affect how much Gudmundsson can ask for the club and how much any interested party are willing to pay for West Ham. Yet it is the banks, rather than Gudmundsson or the Icelandic administrators for the club's holding company, Hansa, who will vet buyers. The article states they will have to decide whether to allow a new owner to inherit the debts or demand that they are paid off as part of the club changing hands, now believed unlikely before the summer.

The board are rumoured to be taking a calculated gamble by selling fringe players like Matthew Etherington - rather than cashing in on bigger names like Craig Bellamy - in order to keep the club in the Premier League this season and make themselves attractive to potential buyers. Selling the winger and others will slightly reduce the £42m debt, but the determination to keep Bellamy, Scott Parker and Matthew Upson, rather than slash borrowings by selling, reflects a belief that boss Gianfranco Zola can beat relegation this term.

To that end, Zola has declared himself "very confident" of hanging on to his star players in the transfer window despite another week in which the likes of Craig Bellamy and Scott Parker have been linked with moves elsewhere. Zola watched Bellamy shine in his side's 2-2 draw with Newcastle at St James' Park and sought to bring an end to speculation that he will be off-loaded as part of a rumoured Hammers fire sale.

"I am very confident because this club is determined to improve and it's not true we want to sell our best players," he said. "The way we are playing and training this club deserves to be in a better position. Being a footballer I know it's not easy when you have so many words around you to concentrate and perform, but they are outstanding and I would say their performances have gone even higher in this period.''

And Zola reserved special praise for the performance of Bellamy who returned to his former club and ignored the boos of the home fans to net the Hammers' opener in the first half. "If you see the way Craig moves about the pitch it is fantastic. He is an exemplary professional and he has performed very, very well -- not only him but everybody. Considering the way we played I am a bit disappointed we didn't win the game but we were playing against a very good team. But I think my team deserved a little bit more than that."

In other news, United have turned down offers from Coventry and Watford to take teen stars Freddie Sears and James Tomkins on loan according to this morning's News of the World. Striker Sears is struggling to make a breakthrough this term after a scoring debut against Blackburn last March, while fellow England under-19 star Tomkins featured in the Hammers’ defence in last week’s FA Cup victory over Barnsley, after a successful loan spell at Derby. Both 19-year-olds are highly rated by boss Gianfranco Zola and recently signed long-term deals.

In a throw-away item in the Sunday Mirror, Arsenal are credited with an interest in Jack Collison. The Sunday People claim West Ham are demanding £2million for Lucas Neill after putting his Upton Park future at risk by offering him a cut-price contract. The Star think Manchester City will increase Scott Parker's wages by £22,000 a week if they can prise the England international from West Ham.

Elsewhere, garrulous Galic midfielder Julien Faubert has been nattering again about how flattering it is to be linked with a move to Lyon. Sky Sports reports that the French champions are believed to be lining up a move for Faubert in the January transfer window after watching him in action recently. Faubert has struggled to make an impact at Upton Park since his £6.1million arrival from Bordeuax in the summer of 2007. Nantes and Rangers have also been linked with the player and the 'versatile performer' (he can mishit a pass equally well from anywhere on the pitch) admits a move to Lyon is an attractive proposition as it could boost his chance of winning a place in the France squad. "It is flattering for me to know that Lyon have been coming to watch me," Faubert is quoted as saying. "I think about the France national team and the 2010 World Cup every single day. I've had a taste of international football, and I miss it. Maybe a return to France would help me win a recall."

Similarly loquacious is FIFA agent Claudio Pasqualin, who blurted out yesterday that Gianfranco Zola would love to bring Mario Balotelli to West Ham United and keeps calling up the teenage striker to persuade him to move to the Premier League. However, Zola has rushed to quash the rumours and aimed a sideswipe at Pasqualin. "I never had the pleasure of making Pasqualin’s acquaintance and I don’t think he acts as Balotelli’s representative to make such statements, which I thoroughly refute," Corriere dello Sport quotes the West Ham boss as saying. "I have never called Balotelli, as I have the utmost respect for Inter and his boss, and I would never tap up their players. The last time I spoke with Balotelli was when he wished me luck on my new adventure at West Ham; transfer market issues are not my responsibility, as our director of sport Gianluca Nani takes care of it."

Inter President Massimo Moratti has repeatedly stated that Balotelli will stay put during the January transfer window, but press reports in the peninsula continue to speculate that his future lies away from the Stadio San Siro. Of course, what we mean when we say 'press reports' is actually periphrastic non-football agents looking to score a quick payday.

Newcastle United 2 West Ham United 2

Newcastle Fight Back For Draw by Brian Doogan

Michael Owen's redemption is still some way off, even though he scored his 10th goal of the season. Newcastle, seemingly in perpetual crisis, had to rely on Andy Carroll, who scored his first competitive goal for the club four days after he turned 20, to avoid defeat against West Ham, with Shay Given’s goalkeeping again proving vital... Sunday Times

Joe Kinnear Receives Crumbs Of Comfort by Oliver Brown

Newcastle United are by their own admission enduring a wretched month of transfer window headlines, and yet this was an occasion for manager Joe Kinnear to appreciate his most treasured assets. Cries of "there's only one Shay Given" resounded from the Gallowgate as the disgruntled Irish goalkeeper contrived one of the saves of the season to thwart Valon Behrami, while Michael Owen, ignoring conjecture over a refusal to renew his contract with a fine finish, delivered the perfect riposte to Jose Mourinho's claim last week that he was "no longer the Owen we all knew."... Sunday Telegraph

Carroll Saves Toon Point With Late Header by Daniel King

The Newcastle fans are stuck with their own 'Cockney Mafia' but Andy Carroll's first goal for the club ensured West Ham did not take all three points back to the East End. Among the unpopular decisions made by the Mike Ashley regime was the decision to drop Mark Knopfler's 'Theme from Local Hero' as the music to which teams emerge on matchday, but it was restored at the start of this season and Gateshead boy Carroll scored a deserved late equaliser in the crisis-club 'derby'... Mail on Sunday

Carroll spoils Hammers game of patience by Michael Walker

If January is about persuading wallets to open just that little bit more than the owners would like, then Manchester City's scout will have left St James' Park to inform his superiors that money may need to talk: he witnessed three strong arguments yesterday. Shay Given, Craig Bellamy and Scott Parker each gave fresh reasons why any club, not just City, would want them. Given made two vital saves, one fantastic, Bellamy scored a sweet equaliser and Parker drove the game from midfield with energy and invention... Independent on Sunday

Carroll Makes Point With Leap Into Limelight by Philip Dorwood

"There's probably no God." Newcastle and West Ham fans don't need the help of a new atheist advertising campaign on the side of buses to tell them this; merely following their teams this season requires the patience of a saint. Financially and strategically, the football deities are not looking too kindly on either of these clubs at the minute. Even if generous applause did meet the curtailment of this fitfully entertaining match, come the witching hour at the end of the season West Ham could still regret not collecting all the points here when they should have. Newcastle may be glad of the draw, especially as eight first-team injuries have left them looking more ravaged than a Woolworths store on its final day, but just now they remain unconvincing... Observer

Kid Carroll's On Song With Debut Pointer by Clive Hetherington

Christmas is long gone – but the Carroll singers were still out in force on Tyneside last night. Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear handed Andy Carroll his full home debut and the raw 20-year-old responded with his first senior goal to rescue a point after 78 minutes with a towering header from Damien Duff’s left-wing cross... Sunday Express

Witch Hunts

The Carlos Tévez Affair escalated last night, with Fulham considering a compensation claim against West Ham United should it be proved that the East London club breached further Premier League rules. The Times reports Fulham, and possibly Wigan Athletic, are looking into whether they are entitled to additional prize-money that they would have received had West Ham not finished directly above them at the end of the 2006-07 season. In Fulham’s case, the figure would amount to about £500,000. The Hammers are said to be confident that no further charges will be brought after the FA and Premier League ordered a fresh inquiry into the Tévez affair. The new investigation will focus on assurances made by the club to the League that ensured that Tévez was able to play in the final three matches of the 2006-07 two years ago.

West Ham were fined £5.5 million in April 2007 by an independent tribunal, set up by the League, for an admitted breach of rules in the transfer of Tévez. Sheffield United claimed that the Argentina striker’s goals were instrumental in West Ham’s survival in the 2006-07 season. Despite sources close to the case insisting that West Ham were told they would face no further charges, the League has denied that this was the case. "As announced yesterday, the Premier League and the FA have instituted a joint inquiry into the views expressed by the Independent Arbitral Tribunal chaired by Lord Griffiths," the League said in a statement. "The inquiry will examine whether the conduct of West Ham United immediately after the Independent Disciplinary Commission’s decision of 27 April 2007 amounted to further breaches of Premier League or FA Rules. It is categorically not the case that the club has been informed that no charges will flow, as suggested in The Times yesterday. If there is any evidence of wrongdoing by any party, this will be pursued by the relevant regulatory authority."

'Honest' Dave Whelan believes that the truth (or his version of it) may finally emerge after spending two years campaigning. The Wigan chairman has been an outspoken critic of West Ham and the League over its handling of the Tévez transfer. In May 2007, Whelan called for the resignation of Sir Dave Richards, the Premier League chairman, and Richard Scudamore, the chief executive. However, he said that he has raised the issue during regular meetings of the chairmen and his efforts have been rewarded.

"I have been pushing Scudamore and Richards to look into this and to their credit they have been pushing to do that," Whelan said. "I was asked by them if I had some patience and wait for them to investigate. I backed off and what they said came to fruition. I believe that Sheffield United have been very badly treated." Whelan admitted that only Fulham supported the battle. "A lot of the clubs wanted it swept under the table," Whelan revealed. "They never backed Fulham and us up. The big clubs say, ‘Let sleeping dogs lie’. People want a smooth ride. I feel sorry for West Ham fans but justice must seen to be done."

The Hammers fear they have become the subject of a witch-hunt over the Carlos Tevez affair, but are convinced they will be cleared of further wrongdoing. Specifically, the club believe that they are victims in a power struggle between the FA and Premier League and have questioned the timing of the announcement of an inquiry, because it comes four months after an arbitration panel ruled that the club were liable to compensate Sheffield United.

The club have now been given 14 days to submit any evidence before the FA and League consider whether there is a case to answer. There remains confidence at Upton Park that far from weakening them further, the new probe will end up strengthening their case in the ongoing dispute over compensation with Sheffield United. United also remain privately confident that the length of any fresh inquiry will rule out any possible points deduction this season. However, the club are furious that the launch of what they feel is a pointless new inquiry will encourage more solvent clubs circling around their top names to redouble their efforts to prise the players away.

There is also concern at board level that the inquiry will jeopardise Gudmundsson’s ability to sell the club. The Hammers had said to have attracted five interested parties after being put up for sale by owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson before Christmas. But after Thursday’s announcement of a joint Football Association and Premier League inquiry raised the prospect of a possible points deduction, any sale now looks unlikely. Gudmundsson’s business empire has taken a hit of £250million in the credit crunch, while Sheffield United’s pursuit for compensation over their relegation in 2007 is another bill ready to land before the season is out. West Ham were prepared to accept less than the £250m valuation, but now a removal from the market now seems the likeliest option.

While the Hammers remain frustrated with the timing of the new inquiry, which comes while they are trying to defend their best assets from predatory approaches during the transfer window, they are at least confident that the legal process will drag on beyond the end of this season, thereby saving them from any possible points deduction this term. And following an investigation into Sheffield United’s books, West Ham’s accountants now estimate the Blades suffered losses of only £8m and not the £50m they claim.

The Mirror's Brian Reade thinks he has the answer to the entire mess. Writing in his column today he states:

The most feared phrase in the English language outside of "surprise visitors" is "the Tevez Affair". And it's coming at us from two angles. Will the FA/won't the FA bankrupt West Ham over him, and will he/won't he join Real Madrid if Fergie doesn't cave in to his pay demands?

Here's a solution. Kia Joorabchian, who holds the economic rights to Tevez, wants £32million from Manchester United and Sheffield United want roughly the same from West Ham who may be worth about £32m if saddled with a crippling points deduction.

So why not send Tevez from Old Trafford to Bramall Lane and give West Ham to Joorabchian?

United would be chuffed as Real miss out. Joorabchian couldn't do worse than the current West Ham owners and the Blades surely won't complain about the £32m price tag as they believe Tevez is the sole reason they are not earning that amount in the top flight.

Elsewhere, an exclusive in the same paper has Craig Bellamy on his way to Manchester City – after boss Mark Hughes made a new £10million bid to see off Tottenham. According to Alan Nixon, the Welsh ace, 29, should be reunited with his old Wales and Blackburn Rovers manager over the weekend as West Ham prepare to accept the new offer. City’s bid is said to include cash up front plus extra money in bonuses, and the Hammers seem sure to sell him and then keep hold of as many of their other players as possible.

Hughes has been backed to buy Bellamy by his club’s money men, but they have yet to increase their offers for team-mates Scott Parker and Matthew Upson, while moves for Kolo Toure and Roque Santa Cruz are uncertain. Bellamy’s way to Manchester was cleared as City finally made a bid for him alone – and put in a valuation better than Harry Redknapp’s Spurs, who were still in the hunt despite signing Jermain Defoe. Hammers will let the striker know their decision today but it looks likely that he is going to team up with Hughes again – and gives the club’s coffers a badly-needed boost. The article suggests West Ham’s strategy is to keep Parker and Upson and sell just one of their so-called superstars, making the books balance by letting other fringe men go.

Confusingly, the Guardian insists Bellamy would prefer to join ­Tottenham Hotspur rather than Manchester City and faces a stand-off with West Ham United if he is to leave the club, because City can offer a far bigger fee for the striker. The paper claims City have "made two substantial bids and are desperate to sign" the Wales international, citing an Upton Park executive, who confirms that Spurs have still not made an offer. Tottenham are understood to be keeping only a watching brief on Bellamy after signing Jermain Defoe this week.

Bellamy, though, reportedly does not want to leave for City despite the presence of Mark Hughes, his former Blackburn Rovers and Wales manager, who is keen to pair him with Roque Santa Cruz if he can prise the Paraguayan from Ewood Park. It is thought Bellamy believes a move to Spurs would give him a better chance of regular first-team football as he fears becoming lost in a City squad which is bound to increase in depth and quality as the billionaire Abu Dhabi owners continue to spend. Tottenham are said to be keen to avoid a bidding war that only City can win, while West Ham believe that Hughes is likely to make a third offer early next week.

Having now sold Matthew Etherington to Stoke City for £2m, loaned Lee Bowyer to Birmingham City and with Calum Davenport's possible departure (Bolton are today rumoured to have pulled out after landing Zenit St Petersburg's Sebastien Puygrenier on loan instead), West Ham are maintaining they will not be forced to sell any of their best players. Yet the club accept Bellamy is the most likely to leave of a group that also includes Robert Green, Matthew Upson and Scott Parker. While the 29-year-old is keen to depart because of an 18 months in which he has made only 19 league starts, the same article suggests there is a feeling in east London that he has under performed since joining from Liverpool for £7.5m.

According to a curious article in The Express, Gianfranco Zola has been told he will have to rebuild his West Ham squad from scratch in the summer – regardless of the result of the Premier League’s new Carlos Tevez inquiry. As you might expect from that particular newspaper, what passes as sports journalism here is actually substance-free sensationalist conjecture based on a spurious worst case scenario hypothesis. The cash-strapped Hammers face the threat of a heavy fine or a points deduction and still have Sheffield United’s compensation claim hanging over them. But whatever happens with the two investigations, Zola has supposedly be warned that his current playing staff will largely be sold off and he will have to build a new team in preparation for next season.

One questionable bright-spot on this bleak Saturday sees Lucas Neill happy to stay with the club. A piece in the Sydney Morning Herald explains how that photograph of Socceroo Lucas Neill at an AC Milan training session in Dubai last weekend was framed by more fiction than fact. Neill's appearance at a training camp for the Italian side in Dubai during the Serie A winter break was widely reported as evidence the Socceroo was poised to quit West Ham United to join David Beckham and Ronaldinho at Milan.

However, The Sun-Herald reveals Neill was in Dubai on a club-sanctioned trip and was accompanied by a West Ham physiotherapist during his stay in the Middle East. The West Ham captain was invited to watch Milan's training session, close to where Neill was staying, by friend and former Socceroos teammate Zeljko Kalac, one of the Italian team's goalkeepers.

"Lucas was given permission to take four or five days off by West Ham and they even assigned one of their physio team to look after him for a few days," said Neill's agent, Paddy Dominguez. "Lucas knows Zeljko Kalac very well and he was invited by him to come along and watch training. Milan made some enquiries about Lucas previously but that was a year and a half ago. We haven't spoken to them recently about him going there or playing there. The truth is that he was there to see a mate."

With the new year ushering in speculation season, Neill has been linked with a move from West Ham during the January transfer window. With six months left on his contract he is free to talk to other clubs ahead of becoming a free agent in June and speculation has suggested West Ham may seek to sell him for a fee while they can. However, Dominguez said neither Neill nor West Ham had signalled any intention to part ways, contradicting newspaper reports that suggested last week Neill had been told by West Ham he "will not be getting a new deal" and "he can leave the club for free in the January transfer window".

"Lucas will be staying for the rest of his contract," Dominguez said. "He is happy at West Ham and West Ham is happy with Lucas. He has no intention of leaving and he has been told they have no intention of letting him go." As a defender who may be available to other clubs for free in six months, any potential sale of Neill would be unlikely to generate sufficient funds to make a sale worthwhile for West Ham. The only reason they may consider shedding Neill during the transfer window would be to slash their wage bill. Neill does have potential suitors though. Following Harry Kewell's transfer to Galatasaray, the Turkish club also made an approach for Neill - Kewell's close friend - but was rebuffed by West Ham even though a considerable fee was touted.

Back on the pitch and Zola insists he loves playing away from home — as he hopes to make it the joy of six. United travel to Newcastle today aiming to extend their unbeaten run on the road to half a dozen games, and the Hammers boss says the results — two wins and three draws — have given him a renewed passion for his job. He said: "I’m very pleased with the away form and the team looks solid. The confidence is coming back to everybody — even the manager! What we need to do is put a bit more distance between us and the clubs behind us. But Newcastle will be tough because they need the points."

Defoe Defies Bruised Hearts Of The Spurned

It hurts that Spurs, rather than West Ham, are the striker's defining club but we must grit our teeth and move on...
By Russell Brand

Behind the enveloping loathing that one feels upon seeing Jermain Defoe returning to White Hart Lane is dormant, wounded love. Prompted by unwelcome nostalgia, the mind's eye turns inward and once more it's 1999 and Prince seems pretty upbeat about something and there's young Jermain in claret and blue; fresh-faced, fleet-footed and chip-toothed, a febrile one man hubbub of potential and opportunity, his story yet to unfurl.

To be honest, it was pretty difficult to avoid nostalgia when Defoe, for his on-pitch unveiling last Wednesday, was togged up like an extra from Bugsy Malone — actually not an extra, he was dressed as Baby Face who, if memory serves, was a depression-era itinerant worker expertly played by a tiny Dexter Fletcher in a cloth cap that after hibernating ever since (but for a brief interlude where it shielded us from Mick Hucknall's scalp crimes) burst back on the scene in a blaze of flashbulbs and flash bastards for Tottenham's Carling Cup semi-final against Burnley.

Tottenham are Defoe's defining club, not West Ham, and any feelings of attachment have to be severed; chew through the umbilical cord with gritted teeth and move on. Perhaps Defoe's dental anomalies can be explained by his willingness to gnaw through any bonding that prevents his ambition being fulfilled, like a trapped fox who can only taste freedom after he has first tasted blood, bone and fur and given limb-tribute to his resolute steel captor.

Once perception is exposed as illusion it must be demolished or we cannot leave its throes. Only saints can continue to adore once spurned; when I hear of former girlfriends marrying or having children I am confronted with a world beyond my control – life goes on without me. Ex-players, like ex-girlfriends, should not continue to exist; they should dutifully march into some canyon beyond the known where their triumphs play out in silence and I don't have to witness the children I'll never have and the goals they'll get for Spurs and can remain blithely fixated on the illusion of self.

The reference of the successfully departed is more painful still when the present is so fractious; the Carlos Tevez saga will not die, the investigation into West Ham's employment of the Argentinian continues. The East End hasn't seen such a long-term commitment to eking out justice since the quest to snare Jack the Ripper. While we're raking over the past and persecuting the Hammers, perhaps Lord Griffiths' arbitration committee should reopen the case of that bracelet Bobby Moore was accused of nicking in Colombia before the 1970 World Cup – yes, he was exonerated but perhaps there's more to this. Who knows, perhaps since that day West Ham have been buoyed by a sense of indefatigability and have accrued undeserved points as a result.

Because that is what ultimately has to be ascertained – how many points can one player's contribution be said to have garnered? I would concur that towards the end of the 2006-07 season Tevez's play did aid the team but when he and Javier Mascherano arrived they were a right couple of bumpkin nitwits; they upset everything with their clumsy, South American, unrefined ways. They lambada'd into Upton Park knocking over vases and treading on toes like a pair of swarthy Frank Spencers.

The unrest they caused among the squad and the disharmony provoked between Alan Pardew and the board must've cost points – in fact, I'd like to calculate that it cost six points, a cup run and a jam sandwich and I want them back. Where's my tribunal? I want Lord Griffiths to work out what would've happened if I hadn't taken drugs as a kid, then compensate or penalise me accordingly.

There's justice, then there's the TV show Quantum Leap in which Scott Bakula "quantum leapt" into the past to poke his nose into people's affairs, usually with the best intentions; well I'd like to tell Scott Bakula and Lord Griffiths to fuck right off – not least for his use of the phrase "oral cuddle" when describing alleged behind-the-scenes assurances offered by West Ham's board to Tevez's handlers when the initial inquiry was in progress back in 1892.

If the West Ham CEO, Scott Duxbury, is giving oral cuddles to Tevez's "agent", Kia Joorabchian, then financial irregularities are no longer my primary concern. Sexuality and linguistics must be given precedence.

I'd like to give the possibly soon-to-be-bankrupt chairman, Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, a vocal rimming to assuage his economic adversity, then perhaps a quick verbal nosh job to allay his anxiety at the collapse of Landsbanki, which is one of those foreign words that makes you question whether or not foreigners really have a language or are just taking the piss. "An Icelandic bank? In which West Ham's Icelandic board were heavily invested? And what is it called, pray tell?" Landsbanki? Childish. "And your telephone communications company, what's that called? Phonio-plop-plop?"

Some bloke told me that the Icelandic consortium behind West Ham also invested in the frozen food chain Iceland; as if that wasn't influenced by the fact it's got the same name as their country. What a barmy way to make decisions. What else did they invest in? Ice poles? Vanilla Ice? I suppose we should be grateful that they didn't change the name of West Ham to "Frosty-Brrrr-Gets-Dark-Early United FC". The past cannot be retrieved or rewritten. Defoe, like Harry Redknapp, belongs to Spurs and West Ham's points belong to West Ham just as surely as relegation belonged to Sheffield United when they went down instead of us, and none of this can be undone but ought to be accepted with the agonised resolve of an exhausted, limping fox.

Guardian column

Ghost In The Machine

"The moment of truth, the sudden emergence of a new insight, is an act of intuition. Such intuitions give the appearance of miraculous flushes, or short-circuits of reasoning. In fact they may be likened to an immersed chain, of which only the beginning and the end are visible above the surface of consciousness. The diver vanishes at one end of the chain and comes up at the other end, guided by invisible links."
Arthur Koestler

Officials at West Ham are ruing their decision to tell the withered old crone who turned up at Upton Park selling lucky heather and clothes pegs to sling her hook – the FA and Premier League are to investigate them for the 1,053rd time over that Carlos Tevez business.

It is the story that will not go away, no matter how desperately officials in high places want it to. The Carlos Tevez affair was already grumbling in the background at Upton Park, and adding to the club's financial woes, when it burst back on to centre stage with a vengeance yesterday, reports David Hytner. When the striker was announced as a transfer deadline-day signing in August 2006, together with his fellow Argentine Javier Mascherano, the ripples of shock could be felt around the game. Nobody, however, could have predicted the trail of mayhem that the deal would create. The trail is now burning with scalding intensity and, as they tried to take stock, West Ham had every reason to be extremely concerned.

The club, already contemplating a compensation bill of up to £50m and mired in financial difficulty, could in theory face the crippling prospect of further sanctions – beyond the £5.5m fine imposed by the Premier League in its initial inquiry – after the Football Association and the Premier League yesterday announced a fresh investigation into the protracted affair. If the Hammers are found to have misled the League they could be charged with a breach of rule B13, which requires clubs to act in good faith, and may face a new round of disciplinary hearings and the prospect of further fines. There is even the threat of a possible points deduction (to be made at the start of next season suggests a gleeful Daily Mail) although, speculates the Independent, the possibility of that happening is extremely remote.

The surprise move to launch a new joint inquiry, which will focus on the conduct of West Ham chief executive Scott Duxbury in the wake of the Premier League's original ruling on the matter, is an attempt by the governing bodies finally to draw a line under a damaging and messy dispute. In a statement, the two bodies said yesterday: "The joint inquiry will examine whether the conduct of West Ham United immediately after the independent disciplinary commission's decision of 27 April 2007 amounted to further breaches of Premier League or Football Association rules."

The Guardian states this latest move should be seen in the context of growing pressure from government on footballing authorities to transparently and effectively police the game. West Ham were originally fined £5.5m after admitting breaking Premier League rules relating to third-party ownership of players, but the independent panel convened by the Premier League in April 2007 did not impose a points deduction. After West Ham promised the League that his contract had been torn up, Tevez went on to play a key role in keeping West Ham in the Premier League and condemning a furious Sheffield United to the drop.

Following a series of failed attempts by Sheffield United to have the original verdict overturned, the pendulum swung their way in September when an FA-appointed panel chaired by 85 year old Lord Griffiths ruled that Duxbury had provided Kia Joorabchian, the leader of the consortium that "owned" Tevez and his Argentinian international ­colleague Javier Mascherano, and his lawyer Graham Shear with a series of "oral cuddles". Shear claimed that on two separate occasions, West Ham had agreed privately to honour the agreement they had publicly promised the Premier League they would tear up.

Asked if Duxbury assured Shear that they would not depart from the terms of their deal with MSI, Shear said: "Broadly, yes. West Ham were desperate to ensure that Mr Tevez played for the club in the critical last few games of the season. Whilst having no choice but to adhere to the Premier League's requirements, West Ham wanted to do everything possible to attempt to placate the rights owners."

Shear told the tribunal that West Ham continued to hold an agreement with third-party companies that owned the player’s economic rights. This was despite an assurance to the Premier League that the club had cancelled the contracts in accordance with a request made by the League on the same day that they had fined the club. West Ham were required by the League to terminate the agreement in order to allow the forward, who moved from Corinthians in August 2006, to play for the rest of the season.

Griffiths, in simple terms, branded West Ham liars for what they did after Bourne-Arton had fined them £5.5m and ordered them to rip up the illegal third-party ownership arrangement that they had in place concerning Tevez. Griffiths, who will rule in March on the compensation figure to be paid to Sheffield United in what is a separate civil case, said that Scott Duxbury, who is now West Ham's CEO, had promised to tear up the contentious agreement but privately honour it with Kia Joorabchian, the businessman who represented the third parties who owned Tevez.

"If the Premier League had known what Mr Duxbury for West Ham was saying to Mr Joorabchian's solicitor following the commission decision, we are confident that the Premier League would have suspended Mr Tevez's registration as a West Ham player," said Lord Griffiths' report. "We have no doubt that those [Tevez's] services were worth at least three points to West Ham over the season and were what made the difference between West Ham remaining in the Premier League and being relegated at the end of the season."

The case is complicated by the fact that the Premier League were aware that certain conversations had indeed taken place between Duxbury and the Joorabchian camp. But nobody will feel more uncomfortable than Duxbury if the joint inquiry concludes that Lord Griffiths and his colleagues uncovered evidence that is worthy of further examination. If that is the conclusion this new inquiry reaches, an independent commission would be appointed to examine the events that followed the decision to fine West Ham £5.5m in April 2007. If a commission then found that West Ham or an 'officer' of West Ham was at fault, they would theoretically fall under Premier League regulations.

The appeal panel in 2007, chaired by Sir Philip Otten, had grave reservations about West Ham's actions but they found no errant points of laws upon which to overturn Bourne-Arton's ruling. Sheffield United fought on and pursued West Ham for monies lost in their relegation from the Premier League in 2007 under the Football Association's rule K. In Griffith's subsequent arbitration which, unlike Otton, could take into account West Ham's behaviour immediately after the Bourne-Arton award, he found in favour of Sheffield United. Lawyers for the FA and the Premier League have since poured over Griffiths' findings and they will now consider whether to bring further charges against West Ham.

The Telegraph insist the decision to re-open a case that has been deeply uncomfortable for the Premier League comes as a surprise. Despite acute pressure from Sheffield United and Premier League clubs including Wigan, the League has long insisted that the matter was closed and that West Ham had satisfied the legal requirements of the Premier League rulebook. League sources say the decision to look again at the issue was taken on the advice of legal officials at the Premier League and the FA, but there is scepticism as to whether the inquiry will reach a definitive conclusion. The League also remain convinced that West Ham met the legal requirements of the rulebook by terminating the third-party deal. That prompted MSI to sue, and West Ham eventually settled out-of-court for £2 million, a move that satisfied the League that the club's assurances were genuine. Any ruling that undermined that view would be catastrophic for confidence in the leadership of the League.

The FA and Premier League have come to the view that the conclusions of the arbitration panel, led by Lord Griffiths, have left them with no option but to return to the matter. Their lawyers have written to those involved asking them for written statements and arranging face to face interviews. Those contacted include Shear, Duxbury, former West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson and Kevin McCabe, the Sheffield United chairman who recently renewed his attack on the "poor governance" of the league over the issue. It is also understood that Joorabchian, who later sued West Ham but settled out of court, has also been contacted and welcomes the new inquiry as an opportunity to put his case.

West Ham say that they have “nothing to hide”. They believe that they are caught in a political battle between the FA and Premier League. The League are understood to have told the club that they would face no further charges, and the club continue to back ­Duxbury. Insiders reiterated yesterday that they remained confident that he had behaved properly. In fact, Griffiths' comments caused astonishment at West Ham – and within the Premier League – because there does not appear to be any documentary evidence to back up the claim. As no recordings of the meetings between Duxbury, Joorabchian and Shear appear to exist, it will be hard to prove who said what to whom and when.

West Ham are understood to be confident that they can prove they have committed no further wrong-doing and can provide the evidence to prevent any more action being taken and that they have acted properly since tearing up the third-party agreement. Indeed, sources would point to the legal action taken by Joorabchian to recover money from the club as an indication that they acted as they had promised while there is astonishment that an indication that Tevez could leave the club in the summer in some way represents being guilty of interference. Indeed, players are told all the time that they can move on at the appropriate time. Nevertheless, the investigation cannot be taken lightly and there is the possibility that, if any evidence is found, that individuals could face action.

"We have acted in good faith throughout the various inquiries and investigations into this matter and fulfilled the undertakings given to the Premier League following the initial penalty," said the club in a statement. "We have nothing to hide and will ensure that this is once again reflected in our evidence to the FA and Premier League."

In November, Sheffield United won a high court injunction over West Ham preventing the club from taking its appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne. The injunction lapses in March, when West Ham could try again. Meanwhile, having performed due ­diligence on Sheffield United's books, Lord Griffiths' tribunal is also scheduled to rule in March on the level of compensation due to Sheffield United. The Yorkshire club is claiming up to £50m in lost TV and ­sponsorship revenues, reduced transfer fees and lost gate receipts. Both parties are scheduled to meet to judge how close they are to agreeing a compensation figure, but the process could still linger on until the summer.

The inquiry is more bad news for Björgólfur Gudmundsson, West Ham’s Icelandic owner, who has put the club up for sale. Gudmundsson, who paid about £107 million for West Ham a little more than two years ago, lost hundreds of millions of pounds after the collapse of Landsbanki, the Icelandic bank of which he was chairman and a leading shareholder, in October. West Ham were already a questionable purchase in the short term, but the chances of concluding a takeover now appear dead. West Ham are already fighting off the predators during this month's transfer window on top the threat of a hefty compensation pay-out to Sheffield United. The decision by the Football Association and Premier League to open a fresh inquiry into the affair raises the prospect of the club being pressed further towards the abyss.

Yesterday Gianfranco Zola sought to accentuate the positives, most notably in relation to Craig Bellamy. The striker is the subject of interest from Manchester City and Tottenham but Zola hopes his bond with the Wales international will persuade Bellamy to stay at Upton Park. "I have not come across many players who speak more than Bellamy but I like him," Zola said. "He tells you the truth all of the time. I know that he's got good teams around him that are tempting him but we want him to stay with us. I have a very good relationship with Craig, he's the perfect professional. I hope that I'm giving him something that will feed his wish to improve. I have some players I consider very important for the club and the club knows that. We want to keep those players and Bellamy is one of them."

Scott Parker, Matthew Upson and Robert Green make up Zola's untouchables but West Ham's directors have even greater worries now that the FA and Premier League have decided to peer back into Pandora's box. The skies above the club's training ground yesterday were gloomy and a thin mist further added to the foreboding. However, Zola is one of life's optimists. Happily for him, results have picked up – back-to-back wins in the Premier League lifting the club to 10th position and the FA Cup victory over Barnsley on Saturday making it three in a row. He is pruning his squad; Matthew Etherington has joined Stoke City for £4m, while Calum Davenport is currently talking to Bolton Wanderers.

Similarly, Birmingham have completed the loan signing of midfielder Lee Bowyer until the end of the season. The 32-year-old will become Alex McLeish's fifth signing of the January transfer window after Keith Fahey, Robin Shroot, Scott Sinclair and Hameur Bouazza all joined the Coca-Cola Championship side. McLeish said: "Lee's a dynamic player and I want to bring a dynamic look back to the team. Roy Aitken, one of my assistants, has worked with him at Leeds and knows him as an attacking midfielder but he also knows that Lee can give a lot to the team as well.' Bowyer rejoined West Ham when he returned to the Boleyn Ground from Newcastle in June 2006 but so far this campaign has featured in only seven games for the Hammers, scoring one goal - in the club's 4-1 Carling Cup win over Macclesfield.

And all the while Zola hopes to keep his big names and it is just still possible to discern optimism even as the ghost of Carlos Tevez could be heard to howl once again.

You Can Leave Your Hat On

They Broke Every Rule.

Desire. Infatuation. Obsession

Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson has just over two months to sell the club before his holding company, Hansa, faces the possibility of being declared insolvent, court papers in his native Iceland have revealed. That's 9½ tempestuous weeks before the ravaged club totters glassy eyed into the street and our Icelandic leader solemnly looks aft from his asset-stripped mansion, counting to 50 and silently mouthing "I love you..."

Gudmundsson has put West Ham on the market in order to pay back debts exceeding £50m that resulted from the collapse of the Icelandic bank Landsbanki, in which he held a 41% stake. Interest has been shown but Gudmundsson, who bought the club for £85m in 2006, is struggling to finalise a deal having initially expected to raise £250m, a figure that, surprise surprise, is proving unrealistic in the current financial climate. This is something he needs to overcome by early March when, according to documents seen by the Guardian, court officials will reconvene in Reykjavik to decide if Hansa is in a position to repay its creditors, or has to be declared insolvent and subsequently stripped of its assets, including West Ham.

Should the worse come to the worst, reports Sachin Nakrani, the club could then be placed in administration in order to keep it alive. If that should come to pass, the Premier League has confirmed West Ham would be hit with an immediate points deduction. "Any club within the division that suffers an insolvency event will automatically receive a nine-point sporting sanction," a spokesman said.

The most pressing of Hansa's creditors is the Reykjavik-based MP Investment Bank, which is owed 5.4% of the company's overall debt. At a 10 December hearing, representatives for MP argued that Hansa's financial problems "are completely insurmountable ones and it is certain that their payment difficulties are not temporary but permanent … The only real reason why Hansa wished for a payment cessation was to prevent the creditors collecting their claims, which would quickly have bankrupted the company." A spokesman for MP this week confirmed it will again call for Hansa to be declared insolvent when the parties reconvene in March if West Ham has not been sold.

Hansa was initially able to obtain breathing space by assuring the courts that it could generate substantial funds from selling West Ham. Hansa said it had already made contact with prospective owners and could generate up to £250m from any sale. It compared the situation to the sale of Manchester City, for £230m, saying that West Ham was worth more because of its "London location, its loyal supporters, its proximity to the Olympic Village and the fact that the club owns its own field". But there has been little progress towards a takeover in recent weeks, partly due to Christmas but also because the respective parties have not been able to agree on a fee. As many as nine potential buyers are said by the West Ham insiders to have shown an interest in the club and Gudmundsson, who is now permanently based in Reykjavik and maintains contact with Upton Park via his vice-chairman Asgeir Fridgeirsson, hopes discussions regarding a sale will speed up now the holiday period is over.

Even so, sources close to Gudmundsson admitted this week that £250m has become an unrealistic figure and that if he is to finalise a deal in the coming months, an offer closer to half of that will almost certainly have to be accepted. "It is very difficult to sell any football club right now, it is hard to maximise value," the source said. "But Mr Gudmundsson will not accept an unsatisfactory amount, he is prepared to wait for the right offer to come along." He also said Hansa had options for paying back creditors other than selling West Ham.

Such financial uncertainty puts the club's manager, Gianfranco Zola, in a difficult position. The club's chief executive, Scott Duxbury, has insisted the Italian is not under pressure to sell any players, but he has been told by Gudmundsson that any purchases during the just-opened transfer window can only be made by selling first. Zola is open to the possibility of cashing in on Craig Bellamy, who has scored just eight goals for the club following his £7.5m move from Liverpool in July 2007, but wants more than the £6m Spurs bid for the player in order to finance his own purchases. To generate funds, Zola is also prepared to let a number of fringe players, such as Julien Faubert and Luis Boa Morte, leave this month.

In the meantime, United are said to be considering a revised offer from Manchester City for Scott Parker last night, after an initial joint £15 million bid for the midfield player and Craig Bellamy was turned down. According to an article in the Times, City are thought to have offered about £8 million for Parker, who has returned to fitness and form during this campaign after being sidelined on three separate occasions for extended periods with a knee injury last season. Gary Jacobs reports that Parker, who has made 19 appearances in all competitions this season, has not been angling for a move, but his £75,000-a-week wages are problematic for West Ham, who are trying to cut costs.

Parker moved to Upton Park for £7 million from Newcastle United 18 months ago to be reunited with Alan Curbishley, his former manager at Charlton Athletic. Gianfranco Zola has suggested that the player is worthy of a recall to the England squad, despite not having featured for the national team since the 2-0 defeat away to Croatia in a European Championship qualifying match in October 2006.

The Daily Mail are in agreement that Parker is wanted by City, but they think he is still being targeted as one half of a double swoop involving Bellamy. The big-spending Manchester club are reported to be preparing to test United's resolve by increasing their bid for both to around £16million within the next few days.

Although West Ham are up for sale, chief executive Scott Duxbury has continually denied the club will try to cash in on their best players during the transfer window, while offering the slight caveat: "Each approach will be considered in terms of fee, fitness, form and where the manager thinks the player is in his career. Similarly we have to consider whether the player is committed to what we are trying to achieve. It may be we have an offer which makes perfect sporting sense on all these factors but it will only be accepted if we have a replacement lined up who will improve the squad." Plenty of scope then for semantic jousting when the inevitable departures begin.

The Mail 'understands' that Bellamy is keen to link up again with his former Wales boss at Eastlands, while Parker has also expressed a wish to talk to City, although he is more settled at Upton Park. Of course, Gianfranco Zola will be reluctant to lose either player but it is reported could be placated by the signing of adequate replacements. At this point it remains unclear how the word 'adequate' should be interpreted in this case, and whether a last minute loan deal for an unknown reserve team player from the lower levels of a second rate league will tick the same boxes for the management team as it will at boardroom level.

In another cost-cutting measure, captain Lucas Neill could be set to make a move to Turkish side Galatasaray, according to several reports. Neill, 30, who moved to Upton Park from Blackburn Rovers in January 2007, has six months remaining on his West Ham contract, and the club have supposedly told Galatasaray the defender can leave if the Turks agree to pay the final part of his £70,000-per-week deal. However despite the interest it remains likely Neill will see out the final months of his contract and take his time to pick a new club in the summer.

Neill, who has made 46 international appearances for Australia, was appointed West Ham captain in July 2007 following the departure of Nigel Reo-Coker to Aston Villa: he has scored once in 68 appearances for the side. The Telegraph states West Ham's reported willingness to release their club captain is another sign of the troubles facing the Upton Park outfit, although Scott Duxbury continues to put on a brace face. In an interview on the official site yesterday, Duxbury is quoted as saying: "We must not be afraid of interest in, or bids for, our leading players. Each approach will be considered in terms of fee, fitness, form and where the manager thinks the player is in his career. We have to consider the will of the player and if he is committed to what we are trying to achieve."

Finally, young West Ham United full-back Joe Widdowson as joined Grimsby Town on loan. The 19-year-old has agreed a one-month deal with the Lincolnshire club in a bid to gain first team experience. He will go straight into the squad for Grimsby's game at Barnet and could start in place of Tom Newey who is struggling with injury. Widdowson played three games while on loan at Rotherham last season.