West Ham to sign Romanian striker

In addition to the possible return of Carlton Cole, West Ham could yet make another signing in the attacking department.

The club are considering offering a trial, or even an immediate deal, for Romanian forward Ciprian Marica.

Marica had been linked to various other clubs throughout the Summer, including Arsenal, however the former Schalke man is still in the hunt for a professional contract.

Standing at 6’1”, Marica fits the physical mould of Sam Allardyce’s preferred forward. He is also more than comfortable playing on the wing or behind the striker, meaning that his versatility would be very attractive to the Hammers.

As well as being his fellow countryman, Răzvan Raț, who was recruited by West Ham on a free transfer this Summer, also played with Marica at Shakhtar Donetsk and thus it is thought Raț’s influence will be integral to any deal going through.

Having plied much of his recent career in Germany with VfB Stuttgart and Schalke 04, Marica has been tested at a good domestic level. He has also amassed 62 caps for the Romanian national side, scoring 21 goals.

Whilst for his club sides he has mainly offered his services on the wing or as a second-striker, Romania have often needed to use Marica as a centre-forward and he has impressed in the role. West Ham would obviously utilise this versatility by using him as an under-study to Andy Carroll as well as an option elsewhere in the front three.

With David Sullivan and David Gold now confined to searching for targets in the free-agent market, it is thought Marica could be one of the only viable options available if the Cole deal falls through completely or even in addition to this.

Jack Sullivan, the chairman's son, has recently tweeted that Cole is not fit enough for Premiership football at this current time and that the club are looking at other non-contract players; Marica is the most serious of these targets.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93 for more West Ham news and articles.

Liverpool could break Hammers' hearts

‘Big Sam Allardyce’ has made a great start to the Premiership era of his reign at West Ham. But he is not the only man who has already made a ‘big’ impact at Upton Park this season. Unfortunately, I have made the mistake of falling in love with Andy Carroll.

If any of you had the misfortune of tuning in to Sky Sports ‘Goals on Sunday’ featuring Allardyce himself, you would’ve heard the regretful confirmation that it is a distinct possibility that Carroll can be recalled by Liverpool in January.

We must applaud David Sullivan and David Gold for their ambition and determination to bring Andy to the club, but it appears that the deal is not as ‘watertight’ as it was first described. Insiders had previously claimed that Carroll could be ours for a figure of around £18 million at any point during the year, and also suggested that the transfer of Carroll was an offer exclusively available to West Ham United; however it has become clear that we could lose the player far quicker than the time it took to bring him to the club.

This clarity on the issue is just one example of what will become a repetitive battle of our owners’ claret and blue tinted eyes and desperation to please the fans, versus Allardyce’s cynical, frank realism.

Whilst Gold and Sullivan would have you believe that Carroll was in awe of West Ham United as soon as he opened the door of his customised Range Rover and looked up at the castle-like exterior of the Boleyn Ground, Allardyce has admitted that Carroll was reluctant to leave Liverpool and is only really here in an effort to get some first-team football and capture Brendan Rodgers’ attention.

As supporters we must not judge Carroll too harshly for this attitude. We’re all huge fans of West Ham and believe all our players should love the club as much as we do, but what we must remember is that he moved from his boyhood team Newcastle to join Liverpool, in a deal which made him the most expensive British footballer in history.

Even the most biased amongst us can accept that Liverpool is a great football club with a massive fan base who are dedicated to their club in a similar way to we are. They may not be experiencing their most successful period at the moment, but Carroll would obviously love to become a part of Liverpool’s illustrious history and, understandably, does not wanted to be judged as a failure.

Liverpool are currently struggling just outside the relegation zone whilst we are enjoying life back in the Premier League in 8th position. Whilst this could be seen as a reason for Carroll to want to stay at West Ham, I think it is vital that Liverpool overtake us soon or the pressure will mount on Rodgers and he, or his replacement, will quickly give in to pressure to call for Carroll to return to Anfield in a blaze of glory.

Rodgers’ football ideology could not be more different from Allardyce’s practicality; his idealistic playing style evidently has no room for what is perceived to be a 6ft 3” powerhouse. And that’s exactly why we need Rodgers’ homage to Barcelona to work and convince everyone, including Liverpool’s owners, that the old-fashioned centre forward is becoming extinct in the modern game, paving the way for Carroll to join permanently.

The appointment of Rodgers suggests that Fenway Sports Group subscribe to his ‘project’ and will give him the time necessary to transform Liverpool into a vibrant, free-flowing, attacking side. However they have far less commitment to Rodgers than they did to Kenny Dalglish in terms of risking alienating the fans, and so the fact that they sacked Dalglish may worry Rodgers.

Carroll could easily be brought back as a stop-gap plan to pick up some points before Rodgers’ next major transfer window. If Rodgers is fired then it is likely a more results-based manager will replace him, such as Harry Redknapp, and they would be certain to bring Carroll back in a heartbeat.

A brilliant forward is something that West Ham have not been particularly blessed with in recent years. Paolo Di Canio and Carlos Tevez are the only two amazing players who spring to mind; for the rest of the time we have had to settle for decent strikers who are confined to rare moments of quality such as Bobby Zamora, Dean Ashton and, in the current day, Carlton Cole.

Although Cole is certainly a likeable figure, undoubtedly committed to West Ham United and is not as useless as some would have you believe, the gulf in class between him and Carroll was shocking against Fulham.

Carroll controlled absolutely everything in the advanced positions of the pitch; he won almost everything in the air with ease, against a strong competitor in the form of Brede Hangeland, and showed an awareness when placing the ball which suggested he had been nurtured in that team for years when, in fact, he had minimal training time and was thrown into his debut in a reckless attempt to reconcile an embarrassing defeat at Swansea.

Anyone who tries to suggest that Carroll is a one-dimensional lump is talking absolute nonsense. I honestly believe he is one of the best players we have had in our squad for many years. Allardyce’s determination to force a deal through must be commended and I’m sure we are all relishing the thought of Matt Jarvis’ much-talked about cross completion statistics coming to fruition with Carroll providing the target.

He may not emit the same exoticism as the likes of Tevez did, and his towering frame and scruffy image complete with greasy pony tail does him absolutely no favours in terms of fitting in with the popular sleek, fashionable footballer stereotype of the moment (Cristiano Ronaldo, Cesc Fabregas, Fernando Torres etc.) but Carroll is a special player.

He may be unavailable today but we are still extremely lucky to have him considering we are in our infancy during this spell as a Premiership club. He completes what is one of the most competitive squads we have had in recent years and we could be in store for a solid campaign back in the top flight, especially if we maintain our 100% home record today against Sunderland.

Let’s hope Liverpool can also kick-start a successful season against Manchester United on Sunday as it could help us to hold on to a 23 year-old who is integral to fulfilling our dreams, as opposed to, predictably, seeing them fade and die.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

Rickie Lambert is not the answer for West Ham

The result against Watford was certainly a disappointing one although the performance was rather typical of how we have played throughout the season. We look solid at 0-0 and if we are to get a goal then you fancy that we will go on and win it; but we never look fierce enough to come back and win from a goal down. Against Doncaster, even our ability to hold on to the 1-0 lead faltered.

Sam Allardyce not only suggested that someone like Southampton’s Rickie Lambert would’ve won us the game, but would’ve won us the Championship already! Although there is no doubt that Lambert has been vital to Southampton this season and is a top player, this comment is an unfair insult to our strikers.

“Sticking the ball in the back of the net”, as Allardyce eloquently puts it, has been the main problem of late, but this is more due to the lack of clear-cut chances we are creating than poor strikers. Reflecting on both games, I can think of very few chances which I would’ve genuinely expected one of our strikers to finish.

Whatever you think of Carlton Cole, although he is not the greatest finisher, he has earned seven England caps and scored 40 goals for us over his time here, and so it is clear that Cole does have the ability, even if he does not always show it.

It has become quite a cliché that Cole is a ‘confidence player’ who thrives on encouragement, so Allardyce’s praise of his striking counterparts for other teams is unlikely to have a positive impact on his performances.

Similarly, Nicky Maynard obviously has the ability to score goals and is someone who I have wanted us to sign for a number of years. His first goal for the club against Blackpool exemplified the kind of close-range, instinctive finishes that we purchased him for. Since that goal, with the exception of a couple of chances at Cardiff, Maynard has rarely had the opportunity to score this kind of goal.

Playing Cole and Maynard up front together on Wednesday night looked like an exciting combination however the duo never really managed to show their capabilities. There was a clear lack of chemistry between the pair which can only be created over more time playing together; however, if the results with two strikers continue to be as fruitless as that, the ruthless nature of football means we will swiftly revert back to one up top.

With Maynard such a new addition, it is rather thoughtless of Allardyce to publicly commend Lambert, perhaps suggesting a hint of regret that he had to settle for Maynard instead. I would’ve encouraged Allardyce to give Maynard another chance to play alongside Cole against Doncaster as he needs to net a home goal to boost his confidence.

Sam Baldock, previously the forgotten man, has looked very lively when he has been brought on recently, however I don’t hesitate to suggest that when both are at their best, Maynard is the better player and the one more likely to adjust to the Premier League. However he needs time to become successful at West Ham in the Championship if he is to be able to make the step-up next year (assuming we gain promotion) and for success he needs goals, and for goals he needs chances.

This begs the question as to whether Allardyce should be looking to criticise his midfielders rather than his strikers. The reality is that Southampton have five players who have achieved more assists than West Ham’s highest entry, Matty Taylor with five.

There is no doubt that Allardyce has identified this and looked to sign Leeds winger Robert Snodgrass in January, who has created ten goals this season; but as his efforts have proved futile, he has shifted the blame to the attack.

Allardyce himself admits that Kevin Nolan is “not a midfield player-maker”, and with Mark Noble holding a very deep role in midfield, there is little to no creativity coming from the middle of the park. In terms of wingers, Julien Faubert has had a better season but still only delivers one in twenty of his crosses to a satisfactory standard and the new addition Ricardo Vaz Te is evidently more comfortable with a central role.

Our finest creative player is obviously Matt Taylor whose quality of delivery is unsurpassed by anyone else in our squad. However this is just as obvious to the opposition who look to close him down quickly and keep him as far away from the by-line as possible, meaning that his possession of the ball often climaxes with a shot from distance rather than a chance for the strikers.

You may have forgotten about Ravel Morrison, who signed for us in January from Manchester United upon a wave of excitement, as he has yet to get anywhere near the first team. However, despite concerns about his attitude, it could be time to draft him in to the starting eleven. It’s not possible that he could’ve offered anything less than Jack Collison did on Saturday.

Morrison has been labelled one of the best prospects to have been in Manchester United’s illustrious youth academy in recent years, and has been compared to Paul Scholes by those who have watched him. Having seen the effect that the return of Scholes has had on United’s performances, perhaps we should be looking to bring in Morrison in an effort to improve our own. After being abandoned by Sir Alex Ferguson, it is likely that Morrison’s fiery attitude will push him to prove Ferguson’s assessment that he is not worth the hassle to be wrong.

Additionally, we have players like Henri Lansbury who could operate in a more creative midfield role but have been forced into makeshift roles all over the field including right-wing, right-back and goalkeeper! Surely it is obvious as to why we are failing to create as many chances as we should be.

I’m no critic of Allardyce but I certainly feel that he should consider different things he could do with his own squad before complimenting the players of others. All his statement about Lambert is likely to do is give the Southampton striker added belief that he is better than our players and to score more goals to keep the Saints at the top of the league, and thus leave us trailing in second place.

Carlton Cole obviously didn’t react particularly well against Doncaster as his performance left much to be desired. Let’s hope we create more chances against Leeds and “stick the ball in the back of the net” as many times as possible, otherwise another winless game could give Reading the momentum to jump ahead of us in the automatic promotion spots.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

Post-Parker Panic Passes

For the last few seasons West Ham’s existence without Scott Parker would’ve been predicted disastrous. On numerous occasions he has turned in yet another superb performance of gritty enthusiasm to haul the Hammers out of the most depressing situation and secure some much-needed points. It’s fair to say life without the Hammer Of The Year of the last three seasons would be the end of an era at Upton Park as he rapidly ascended from popularity to almost legend status amongst the likes of Sir Trevor Brooking, Paolo Di Canio and perhaps even Bobby Moore, however, judging by yesterday’s winning performance at the City Ground; the post-Parker era could be much more fruitful than expected.

There were no urgent questions as a result of Parker’s absence as by drafting the exciting young prospect of Jack Collison into the centre of midfield, Allardyce was still able to utilise his so-far favoured formation of a 4-5-1. It’s fair to say Allardyce’s managerial counterpart, and former competition for the Hammers job, Steve McLaren needs to be a lot more active before the transfer deadline slams shut on Wednesday as, with the centre-midfield duo of George Boateng and Jonathan Greening having a combined age of 67, an investment for more youthful exuberance is required. No one could begrudge McLaren for cowering under an umbrella this season if Nottingham Forest’s home form continues in this manner. With the City Ground being labelled as something of a fortress with Billy Davies at the helm, Forest appear to have taken a few steps backward under McLaren who’s pitiful defending would’ve discouraged the most optimistic of fans from describing them as promotion contenders.

The manner in which West Ham took the lead appeared effortless as, although perhaps on the back foot for the early part of the game, one of Matt Taylor’s trademark whipped crosses was nervously misdirected by Luke Chambers into the back of Lee Camp’s net; not the first time a West Ham dangerous delivery has resulted in an fortuitous own goal this season. The Hammers added this goal to their momentum rather than simply sitting back as a certain Avram Grant may have done in the past. Captain Kevin Nolan doubled the lead after, despite being infamously dangerous in the six-yard box, he was given enough room to re-direct Tomkin’s header from a corner in the back of the net with the Forest defence standing stationary and stunned. Nolan performed his joyful chicken dance and the Hammers continued to enjoy the control of the game.

Allardyce had a couple of scares in terms of conceding as he marched up and down, just outside his technical area in a rather rebellious and arrogant manner, with Green parrying Lewis McGugan effort away being the most prominent. But it was clear who was going to be the more ruthless in front of goal as Carlton Cole continued a decent run of form as the lone striker by tripling the lead from close-range; again as a result of the corner. Although McLaren’s side’s defending can be almost as much to blame, Allardyce’s famous set-pieces have given West Ham a completely new outlet of goals which they have lacked in recent years, and in turn, the ability to score much more effective away from home.

Substitute Joel Lynch’s impact on the left hand side gave Forest a little more danger and a low cross was eventually converted by Robbie Findley to give the home team a glimmer of hope and pride, especially after their epic comeback to draw with Sven Goran-Eriksson’s Leicester a few weeks earlier. However New Zealand international Winston Reid quickly dispelled any ideas of a similar drama by adding the fourth to West Ham’s tally, yet again from a corner, and finishing the match as an impressive 4-1 victory for the Hammers, who’s away form is become increasingly renowned and feared throughout the league.

McLaren looked rather taken aback at the end of the game as West Ham appeared to have strolled to victory emphatically without ever really reaching the pinnacle performance which the quality of squad they have suggests they can. Allardyce’s business in the transfer market cannot be questioned as Nolan’s presence in the box gives the rather unpredictable and inconsistent, although sometimes extremely effective Cole the much needed support in terms of goal-scoring in this formation, whilst Matt Taylor’s delivery was simply a class above the division he is playing in.

Away from home there appears to be no problems, with or without Parker, but the addition of Sam Baldock earlier in the week will do wonders for home form as it allows Allardyce to pair him with any of his three larger strikers, Cole, John Carew and Freddie Piquionne and give the team much more of a dominant look at the Boleyn Ground. As for Parker he may have been flicking backwards and forwards from the West Ham game on Sky Sports to ESPN’s coverage of Tottenham 5-1 defeat to Man City and be thinking; maybe I’m needed more at White Hart Lane. Perhaps Parker’s absence lifted a shadow of inadequacy from the rest of the players, and although I’m sure the whole of West Ham would like to thank him for his undeniable magnificence and loyalty over the past few seasons, its clear Allardyce’s side can make do without him and maybe even improve without the intense and monotonous speculation he brings.

West Ham vs. Chelsea Preview

At this moment in time it’s very difficult to be a happy West Ham United supporter. It’s difficult to determine whether the recent transfer window can be deemed a stable success or an uninspiring, gutless failure. And it’s difficult to be optimistic with regards to gaining anything at all from today’s game against our frighteningly powerful and convincing champion neighbours, Chelsea.
Whether the transfer window slamming shut on that fateful evening proves to be an upward path for the better, or a slippery slope to the championship, one thing remains certain; it will be an evening of great significance for the future of the club. Whilst we held onto the talismanic figure of Scott Parker, much to the delight of David Sullivan’s ego, along with our, once, vibrant English core of Robert Green, Matthew Upson and Carlton Cole, we have received nothing in terms of the ‘David Beckham’s, ‘Thierry Henry’s or ‘Ronaldinho’s whose monstrous reputations were conveniently linked to our club at peak season ticket selling periods. Perhaps David Sullivan and his partner in crime, David Gold, should realise that, like themselves, West Ham fans are not idiots. Our persistent season ticket purchases are not in the wake of outlandish, fabricated rumours but unquestionable loyalty and the desire to see our commitment matched on the pitch.
Perhaps in the days of FA Cup finals, Carlos Tevez and Eggert Magnusson, we may have lost touch with reality and been drawn in by the exaggerated claims of Champions League dreams, but after recent seasons, our expectations have been sent crashing down to earth with such imbalanced periods of mediocrity or turbulence. Our support has become so cynical that even in the honourable situation of our player being called up for international duty, we’d bet good money on an injury being sustained. Or even if we destroyed Chelsea by six goals today, a loss at Stoke the following week would be a distinct possibility. The one thing we ask for is commitment. Even if we lose today by a comfortable amount of goals, if I see some display of passion I will the leave the stadium a much happier Hammer than when I entered. If I see, even one hard, meaningful challenge on Frank Lampard by anyone but Scott Parker or Mark Noble, or even something as little as Carlton Cole viciously shrug off John Terry as he advances in on goal, I will take some salvation and attempt to accept we have the foundations to remain in this incredibly competitive division, but at the moment I am struggling to see the passion we need to survive. There is an absolute lack of fight which was evident in our last great escape or even the eventual relegation in 2003.
David Sullivan has even conceded that some want-away foreign employees ‘couldn’t be bothered’ to play for us during the trading season in the expectancy of a move, but as these haven’t materialised, I hope he is right in saying they have no choice but to now pull up their socks and battle for the team, I don’t care whether that is to keep West Ham in the Premiership or to cement their place in the shop window, but it is in the best interests of the likes of Valon Behrami, who have flirted with brilliance but never quite achieved it, to make a name for themselves. Whether Avram Grant has the physical drive to fire these players up to do so, is debatable.
I was disappointed with the appointment of the dour Grant. His uninspiring nature and, in my opinion; inexperience did not make him the standout contender for the role of the Mr. Fresh the owners wished for. Although he has seemingly achieved some success in England, this was all handed to him on a plate and he has, effectively, created nothing of his own. But now we are stuck with him. We mustn’t take the lead of the ridiculously predictable, lazy ‘News Of The World’ story that he has ‘3 games to save his job’, as they attempt to destabilise us and foreseeably jump on the bandwagon of our failure. This is Grant’s chance to create his own dynasty and we must get behind him.
We could all see that this would be a difficult start to the season and although it’s disappointing; being pointless at this stage was always a possibility. It seems ridiculous that three games in to the campaign you are all subject to a worried, relegation-threatened article, but it is likelihood we’ve all accepted many a time, only to be proved wrong and reminded why we love football so much. This is a long season, and now we’ve selected a 25 man-squad, we are without the playing staff uncertainty previously suffered and are given the stability needed to mount some kind of form. So let’s enjoy today, there is no pressure for us to get anything from the game, it’s a London derby and who knows? We can be a funny old team.