West Ham player ratings

Given - A largely quiet night with one excellent tip over the bar. 7

Zabaleta - Offered quality when joining the attack and solid in defence. Justified his selection. 7.5

Toure - Looks completely at home and growing in stature with the captaincy. 8

Lescott - Struggled with the impressive Cole and one or two mistakes which could have been more costly. 6

Bridge - Solid and unassuming. Will enjoy a lengthy run in the side from Petrov. 6.5

Wright-Philiips - Looked to be the odd man out of the attacking players. One or two flashes but never really got a foothold in the game. 6

de Jong - Broke up any threat from West Ham and always onto the loose ball. Shown himself to be a vital component since his return to the side. 7.5

Barry - A lot of his work goes largely unnoticed but has shown himself to be a integral cog in the midfield trio. 7

Petrov - Played like he had a point to prove and delivered an exciting performance full of pace, threat and delivery. Scored one, made another and will be difficult to leave out. 8

Bellamy - Full of running, energy and pace in a more central role. His delivery from set pieces is proving to be a big plus. 7.5

Tevez - Scored twice, and could (should) have added a couple more. Brings team-mates into the game superbly but perhaps needs a more clincial finish. 7.5

Subs:

Santa Cruz - A quarter of an hour run out for his debut. Little chance to impress although had a half chance he may have done better with. 6.5

Johnson - No real time to make an impact but his return was a huge plus nonetheless. n/a

West Ham review

Perusing the press and blogs this morning, last nights victory over West Ham has in the main been described as a solid and functional victory - precisely the type of win that we should be putting together from our hour games, where three points should be the norm.

This view though both glosses over some of the inadequacies that were shown, but equally fails to offer praise where deserved.

At times - and whilst West Ham barely helped themselves in this regard with their marking for the first and third goals - we played some wonderful attacking football, swathes of blue shirts marauding forward outnumbering their opponents. As expected, Martin Petrov replaced the ill Stephen Ireland in a very attacking line-up and the fluidity and movement between the front men was certainly impressive.

Petrov appeared to be the focal point for our attacking outlet, and he really did play with a sense of purpose (note the goal celebration). The sight of him running with the ball directly at defenders is a majestic one, and he really does offer something no other player in the squad can, vindicating the decision to not allow him to move on transfer deadline day.

Craig Bellamy and Carlos Tevez linked well with one another in the more central positions, and Tevez scored twice, he was a little wasteful at times in front of goal yet was tireless in his effort and I don't subscribe to the view that too much of his work is done in areas where it doesn't count. Often last night he was the player who was launching our forays.

In midfield, Gareth Barry had another solid, unassuming evening whilst Nigel de Jong I thought was tireless and sharp in the tackle, and maintained his record of having not smiled during a match this season.

Where criticism could be laid was that at times we were far too open, allowing West Ham opportunities at 1-0 and 2-1 down to get back into the game. Individually, the defenders played well enough - Zabaleta certainly justifying his selection ahead of Richards, and Toure growing in stature with the captaincy.

Having taken such an early lead though, and then restored our lead there should be no way back into the game when we are at home. Better sides may well have exploited this to a greater degree, and equally, a return to keeping clean sheets would also add a more solid and stable feel.

It was pleasing to see both Roque santa Cruz and Michael Johnson afforded some playing time too, and the fact that our bench looked so strong, with Robinho, Adebayor, Onouha and Kompany on the sidelines shows the strength and quality in depth that we possess.

To some degree, we are still a work in progress as the new faces take time to fully gel and settle as a side but we really do look be in a position to mount a serious challenge on the top four.

West Ham open thread

Comment away...

West Ham preview

I'm no fan of Monday night games, yet given the exertions against United last Sunday then extra-time against Fulham on Wednesday, the extra forty-eight hours rest will undoubtedly be beneficial to us - especially considering the side has remained virtually the same throughout the season so far.

On paper, West Ham at home should be a fixture that we view as a winnable one. To have tangible success in the league this season - a minimum of Europa League qualification - it is imperative that we replicate the form at home shown during 2008/09.

So far so good at home then with two victories from two games so far and Jack makes a very valid point in discussing our home form in his preview of the game in that whilst there are no guaranteed wins, the games at home for those sides at the very top of the league appear to be.

That the points become almost automatic. Winning can quickly become habit and with our burgeoning reputation a good start at home over the first half dozen games will be the platform for a successful return over the remainder of the season.

Team wise, Adebayor serves the final game of his suspension whilst Robinho is still on the sidelines. Vincent Kompany is close to a return but unlike Roque Santa Cruz this game may come too early for him. I would imagine that should Stephen Ireland have recovered we should see an unchanged starting eleven, with in-form Craig Bellamy likely to be fired up to face (one of) his former clubs.

For West Ham, Matthew Upson and Jack Collison remain doubtful. I am looking forward to seeing both Hines and Diamanti in action though having heard plenty about them, but feel that Zola may well opt for a defensive formation with Carlton Cole given plenty of responsibility in leading the line.

A victory will see us leapfrog Tottenham into fourth place (with a game in hand). I have been impressed with the focus and application of the side this season and we certainly shouldn't be underprepared for any fixture.

West Ham have the potential to cause us problems, but for me, we should have enough to hold them off in a 2-1 victory.

Game stats

• We have won three of the past four games at the City of Manchester Stadium.
• Twelve of the eighteen home Premier League fixtures have been won by the home side.
• It is now 50 games since we contested a goalless draw.
• This is West Ham's worst start to a season since 2002/03.
• West Ham are yet to beat a side in the top half of the table this season.

Santa Cruz ready

It looks as though we may see him in action tomorrow evening:

"I can't wait to get out there," he said. "I don't think people realise how excited I am about making my debut – I just can't wait to do it. I think I'm in good shape to be involved in the West Ham game. Hopefully the rush won't make me take the wrong decision. Everything is looking positive with the knee; it has dealt with the stress I have been giving it. Now I need to get my match fitness."

West Ham 1 City 0

[telegraph.co.uk report, MEN report, west ham 'til i die report, match photos]

Looking at the game, it appears as though in most of the areas it was a very even contest, with West Ham managing to take one of the opportunities that came their way whilst again, we failed to do so and once again paid the price.

Mark Hughes though clearly believes we were the better side considering his post match comments:

"I thought our performance was good, on the balance of play we created four or five really good chances but did not take them.

West Ham did not create a great deal, but in the second half they had one chance and took it. Unfortunately for us that has shaped the game. I thought it was one of our best away performances of the season, including Liverpool, but we did not take the chances and get the goal we needed."

Judging by the reaction from the blogs and match reports so far, he does appear to be in a minority and the defeat has once again generated plenty of 'Hughes out' comments on the message boards.

With United's victory in the Carling Cup it guarantees the sixth placed Premier League side a UEFA Cup spot, meaning that should a Champions League side win the FA Cup then seventh place will also enter the UEFA Cup. A win today would of course have taken us into seventh position but the result was symptomatic of our away form this season as we have been unable to go on the road and grind out points in the manner that the sides above us are capable of doing.

There was a boost today in some respects with the (albeit brief) return of Bojinov, but we are set to be hit by injuries ahead of Wednesday's game with Aston Villa - a game that takes on a bigger significance now after today's setback.

Whether you are pro or anti-Hughes, the reality is that we have taken just two points from our last six away games. A glance at the fixture lists shows that we have Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton, United and Tottenham to close out the season. There is little therefore to suggest that seventh place is an attainable position if we are solely reliant on our home form.

West Ham open thread

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West Ham preview

A big game at Upton Park tomorrow as both sides bid to make a push for the UEFA Cup places over the final third of the season. Whilst West Ham crashed out of the FA Cup in midweek, we can hopefully take the momentum gained from Thursday's victory over FC Copenhagen and Mark Hughes believes we are well placed to put a run together:

"We have a group of players who understand the demands that are going to be placed on them now and in the future.

"The expectation levels have been way ahead of any Manchester City team probably in the history of the club and we're dealing with it.

"The aim is to get a consistent run of form away from home as we have found it difficult on the road.

Craig Bellamy of course has been the main focus point between the two teams, and undoubtedly he will be key tomorrow. He was showing decent form during his final appearances in a West Ham shirt and has built on that during his brief spell with us so far.

The returning Nigel de Jong should replace the domestically suspended Shaun Wright-Phillips in what should be the same line-up that drew 1-1 at Liverpool.

There has been definite progress by ourselves of late, with last weeks point at Anfield an indication of what can be achieved on our travels. Both tomorrows game and Wednesday's home fixture with Aston Villa will be further proof of just what our expectations should be for the remainder of the league campaign.

[bbc sport preview, MEN preview,]

Bellamy move confirmed

Striker Craig Bellamy has completed his transfer from West Ham to Manchester City for an undisclosed fee.

The Wales international, 29, underwent a medical earlier on Monday ahead of joining the eighth club of his career on a four-year contract.

>>bbc sport.

Following this mornings news regarding the agreement between the two clubs, this news is merely rubber stamping what was expected.

An interesting signing to say the least, with plenty posted already here which suggests he will have a job winning over the crowd.

I'll have more on Bellamy tomorrow.

Bellamy set for talks

Sky Sports sources understands West Ham have given Craig Bellamy permission to speak to Manchester City.

Bellamy's future at Upton Park has been the subject of intense speculation over the last few days after West Ham rejected bids from City and Tottenham for the Welsh striker.

The former Liverpool and Newcastle star had asked the club to allow him to talk to City and Spurs after turning down the offer of a new deal at Upton Park.

>>Sky Sports.

Credit to Sky Sports, who have generally been ahead of the game in breaking transfer news so far this January.

The possibility of us signing Bellamy was firmly back on the agenda this morning after plenty of false dawns over the past couple of weeks.

It is safe to say his West Ham career is over following his refusal to play this weekend (and he got a rough ride from fans during todays victory over Fulham), and although it appeared initially that he would be headed for Tottenham it would be a big surprise if he was not unveiled over the next couple of days, particularly given Harry Redknapp's pessimistic comments after todays draw against Portsmouth.

UPDATE: A couple of stories today firming up last nights Sky Sports story.

BBC Sport report a fee of £12 million (with £10 million up front) agreed, with Mark Bowen speaking highly of our impending signing:

"Of course we're interested in Craig Bellamy, he is a player we very much admire and we are hopeful we can bring him to Manchester City.

"We've known Craig for many years, and had him at Blackburn Rovers, and we know what he brings to any team he plays for.

"It does make me smile as I think he is one of those players who you either love or hate. But fans of teams that he has played for love him and know what he gave for their team."

Whilst The Mail has a report (and picture) from Bellamy's meeting with Paul Aldridge.

Bellamy set to arrive after all?

The Welsh international striker walked out on his club on Friday when they refused him permission to talk to Tottenham, who were also prepared to pay the asking price. He said he would never play for West Ham again. Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham manager, said that he undestood Bellamy wanted to play for him and that Daniel Levy, the chairman at White Hart Lane, was negotiating his transfer. Last night, however, West Ham insisted that they would not do business with their principal London rivals and agreed terms with City.

>>times online.

It seems that although Bellamy stormed out of the club on Friday after being told he wouldn't get his move to Tottenham, there is little chance West Ham will relent and grant him a transfer to White Hart Lane.

Not surprising given they have lost a number of players to Tottenham previously, and this of course could play into our hands as it leaves West Ham with a player who no longer has a working relationship with them with ourselves as the only option available as a way out.

Talk in todays press suggests a bid of £14 million will secure the move. Far too much for my liking, but again, relative in terms of the resources we have available.

As mentioned time and again here, he could offer certain qualities, but - added to the impending return of Bojinov - I fail to see exactly where Bellamy fits in to our line up and formation and far better to concentrate on out and out goalscorer.

Third Bellamy bid rejected

West Ham have rejected a third bid from Manchester City for striker Craig Bellamy, BBC Sport understands.

On Monday West Ham turned down an improved £9m offer for the 29-year-old Welshman with the new bid again higher.

City are keen to bring both Bellamy and team-mate Scott Parker to Eastlands but have so far failed to land either.

>>BBC Sport.

At what point do you draw a line under this and move on?

It seems that they really do not want to sell, or we are going to have to go in with an offer that so in excess of his true value that they cannot turn it down.

Either way, a decision needs to be made before this borders on the farcical.

• Previous Bellamy transfer posts.
  

Second Bellamy bid rejected

WEST Ham have turned down an improved Manchester City bid for striker Craig Bellamy.

The Hammers are believed to have spurned a £9million deal for the Wales international, after refusing the Blues' initial bid last week - when they also would not entertain an attempt to sign midfielder Scott Parker.

Hammers' chief exexcutive Scott Duxbury has reaffirmed that the club does not have to sell its best players, and backed his words by turning down City's latest attempt to reinforce their squad ahead of the January 31 transfer deadline.

>>MEN.

The bid was believed to be £9 million, and we now see ourselves faced with the same dilemna as we do for Roque Santa Cruz.

West Ham offloaded some fringe players at the back end of last week, presumably in a bid to avoid having to sell the likes of Bellamy and Scott Parker.

It is a difficult decision we now face with certain negotiations. What looks apparant is that clubs are attempting to continue negotiations as far down the transfer window as possible, in the hope that we will be forced to pay way over the odds.

What is clear to me though is that in some respects, we are dealing from a position of strength given that there appears to be no other clubs with a genuine interest in either player. With that in mind, are we best standing firm as if the clubs do want (need) to sell they themselves will run out of time if they want to complete a deal by the end of January?

Saturday transfer round up - Hughes forced abroad

According to The Daily Mail, both Mark Hughes and the clubs backers are becoming increasingly frustrated over the desire of clubs we are negotiating with attempting to over inflate the fee of players we are interested in:

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes is considering shopping abroad in the transfer window because Premier League clubs are pricing themselves out of the market.

Hughes and the club's billionaire backers from Abu Dhabi have reached the end of their tether after being stunned to learn it will cost them more than £15million each to sign defenders Joleon Lescott of Everton and West Ham's Matthew Upson.

Much like the current situation with Roque Santa Cruz, despite have unlimited reserves to spend there does have to be some sense applied when buying players - and surely fees in excess of £15 million for the players we are interested in are wildly excessive?

It does make you wonder though if there is a Plan B that the club have to fall back on given that we are almost approaching the half way point of the window and the frustration at the club is clearly growing over the inability to bring players in.

The article also suggests this is having a knock on effect on certain players as it is leaving them unsure of their future roles at the club.

A report in The Guardian indicates that target Craig Bellamy would prefer a move to Tottenham due to the fact he believes he has a greater chance of first team football. A logical thought and I haven't altered my opinion that character issues aside, I just don't see where he fits into our side.

The Express this morning ran a piece suggesting a gentlemans agreement was in place between the club and Michael Owen whereby he would join the club in the summer on the proviso that we remained in the Premier League and he remained fit for the remainder of this season.

A fully fit Owen seems a good pick up to me and you would he would guarantee goals in a side creating as many opportunities as ourselves. However, fitness has to be a concern and he does not possess a good record against the top four sides - a definite worry if we are to have ambitions of Champions League football.

Trio of bids rejected

Blackburn have rejected a bid in excess of £12m from Manchester City for striker Roque Santa Cruz.

City manager Mark Hughes said he is still keen to sign the 27-year-old Paraguay international, who signed a new contract at Rovers in August.

"We made a bid in the region of £12m in the summer and it (the new bid) is significantly higher than that."

>>bbc sport.

Blackburn also confirmed this on their site, and in addition it seems that our double bid for Scott Parker and Craig Bellamy was rejected by West Ham:

"It's documented that we made an enquiry about Bellamy as well (as Parker). We made a double bid and that was rejected - we haven't gone back to the table but we may well do."

It's probably not a huge surprise initial bids for these players have been turned down, given that clubs will surely be trying to squeeze as much out of us as possible given our financial position. I have no doubt that should Hughes want these players badly enough, then he will go back with an improved bid (as he confirmed in respect of Santa Cruz).

What is a little concerning though is these transfers are now being played out in public. There was plenty of concern at the lack of impact being made in the transfer market this January, so is it the case that Hughes has issued this statement as a way of quelling the growing frustration?

Either way, it is not good practice to conduct transfers in such a way and they inevitably do become drawn out affairs which indicate it could be towards the latter part of the window that deals are concluded.

Far better to keep all negotiations and progress behind closed doors and only confirm transfers as and when they have been completed.

Previous posts:

• Roque Santa Cruz
• Scott Parker
• Craig Bellamy

Johnson set for exit?

Nothing firm, but a report last night suggests the midfielder could be heading out of the club.

The Times's 'window watch' speculates he could be part of a deal to bring Scott Parker to the club:

West Ham United were in talks last night to sell Matthew Etherington to Stoke City and are considering Manchester City’s revised offer for Scott Parker, which includes Michael Johnson moving in the opposite direction.

City have offered about £4 million plus the England Under-21 midfield player, who signed a new five-year contract in September, when he was attracting interest from Everton and Arsenal. Johnson, 20, gained recognition for the form that he showed at the start of last season but a pelvic injury has restricted him to eight appearances this campaign. West Ham turned down City’s initial £15 million combined bid for Parker and Craig Bellamy last week.

Given that the Johnson (along with Petrov of course) is a key component from the success of last season that we are sorely missing this time around, such a move would represent terrible business and I imagine not do Hughes any favours whatsoever with the majority of fans.

He is a huge talent and that role bridging the defensive midfield (Kompany) and attacking aspects (Ireland, Wright-Phillips) is precisely the player that we actually need, rather than be looking to ship out.

There have been plenty of whispers about Johnson's off-field 'activities', but given he is just 20 years old with a potentially big career in front of him, to give him away plus £4 million for Scott Parker (as useful a signing as he would be) would be folly - not to mention a very risky move from Hughes, who, with the lack of additions so far this window is seeing opinion against him increase further.

Senna cool on move, Hughes targeting Parker?

"I don't know anything about a transfer to Manchester City," he told the Spanish sports paper Marca. "I have only read the same stories that you have and I have no idea where these stories have come from. Everyone in football knows how much money Manchester City have but all I can say is that I want to concentrate on Villarreal and do the best I can for the team. What I can tell you is that what I have read about me going to Manchester City has surprised me."

>>guardian.co.uk

Given Villareal are heavily involved both in La Liga and Champions League contention, Senna's reluctance to move at this stage is understandable, but by doing so could miss out on a move altogether if Hughes focuses on alternative targets.

This perhaps makes a move for Scott Parker more likely with The Times reporting news of an increased bid from ourselves. Given news this morning regarding West Ham's financial problems and announcement they would consider offers for players then it is not hard to deduce that if Hughes wants Parker, the chances are high that he will land him.

Would Parker be a good fit for what Hughes is looking to build though? He is a useful player, neat and tidy but for me, not physical or dynamic enough to fit into the midfield Hughes is looking to build behind the attacking threat we possess - although on the plus side, he is familiar with the Premier League which appears to be a point Hughes is placing a degree of emphasis on.

Bid for Hammers pair?

West Ham United have rejected a £15m bid from Manchester City to sign both Craig Bellamy and Scott Parker. The Premier League club insist that neither player is for sale and have also moved to hold talks with Matthew Upson's representatives to spell out their intention to hold on to the England international who is also attracting intense interest with the transfer window set to open.

>>independent.co.uk

How reliable the story is we don't know, but the name of Bellamy is not a surprise given the speculation that has surrounded him. As one of the comments in the Blackburn thread mentioned, he was also left out of yesterdays victory over Stoke (after returning to goalscoring form the day before). UPDATE - He didn't play due to suspension.

I really don't see how Bellamy improves our line up. If Hughes continues with the 4-2-3-1 line-up I just don't see where he fits in. He cannot operate as a lone striker, but perhaps Hughes is looking at playing him in a wider role?

Something else to bear in mind is the return of Bojinov. Hopefully injury free, playing in a similar role to that of Bellamy, he is a far better option.

Parker is an interesting one. We do need to upgrade that defensive midfield area and Parker is a useful player. He gets the job done and appears to have rebuilt his career somewhat after spells at Chelsea and Newcastle. If we cannot grab Marcos Senna, then he may well be a useful pick up.

City 3 West Ham 0

Just what the doctor ordered.

With our very own fugitive (with his good lady wife and accompanying cheering squad) in attendance alongside the weekends headline maker, we picked a good time indeed to hit some form and hopefully kick start our stuttering season.

Admittedly, West Ham were poor with Alan Curbishley correctly stating the Hammers got what they deserved, but Mark Hughes was quick to heap praise after picking up our first points of the season.

Despite being (deservedly) reduced to ten men for over half of the game following Mark Noble's dismissal, we were worthy of the victory as a far pacier, committed and side was on display who possessed a greater attacking intent than shown on previous outings this season.

Team wise, I thought Hughes got it spot on with Ball back in for Garrido, but more importantly Ireland back in the starting line-up to provide a greater deal of creativity and link-up play than Etuhu on the right hand side, complementing the ever growing talent of Petrov on the left.

Vincent Kompany was the other change of course, making his debut in place of Gelson and it was an accomplished performance from a player who admitted he wasn't sure of his all of his team mates names. In the holding role, he looks to provide strong defensive cover (and slotted in well alongside Ben Haim following Richard's injury) and despite Gelson's obvious potential, Kompany looks more mature and assured player at this stage.

Sturridge's goal was a smart finish indeed, and he really does look to have fantastic left foot and possesses a real natural eye for goal.

Elano's brace was also a boost and for me there is a world of difference in the player we see in the role he was deployed in against West Ham than out on the right hand side. Although Jo will be back available for the game against FC Midtjylland, I would hope that Hughes does not change the formation and allows Elano to continue behind the striker.

There was disappointment for the side as Micah Richards suffered a nasty clash of heads with Tal Ben Haim, rendering him unconscious on the pitch for several minutes. Despite not yet being ruled out, after suffering a concession it is extremely doubtful that he will be able to make the UEFA tie this Thursday.

It is in good heart that we will now travel to Denmark, with yesterday's performance giving our confidence a much needed boost and creating upwards of 20 chances shows that a one goal deficit will be by no means insurmountable.

Mark Hughes post-match interview.

Reports

Suddenly Manchester City's horizons look several shades brighter after three goals in quick succession midway through the second half provided an answer to suggestions that the club are in meltdown. >>independent.co.uk

It is not often that you can sit through an entire Premier League match and see one side incapable of managing a shot until the fourth minute of stoppage time. Mark Hughes will certainly be grateful to have come up against such obliging opponents as this rudderless West Ham side on the day Manchester City banished a few more of their early-season problems and Thaksin Shinawatra decided it was safe to show his face again. >>guardian.co.uk

These have been turbulent times at City, on and off the pitch, but two goals from Elano and one from Daniel Sturridge secured the three points that will lift the mood at the club and leave somebody else feeling the pressure of having to find their first points of the season. >>telegraph.co.uk

Dark clouds have gathered over Eastlands of late, but, as an uplifting afternoon came to an end yesterday, Thaksin Shinawatra began to relax in the directors’ box and Mark Hughes found himself serenaded by the Manchester City supporters who once despised him. >>times online

Thaksin Shinawatra entertained Mark Hughes for dinner last week – and the Manchester City boss reciprocated yesterday by serving up a Sunday treat for his troubled owner. >>daily express

On this form City can improve on last season's ninth place while West Ham will need to get injured players fit and show far more appetite in their work and the courage to play far more ambitiously. >>david pleat

West Ham thread

A post for anyone to use as a thread to discuss the game before, during or after todays game.