Andy Carroll Rejects West Ham move

Andy Carroll has turned down the chance to join West Ham from Liverpool despite the two clubs having reached an agreement.Reports emerged on Monday suggesting that the Reds had accepted an approach by the Hammers to take the England striker on a season-long loan in a deal which would have cost them £2m, with the promise of a further £17m to make the transfer become permanent if he did well.However, Carroll is said to be against the idea of a move to Upton Park as he only wants to join a club that is competing in European competition, which the Premier League new boys are unable to offer at this time.The 23-year-old is thought to be holding out for a return to his former club Newcastle if he must leave Anfield, although the Magpies have already seen one bid for his services rejected by the Reds.Hammers boss Sam Allardyce had been hoping Carroll's friendship with his captain Kevin Nolan could tip the balance in the Irons' favour, but even the fact that the three of them share the same agent in Mark Curtis, has ultimately made no different to the forward's mindset.

Allardyce Set to Raid Newcastle Again

Newcastle United boss Sam Allardyce is ready to raid his old club for Nile Ranger.Allardyce is considering taking the striker to relegated West Ham United.Blackpool had a bid accepted for Ranger, but the 20-year-old failed to agree personal terms.Ranger – who has been told he can leave St James’s Park – was back training with his Newcastle team-mates yesterday after his proposed move to Bloomfield Road broke down.
 Allardyce is keen on Ranger, who showed a lot of promise when he broke into United’s first team during the club’s Championship-winning campaign the season before last.However, Ranger found his opportunities limited in the Premier League under Pardew and his predecessor Chris Hughton.And regular first-team football at Upton Park, and a return to his native London, would be an attractive proposition for Ranger, who scored one goal for the club last season.

It would also see Ranger reunited with his former captain Kevin Nolan, signed by Allardyce from Newcastle earlier this season.

Craig Bellamy back to West Ham?

Sam Allardyce is reportedly interested in bringing Craig Bellamy back to West Ham, according to The News of the World.The Welsh striker spent two seasons at Upton Park before leaving for Eastlands for £14 million in January 2009.However, after spending last season on loan at his hometown club Cardiff City, Bellamy is now keen to leave Manchester City on a free transfer, as he is fearful for his first-team prospects under Roberto Mancini.Yet City value Bellamy at £4m, so are refusing to let him leave without a transfer fee.
Allardyce will reportedly use his connection with John Williams, recently appointed to City’s football operations team, to try and engineer a deal for Bellamy. Allardyce worked with Williams for two years at Blackburn.

A potential stumbling block is that Bellamy’s £90,000-a-week wages may prevent any loan move going through, as Manchester City are clear that they will not contribute towards the wages of loan players

Allardyce aims for swift return to the Premiership

Sam Allardyce is often mocked as a manager with ideas above his station, so it perhaps surprised his detractors when he agreed to descend to the Championship to take charge of West Ham.True, he was unemployed until the relegated east London club came calling, having been sacked by Blackburn Rovers in December, but for a man who was once interviewed for the England job and who last year suggested he could win doubles with Real Madrid or Internazionale every season, if only they were savvy enough to look beyond his reputation and hire him, there must have been a temptation to wait for an offer from a better-placed club.Allardyce says that belief in his own abilities and reassurances from the owners convinced him that he can put himself and West Ham back to where he believes they belong. He has been given a two-year contract and says he expects the club to be challenging for a position in Europe by the time that expires."I've taken a risk by losing my Premier League status, which I'd built up over 10 years," he said. "I don't want to spend too long in the Championship. Without sounding too arrogant, my experience and expertise as a manager is trying to bring clubs together and get a team spirit and togetherness, to get back into the Premier League at the first time of asking."Allardyce's employers, David Gold and David Sullivan, plus the vice-chairman Karren Brady, often made life difficult for his predecessors, Avram Grant and Gianfranco Zola, by publicly criticising the team, but Allardyce says the backing of Sullivan in particular was one of the main reasons he took the job. "I spoke with David Sullivan at length about what we wanted to do and how we needed to do it. I believe the owners will give me the support I need to help the club be successful. "

They have already demonstrated their backing by forking out £4m to reunite Allardyce with Kevin Nolan, the midfielder who worked with him at Bolton and Newcastle, and also by giving a contract to Abdoulaye Faye, the former Stoke City defender who has also worked with Allardyce before.

Those arrivals go some way to offsetting the loss of Mathew Upson, Thomas Hitzlsperger and Demba Ba, plus the raft of players signed on loan last season. Allardyce hopes to persuade Scott Parker, Carlton Cole and Rob Green to stay but admits that given the cost of relegation, they may be sold if suitable offers are received.

If Parker goes, he said, Nolan is likely to be captain. "He's already guided Newcastle back to the Premier League and I see Kevin as not only a great player on the field, but a great captain off it," Allardyce added. "When you've got Joey Barton almost crying on the TV because he's left [Newcastle] it shows you the respect that he's gained."

Nevertheless, Allardyce wants personnel turnover to be "minimal" because "it's very difficult to change around a club that has been relegated but even more so if you lose 50% of your players because that means you have to bring another 10 or 12 in and you've got a bunch of strangers that you have to mould into a team."

He also feels he needs to "reinvent" West Ham and dispel "the negative attitude" that has engulfed the club. He is also aware that this is a chance to reinvent himself and banish what he insists is groundless negativity towards him.

Allardyce also rejects the depiction of his arrival at Upton Park as a culture clash. "Playing the right way is about entertaining the public and playing winning football. I'm only remembered at Newcastle for one [angry] fan jumping up in one game, which TV keeps showing, but in the first 10 games I was the best thing since sliced bread because we had the best start in 10 years. At Blackburn we increased the average attendance by 4,500. Entertainment comes through what your fans tell you.

"And at Bolton only two of my seven years were about survival so I shouldn't be tagged as a 'survival manager'. I'm a productive manager who breeds success. I've got a vast array of skills and I'll put them to work here and hopefully at the end of the year we'll all be blowing bubbles."

Nolan joins West Ham

Kevin Nolan is undergoing a medical ahead of a move from Newcastle to West Ham after the clubs agreed a fee, according to the Press Association.
The Hammers reportedly view the goalscoring midfielder as their top summer target and the former Bolton man looks set to reunite with Sam Allardyce, who was named as Avram Grant's replacement last month.

Allardyce is also believed to be interested in linking up with another former Trotter as Ricardo Gardner is on his shopping list.

Nolan's possible arrival comes after Demba Ba used an option within his contract allowing him to leave the club, with Everton and Newcastle thought to be monitoring the striker's situation.

West Ham in for Diouf

Blackburn Rovers attacker El Hadji Diouf is wanted at West Ham United.

The Scottish Sun says Rangers could lose out on Diouf because of Sam Allardyce's managerial return.

Diouf is willing to discuss a permanent switch to Ibrox after being told that he has no future at Blackburn Rovers.

But Allardyce looks set to enter the bidding for the Senegal strike star after taking over at West Ham.

Allardyce worked with Diouf at Bolton and Blackburn and is seen as a mentor by the Gers loan star.

West Ham confirm Allardyce

West Ham have confirmed the appointment of Sam Allardyce as manager with immediate effect.
Allardyce was first linked with the Hammers in January but the West Ham board opted to stick with Avram Grant for the remainder of the season.Grant was sacked after West Ham's relegation to the Championship was confirmed with defeat to Wigan and despite Dave Jones and Neil Warnock both being linked with the vacant manager's position, co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan have turned to Allardyce."It is an honour to be the new manager of West Ham United. It is a fantastic club with a great tradition and loyal supporters who deserve to be in the Premier League. I can't wait to begin pre-season training as I am determined to get this club back where it belongs," Allardyce told the West Ham website."I wouldn't have taken this job if I didn't think we could bounce straight back into the Premier League. More than that, I wouldn't have contemplated the job if I didn't think there was the opportunity to build something substantial at West Ham."

Allardyce, who is currently on holiday in Spain, recently said he was looking forward to the challenge of guiding West Ham back to the Premier League and once he returns to London he will work closely with the West Ham board to shape his squad in preparation for the fight for promotion.

"There is a core of very talented young players at the club who've come up through the youth system, have West Ham in their blood and who I know I can build a successful team around," he added.

"That's what I'm looking forward to, managing a club that wins more games than it loses and competing at the top of the table. We need to create a winning mentality and give the fans a team they can be proud to watch.

"I know there will be West Ham fans asking whether I'm going to abandon the style of play that's been the club's heritage over the years. All I'll say is it will be a tale of home and away.

"At Upton Park we'll attempt to play the kind of passing game the fans want. We will aim to continue in the same way on our travels but we'll also be tough, hard to beat and utterly resilient."