[Archived] Lucas Neill

[joey_big_nose]

In respect of Spuds, Rovers have more than got the capability to win at WHL as we have seen so that will get us above them. Spuds have 5 london derbies to go yet playing arsenal and chelsea so they will drop some serious points.

I don't know, I would say WHL lane is our second hardest game after a trip to Old Trafford. I wouldn't mind losing or drawing there provided we pick up the points against the weaker teams.

We do have a very favorable run in. Only Man Utd, Spurs and Newcastle away look like games where we are in danger of being seriously put under pressure. All our home games are winnable and Fulham away has been a happy fixture for us in recent years.

[ABBEY]

was listening to the game on r5 on way the way back from hogwarts and motty was it senile old self..((the r5 btw was having a hammer love in))..he shouted so loud wham had scored and when the argy chap jumped in thcrowd he shouted...."HES TAKEN HIS SHIRT OFF HES JUMPED IN THE CROWD .IVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE ,THE LAST TME I SAW IT IT WAS ERIK CANTANA"

[thenodrog]

Forget about Neill, this was a disappointing result for Rovers. Victory for West Ham and we would now be above Tottenham .

Correct. Long way to go yet but those streaky 2 points gained in the 4th min of injury time might end up being very damaging for us.

Still very funny to see West Ham fans doing 'Geordie' impressions after the match.

[grizfoot]

ha ha ha flipping hillarious, that's them basically down now

We should be able to smash in a bagful at Ewood against that leaky defence.

Oh yeah and just I question,

As any player ever been captain of two different premiership teams in one season?

[Billy Castell]

After seeing the faces of the players once the final whistle went, West Ham have been destroyed tonight. They now know they're down. It was a crap game until it went 3-2, as both teams sttled for a draw. Then it went crazy. Oh, and the volvo drivers looked pretty poor despite winning.

[RevidgeBlue]

USA Blue voiced publicly for a long while something I suspected privately.

That our results and performances would improve after Neill left.

There can be no argument with that I think. Rid of the "bad apple in the barrel" it's onwards and upwards.

It is perplexing though. How did the team parading "the best right back in the Premiership" manage to ship 4 goals at home?

[Kai]

West Ham squad 'out of control'

Reckless gambling ruining morale

Player won £38,000 from team-mates

Curbishley 'not talking' to big winner

Jamie Jackson

Sunday March 4, 2007

The Observer

A culture of reckless high-stakes gambling is causing division within West Ham and rupturing morale to such an extent that the first-team squad, already riven by cliques, is 'spiralling out of control' - and the players, manager and directors already know that they can do nothing to stop the club being relegated. That is the damning view from inside the dressing room at the Premiership's most troubled club.

Players are haemorrhaging vast amounts of money to each other at the card table, as much as £50,000 in one sitting. They have won and lost these staggering sums on the team coach to matches. 'How can they be in a good frame of mind for a match after that?' says one first-team player, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The player said: 'I've never seen anything like it in my career. It's one big mess here, the atmosphere is terrible, people don't talk to each other. Players are losing 30, 40 and 50 thousand pounds sometimes. By the time we arrive one player owes another and it's terrible for the team and morale. They are always playing cards.'

One senior player, an established international, is said to have won £38,000 from two of his team-mates in one afternoon recently. The losers had to pay up and manager Alan Curbishley is no longer speaking to the player who won the money. Two members of the squad have undertaken counselling and treatment for gambling addiction, and a third player is also believed to be seeking professional help.

The disillusioned player also identified a catalogue of other problems. These include spats between rival cliques within the dressing room over territory and wages; divisive tension between Curbishley and his players; doubts over the decision-making of new chairman Eggert Magnusson; and the widespread admission, privately, that the club will be relegated. He also said that one recent signing was amazed when he was asked to a meeting to discuss club affairs with senior management in a lap-dancing club, though the club strongly deny that any such meeting took place.

Added to West Ham's list of woes, as they prepare to take on Tottenham today, is the Premier League charge for alleged irregularities in the signing of the Argentine players Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez last August, which could result in the loss of points if the club are found guilty; and the pending trial of defender Anton Ferdinand on charges of assault and violent disorder following an alleged brawl outside a London nightclub last October.

It is the depth of the club's gambling problem, which has already caused winger Matthew Etherington and goalkeeper Roy Carroll to seek help, that most concerns Curbishley, according to our source. A West Ham spokesman said: 'The club is aware of the fact that gambling is an area of concern and the manager has made clear that it must stop. Steps have been taken to eradicate this in the team environment.'

It is believed that Curbishley's first attempt to stop the card schools some weeks ago failed, but gambling is now banned in situations where he is responsible for the team, such as on journeys to matches. But he has been unable to stop the poker sessions when training is over, and one recent session is said to have continued until 4am.

The former England striker Teddy Sheringham spoke about gambling earlier in the season when promoting the online poker site 888.com. 'I can see why it [gambling] does become a problem, especially for young players who have so much money and so much time on their hands. I've always enjoyed a drink, but at the right times, and I play poker at the right times. Some people take it to extremes. You've got to keep it under control.'

The gambling culture is one more headache for former Charlton manager Curbishley, who took over at Christmas, since when West Ham have won only once. Curbishley's predecessor, Alan Pardew, had taken the club to within a minute of winning the FA Cup last May, but then oversaw a dramatic slump this season. West Ham are now bottom of the table and 11 points adrift of safety.

According to a well-placed source at Upton Park, the players are 'certainly not a unit and haven't been for a long time. It began at the end of last season during Pardew's time. There is a huge division. Nigel Reo-Coker, Bobby Zamora, Marlon Harewood and Shaun Newton all hang out together. And Reo-Coker is constantly saying he is too good for the club, that he should be at Man United or Arsenal.' Team spirit is also damaged, according to the representative of one long-serving player, by the level of resentment about the wages paid to Matthew Upson and Lucas Neil, who were signed by Curbishley in the transfer window and are being paid big money. Neil is thought to have turned down Liverpool to keep a £60,000-a-week salary.

'It's not rocket science,' said the agent, who represents some of the biggest stars in the Premiership. 'If the established players who have achieved for the club see new ones come in enjoying a lot more money for doing not very much, it's obviously going to cause problems.' Upson and Neil have been injured and have made three appearances between them.

Curbishley is said to have 'given up' on some of his players. 'He often stays in his office with his assistants. Sometimes we see him, other times we don't,' said the insider. As for Magnusson, the players 'think he is clueless and a bit lost. He gives off the wrong messages and only talks to certain players in the dressing room - those he brought here. And he has accepted Curbishley's admission that they are already down.'

Curbishley said ahead of today's game that he does not fear the sack. 'Performances have to improve. We have to win as many as we can from our last 10 games.'

Source: The Observer

[Walkerite_Hater]

ha ha ha flipping hillarious, that's them basically down now

We should be able to smash in a bagful at Ewood against that leaky defence.

Oh yeah and just I question,

As any player ever been captain of two different premiership teams in one season?

yes, lucas neill!

[Exiled_Rover]

Interesting that Lucas Neill did an interview with Sky after the game. I don't recall him ever doing one for us.

[broadsword]

West Ham squad 'out of control'

The former England striker Teddy Sheringham spoke about gambling earlier in the season when promoting the online poker site 888.com. 'I can see why it [gambling] does become a problem, especially for young players who have so much money and so much time on their hands.

Oh, the irony!

I think they're in even more of a mess than we were when we went down in '99.

I don't have a problem with West Ham, or Lucas Neill (we did very well out of him), so don't really see the reason for gloating.

It is funny though - hahahhahaaaaaaaaaaa! Ooops.

[Pugg]

Oh I feel quite bad that I like West Ham losing. It is only since Neill joined and I can't help myself, I want them to go down and no 'big club' to touch him. If I think about it logically though, he did the right thing by us, he didn't resign a contract and didn't lie to us. He was quite honest and open about considering leaving the club. How many times have we all complained that players aren't like that these days?

I still can't help it though. Maybe it's that he said he wanted a challenge, when really he gave up UEFA cup football and he went for the money.

I feel bad that it's West Ham in this position though, and I would have liked Spurs to lose to help our league postion. I've always liked West Ham, they try to have a core of English players and they did us a favour in 95 . So, erm yeah, i'm confuzzled

[OscarRaven]

Lucas was honest and up front - yeah I don't think anyone has a problem with that. To be honest cupping his ear to the Blackburn End hardly seemed to provoke much response (much to my disappointment it has to be said - anyway been there said that etc...).

I think the thing that has annoyed most people about Lucas is the fact he considers West Ham bigger than Rovers (which some board members have perversely argued they are). In reality by turning down Liverpool and going to West Ham he has proven his main motivation is money - which again is OK (which of us wouldn't) but he's not said that.

Irrespective of fan base, income & history there is one defining element to being a big club in this day and age and that's playing in the premier league.

Its not until Lucas gets relegated and leaves that the money factor will be truly 'outed'

This is why this thread does so well. It's like the Souness thread, we all knew it was just a matter of time..... and I for one love being right.

Edited March 5, 2007 by OscarRaven

[RovertheHill]

I believe that Alan Pardew is to blame for West Ham's current predicament, and in my mind he'll be the first manager to be responsible for 2 clubs going out of the premiership in the same season.

As for Lucas, what says everything about the man is the interview he gave. He was smiling ffs He might have said the right things but he was nearly smirking as he talked about the mess they are in. Contrast him to that young lad Noble who was in tears. Unbelievable

Edited March 5, 2007 by RovertheHill

[grizfoot]

yes, lucas neill!

Apart from him I meant, you lemon

It might be the only record Lucash will ever get.

[Damage]

To be honest the only person I feel sorry for in this is Curbishley> He has always stuck me as a straight-forward decent bloke (much like MH actually) who is a sold manager. As for old Eggert-the-Crunch, well I would think a supposed successful businessman may have seen the sting coming (£85m wow!). He has the face of a man that finally realises he has been taken in by a rather obvious confidence trick! Oh the joys of Das Kapital!

[thenodrog]

To be honest the only person I feel sorry for in this is Curbishley> He has always stuck me as a straight-forward decent bloke (much like MH actually) who is a sold manager.

He's certainly looking a lot older all of a sudden.

[RevidgeBlue]

The disillusioned player also identified a catalogue of other problems. These include spats between rival cliques within the dressing room over territory and wages;

If that's true it's allegedly EXACTLY what happened at Rovers when Woy was in charge. It's alleged the dressing room was split between some of the "old guard" and the newcomers they weren't too impressed with.

I was also told by a decent source that one of the reasons Sherwood had the hump was that he was club captain on 12k p.w. and doing his bit. All of a sudden Martin Dahlin came in on 17k p.w. and, not only that, was never off the treatment table etc.

[USABlue]

USA Blue voiced publicly for a long while something I suspected privately.

That our results and performances would improve after Neill left.

There can be no argument with that I think. Rid of the "bad apple in the barrel" it's onwards and upwards.

It is perplexing though. How did the team parading "the best right back in the Premiership" manage to ship 4 goals at home?

Want the lottery numbers Rev??

Was Lucas playing left or right back, if he was right I'd lay some of the blame for the 2nd goal at his feet.

How fortunate are we to get Warnock in place of Lucas. I have been very very impressed with Mr Warnock from what I have seen. He was poor against Pompey, heh heh here's the funny bit, I thought he had a stinker in the second half, didn't even hear his name then I found out he was pulled at halftime for illness dummy me.

Interesting the amount of people on here did not want him he looks good defensively and really good on his surges forward. Going forward he dribbles better and can beat a man better than Lucas and in general his crosses are better.

Nothing against West Ham always had sort of a soft spot for 'em but the media's affliction get's on my titties.

Watched the news last night 8 minutes devoted to the West Ham game and about 45 seconds on ours.

Curbs will bring 'em back it may be slow steady growth but he will need time he's not the sort of manager to turn it around overnight. I still fancy getting Tevez I thought he was terrific against Spurs, worked his socks off.

Edited March 6, 2007 by USABlue

[USABlue]

I believe that Alan Pardew is to blame for West Ham's current predicament, and in my mind he'll be the first manager to be responsible for 2 clubs going out of the premiership in the same season.

As for Lucas, what says everything about the man is the interview he gave. He was smiling ffs He might have said the right things but he was nearly smirking as he talked about the mess they are in. Contrast him to that young lad Noble who was in tears. Unbelievable

Mmm, I'd disagree a bit with that I think it's been the players, losing the Cup, the Maschawotsit and Tevez debacle, uncertain ownership and a large dose of the players having the big time charlie attitude. They acted like they'd made it. I'll be pencilling them in for a win on the 17th though

[thenodrog]

I was also told by a decent source that one of the reasons Sherwood had the hump was that he was club captain on 12k p.w. and doing his bit. All of a sudden Martin Dahlin came in on 17k p.w. and, not only that, was never off the treatment table etc.

Hmmm the old green eyed God stuffed us just as it appears to be stuffing WHU.

Fine player and good captain that he was Sherwood was never European Player of the year though was he? If he had been then he'd have been on similar money I'd wager. Treatment table / glassback / Wots fave's are another issue.

[dave birch]

This, from the BBCgossip column:

West Ham will axe 16 players in the summer. (Daily Express)

Among them will be Anton Ferdinand, Nigel Reo-Coker, Dean Ashton, Carlos Tevez and Lucas Neill - but Matthew Upson will stay. (The Sun)

Would have to be one of the quickest on record.

[LeftWinger]

This, from the BBCgossip column:

West Ham will axe 16 players in the summer. (Daily Express)

Among them will be Anton Ferdinand, Nigel Reo-Coker, Dean Ashton, Carlos Tevez and Lucas Neill - but Matthew Upson will stay. (The Sun)

Would have to be one of the quickest on record.

Does anyone remember David Unsworth joining Villa one summer - then leaving a few weeks later for Everton without playing a game? Seem to remember John Gregory saying that Unsworth was well and truly under the thumb of his wife.

[Billy Castell]

Don't even think it was a couple of weeks with Unsworth. Wasn't it a matter of days?!

Sounds like there may be a bargain or two from the Whammers. Anyone for Ashton for example? Or maybe a loan for Reo-Coker (so we can find out if he is an egotistical git or not)?

[Tris]

Does anyone remember David Unsworth joining Villa one summer - then leaving a few weeks later for Everton without playing a game? Seem to remember John Gregory saying that Unsworth was well and truly under the thumb of his wife.

(edit) oops

Edited March 6, 2007 by Tris

[Jimmy Jupiter]

Pretty sure Dietmar Hamann will have the record for the shortest stay at a club when he signed for Bolton then Man City within less than 24 hours.