Thursday, August 03, 2006
Ashton: "Top six at least"
Dean Ashton has told website icons.com that he thinks West Ham should be aiming for a top six Premiership finish at least for the coming season.
He said, "Next season I think we should be looking for a top six finish, to do well in Europe and another good cup run - and that's the minimum. Obviously losing the FA Cup was a big disappointment but getting to the final and playing so well proved just how far we had come. We could all look back and say there was nothing more we could have done to win the cup and in the end it was one great player who beat us. That performance and our league position proved what we believed at the start of the season - that we were good enough to compete in the Premiership."
Deano has also said that the competition for places up front for West Ham will only spur the club on. "With the arrival of Carlton Cole we now have five forwards competing for places in West Ham's starting line-up and that has to be good for the club. I think Carlton Cole is a very good signing and I really hope that everyone will want to stay and fight for place because that sort of competition is great and can only help us push on and be more successful than we were last year. Of course we are aware that all of us can't play and there are going to be unhappy players when they're not in the side, but that should act as an incentive and to show the manager you are too good to be left out. Once you are in the team you have to play well to stay there."
Ashton is sorry to see Carl Fletcher leave but is glad that all other major players have stayed. "Carl Fletcher has left us and that is a shame because he showed what a fine midfielder he was and he was a really good bloke to have around the place. But the move to Palace was a great one for Fletch and I wish him all the best there. Apart from that we have managed to hold on to most of the lads and that has to be good news for the club. We were a bit worried about Anton Ferdinand being injured for the start of the season but he looks like being alright now and so it's all looking good."
And so Ashton sees a rosy future for West Ham. "We're off to Greece this weekend for a couple of games against Aris FC and PAOK FC and then we face another Greek outfit Olympiakos. With West Ham playing UEFA Cup football this year it's important that we get a bit of experience of continental teams and we're all looking forward to facing a different style of play. We're all really looking forward to the kick-off against Charlton and running out in front of the fans at Upton Park. They were amazing all season and absolutely fantastic in the FA Cup final and we hope to give them more to cheer about this year. Our success last year has put pressure on us for this season, but it's the sort of pressure you want to be under."
He said, "Next season I think we should be looking for a top six finish, to do well in Europe and another good cup run - and that's the minimum. Obviously losing the FA Cup was a big disappointment but getting to the final and playing so well proved just how far we had come. We could all look back and say there was nothing more we could have done to win the cup and in the end it was one great player who beat us. That performance and our league position proved what we believed at the start of the season - that we were good enough to compete in the Premiership."
Deano has also said that the competition for places up front for West Ham will only spur the club on. "With the arrival of Carlton Cole we now have five forwards competing for places in West Ham's starting line-up and that has to be good for the club. I think Carlton Cole is a very good signing and I really hope that everyone will want to stay and fight for place because that sort of competition is great and can only help us push on and be more successful than we were last year. Of course we are aware that all of us can't play and there are going to be unhappy players when they're not in the side, but that should act as an incentive and to show the manager you are too good to be left out. Once you are in the team you have to play well to stay there."
Ashton is sorry to see Carl Fletcher leave but is glad that all other major players have stayed. "Carl Fletcher has left us and that is a shame because he showed what a fine midfielder he was and he was a really good bloke to have around the place. But the move to Palace was a great one for Fletch and I wish him all the best there. Apart from that we have managed to hold on to most of the lads and that has to be good news for the club. We were a bit worried about Anton Ferdinand being injured for the start of the season but he looks like being alright now and so it's all looking good."
And so Ashton sees a rosy future for West Ham. "We're off to Greece this weekend for a couple of games against Aris FC and PAOK FC and then we face another Greek outfit Olympiakos. With West Ham playing UEFA Cup football this year it's important that we get a bit of experience of continental teams and we're all looking forward to facing a different style of play. We're all really looking forward to the kick-off against Charlton and running out in front of the fans at Upton Park. They were amazing all season and absolutely fantastic in the FA Cup final and we hope to give them more to cheer about this year. Our success last year has put pressure on us for this season, but it's the sort of pressure you want to be under."
Posted by whubris at 10:52 am
Dave said...
That's good to hear him say those things cos I was a little worried about his thoughts on the size of West Ham and the ambitions. Hopefully we can keep up with his ambitions and keep hold of him and others of his stature.
said...
Frank Lampard has hit out at former club West Ham, and revealed that he is still bitter about the way he was treated by the fans at Upton Park.
The England midfielder believes that he was an unpopular figure on the terraces because the fans thought he was only in the squad due to his family connections.
"Being Frank Lampard's son brought with it different rules to those which apply to every other player," he explains in his autobiography, serialised in The Sun.
"A section of the support believed I wasn't good enough for the starting line-up so I was put on the bench as some kind of favour.
"And they let me know this every time I moved to do a warm-up."
Lampard, also the nephew of manager at the time Harry Redknapp, was also disgusted that chairman Terence Brown even entertained the idea of nepotism.
"I felt suspicious about the people running the club and from that moment I'd never trust them again."
The worst moment of Lampard's West Ham career came when he broke his leg as an 18-year-old, and heard some cheers from his own supporters.
The abuse was so bad that he admits he did consider giving up on football altogether.
"I have tried not to think too much about what happened on March 15, 1997, but it's hard not to," he reflected.
"We were away at Aston Villa when I went to challenge for a ball and caught my studs in the turf. Pain shot through my leg and I knew straight away it was broken.
"As I was being carried off around the visitors' end at Villa Park I recall cheering and some applause. It made me feel sick to the stomach.
"It got to the stage when I thought about jacking in football altogether. I would rather work nine to five with my mates than take abuse from 30,000 people every other week."
Lampard has carved out a hugely successful career since switching to Chelsea in 2001, but his relationship with West Ham has still not picked up.
"Now I have won The Premiership with Chelsea and was runner-up to Ronaldinho as World Player of the Year it has become harder for the critics to handle," he said.
"I remember when Joe Cole first came to Chelsea he would turn away in disappointment if West Ham lost. I would smile.
"That's how deeply I felt. I wanted West Ham to lose. Now I don't even look for their results."
...Post a Comment ... Go to Forum
Dave said...That's good to hear him say those things cos I was a little worried about his thoughts on the size of West Ham and the ambitions. Hopefully we can keep up with his ambitions and keep hold of him and others of his stature.
said...Frank Lampard has hit out at former club West Ham, and revealed that he is still bitter about the way he was treated by the fans at Upton Park.
The England midfielder believes that he was an unpopular figure on the terraces because the fans thought he was only in the squad due to his family connections.
"Being Frank Lampard's son brought with it different rules to those which apply to every other player," he explains in his autobiography, serialised in The Sun.
"A section of the support believed I wasn't good enough for the starting line-up so I was put on the bench as some kind of favour.
"And they let me know this every time I moved to do a warm-up."
Lampard, also the nephew of manager at the time Harry Redknapp, was also disgusted that chairman Terence Brown even entertained the idea of nepotism.
"I felt suspicious about the people running the club and from that moment I'd never trust them again."
The worst moment of Lampard's West Ham career came when he broke his leg as an 18-year-old, and heard some cheers from his own supporters.
The abuse was so bad that he admits he did consider giving up on football altogether.
"I have tried not to think too much about what happened on March 15, 1997, but it's hard not to," he reflected.
"We were away at Aston Villa when I went to challenge for a ball and caught my studs in the turf. Pain shot through my leg and I knew straight away it was broken.
"As I was being carried off around the visitors' end at Villa Park I recall cheering and some applause. It made me feel sick to the stomach.
"It got to the stage when I thought about jacking in football altogether. I would rather work nine to five with my mates than take abuse from 30,000 people every other week."
Lampard has carved out a hugely successful career since switching to Chelsea in 2001, but his relationship with West Ham has still not picked up.
"Now I have won The Premiership with Chelsea and was runner-up to Ronaldinho as World Player of the Year it has become harder for the critics to handle," he said.
"I remember when Joe Cole first came to Chelsea he would turn away in disappointment if West Ham lost. I would smile.
"That's how deeply I felt. I wanted West Ham to lose. Now I don't even look for their results."
