SOUTHAMPTON V WEST HAM UNITED
npower CHAMPIONSHIP
TUESDAY 18 OCTOBER 2011
KICK-OFF: 7.45PM
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
iPHONE APP I TWITTER I FACEBOOK I PODCAST
Introduction
• West Ham United travel to the league leaders Southampton knowing that a victory would take them to the top of the npower Championship. The Saints, however, have been imperious at home, and are on a run of 16 straight wins at St. Mary's.
• Victory would be the perfect early birthday present for Sam Allardyce, with the manager turning 57 on Wednesday. The Hammers are one of only two teams in the division - along with Middlesbrough - who have not lost away from home this season.
• The Hammers have not topped a table since they led the way for 24 hours in the fledgling Barclays Premier League standings on 22 August 2006 with a 1-1 draw at Watford.
• Both teams are new to the Championship this campaign. The Hammers were relegated from the Premier League while the Saints finished second in League One, three points behind Brighton & Hove Albion, to earn promotion. West Ham go to Brighton on Monday.
• This is the Hammers' 12th npower Championship fixture of 2011/12 after a third home league victory of the season on Saturday. The Hammers have previously beaten Portsmouth (4-3) and Peterborough United (1-0), drawn with Leeds United (2-2) and lost to Cardiff City and Ipswich Town (both 0-1).
• Southampton sit two points ahead of the Hammers after a fantastic start to life back in the second tier. In all, the Saints have won their previous 16 home matches in all competitions - a run stretching back to a 2-1 FA Cup fourth-round defeat by Manchester United on 29 January.
• In the league, Southampton have won their previous 14 home matches, won 16 of their last 17 and not lost since going down 2-0 to Brentford on 11 December 2010.
• Southampton have scored in every league game they have played this season, although have just one win in their last four matches.
• West Ham have never won at St Mary's, losing 2-0 in January 2002 and drawing 1-1 in April 2003. The clubs have not been in the same division since that campaign, although there was a 2-2 friendly draw on 1 August 2008 - the last meeting of the clubs.
• Southampton's best home showing against the Hammers was a 6-2 win on 4 February 1967, while they also won 4-0 on 27 August 1988. Both games were played at The Dell.
• West Ham have four times won by a two-goal margin at Southampton. Three of which were 2-0 wins, the most recent being courtesy of Trevor Morley and Lee Chapman on 29 November 1993. There was also a 4-2 away triumph for the Hammers on 26 December 1935.
• Only Kevin Nolan has started every league game for West Ham this season. He also played in the Carling Cup first round.
• Rickie Lambert has scored eleven goals in all competitions and is the league's leading scorer this season with nine. Sam Baldock has eight in all competitions, including six for MK Dons.
Team news
West Ham United
• Joey O'Brien should be fit for a recall if selected after a hamstring problem. The manager is also keeping an eye on Brian Montenegro's form after three goals in three matches for the development squad.
• Henri Lansbury could also be involved after being rested against Blackpool. It remains to be seen if Carlton Cole will be fit after a minor ligament issue that cost him his place at the weekend, although he has been training.
• Matt Taylor (calf) and James Tomkins (groin) are doubtful after limping off on Saturday.
• Robert Green is nearly halfway through a six-week recovery after his knee cartiliage surgery.
• Guy Demel is making good progress from a hamstring injury that has delayed his debut.
• Gary O'Neil (ankle) is out with long-term ankle injury.
• On-loan David Bentley is unlikely to play again this season after major knee surgery on Tuesday.
• Pablo Barrera and Jordan Spence are on season-long loans at Real Zaragoza and Bristol City respectively. Ahmed Abdulla and Cristian Montano (Swindon Town), Jordan Brown (Aldershot Town), Robert Hall (Oxford United), Herita Ilunga (Doncaster Rovers), Olly Lee (Dagenham & Redbridge), Callum McNaughton (AFC Wimbledon), Frank Nouble (Gillingham), Marek Stech (Yeovil Town) and Dominic Vose (Braintree) are all out on temporary loans.
Southampton
• Attack-minded midfielder Adam Lallana is set to return after a foot injury kept him out of the 1-1 draw at Derby on Saturday.
• Frazer Richardson is doubtful after coming off against Derby, meaning a possible recall for Danny Butterfield at right-back. Dan Seabourne is still sidelined.
Last time out
Saturday 15 October 2011
npower Championship
West Ham United 4-0 Blackpool
West Ham: Almunia, Faubert, Tomkins (Faye 60), Reid, McCartney, Collison, Bouba Diop, Nolan, Taylor (Sears 62), Baldock, Carew (Noble 80)
Subs not used: Boffin, Piquionne
Goals: Carew 12, Baldock 47, 51, Collison 55
Saturday 15 October 2011
npower Championship
Derby County 1-1 Southampton
Southampton: Davis, Richardson (Hammond 73), Fonte, Fox, Hooiveld, Schneiderlin, Cork, Guly (Harding 90), Chaplow (De Ridder 59), Lambert, Connolly
Subs not used: Bialkowski, Martin
Goal: Lambert 61
Previous meetings
• The most recent competitive meeting between the sides was the 1-1 draw at St Mary's on 5 April 2003. James Beattie put the home side in front on 44 minutes before Jermain Defoe's equaliser seven minutes from time.
Southampton: Niemi, Telfer, Lundekvam, Bridge, M Svensson (A Svensson), Fernandes, Oakley, Marsden, Prutton, Beattie, Ormerod (Davies 67)
West Ham United: James, Johnson, Pearce, Repka, Brevett, Sinclair, Bowyer, Lomas (Cisse 45), Cole, Ferdinand (Kanoute 58), Defoe
Last six meetings
5 April 2003 - Southampton 1-1 West Ham United
2 December 2002 - West Ham United 0-1 Southampton
30 January 2002 - Southampton 2-0 West Ham United
20 October 2001 - West Ham United 2-0 Southampton
5 May 2001 - West Ham United 3-0 Southampton
25 November 2000 - Southampton 2-3 West Ham United
Overall record v Southampton (all competitions) W 36 D 26 L 29
Ten-year records
West Ham United
2010/11 Premier League 20th (relegated to Championship)
2009/10 Premier League 17th
2008/09 Premier League 9th
2007/08 Premier League 10th
2006/07 Premier League 15th
2005/06 Premier League 9th
2004/05 Championship 6th (promoted to Premier League via play-offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th
2002/03 Premier League 18th (relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th
Southampton
2010/11 League One 2nd (promoted to Championship
2009/10 League One 7th
2008/09 Championship 23rd (relegated to League One)
2007/08 Championship 20th
2006/07 Championship 6th
2005/06 Championship 12th
2004/05 Premier League 20th (relegated to Championship)
2003/04 Premier League 12th
2002/03 Premier League 8th
2001/02 Premier League 11th
Referee
• Darren Deadman will be taking charge of a Hammers first-team game for the first time on Tuesday.
• His last Southampton fixture was the 2-0 home win at St Mary's against Sheffield Wednesday on 19 March 2011.
• His biggest match to date was the League Two play-off final last May when he took charge of Stevenage's 1-0 defeat of Torquay United at Old Trafford.
• He has been a fourth official in the Premier League.
• Deadman did officiate in a Hammers reserve match on 15 October 2002 when they drew 1-1 with Tottenham.
Us and them
• The teams have not met since a 1 August 2008 friendly at St Mary's when goals in the second half from Calum Davenport and Zavon Hines cancelled out David McGoldrick's first-half double.
Southampton: Bartosz Bialkowski, Lloyd James, Andrew Surman, Morgan Schneiderlin, Michael Svensson, Chris Perry, Jake Thomson, Simon Gillett, Adam Lallana, David McGoldrick, Lee Holmes
Subs: Tommy Forecast, Aarran Racine, Paul Wotton, Joseph Mills, Bradley Wright-Phillips, Stern John, Grzegorz Rasiak, Nathan Dyer
West Ham United: Marek Stech, Valon Behrami, Calum Davenport, Matthew Upson, Lucas Neill, Julien Faubert, Hayden Mullins, Scott Parker, Kyel Reid, Carlton Cole, Craig Bellamy
Subs: Robert Green, Joe Widdowson, Anton Ferdinand, Jordan Spence, Jack Collison, Mark Noble, Tony Stokes, Junior Stanislas, Zavon Hines
• Sam Baldock, who has eight goals in ten matches this season, scored at St Mary's last season when MK Dons lost 3-2 in a League One encounter on 2 April 2011.
• Frazer Richardson scored the only goal when Stoke City won 1-0 at West Ham on 9 December 2003.
• David Connolly spent the 2003/04 season at the Hammers, after signing for £285,000 from Wimbledon. He went on to score 14 goals before moving on to Leicester, with the Hammers doubling their money.
• Kelvin Davis had a trial at the Hammers in summer 2010 but a move could not be agreed and he rejoined Southampton.
• Among the other players to have played for both clubs are William Adams, Eyal Berkovic, Wayne Bridge, Henri Camara, Alistair Campbell, Frank Costello, Christian Dailly, Calum Davenport, Iain Dowie, Bob Fairman, Jack Foster, Horace Glover, Richard Hall, Jimmy Harris, Fred Harrison, Joe Kirkup, George Kitchen, Alex McDonald, Walter Pollard, Nigel Quashie, Albert Roles, Robbie Slater, David Speedie, Vic Watson, Arthur Wilson, Richard Wright
Up next
• West Ham United will travel to Brighton & Hove Albion next Monday. Southampton are also on the road, making the trip up to Reading for a Saturday evening kick-off.
General information
• For directions to St Mary's, click here.
• For ticket information, click here