Source: Daily_Mail
West Ham 0 Blackburn 0: New owners but same old problems for Hammers
Benni McCarthy will now know exactly why Gianfranco Zola has pursued him so enthusiastically.[LNB]The striker is on the verge of signing for West Ham in a £2.5million deal and he will be under no illusions about how much pressure there will be on him to score their goals.[LNB] Nou way: West Ham's Frank Nouble skips away from Morten Gamst Pedersen of Blackburn[LNB] [LNB]Financially, a significant wage increase means it is the rightdecision to leave Blackburn for London and he will get more game time.But if McCarthy was comparing the two club's prospects solely on theirencounter at Upton Park, he may not have been so sure.[LNB]Zola said: 'That deal looks like it's done and next week he willcome to train with us. He will be a threat in the last third. He canscore goals and will be a very big help for us.'[LNB] Board meeting: New West Ham owners David Sullivan and David Gold[LNB] [LNB]Blackburn, the perennial party poopers, spoiled the day for the'homecoming' of the two Davids, Sullivan and Gold. After a strangelysubdued atmosphere for most of the match, West Ham left the Upton Parkpitch to boos.[LNB]Referee Peter Walton should have awarded Blackburn a penalty for Mark Noble's handball on the line in the 73rd minute.[LNB]'It's one of those things you hope the referee will spot,' saidmanager Sam Allardyce. 'But with all the bodies in the way it appearshe has not been able to.[LNB] Cold comfort: West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola watched his side have plenty of possession but lacked a cutting edge [LNB] [LNB]'Having said that, if we had been clinical we would have won it. The chances we created were far better and far greater.'[LNB]The stalemate leaves West Ham with only one win in their last ninePremier League games and Zola said: 'We had to win and everybody wasfrightened. When you are nervous you can't express yourself.[LNB]'I was expecting us to play with more quality. The crowd wereworried, too, and I was expecting the new ownership to lift them more.'[LNB]The best first-half chance fell to Blackburn's playmaker, MortenGamst Pedersen. Valon Behrami gave away a soft free-kick 20 yards fromthe middle of his goal and the Norwegian curled a shot beyond RobertGreen but on to the crossbar.[LNB]Martin Olsson had a shot pushed around the post by Green then GaelGivet's close-range effort deflected on to the arm of Noble on theline before Carlton Cole cleared.[LNB]West Ham's best efforts were Alessandro Diamanti's 25-yard shotwhich Paul Robinson saved and a cross that Scott Parker threadedthrough an empty six-yard area, which Cole was too rusty to react to.[LNB] John Hartson: 'I was in the pool with my kids and thought, I want to live...'Wolves target £2million Blackburn Rovers striker Jason Roberts WEST HAM UNITED FC
