Source: Team_Talk
Zola looks forward to Benni arrival
McCarthy is on the verge of a £2.5million move from Blackburn, who left Upton Park on Saturday with a 0-0 draw but unfortunate not to have taken all three points.[LNB]The Hammers - playing in front of co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold for the first time at the Boleyn Ground since their successful takeover - had plenty of possession but lacked a cutting edge in attack even after the second-half introduction of fit-again England striker Carlton Cole.[LNB]Zola hopes the imminent arrival of South Africa international McCarthy can solve that.[LNB]"It looks like it is done and next week he should be coming to train with us," Zola said of the 32-year-old.[LNB]"I do not know the terms yet, but they have told me the deal is done.[LNB]"He should be available for the next game.[LNB]"Benni will be a threat in the last third.[LNB]"He is a player who can score goals and he will be a very good help for us."[LNB]Sullivan and Gold are both life-long Hammers fans and their buy-out of a controlling interest from Icelandic bank CB Holding settled what has been a turbulent period for the east London club.[LNB]Zola added: "They have given us stability and maybe some more players to strengthen the team, and that is a good thing."[LNB]West Ham failed to get out of first gear against Rovers and on another day could have lost.[LNB]Just before the break, Morten Gamst Pedersen's 25-yard free-kick crashed against the crossbar and then substitute Jason Roberts failed to beat Robert Green when clean through with 15 minutes left.[LNB]Zola said: "I was expecting us to create a bit more quality, but we were not able to do that.[LNB]"The tension caught us a little bit, everybody was nervous and we could not express the quality we needed to break them down.[LNB]"But I take it as a good day, because this point means we step up the table."[LNB]Rovers boss Sam Allardyce believes his side could feel somewhat hard done by not to have left Upton Park with all three points.[LNB]As well as hitting the woodwork and Roberts' miss, Allardyce also pointed to two other key moments: when England goalkeeper Green pulled off a brilliant save to deny Martin Olsson and when Mark Noble appeared to handle a shock from Gael Givet before it was cleared off the line.[LNB]"We are disappointed we have not turned a very, very good second-half performance into a victory," said Allardyce.[LNB]"We had the free-kick which hit the bar, and then Jason Roberts' chance, Martin Olsson's drive is going in the top corner and Robert Green has saved it, then there is the penalty.[LNB]"The handball on the line is just one of those things you hope the referee would spot, but he has not been able to.[LNB]"What should have been a definite penalty for us wasn't, because if he has not handballed it, it was in.[LNB]"That aside, we have had enough chances to put the ball in the net more than once, and we failed to do that."[LNB]Allardyce added: "We feel a little hard done by, but in the main we should have been a bit more clinical in front of goal and would have won.[LNB]"It was a satisfying performance again, but not the right result."[LNB][LNB]
