West Ham United Squad

Scott Parker

KB: KUMB; HM Hammers Mad; ST Sunday Times; SE Sunday Express; SM Sunday Mirror; OB Observer;

DM Daily Mirror; GU Guardian; TM Times; HD Hammers Diary; SK Sky; DE Daily Express BC BBC

Hammers News: Admirably led by Scott Parker, the Hammers had nearly total control of the midfield. We all know what a great defensive player Parker is but against Bolton he also passed the ball well. It was no real surprise that the terrier midfielder was the instigator of West Ham’s goal. In the 66th minute he ran with the ball out of defence. Cole failed to control the forward pass and it ran loose to Spector on the right-wing. Parker ran past Cole and arrived in the penalty area to knock the full-back’s accurate cross into the net. Eight minutes later Parker made another penetrating run into the box. He was brought down by Ricardo Gardner but the referee played the advantage rule as the ball ran free to Di Michele who once again faced an open goal. Instead of hitting it first-time he decided to show off his skills by taking the ball around the goalkeeper. He did this successfully but by this time two Bolton defenders were back on the line and his weak shot was easily blocked by Gary Cahill.

The Sunday Times: West Ham, with Scott Parker the most influential player on the field, created a host of chances but until his neat finish 20 minutes from time they strangely lacked conviction in front of goal. The chief culprit was Mark Noble, who was left one on one with Jussi Jaaskelainen after the best move of the match just before half-time and chose to pass instead of shoot. Taylor cleared off the line early in the second half, a header by Carlton Cole almost slipped through Jaaskelainen’s hands and Bolton survived. “Football-wise, nobody could disagree that we played better than them,” said West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola. “Not even Bolton fans.” (Andrew Longmore)

Sunday Independent: Three minutes later David Di Michele also pierced the flimsy looking Bolton rearguard but his shot was so wide even two sets of goalposts would not have been enough to find the net... Ten minutes later West Ham almost got an equaliser when Parker chested the ball down, Di Michele rounded Jussi Jaaskelainen and appeared to have an empty net to pass into until the excellent Cahill stretched to make the clearance. (Guy Hodgson)

The Sunday Mirror: Bolton ripped West Ham apart with two blitzkrieg goals in one 95-second spell - but Irons' boss Gianfranco Zola couldn't believe his side had lost. He said: "The only complaint I have is our slow start, along with the fact that we didn't take our chances. "It's a pity, because our - performance deserved more but you can't afford to concede like that. "It's a good lesson for us and we know what kind of team Bolton are. "But no one would disagree when I say we played much better than that. Scott Parker was excellent and was all over the place. He's got desire, passion and everything to play for." (Lindsay Sutton)

The Guardian: It was another returnee, Scott Parker, who established the side's approach on the field. The defensive midfielder blocked Joe Cole's goalbound shot in the seventh minute, and when the whistle went at the end of four minutes of additional time he was driving hard at the left flank of ­Chelsea's defence. As the referee blew up he halted his run and bent down, putting his hands on his knees, utterly spent. Parker had produced one solid tackle and interception after another, and with 10 minutes to go he was on the line to head the ball away after Robert Green's ineffectual punch — the one blemish on the goalkeeper's performance — had threatened to give Chelsea a winning lead.

Daily Mirror: Even Anelka's beautifully crafted 16th goal of the season, the perfect response to Drogba's introduction, could not propel Chelsea to the victory they expected, as West Ham secured the point that kept them out of the drop zone. And they deserved it too, even if Lucas Neill could have thrown all that hard work away with a reckless lunge to send Frank Lampard tumbling two minutes from time. But if Mike Riley had spotted the foul, it would have been tough on Zola and his players, especially the magnificent Scott Parker. Parker's spell at Chelsea summed up the madness of the Abramovich years, signed on the basis of a Boxing Day display against the Blues and jettisoned 18 months later after barely getting a chance. But the midfielder showed drive and determination as he spent 90 minutes on a oneman search-and-destroy mission every time Chelsea probed. (Martin Lipton)

The Guardian: Scott Parker, yet another returnee, was tough and effective. "Had Scotty stayed, he could have broken into our team," wrote the Chelsea captain John Terry in his programme notes. The defender would have wished those words had not gone on to seem so prescient. (Kevin McCarra)

Hammer's Diary: Parker was absolutley awesome today. He, Noble and Behrami controlled midfield. I had assumed Behrami would play on the wide right, but he had clearly been told to tuck in next to Parker, so we had a central midfield threesome which dominated the opposition. Faubert was immense at right back and looked completely at home, but as the game went on he got more space and bombed forward. He put in several very dangerous crosses and his tackling was hard. Behrami got better as the game went on. He is slightly ungainly and awkward, yet his tenacity in chasing the ball often reaped great rewards. The watching Fabio Capello (who seems to have taken up residence at Upton Park) can only have been impressed by Parker.

Iain Dale's Diary : Faubert and Ljungberg ran Newcastle ragged down the wings for the first twenty minutes. What a shame Freddie was stretchered off with a cracked rib (and may miss the Euros) mid way through the first half to be replaced the Boa Morte. Scott Parker was absolutely immense, especially in the first half, while Mark Noble took his goal brilliantly and combined superbly with Parker both defensively and in attack. But special pride of place goes to Julien Faubert, who showed some amazing bursts of pace and put in some excellent crosses. He really showed that he will be immense for us next season, and if Parker hadn’t been so brilliant, he would have been my man of the match. Parker is now on England form. Defensively, James Tomkins looked superb, apart from being to blame for the first goal. His heading was spot on and he was tough in his tackled. He’s also a danger at corners in the opponents’ box. He did make a mistake for the goal, but he’ll learn from it. Lucas Neill had a few hairy moments in the second half. George McCartney was brilliant (again) bombing down the left and put in a real attacking performance. And John Pantsil had his best game for us so far. He really can be a joy to watch with his hugely enthusiastic attitude. Up front Dean Ashton was busy all over the place and a constant threat. His goal was a classic striker’s goal, where he made something out of very little. Bobby Zamora was at his most frustrating. He tried and tried but absolutely nothing he tried came off. Carlton Cole looked far better when he came on and should retain his place for the Man U game, although I suspect we will play 4-5-1 at Old Trafford.

The Guardian: Here both teams proved they have the attacking potential to land decisive blows in the title fight but also that their defences constitute jaws of the thinnest glass. West Ham put their better foot forward first, dominating the opening period. Julien Faubert and Freddie Ljungberg hurtled down the wings at will and the drive and nimbleness of Scott Parker and Mark Noble provided a perfect contrast with Newcastle's static midfield... When Noble swept a George McCartney cross into the net from 15 yards in the 10th minute, he was unhindered by any visiting defenders. With Dean Ashton darting all across the frontline and Bobby Zamora achieving aerial supremacy, it was not until the 19th minute that a Newcastle defender managed to get close to an attacker, Steven Taylor accidentally treading on Ljungberg and inflicting a broken rib injury that jeopardises the Swede's participation in Euro 2008. The pattern of the game did not change, however, and two minutes later Ashton gave the home side a deserved second, controlling Zamora's flick-on before fending off David Edgar too easily and swivelling to fire the ball into the net. West Ham exuded confidence and the crispness of their interplay would have given Manchester United fans real cause to fear an upset at Old Trafford on Saturday. (Paul Doyle, 28th April 2008)

Hammers Mad: A last-minute goal by Scott Parker gave West Ham United their first win in ten visits to Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium. The game looked to be heading for a draw until former Chelsea and Charlton midfielder Parker weaved his way through the Boro defence before shooting past Mark Schwarzer and into the far corner of the net for a brilliant goal.

Sunday Mirror: Hammers boss Alan Curbishley paid tribute to Parker, who has struggled with injuries since his big-money move. Curbs said: "Scott Parker deserved that goal for the way he has worked to overcome his injuries. He has had to get his fitness by playing in the first team. "I have told Scott to be more offensive than he was at Newcastle. I've asked him to get into the box and pinch us a goal. He delivered today. "Let's hope that goal is the start of something. We scored two great goals because Dean Ashton's effort was a super strike." (Brian Mcnally, 23rd December, 2007)

Daily Telegraph: Curbishley said: "When he was coming through the ranks at Charlton, he was an attacking midfielder who scored his share of goals. But at 18 he came to me and asked, 'How do I get into the first team? What do I have to do?'?" Charlton needed a holding midfield player and Parker's career took its first detour. Luke Young, a team-mate at Charlton, now at Middlesbrough, said: "That's not really his position. He is a fine creative player and his display against us showed that. He can do amazing things on the ball. I just wish it hadn't been against us." Parker was involved in a slightly messy, 90th-minute triangle with John Pantsil and Lucas Neill, who released him into the penalty area, where he drew a rash challenge from David Wheater before depositing the ball inside the far post. Young said: "I know when he goes on a run like that, he is difficult to stop. There was a bit of naivety on our part because we could have brought him down before he got into the box, taken a yellow card and got a point out of the game." Curbishley said: "It could be a new role for him now. Hayden Mullins is more of a 'sitter' [in the hole], so we're asking Scott to get into the box more. I'd like to think the stronger he gets, and more games under his belt, the more goals will come." (Martin Smith, 24th December, 2007)

Daily Mirror: From misfit at Chelsea to missed opportunities at Newcastle and misadventure with England (tactical genius Steve McClaren's bungle in Zagreb), Parker's talent has been in danger of withering on the vine. To his credit, however, he does not do sour grapes - and his cool finish was a throwback to the days when Parker was the hottest property on the south side of the Blackwall Tunnel. He said: "When you've been out for so long and had a lot of disappointments, it doesn't get much better than scoring a last-minute winner. "This moment has been a long time coming and I've had to be patient. I got injured in pre-season with a medial ligament problem and although I was supposed to be out for between four and six weeks, it just dragged on and on. It only added to the frustration that there were a couple of setbacks along the way, but the fans have had to wait until nearly Christmas for me to get off the mark and I hope it was worth the wait. Give or take a couple of miles, I'm back where I started in my career, playing in a side managed by Alan Curbishley. He nurtured me as a young lad and brought me through at Charlton - he knows me and I know him, which is not a bad thing. People say it never quite happened for me at Newcastle but I had a good first year up there, I was a firm favourite, and I was rewarded with their player-of-the-season award. Then, after a good start last year, I got injured and for some reason it turned for me. I can't put my finger on it but it was a difficult time and, having been made captain, some of the stick was channelled through me." (Mike Walters, 24th December, 2007)

The Times: Nobody, in the immediate future, will mistake Curbishley for King Midas, but West Ham’s 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough featured goals for Dean Ashton and Scott Parker, whose dominant statistics at Upton Park have been in medical reports. In terms of away form, sickness has dissipated; 16 points have quietly been hoarded this season. Saturday began in familiar fashion – George McCartney and Matthew Upson underwent fitness tests – but hardship brought inspiration. “It’s been the story of our season,” Curbishley said. “People who thought their chances might be limited have played regularly, others have been chasing fitness in the team. We had a rallying call before the game, because we knew we had to go out and get on with it.” If the effect was far from spellbinding, complaints were absent from West Ham supporters, who launched into a rendition of Jingle Bells when Parker began a 90th-minute move on the right, collected a return pass from John Paintsil and scored with a right-foot shot. It was Parker’s first goal for the club and his side’s first league win on Teesside since 1990. It was a boost for Parker’s career, which stalled at Chelsea, tailed off at Newcastle United and is yet to recommence with any significance because of a lingering medial ligament problem. “When you’ve been out for so long, it doesn’t get much better than a last-minute winner,” Parker said. “It’s good to be back; this moment has been a long time coming. I’m back where I started in my career, playing in a side managed by Curbs. He nurtured me as a young lad and brought me through at Charlton.” (George Caulkin, 24th December, 2007)

BBC Sport: West Ham were eager to avenge Wednesday's 2-1 Carling Cup quarter-final defeat and driven forward by Scott Parker, they created plenty of goalscoring opportunities before Yakubu broke the deadlock moments before the half-time whistle. Parker was at the centre of all West Ham's moves going forward, most notably setting up Ashton's looping volley which drifted just wide of Tim Howard's goal midway through the first half. Ljungberg should have also done better but had his shot blocked after failing to make the most of a one-on-one with keeper Howard. But against the run of play, Everton gained a crucial edge when Arteta picked out Cahill in the Hammers box and the Australian headed back across the goal to leave the unmarked Yakubu with an easy nod past Green.

Hammers Diary: I am sure I am not alone when I say how proud I was of our performance against Chelsea. We deserved at least a point, and defensively we were awesome. It givesd me real hope for the future if we continue to play with that level of total commitment and skill. We were never going to have a huge number of goalscoring opportunities, and so it proved, but again, Carlton Cole worked his dogs bits off and Luis Boa Morte had his best game in a Hammers shirt. Scott Parker was terrific in midfield, with Upson the star of a superb back four. I really cannot praise them too highly. Let’s hope this kind of form is carried forward into the two Everton matches and beyond. (Iain Dale, 2nd December, 2007)

The Times: There were doubtless sighs of relief at Upton Park last night when Scott Parker was told that he should be fit to play for West Ham United in about three weeks. The midfield player caused great concern when he limped off with a knee injury at half-time during the 1-0 Barclays Premier League defeat at home to Arsenal on Saturday, with fears that the injury could keep him out for three months. Parker was playing his first league match for the club since returning from two months out with an injury to the same knee. A scan has revealed that the damage to the knee was far less serious than feared. Parker has suffered medial ligament damage, which is expected to heal in three to four weeks. He will miss the match away to Aston Villa on Saturday, but he could return for the first game after the international break, against Sunder-land on October 21, but more likely is the match against Portsmouth a week later. (Gary Jacob, 4th October, 2007)

BBC Sport: West Ham United have completed the signing of Newcastle midfielder Scott Parker in a £7m transfer. Parker, 26, who joins on a five-year contract, will link up at Upton Park with manager Alan Curbishley, who was his boss at Charlton. Curbishley said: "He's been captain of Newcastle over the last couple of seasons and he's exactly the type of player that I wanted to bring in. "He's very experienced but still young - I'm sure he'll be a big asset."