Sunday, June 10

The Lars post

So that's where he is. Lars Jacobsen, now of FC Copenhagen, played in Denmark's 1-0 win over Holland last night and was lucky not to give away a penalty for handball at the end. A deadline day signing by Avram Grant, he was an improvement on Spector, but still looked a bit slow and was affected by the mayhem all around him. And tonight we've had Super Slaven Bilic managing Croatia and double agent Robbie Keane playing for Ireland. Wonder how many other ex-West Ham players will turn up at the European Championships?

10 comments:

matt said...

There are 8 players at the Euros who have already enjoyed the higher honour of playing for the mighty Hammers - how many can you name?

There is also one manager....

(Not including Adademy player John Terry).

(

Pete May said...

Obviously Defoe, Lampard, Johnson, Parker and Green with England, Lars Jacobsen, Robbie Keane and, erm, one other, plus Bilic the manager..

matt said...

Uh-0h, no Big Fat Frank, as he's injured - so you are looking for two other WHU legends...! And we are talking 22 carot gold here, if not platinum

Pete May said...

I've found Allessandro Diamanti with Italy, whom I always thought had class if not work rate. But stumped for the other one..

matt said...

Oops, my bad....There are actually 2 more (clue: think goalkeepers).

Interesting that Diamanti, who Sullivan and Gold really disliked, is good enough to make the squad of one of the 5 best teams at the Euros....

PS - Greeny would have saved that Nasri shot - but Hart never seems to get any any stick.

Pete May said...

Ah, I see that West Ham reserves legend David Forde is in the Ireland squad, though suspect even Nigel would have struggled to know that! Still looking for another keeper as Almunia isn't in Spanish squad...

matt said...

Well spotted on Forde - the Gav and I saw him play for the stiffs at Ashton Gate sometime in the last millennium.

The final keeper is one that you saw playing for the Hammers, but I never did, if that helps you at all? The clock is ticking now, I will need an answer by the end of the day....

Pete May said...

Has Jimmy Walker been called up for his banter?

matt said...

good try, but no - step forward Jan Laštůvka, who is third choice keepr for the bouncing Czechs...He spent a year at the Hammers on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk, playing once, at Watford in the League Cup, where he was blamed by some for the own goal which cost us a 1-0 defeat. It was scored by Hayden Mullins, and it can't have been his fault as he wwas an unsung hero who never let us down. Jan is now with Ukrainian team FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, having cost 3 million euros.

[edit] International career

Pete May said...

Good call! I always thought it was one of our other Czech keepers who played and I even checked Kurucz was not in the squad... better do some work now.