Premier League - Ilunga on second-rate West Ham

Eurosport - Fri, 05 Dec 10:45:00 2008

Herita Ilunga admits he plans to use West Ham as a stepping-stone to a bigger team after admitting the Hammers are "second rate".

2008 West Ham United Herita Ilunga - 0

Ilunga, who is on a season-long loan from Toulouse, has impressed at Upton Park after establishing himself as a regular in Gianfranco Zola's side.

The left-back has described West Ham as a 'second-rate' club and that he has ambitions of playing at a higher level.

"Without being derogatory, West Ham are a second-rate club," Ilunga was quoted as saying in The Sun.

"Let's not kid ourselves - we are not an Arsenal, Manchester United or Chelsea.

"Once I have proved myself in a team such this, I can hope to make the step up to another club.

"I am keen to continue my adventure in England."

Sporting Life / Eurosport

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  1. spuds stop moaning as usual and sell off you rbest­ players to the bigs boys cos you ain't no big club­ you deluded twats

    From neil_reader, on Sat 6 Dec 9:03PM
  2. Herita Ilunga admits he plans to use West Ham as a­ stepping-stone to a bigger team after admitting the­ Hammers are "second rate. Carlton Cole admits that­ he hasn't been trying but will try harder now he­ has a new contract. Dean Ashton as fat as Gazza used to­ be and always injured, Bellamy and Bowyer are thugs, So­ perhapsMr Ilunga has a point.

    From Ronsenglish, on Sat 6 Dec 7:18AM
  3. For anyone interested in what Ilunga actually said and­ not the nonsense Setanta mis-translated, see the full­ interview below. The only bits I haven't translated­ are the paragraph at the beginning where he explains­ his wife and friend do his blog and the final paragraph­ which is full of slang and him laughing about trying to­ drive on the wrong side of the road.

    Key points:
    a)­ He does NOT call us second "rate" - there are­ several French terms to indicate something like that,­ he says (in English) "second zone" that I­ take to mean "second tier" or "medium­ sized"

    b) He uses the exact words, "I­ really hope that I stay at the club because I am very­ happy there." But he also states that if he­ doesn't stay at West Ham he wants to go to another­ English club.

    c) He says Zola is good enough to still­ play and could help out West Ham up-front.­

    Interview:

    Q. You have not been forgotten, even if­ you left France rather quickly on the last day of the­ transfer window...

    A... England was already a dream­ in my time at Saint-Etienne. I would have liked to come­ earlier. West Ham has opened the doors for me to the­ Premier League this season.

    Q. You've played in­ Spain (Espanyol Barcelona) and France. English­ football, is it really something else?

    A. Another­ world! This is the football you love to see and play­ with great commitment. It's enormously different to­ the football I have always played. When you have tasted­ the English championship is very difficult to look at­ the others. And I say this without disrespect to the­ French championship which is of a very high level. But­ the English championship is above it. And it is not the­ same culture. The Premier League is really something­ else.

    There is more, but no space left. The guy has­ been totally misinterpreted by the press.

    From roydon.w.hearne, on Fri 5 Dec 4:54PM
  4. As a season ticket holder, i cant wait to see the­ reaction from the rest of the fans! hes a good player­ and does deserve his place in the team, however i dont­ think the fans will appreciate his view of the club!

    From cunnanea, on Fri 5 Dec 3:13PM
  5. He wont get anywhere if he keeps handling the ball

    From Creaven91, on Fri 5 Dec 3:00PM
  6. When interviewed by a French Journalist (speaking in­ French!) Ilunga said "West Ham est un club de­ seconde zone. Il ne faut pas se leurrer, nous ne sommes­ ni Arsenal, Manchester United ou Chelsea." which­ translates (more or less) as "West Ham is a­ mid-table club. We can't delude ourselves;­ we're not Arsenal, Manchester United or­ Chelsea." Get your facts right.

    From sacha, on Fri 5 Dec 2:47PM
  7. Norris, you boys are the joke going back to the days of­ playing hide and seek with you over at your place,­ could never find any of you when we came over! No­ conviction! Ha ha. Your glory days are way in the past­ chap!

    From STEVE C, on Fri 5 Dec 2:00PM
  8. Steve, calm down fella. I feel sorry for West Ham more­ than anything, you a just a nothing club. you'll­ never finish anywhere near the top of the league and­ havent won a cup since...was it the 70s? best thing­ you could do is get relegated so you may win the­ playoff final again. glory glory west ham.... Tottenham­ are a top club who are consistantly in Europe.­ Hopefully silverwear again this year... It must be so­ depressing and just feel like a waste of time blowing­ bubbles at upton park.

    From michaelnorris81, on Fri 5 Dec 1:32PM
  9. Michael Norris, you are such a nerd, you Spuds think­ you are some sort of elite force, to be honest your­ nothing but a joke,you are the epitome of the­ Cinderella club, @#$%e C*rt Lane is falling down is­ about right!

    From STEVE C, on Fri 5 Dec 12:48PM
  10. Neil M, your not a sheffield utd supporter by any­ chance are you, stop crying over getting relegated. the­ fact of the matter is that west ham don't manage­ the premier league and were told that it was alright to­ play the argentinians by the leagues's managers,­ the fact that their checks were not thorough enough is­ not west hams' fault, personnally i think the both­ clubs west ham and sheffield utd have a case against­ the premier league, now get get on with the rest of­ your life.

    From C M, on Fri 5 Dec 12:25PM
  11. hey neil home of cheats eh,you must be from sheffield­ utd or you support them

    From homeviewpaving, on Fri 5 Dec 12:01PM
  12. I think this Llunga fella has a point. West Ham are a­ second rate team, more commonly known as­ Tottenham's feeder club. Anything half decent they­ have we'll take off their hands once they realise­ the club is a championship outfit above their station.­ Hammers are likely to go down this year and I can­ honestly see Spurs sticking 3 or 4 past them on Monday.­ I bet Woodgate and King are shaking in their boots at­ the prospect of facing.....Carlton Cole!!! ha ha ha­ COYS
    Mike

    From michaelnorris81, on Fri 5 Dec 11:58AM
  13. I think this Llunga fella has a point. West Ham are a­ second rate team, more commonly known as­ Tottenham's feeder club. Anything half decent they­ have we'll take off their hands once they realise­ the club is a championship outfit above their station.­ Hammers are likely to go down this year and I can­ honestly see Spurs sticking 3 or 4 past them on Monday.­ I bet Woodgate and King are shaking in their boots at­ the prospect of facing.....Carlton Cole!!! ha ha ha­ COYS

    From michaelnorris81, on Fri 5 Dec 11:57AM
  14. Maybe you prefer attempted manslaughter Neil M. Take a­ look in the mirror next time.

    From antonycraven, on Fri 5 Dec 11:52AM
  15. At last there is some spoken truth coming out of West­ Ham, 'The home of cheats'

    From Neil, on Fri 5 Dec 11:40AM
  16. See the article on KUMB no. 123772

    He was­ misinterpreted. If you are genuine WH fans you should­ know to question everything put out by the Scum, The­ Daily Slapper, The Daily Fascist and the rest of the­ oily rags.

    He's a hammer, not leaving and is a­ contender for HOTY.

    Ignore this and move on. Nothing­ to see here.

    From antonycraven, on Fri 5 Dec 11:35AM
  17. Hopefully this idiot will get dropped.

    From Justin, on Fri 5 Dec 11:27AM
  18. Typical bloody Frenchmen sod off to the arse-nal better­ still back to France !! from gibbohammer

    From rpipeinsurance, on Fri 5 Dec 11:10AM
  19. ....or it could just be the usual rubbish you get from­ The Sun. Can't see Ilunga getting Evra worried­ about his spot any time soon, whether it's true or­ not.

    From Charlie G, on Fri 5 Dec 11:06AM
  20. Exactlty I agree with westhamwaynelineker, its those­ types of comments that got Gallas in trouble, I suggest­ the lad keeps his mouth shut, and do what he's­ suppose to, help his team!

    From Mark, on Fri 5 Dec 11:04AM
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