Thursday, October 23

Daily WHUFC News - 23rd October 2014

Jenkinson not afraid of City test
WHUFC.com
West Ham United defender says the Hammers will relish Saturday's visit of
Manchester City
22.10.2014

Carl Jenkinson says West Ham United should relish the prospect of hosting
Manchester City in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday. The Hammers were
defeated four times by Manuel Pellegrini's men last term across the league
and Capital One Cup, but after a start to this campaign which has taken them
to fourth in the table, loan signing Jenkinson is full of confidence. "I
think we've shown we can beat the big clubs already this season with the
Liverpool result," he said. "We know what we're capable of. Man City are
flying at the moment, they're a world class team so nobody is kidding
themselves because we know it is going to be a difficult game. "If we play
to our potential we know we've got more than a good chance of getting a
result. We've just got to be positive and keep playing the football we've
been playing, with the intensity and the confidence."

Jenkinson played a full part in last weekend's victory at Burnley, supplying
the cross for Enner Valencia to nod his team's second past Tom Heaton. The
No18 was delighted with the overall performance and says it bodes well for
the future. "It was a tough game at Burnley to be honest," he added. "They
started at a very high intensity and we had to adjust to that. It did take
us a while to get into the game, but when we did we showed our quality and
we won convincingly in the end. "We're ahead of schedule at the moment -
people would have bitten your arm off to say we're fourth at this stage of
the season, but it's nothing more than this team has deserved for the way
we've played so far this season. "We definitely justify the position we're
in at the moment and we've just got to keep pushing on and keep getting the
results."

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The Big Interview - Ian Hendon
WHUFC.com
First team coach Ian Hendon is delighted with the team's bright start to the
season
21.10.2014

West Ham United first team coach Ian Hendon is delighted with the team's
bright start to the season. Here he talks about the impressive impact the
new strikers have had, Aaron Cresswell's transition to Premier League
football and the young players breaking through into the first team squad.

Ian, are surprised at how well the team is doing this season?

IH: "I wouldn't say I'm surprised, we've got a good group of lads here.
We've made some good additions to the squad from last year and we've
strengthened in each area. I think that has been reflected in the way we've
started the season and it's reflected in our position in the table."

Would you say the impact of the new signings has been the biggest difference
to last season?

IH: "Yeah, I think all you need to do is look at the two lads upfront.
Diafra's already scored five in the league and Enner's added a couple as
well. So from that point of view you'd say definitely the new signings have
been the biggest single difference. "I think we've strengthened all round.
The two lads at full-back are doing really well. Now there's a lot of
competition for places. Now that players are coming back from injury, we've
almost got everyone back, you can really see the strength in depth of the
squad."

As a fellow full-back, how do you think Aaron Cresswell has done since his
move from the Championship?

IH "Aaron's been fantastic. He hasn't changed the way he plays the game in
any way. I watched him play a few times last season at Ipswich, I know Macca
watched him a fair bit as well. We knew what was coming and what we'd get
from Aaron. He's made the transition superbly."

Both Aaron and Carl Jenkinson provided assists against Burnley, that must be
very pleasing?

IH "Yeah I think if you look at the way most teams use their full-backs
these days in the Premier League they have them pushing on forward and
attacking. We've certainly got two athletes who get up and down the pitch.
When asked they get good balls into the box and they've both started very
well for us."

All the new signings have hit the ground running, what have you done to make
this happen?

IH "To be honest, to have everyone gelling together so quickly is a surprise
to everyone. Normally it takes a bit of time but it's been fantastic how
quickly all the lads have settled in. It's just as well that they have
settled in so well because we've had a few injuries to deal with but we
coped with them well."

You were Development Squad coach before becoming first team coach, it must
be pleasing for you to see the likes of Reece Burke and Elliot Lee involved
in the first team squad?

IH "Yeah, there are a lot of young players who could step up and get into
the first team squad on a regular basis. They've got to keep up the hard
work. For Reece, he's a young lad, he's training with us every day and
training well. He's got to keep in his feet on the ground and when the
opportunities come he's got to take them. "As for Elliot, he's playing in
the Development Squad and he's scoring goals. He's also training with the
first team squad and he trains well every day. Like Reece, he needs to keep
doing what he's doing and take the opportunities when they come."

Another addition to the club over the summer was Teddy Sheringham, what do
you think his impact has been at the club?

IH "Teddy's obviously getting the plaudits because the strikers are doing so
well at the moment. He does a lot of finishing work with the players on a
Thursday and Friday. At the moment the strikers are looking sharp so long
may that continue. Teddy is obviously a very experienced player, he's played
at the top level and the players certainly have a lot of respect for him."

You been here a few years now, how does this squad compare to the others
you've worked with?

IH "The added strength in depth from the new signings is important. It's put
the lads in the team under huge pressure to do well and keep their place. If
they don't then there's players that can step straight in. To keep the
players on their toes is always a good thing as that pressure gets the best
out of each player. That can only be a good thing for the team and everybody
involved in the club."

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Olympic Stadium conversion to cost public purse another £35million
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 22nd October 2014
By: Staff Writer

The London Legacy Development Corporation has agreed to pay construction
company Balfour Beatty an extra £35.9million to complete the conversion of
the Olympic Stadium, it was announced this afternoon. Earlier in the week it
was revealed that Balfour Beatty had requested an additional £50million to
finish the job, on top of the previously-agreed £154million cost. And it was
confirmed today that following negotiations, the new figure to convert the
stadium will be some £190million.

The arena, which will serve as West Ham United's new 54,000-capacity
(rented) home from the beginning of the 2016/17 season originally cost
£429million to build, taking the total cost to the public purse well above
the £600million mark.

West Ham, upon moving two miles across the Borough of Newham from Upton Park
to Stratford in 2016 will pay an annual rent of circa £2.5miliion, but all
re-development costs will be met by the taxpayer - something that has caused
a great deal of controversy since the decision to award primary use of the
stadium to the Hammers was announced.

Although West Ham will not own the arena, possessing instead a 99-year
lease, the club may decide - or heavily influence, at the very least - what
else the stadium can be used for during the established football season.

That is why Tottenham's plans to use the Olympic Stadium on a temporary
basis whilst their own home at White Hart Lane is being re-developed were
vetoed recently."No one has asked us for our permission," said West Ham
United vice-chair Karren Brady recently. "If they did, we would probably say
no, depending on who it is – if you get my drift."

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Martin Atkinson gets Boleyn blockbuster
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 22nd October 2014
By: Staff Writer

Capital One Cup Final referee Martin Atkinson will take charge of the this
weekend's big game - the top-four clash between West Ham United and
Manchester City at the Boleyn Ground... Atkinson - who had been refereeing
for nearly 30 years having taken up the profession as a 16-year-old - has
officiated almost 500 professional games and is one of the Premier League's
most experiences referees, having been on the Select Group since 2005. And
the Bradford-born official is no stranger to West Ham or the Boleyn Ground,
having taken charge of several games in Upton Park during recent seasons.
Atkinson's most recent appointment involving West Ham was the 2-2 draw at
Hull last month, a game which passed without notable intervention.

Earlier in the year he was in charge of West Ham's 1-0 home defeat to
Crystal Palace last April (a match preceded with tributes to Dylan
Tombides), when the winning goal came from the penalty spot - and the
humiliating 5-0 FA Cup defeat at Nottingham Forest. In 2013, the 43-year-old
oversaw the comprehensive 3-0 win over Fulham in November - another game
that passed without major incident as far as he was concerned. However
earlier in the year, KUMB writer Gordon Thrower had accused him of showing
"leniancy" to the opposition in a lively 2-2 FA Cup third round draw with
Man Utd.

Martin Atkinson: West Ham United matches in last five years

2014/15
September: Hull City (a) 2-2 (Y4 R0)

2013/14
April: Crystal Palace (h) 0-1 (Y2 R0)
January: Nottingham Forest (a) 0-5 (Y2 R0)
November: Fulham (h) 3-0

2012/13
January: Manchester United (h) 2-2 (Y3 R0)
December: Chelsea (h) 3-1 (Y3 R0)
August: Swansea City (a) 0-3 (Y6 R0)

2010/11
February: Burnley (h) 5-1 (Y0 R0)
December: Sunderland (a) 0-1 (Y3 R0)
September: Tottenham (h) 1-0 (Y2 R0)

2009/10
March: Arsenal (a) 0-2
February: Hull City (h) 3-0 (Y2 R1)
October: Stoke City (a) 1-2 (Y6 R0)

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Bitter Ferguson mocks 'the West Ham way'
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 21st October 2014
By: Staff Writer

Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has provided a not-too-subtle
dig at the club that twice denied his club the league title.
Ferguson, who saw the championship wrestled away from his team's grasp at
the Boleyn Ground in both 1992 and 1995 - the former, a defeat after which
he described "West Ham's effort" as "obscene" - has mocked West Ham's
traditions in an updated version of his autobiography.
"I hope that before I die someone can explain the 'West Ham way'", he wrote.
"What is it? They last won a trophy in 1980, the FA Cup. I never played
against any West Ham team that played football I was afraid of. They were
always surviving, or lucky as hell against us."

The 72-year-old - who retired from management two years ago having achieved
unprecedented success in the domestic game - also backed current manager Sam
Allardyce's position at West Ham, stressing that merely keeping the club in
the Premier League given the limited resources available has been an
achievement. "There is this pre-conception with West Ham fans that Big Sam
is a survivalist who tells teams to boot the ball up the pitch," he states.
"The truth is that he stayed up with a team of very average players. That's
management. He drew the best from them."

Lucky as Hell? Taggart's defeats to West Ham United

22 Apr 1992: West Ham Utd 1-0 Man Utd (Brown)

28 Jan 2001: Man Utd 0-1 West Ham Utd (Di Canio)

8 Dec 2001: Man Utd 0-1 West Ham Utd (Defoe)

17 Dec 2006: West Ham Utd 1-0 Man Utd (Reo-Coker)

13 May 2007: Man Utd 0-1 West Ham Utd (Tevez)

29 Dec 2007: West Ham Utd 2-1 Man Utd (A Ferdinand, Upson)

30 Nov 2010: West Ham Utd 4-0 Man Utd (Spector 2, C Cole 2)

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MY DAY WITH ALAN TAYLOR
By Sean Whetstone 22 Oct 2014 at 18:30

West Ham Till I Die

Guest post by Nigel Kahn

On Sunday I was treated to an early birthday present of a official guided
tour around the Boleyn Ground. I must admit when I saw the cost (£35) my
first thought was "HOW MUCH?". It seemed a bit pricey for a quick shifty
round the stand with a cup of tea, but I was pleasantly surprised, no
actually I was really happy at the end after nearly five hours of time that
passed quite quickly.

The tour starts with a meet and greet by the two West Ham legend hosts and
generally it is usually Phil Parkes and Alan Taylor. In fact Taylor was
taking the register and checking tickets as you walked into the room where
the press conferences are held. I was paired with Alan Taylor and with
around forty other fans as we made our way around the West stand looking in
some of the nooks and crannies that we ordinary fans never get to see. The
walk round the lounges was informative though did border on a sales pitch as
Alan gave the different prices for every lounge we visited. Some were out of
bounds though, in one lounge was a christening and in another there was a
church which meet every Sunday, except match-day , so the Boleyn ground is
actually a church now.

Trundling through the West stand we entered different boxes and the
Chairman's Lounge with its five round tables. Gold, Sullivan and Brady get a
table each for their guests while visiting directors get another table and
the final table is reserved for Icelandic friends who retain a 10%
shareholding. I was told Tony Fernandes was less than complimentary about
the welcome he received in the directors box when we played QPR, but that is
likely to be a case of sour grapes of the so called life long West Ham fan.

Then on into the Greenwood and Lyall Lounge in the Bobby Moore stand to
experience the view of the ground from a different perspective as corporate
guests see the game. A slightly strange view with the curvature of the Bobby
Moore stand roof but I am sure it doesn't bother them as long as they are
well fed and watered.

The ground is quite splendid when empty and it takes on a splendor. I think
it is the quietness when standing by the edge of the pitch when no sound is
to be heard. One room that was missed out, I don't know why, was where they
keep all the trophies. That cupboard must have been hidden somewhere. Part
of the tour package is photos with your legend's guide, one snap by the
pitch and another snap in the dugout plus the chance to walk around the
tunnel area together with both dressing rooms, which differ in facilities
and size.


The day is ended with both groups back in the press room for a Hammers
general knowledge quiz (with a prize) and then a Q&A session with the two
former Hammers hosts. Both are great and enlightening regarding not only
their own careers but the way they see football now days. Both mixed well
with the crowd but Taylor's friendliness shone out for me. He really made
the day. Perhaps it's the fact that he worked in his newsagent shop for many
years dealing with the public has made him seem so down to earth. I did help
him out with one question on his career by a fan, I reminded him that he
played in European Cup Winners Cup final in Brussels.

I have deliberately not revealed many of the interesting things learned on
the tour as the reason for this review is to encourage as many of you as
possible to take the tour for yourselves. With less than two years remaining
till the bulldozers move in and they don't run that many tours currently I
am confident every one that takes the tour will be glad they did so. At the
end the cost was neglible to the good time that was had. I will give two
things away, Karren Brady only will have white flowers, and after every home
game the players must eat Pizza which is delivered at 4:30pm to main
reception while the game is going on.

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WHU DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?
By HamburgHammer 22 Oct 2014 at 13:00
West Ham Till I Die

It's preseason 2017. West Ham have brought their first season in the OS
behind them, every home game being a sellout. For the first time in their
history West Ham have qualified for the Champions League by coming fourth,
led by skipper Alex Song and the Premier League's topscorer Diafra Sakho (24
goals). West Ham's first opponents in the CL will be Juventus, Sparta Prague
and PSV Eindhoven. West Ham have also brought in some new exciting signings
for a total rumoured transfer fee of 50 million.
The fans are thrilled about the prospects of their team which is playing a
wonderful brand of dynamic, attacking football, passing the ball on the
deck.
But get this, the rest of the world doesn't seem to care. Or notice. Not the
BBC. Not Sky Sports. Not BT.

Now let's wake up again, wipe the sleep from our eyes and adjust back to the
reality of October 2014: Of course West Ham are not playing in the Champions
League, they are not in the Europa League and the OS is still a massive
playground for dozens of real life versions of Bob the Builder ('Can we fix
the OS ?' – Reply 'Dunno boss, we may need more cash!'). But the truth after
eight games of the season is also this: West Ham are in fourth place, above
football superpowers Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham.
Yeah, I know, only eight bloody games and only six points above a relegation
place, but still quite a feat at this stage.


It's good to have a dream. What is frustrating is the total fixation the
media and press have with the big clubs, ignoring the rest of the league
completely, I also haven't heard a lot of praise given to Southampton lately
who are sitting nicely in third place at the moment. No matter what other
teams are doing on the pitch, Sky Sports would rather let us know that a bag
of rice has fallen over in the Arsenal canteen, that Jose Mourinho's dog
isn't feeling too well and that Manchester United have just had new tiles
delivered for the showers in their training complex. I know they are just
catering for the needs of the majority of their viewers as obviously the
Manchester clubs, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and to a degree even Tottenham
probably have a bigger fanbase than the other clubs. Still it infuriates me.

And while we're at it: The arrogance of those bigger clubs drives me up the
wall too. They maybe don't know any other way after years of sporting and
financial success, but everytime another (smaller) club finds a gem, a real
talent, the next big thing it is kind of accepted and common practise that
this player 'really should be at United (meaning the Manchester version of
course, not West Ham) or Chelsea'. Like it is an utter sin and unthinkable
that a really good player should dare and play somewhere else.
Watch it happen with Sakho, Valencia, Kouyate and Cresswell soon.
How very dare West Ham beating Liverpool comfortably at home ? Who do West
Ham think they are, making the famous Olympic Stadium their home for 99
years ?
What is a goalscoring striker like Sakho doing in claret and blue, he's
surely just wasting his time in East London ?

For far too long we have been stuck in second gear, in unambitious mode so
to speak, being happy to stay up or giving one of the bigger clubs the odd
scare on the pitch. Everyone's second favourite team. The likeable losers
from East London, playing beautiful, but ultimately unsuccessful football.
The cheaters who drove Sheffield United into the Championship.
Let's face it, West Ham haven't had a lot of good press in the last few
years. Do we as fans care about what the press say or think about West Ham ?
I think deep down we all do. It feels good if your club is being praised for
doing the right things on and off the pitch. It's still early in the season
though, there will be bumps along the road, we will still lose games, maybe
starting on Saturday against Man City.

Thing is: If West Ham were to start delivering on the pitch on a regular
basis, if West Ham were to qualify for the Europa League or someday even the
Champions League and maybe not just once as an exception to the mediocre
rule, but time and time again, could the common West Ham fan in the street
cope ?
Would this still be the club we all fell in love with ?
Could we handle the media suddenly taking an interest in a more successful
West Ham ?
Can West Ham fans deal with good times if they happen more often than just
occasionally ?

I'm really not sure. But I'd like to see us give it a try and develop some
confidence and swagger.The whole club is doing a fine job right now, giving
hope and excitement to Hammers fans all over the globe. And to answer the
question from the title of the thread: WHU do you think you are ? The
answer's easy.
We are West Ham United – we play on the floor! Until we score from the heads
of Sakho and Valencia of course…:-)

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LAST SEASON'S FAN CRITICISM WAS BOTH JUSTIFIED AND A FACTOR IN BRINGING
ABOUT CHANGE!
By S J Chandos 22 Oct 2014 at 08:00
West Ham Till I DIe

It has been reported that Sir Alex Ferguson has updated his autobiography to
include some amendments/additions, including one in which he jumps on the
pro-Allardyce (and anti-West Ham Way) band wagon, hitherto ridden by the
likes of MoTD's Alan Shearer. Ferguson allegedly states: 'before I die I
hope that someone can explain the West Ham Way …. I never came up against a
Hammers side who played football I was afraid of.' In addition, he adds that
all of the West Ham sides he faced in his 26 years at Man Utd were either
'negative in their approach or lucky as hell against us.'

Now, two wrongs do not make a right and it has to be freely acknowledged
that Alex Ferguson was a hugely successful manager domestically and in
European competition. There is no disputing that, but it is also a fact that
West Ham Utd were responsible for inflicting some notable reverses on
Ferguson's Man Utd over the years. Including those two memorable victories
at Upton Park (in 1992 and 1995) that were instrumental in twice denying
them the title, respectively handing it to Leeds Utd and Blackburn Rovers;
the unforgettable Di Canio 0-1 FA Cup victory at Old Trafford and the PL
double victory over them in the 2006-07 season of the 'Great Escape. They
are just five such results, there are others and it is not an exaggeration
to state that the Hammers were often a real bogey team to Ferguson.

One can only speculate why Ferguson has chosen to include such disrespectful
references our club. It is certainly not something that one would expect of
such a legendary figure and elder statesman of the game. The answer is at
least partly that Ferguson is reputed to be close to Sam Allardyce and
presumably saw it as an opportunity to publicly defend our present manager's
philosophy and methods. My response is that the West Ham fans were perfectly
justified in their criticism of the quality of the football produced last
season. The Hammers board recognised that, last May, and subsequently
imposed the changes/recruitment policy that are now bearing such impressive
fruit. So, one could legitimately argue that last season's fan
disaffection/criticism was an important factor in bringing those changes
about. What would the reaction have been from Manchester Utd fans if they
had to endure the one-dimensional fayre dished up to us last season? Of
course we have an idea, because part of David Moyes Old Trafford downfall
was not just about the poor results, but also the dour playing style. in
fact, I well remember a Man Utd fan stating in a SSN vox pop interview that
Moyes was not upholding the 'Man Utd Way' of playing. That says it all
really!

Ferguson undoubtedly still harbours some deep seated bitterness concerning
the key results/defeats that he suffered at West Ham's hands? But there is
also probably a commercial explanation for his his comments, namely the need
to freshen up a stale publication, by injecting a bit of controversy, to
reinvigorate sales. And West Ham and the club's fans have presumably been
mis-used for that purpose.

In the final analysis, Ferguson was a great manager, but be is retired now
and who really cares what he has to say about our club, past or present. The
best response is to rise above it and squarely focus on the performances
being produced by this exciting Hammers squad. Hopefully, the players will
prove a point for us when we next meet Manchester Utd on the field of play.
After all, that is where it really counts!

SJ. Chandos.

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West Ham's Cheikhou Kouyate ready to return a month ahead of schedule
against Man City
Oct 22, 2014 16:43 By Darren Witcoop
Senegalese midfielder who was not expected to be fit until mid-November
following a hamstring injury could now face the champions on Saturday
The Mirror

Cheikhou Kouyate is ready to hand West Ham an injury boost by returning
ahead of schedule. The Senegal midfielder has been out for the last month
with a hamstring injury, and was not expected to be fit until the middle of
next month. But Kouyate, 24, is already back in full training and could face
Manchester City on Saturday. The Hammers have proved surprise-packages after
marching into fourth spot, and James Collins plans to continue the
feel-good-factor by sinking the champions. The Wales defender said: "We know
it's going to be tough game. But it's been a great season so far. The table
is good viewing at the minute and it's down to the way we are playing."

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Mark Noble for England: Why West Ham's Mr Reliable deserves a call from Roy
Hodgson
Oct 22, 2014 16:33
OPINION BY STEVESTAMMERS
The midfielder ran more than any other player in the win over Burnley and
may feel recognition is long overdue
The Mirror

There was one significant statistic that emerged from West Ham's 3-1 win at
Burnley last Saturday. No – not the three headed goals from the
hugely-impressive Diafra Sahko, the ever-improving Enner Valencia and the
re-vitalised Carlton Cole. It was the amount of effort and running put in by
Mark Noble. He in fact ran more and covered more ground than anyone else.
When it is taken into account that he has missed two matches because of a
calf injury and the match at Turf Moor was his return, that is worth noting.
And, by the way, he lasted the whole 90 minutes. Naturally, human nature
dictates that the summer arrivals at Upton Park – Sahko, Valencia, Cheikhou
Kouyate, Alex Song among them – have played key roles in the resurgence
under Sam Allardyce. But it would be wrong to under-estimate the
contribution of Noble. He is very much the unsung hero at Upton Park this
season. Over the years, Noble has seen it all – relegation, promotion, the
unease among the fans at the type of football produced by the team. He was,
after all, in the team that beat Hull 2-1 back in March and were jeered off
the field.

But Noble has stuck by West Ham through it all. Born in Canning Town he was
destined to play for the team he supported as a boy.He has played in a host
of positions from midfield anchor man to supporting the attack. And in no
season has influence been greater than in the present campaign which has
seen West Ham recover from an inept performance against Southampton when
they lost 3-1 to the heady heights of the top half of the Premier League.
Relegation is not on the agenda at Upton Park this season and that is in no
small way thanks to the efforts of Mark Noble. At 27, it would seem that the
chances of representing his country at full international level are fading.
It would seem the graduation from Under-21 football – he played 20 times for
England – to the senior team is not to be.

And yet...

On November 18, England play Scotland in a friendly. England manager Roy
Hodgson may use that game to give many of his regular first choice players a
break. And that could be the opportunity to give Noble the reward his
consistency has deserved. An impressive performance against Manchester City
at Saturday lunch-time would do his chances the world of good.

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Irons eye Brighton boy as Reid replacement
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 22, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

West Ham are keeping a close check on Brighton and Hove Albion central
defender Lewis Dunk as the Winston Reid 'soap opera' rumbles on.
The Hammers will refuse to be held to ransom in talks this week with the
central defender's advisers and are very keen on the Brighton-born 6ft 4in
22 year old . A Hammers source confirmed the player as a possible target to
ClaretandHugh declaring: "Obviously given the situation we need to be
looking at our options and Dunk would be prominent among them." Dunk is a
graduate of the Albion Centre of Excellence and was called into the England
under 21 set up a couple of seasons back. However the Hammers will be forced
to pay top dollar of around £5 million to get the player who recently signed
a new four year deal with Albion. It was difficult to make a move in the
summer with the wage bill as it was given Reid's presence in the squad. But
should the Kiwi move on the Hammers are set to move on the player who is
believed to have a release clause in his new contract at around the £5
million mark His wage would be around the same as Reid who is currently on
£25k a week with our source declaring: "He's one of the best defenders in
the Championship." So far this season the defender has scored five times in
14 appearances.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com



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