Daily WHUFC News - 24th December 2014

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy & Prosperous New Year - PeterR
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Reid ready for Chelsea test
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid says West Ham are in good shape to take on Premier League
heavyweights this Christmas
22.12.2014

Winston Reid believes West Ham United have already proven that they can mix
it with the Barclays Premier League's heavyweights this season and so is
expecting more of the same against Chelsea and Arsenal. Champions Manchester
City and last season's runners-up Liverpool have both come unstuck at the
Boleyn Ground this term, while the Hammers came within a whisker of
snatching a point at Old Trafford back in September. And so while the New
Zealander is naturally expecting the toughest of examinations at leaders
Chelsea on Boxing Day, he is still hopeful of extending his side's
outstanding run of form. "When we've played the bigger teams this year we've
always given it a good go and I'm sure the next couple won't be any
different," he confirmed. "It's always going to be tough playing against
those two teams, there's no doubt about it. But we've done ever so well up
until now and so we're going to try our best to make sure it continues."

As for the extent of West Ham's attacking intent at Stamford Bridge, Reid
insists the Hammers will have to be flexible in their approach.
"It depends how the game pans out really. Obviously it's going to be a tough
game. We'll set up a foundation and adopt a tactic for the game. It's not
going to be easy but we're not going to go there and be afraid. We'll do our
best and see how far it can take us."

Last season's corresponding fixture famously saw Sam Allardyce's men slog
out a gutsy goalless draw, one that prompted a crucial four-match winning
streak. Ironically, clean sheets have proven harder to come by this season,
with Saturday's shutout against Leicester City only the Hammers' fourth to
date. While the subject is never far from Reid's thoughts, he is quite
content so long as the goals continue to flow at the other end.

He continued: "I think we're always working on clean sheets to a certain
degree. Obviously, as a defender, you always like to keep a clean sheet.
Fortunately, this year we're scoring goals left, right and centre. "To be
fair, Saturday wasn't the best we've played, but we've got goalscorers up
top. That's probably the difference between this season and last. It's a
sign that we're good a team and we've got the clean sheet as well."

Further sign of West Ham's resurgence comes in the shape of consistency, so
says Reid, with the 3-1 home defeat by Southampton the only real blot on
their copybook. That consistency owes much to a strong squad, with players
ready and able to step in when called upon.
"If you look at the games we've played, barring one against Southampton at
home, I think we've shown consistency over the 17 games," he said. "I think
I can get better and it helps when you've got teammates performing at a high
level as well. The team's chopped and changed and yet everyone who's come in
has done a job. That's been the key to us this season."

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Potts delighted to be back
WHUFC.com
Development Squad defender Dan Potts was delighted to be back after a
lengthy injury
23.12.2014

West Ham United Development Squad defender Dan Potts played his first 45
minutes following three months out through injury against Newcastle United
on Monday. The Hammers slipped to a 4-1 away defeat to the Magpies which
knocked them out of the U21 Premier League Cup.
Despite Paul McCallum's third goal in two games, the Magpies proved to be
too strong and defender Potts played the first half before being replaced by
Josh Pask. The Hammers created a number of chances, but the Magpies proved
to more clinical as goals from Gael Bigirimana, Adam Campbell, Callum
Roberts and Liam Gibson secured the victory. Speaking after the game, the
20-year-old defender said: "I felt good, I felt strong. I didn't have any
problems which was encouraging. I was pleasing to get back out on the pitch.
It's been a tough couple of months and it was a shame about the result but
it was a good feeling to be back out there. "Anyone looking at it will think
we took a battering but that wasn't quite the case. They caught us on the
break for their first goal apart from that there wasn't anything else in it.
Watching it in the second half when it was 2-1 you would put your house on
us scoring and then going on to win.
"The dressing room is deflated right now. Result wise not what we wanted,
not when he came here for. It's a cup tie and everyone wanted to get through
to the next round."

The Development Squad's not game is against Leicester City of 5 January 2015
at Rush Green Stadium, kick off is 7pm,

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Westley: 'We had the chances'
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Academy Director Terry Westley said his side had the chances
to beat Newcastle
22.12.2014

West Ham United Academy Director Terry Westley said the Development Squad
had the chances to beat Newcastle United in their 4-1 defeat to the Magpies
on Monday afternoon. The hosts progressed to the quarter finals after slick
finishing proved to be the difference as goals from Gael Bigirimana, Adam
Campbell, Callum Roberts and Liam Gibson sealed the victory. Speaking after
the game, Westley said: "When it was 2-1, we controlled the game and looked
the more likely to win. We had more shots than them, we hit the woodwork two
or three times. We've put the balls in the box and but not got anyone on the
end of them. "On the other hand, we can't give teams a 2-0 head start and
then start playing, not at this level. We are not at the level we want to be
yet."

The defeat knocks the Dev Squad out of the U21 Premier League Cup after they
had beaten rivals Millwall on penalties in the previous round. Despite the
defeat, Westley pointed to several positives for the Development Squad.
"Pottsy played his first 45 minutes for a while and it's nice to see him
back fit. He played and didn't have any ill effects or problems. He probably
could have played for a bit longer but we didn't want to risk him. The rehab
team have done well and he'll ready for the New Year. "Paul McCallum played
45 minutes against Fulham and scored twice. He played 75 today and got his
goal. He's now ready to move forward and push on. So those are two big
positives for us. "We knew we had to come out quick and we knew the next
goal had to be ours. I thought if we increased everything we did by five per
cent it would have been enough to get something from the game. I just felt
we weren't doing quite enough in attacking areas.
"But I think we're fragile, if something goes against us they go under too
quick, They need to be tougher because we are talking about their careers.
The mental toughness of being a footballer is greater than anything else."

The Development Squad's next game is against Leicester City on 5 January
2015 at Rush Green Stadium, kick off is at 7pm.

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Gordon makes Clarets switch
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 22nd December 2014
By: Staff Writer

Academy youngster Jaanai Gordon has joined Chelmsford City on a short term
loan. A year to the day since he moved to West Ham from Peterborough United
for a nominal fee, the 19-year-old forward has joined The Clarets for the
next month. Born in Northampton in 1995, Gordon signed his first contract
with Peterborough in 2009 at the age of just 14, before turning pro in 2012.
He made his first team debut for the Posh in September 2012 as a second half
substitute in their 2-0 home defeat against Wolves. Gordon went on to make
three more appearances for Peterborough in 2012/13 including his first start
against Hull in January 2013 - a 1-1 draw in which he played for 82 minutes.
Last season (2013/14) he made three brief first team substitute appearances
for the Posh before joining West Ham on trial last November.

In other news, Queens Park Rangers boss Harry Redknapp says he would be
interested in taking Ravel Morrison from West Ham. "I like Ravel. He came
last year and I didn't have any problems with him," he told Talksport.
"There has got to be a problem with Ravel if Sir Alex Ferguson can't deal
with him and Big Sam can't deal with him, so he needs to sort himself out,
but he is a real talent and when he was with me he was as good as gold. "He
is one that someone has mentioned to me and he is one we could be interested
in - if West Ham want to release him."

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HENRY POISED TO BE FIRST SIGNING OF THE NEW YEAR
By Sean Whetstone 23 Dec 2014 at 17:19
West Ham Till I Die

Canadian defender Doneil Henry has been granted a work permit and will join
West Ham on 1st January for a fee set by a tribunal which could rise to
£1.5m. The 21-year-old centre back has been on loan at Toronto FC from
Cypriot side Apollon Limassol, Henry joined the Toronto FC Academy in 2008,
and captained the team through two seasons in the Canadian Soccer League in
2009 and 2010. He has made over 70 appearances in a Toronto shirt but he was
sold to Apollon Limassol in October 2014 before being loaned back to Toronto
this season. It is understood that Toronto have retained a sell on fee
clause.

Sam Allardyce has revealed his former Blackburn captain Ryan Nelsen tipped
him off about the promising youngster. 'He's recommended to me by my captain
at Blackburn Rovers, who managed him at Toronto, When you get the
recommendation of somebody you respect like Ryan Nelsen, who shows when you
come from the lower reaches of football and last so long in the Premier
League as he did, it shows that he's capable of playing at this level after
a period of time settling in. You don't ignore that advice.' said Allardyce
. Henry had previously had two training stints with West Ham. He earns a
basic salary of $75,000 per year with MLS side FC Toronto or $87,033.33 with
bonuses. That's around £56,000 per year so just over £1,000 per week. His
team mate and former Hammer Jermain Defoe earned $6,180,000 for the same
season at Toronto.

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Impatient Irons await Cameroon Song decision
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 23, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

West Ham are waiting impatiently for the African Nations Cup squad to be
announced given Alex Song's exclusion from the national team in October. The
club fully expects to lose both Diafra Sakho and Cheik Kouyate to Senegal
when the squads are announced over the next week.
However, they can be forgiven for hoping Song finds himself still out in the
Cameroon cold! A source told ClaretandHugh: "We aren't exactly sure which
day the announcement will be made but it will before the end of the month
and Alex's exclusion for those games against Sierra Leone Group D back in
October may be significant! Song was sent off and hit with a three match
suspension following the elbowing Croatia's Mario Mandzukic in the 4-0 World
Cup defeat. The 28-year-old missed the final Group A match in Brazil, a 4-1
loss to the hosts, and then Cameroon's opening two Nations Cup qualifiers.
He was then excluded from the 25 man squad which met Sierra Leone on
October 10 and 15 and our source said: "It's an interesting one which it's
fair to say is being awaited with more than a little interest."

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13th minute applause plea for Irons fallen Pals
Posted by Sean Whetstone on December 23, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Author of "Up The Hammers!" Elliott Taylor is calling on all West Ham fans
to mark the 100 year anniversary of the formation of the West Ham Pals
Battalion by a minute of applause on the 13th minute of the West Ham v
Arsenal home game at the Boleyn Ground on Sunday 28th December.

Elliot was responsible for getting the West Ham pals memorial plaque
outside the club shop produced and unveiled. And he believes a round of
applause on the 13th minute would be a fitting memorial to fallen West Ham
fans in the first world war one hundred years on.
One of the reasons why the First World War was so traumatic an event to
British society was that so many of the new infantry Battalions formed to
fight in the trenches were the so called "Pals Battalions" where men could
serve with local friends, neighbours or workers.

The West Ham Pals were officially called the 13th Battalion of the Essex
Regiment and were formed on the 29th December 1914. Unofficially they were
West Ham supporters who joined en masse with their mates and whose battle
cry (and bayonet charge) was "Up the Irons". The Battalion fought in some of
the worse battles in the Somme, Vimy Ridge and Cambrai during the War and
suffered causalities with many killed, wounded or missing. The impact of all
these deaths and casualties in battle on the local community was therefore
immense. About one quarter of the original battalion volunteers were killed
and nearly half were returned to UK with severe injuries. In 2009 Sir Trevor
Brooking unveiled a plaque at the Boleyn ground to remember the West Ham
Pals.

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Sakho/Valencia pace can undo Chelsea
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 23, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Irons fans are looking ahead to the Boxing Day clash at Stamford Bridge with
more optimism than they have done for several years – and justifiably so.
But this is a game which should throw up a big dilemma for manager Sam
Allardyce according to several leaving messages on the ClaretandHugh forum.
It's difficult to disagree with one – SillyolDuffer – who wrote this morning
"Just watched the Stoke/Chelsea game. Peter Crouch was ineffective against
the Chelski centre-backs. I think we should play Valencia and Sakho for
pace. If Carroll does get a start it should be with Zarate who can feed off
him. Can see a few yellow cards in this one!! Such has been the chorus of
applause for Carroll's last couple of performances that it's all too easy to
overlook the fact that our very best performances came earlier in the season
when Diafra was partnered by Enner Valencia. The pairing produced pace and
power – stretching defenders and taking them where they really didn't want
to go whereas of late we have tended to go longer at times which may not be
the best option against the former England captain and partner Gary Cahill.

As another forum contributor – West Ham Fan No 32 – comments, in agreeing
with the first that Carroll should remain on the bench: " I think Sam will
still play Carroll. "Lets hope Noble is fit and we can put our first team
out. He has been missed around that midfield area and this will be a tough
match, Fabregas, Hazard, Oscar… no room for passengers to keep them
contained."

The major point though is whether AC starts or we go with the Senegal and
Ecuador internationals which is my personal preference having noted the
slowing John Terry point and remembering that aerial balls are meat and
drink to him. We'd be interested to see your teams…here's mine assuming Mark
Noble is fit: Adrian, Jenkinson, Reid, Tomkins, Cresswell; Song, Downing,
Noble, Kouyate, Sakho, Valencia.

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