Daily WHUFC News - 6th May 2015

From the Academy
WHUFC.com

Hello everyone,

On Wednesday evening, the Club will be hosting the sixth annual West Ham United Player Awards in aid of the Academy.

I am very much looking forward to spending the evening in the company of the Board, colleagues, the first-team squad and, of course, hundreds of fans whose loyal support of this event is so important to our Academy. I would like to publicly thank everyone who is attending Wednesday's event, and I hope you enjoy what I am told is always a special occasion in the West Ham calendar.

As I approach the end of my first season as Academy Manager, I look back on the last ten months and am very proud of what we have achieved, but myself and all my staff know that there is still much we can improve on. In football, and especially when it comes to recruiting and developing players for the future, the hard work never ends.

We have followed a mantra of challenging and stretching the players to their limits this season, playing schoolboys at U18 level and scholars in the Development Squad whenever the opportunity has arisen. I am of the opinion that this approach not only improves the player, but gives us as coaches a greater insight into their ability and potential.

We have seen Reece Burke make his Barclays Premier League debut in recent weeks, while Reece Oxford, Josh Cullen and Manny Onariase have all been in and around Sam Allardyce's squad this season. We want that number to grow in the future.

On Wednesday evening, we will recognise those scholars and young professionals who have shone the brightest over the past season, with the Young Hammer of the Year and Dylan Tombides Award trophies being presented.

I was tasked with picking the three nominees for each award, so here are my thoughts on the six very promising young players who are in the running.

Reece Burke
Young Hammer of the Year

Centre-back Reece is a second-year scholar who played for the first-team in pre-season and scored against Sampdoria, which gave him a big boost in confidence. He then started the League Cup tie against Sheffield United and has since signed his first professional contract. Reece has trained with the first team throughout the season and performed strongly for the Development Squad when called upon. He has been named on the bench for the first team on numerous occasions and, moving forward, he should be setting himself high goals towards establishing himself as a professional player next season.

Josh Cullen
Central midfielder Josh Cullen has caught the eye of the first-team coaching staff as a Development Squad player this season and has trained regularly with them during the week. He is well-liked and has been accepted by the first-team players, which tells you that he has something about him. He is tenacious, plays with his heart on his sleeve and has captained the Development Squad. An Ireland U19 international, Josh has been a substitute for the Club in the Premier League and is another one we hope will kick on to become a feature for the first team.

Lewis Page
Left-back Lewis Page caught my eye as an attacking, aggressive left-back soon after I arrived at the Club last summer. He is a modern player, which we are all looking for. Lewis needed more confidence and we have given him that by extending his contract. He knows we believe in him and he has started to blossom as a result, training regularly with the first team. Next season, I would expect Lewis to go out on loan and play league football and continue his development. He has made great strides this year.

Jahmal Hector-Ingram
Dylan Tombides Award
Jahmal Hector-Ingram deserves to be in and around the nominees for the Dylan Tombides Award when you consider the type of season he has had. As a striker who is 16 and still at school, he has scored regularly for the U18s. He is in the youth team on merit and been able to play up an age-group and be one of the best strikers of his age in the country. With hard work, I can see Jahmal really being a handful in youth and Development Squad football next season.

Reece Oxford
I work with Reece Oxford regularly as a coach and as a mentor and I sometimes have to pinch myself to remember that he is still 15, still at school and about to sit his GCSEs. We talk about all the attributes you need to become a player and he looks like he has a chance to really develop. We want him to be a role model and for the young Academy players to look up to him. For one who is so young, he has captained the Development Squad, played regularly at that level, trained regularly with the first team and led his country to the UEFA European U17 Championship finals.

Djair Parfitt-Williams
Djair Parfitt-Williams was a player who really caught my eye very early on in my time at the Academy because there are less and less players in the modern game who can go past people. His major weapon is that he can beat you outside or inside and I think this boy is close to being able to go on the big stage and show people what he has got, which is a good change of pace and an ability to beat his man.
You will always see him with a ball at his feet, he wants to get better and he will knock on your door asking to do extra work, so I am delighted he is one of my nominees because he could be a special talent.

You will have to wait until Wednesday evening to discover who has won each of the two awards, but before then I would like to close by again thanking all those who have supported the Academy throughout the season, and especially those who will be attending the Player Awards.

Terry Westley
Academy Manager and Head of Player Development and Coaching

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Midweek test for U18s
WHUFC.com

West Ham United slipped to a narrow 2-1 Barclays U18 Premier League defeat at Sunderland on Saturday. Joe Powell netted the Hammers' goal direct from a corner kick, but the Black Cats turned the game around to take all three points at the Academy of Light. U18s coach Mark Phillips admitted his team had not performed well enough in the North East and is hoping for better when West Ham return to action at home to Reading in their penultimate league fixture on Wednesday afternoon. The Hammers host the Royals at Little Heath in a midweek 12noon kick-off, with Phillips demanding an improvement from the weekend. "It was a very physical encounter at Sunderland in what were horrible, windy conditions," said Phillips. "It's a venue where we have struggled in recent years and just cannot seem to get the results there.
"We took the lead in a fortunate manner from Joe Powell's corner after just three minutes and could've even had a second when Noah Sylvestre went through on goal and their 'keeper made a great save. "Sunderland came back at us really well and scored two quick counter-attacking goals. Their second one was a fantastic finish from 18 yards that gave them the lead. "We had the advantage of using the strong wind in the second half but we didn't use if effectively and failed to create enough good chances. "All things considered, I think it was a fair result and we will have to go back to the drawing board to prepare for our next game against Reading."

Winger Powell, 16, put the Hammers ahead early on directly from a corner, before Andrew Nelson equalised for the home side midway through the first half. Sunderland completed the turnaround a minute before half time to when Luke Molyneux secured all three points for the hosts with a blistering effort from 18 yards. Defeat was disappointing for a strong and relatively experienced West Ham team that included Development Squad regulars Manny Onariase at centre-half and Jordan Brown and Djair Parfitt-Williams in attack. Schoolboy Idris Kanu, who was the two-goal hero against Liverpool in the Hammers' previous fixture, was made to wait his turn on the bench.

Sunderland came out of the blocks quickly and after being released through on goal, Rees Greenwood's shot in the opening minute was expertly turned round the post by Hammers keeper Tim Brown. It was the Hammers who were first to put the ball in the back of the net, though, with Powell's corner travelling all the way through a crowd of players and curling inside the far post. The home side equalised on 19 minutes when Nelson sent Jordan Blinco clear down the wing, before getting himself into a positive position around the penalty area to pick up the return pass and fire past Brown. Sunderland continued to push and scored the winning goal moments before half-time when Molyneux cut in and unleashed a screaming shot into the top corner of the goal. The Hammers tried to fight back in the horrendous weather conditions and could have taken a point home with them had Brown buried his chance in the later stages of the second half.

Phillips' side host Reading in their rearranged fixture on Wednesday 6 May, with kick-off at 12noon. Admission is FREE at Little Heath, with Tommy Wathen providing LIVE Twitter updates at @tommywathen.

U18s: T Brown, Pike, Pask, Onariase, Neufville, Sylvestre (Barrett), Diangana (Elsom), Powell (Kanu), Borg, J.Brown, Parfitt-Williams
Subs not used: Bogard

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Hammers offer £5k to help find Ken Brown's medals
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are offering a £5,000 reward to any individual that provides information leading to the arrest and the conviction of the criminals responsible for the break-in at former Hammer Ken Brown's house. The legendary defender returned home from a short break on Friday to find thieves had broken into his house and stolen his treasured winners' medals from the FA Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup, which he earned during his time at West Ham. Police in Great Yarmouth are currently investigating the burglary, which occurred sometime between Wednesday 29 April at 6.15am and Friday 1 May at 12.30am. Also stolen were a set of Winston Churchill gold medals, a woman's Modavo watch, jewellery and cash.

In a statement, West Ham United Joint-Chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold said: "We were devastated to hear about this break-in at Ken Brown's house so we wanted to do what we could to help catch those responsible. "The theft of his winners' medals is all the more poignant as we are marking 50 years since Ken and his team-mates lifted the European Cup Winners' Cup on the greatest night in our Club's history. "We would urge anyone with any information to contact the police so we can get these items back where they belong as soon as possible."

Speaking of the break-in, Ken said: "I had such a great time with both Norwich City and West Ham United and feel a huge amount of pride when I look back at my medals and to think that someone has entered my home and taken them hurts me a lot. "To me it's the sentimental value of what's been taken that matters more. I have grandchildren who play football and I love being able to show them the medals when they come and visit. They won't like to see their granddad upset but unfortunately that's how I feel at the moment. "My wife and I feel violated that someone could take items of such personal significance and I can only hope those responsible for doing this can see how pointless it is to take something that has no value to them and such great value to us."

Anyone with information should contact DC Matthew Jenkins at Great Yarmouth CID on 101, or Crime-stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Poyet targets FIFA U-20 World Cup success
WHUFC.com

Diego Poyet is planning to do his country proud when he represents Uruguay at the FIFA U-20 World Cup finals in New Zealand. He may have been born in Spain, raised in England for the majority of his childhood and speak English with a London accent, but the West Ham United midfielder has no doubts about which country he calls home. Born in Zaragoza and raised in London while his father Gus played professionally for Real Zaragoza and Chelsea, the 20-year-old midfielder moved to Montevideo with his family as a young child before returning to England at the age of ten. Poyet came through the youth ranks at Charlton Athletic and was capped by England at U16 and U17 levels before opting to play for the nation his family still call home in February 2015. He debuted for Uruguay U20s in three friendly matches in March and has now jetted off for a pre U-20 World Cup training camp in South America. The final squad is yet to be announced, but the No23 has high hopes of travelling to the tournament, which begins on 30 May and where Uruguay face Serbia, Mexico and Mali in the group stage. "I went for some friendlies last month and it went well so they have called me back now and I flew out on Saturday night," Poyet told whufc.com. "We have two weeks in Uruguay and we'll see how training goes, then the final group will be named for the World Cup in New Zealand. "It was always going to be different because they already had a group which had played the Copa America Under-20s in January and I didn't go. I thought it was going to be hard to settle in with the group, but it went much better than I thought and I'm very happy and looking forward to meeting up with them. "I lived there for some years and every single person in my family except for my Mum, my Dad and my brother live there, so it'll be nice to go back and see some cousins, aunts and my whole family and be with them for some weeks. Hopefully I'll be named in that final group which goes to New Zealand at the end of May."

Uruguay has produced some of the world's finest footballers down the years – Enzo Francescoli and Luis Suarez, to name but two – but most people will be unaware that it has a population of just 3.3 million. Poyet is hoping La Celeste continue to punch above their weight at the FIFA U-20 World Cup, where they finished as runners-up in 1997 and 2013. "If you look at the senior squad, they all play in Europe and there are only just over three million people in the whole country," the midfielder explained. "When you look at some of the players Uruguay has brought up over the years, it is something the country is very proud of."

So, can Uruguay make their mark in New Zealand – a country Poyet visited with the Hammers for a pre-season tour last July? "There are lots of good teams, but we fancy our chances. I don't want to jinx us, but Uruguay always seem to do well in tournaments, so we'll go over there with the intention of winning our games and getting through. "We went to New Zealand last summer on pre-season and I can't believe I'm going there twice in the space of one year!"

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Ladies prepare for Capital Cup final
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Ladies will hope to end an encouraging season on a high when they take part in the London FA Capital Women's Cup final on Wednesday evening. The Hammers saw off Tottenham Hotspur, Haringey Athletic and Queens Park Rangers on their way to the final, where they will face close rivals Charlton Athletic at Harrow Borough FC, with kick-off at 7.30pm. Dicks has watched his side pick up some fantastic results in recent weeks against title-chasing teams and the former Hammers left back hopes that his girls will use this run of form to help prepare them mentally for the final. "We've said all season that, on the pitch, we've been inconsistent with our results," admitted Dicks. "For example, we beat [fourth-placed] Cardiff twice and drew with [third-placed] Charlton in the space of one week and they are two good teams, then we go and lose to Lewes, have more than ten points less than us in the league. After that, we hosted one of the title favourites in [second-placed] Brighton and were unlucky not to have won. For me, they are the best team we've faced this season and the girls picked up a result purely through their hard work. "Hopefully they'll take some positives from their recent results and take them into the final because they have earned points against Charlton and other tough teams because of their hard work. The thing is, though, that we face Charlton in the final and it's a one-off game where the girls need to be at their best if they want to take home the trophy. "We'll go out in the final all guns blazing in a formation we know and hopefully the girls will do the business on the pitch."

Looking back, in the first round the Hammers travelled to Ware to face Spurs Ladies. Midfielder April Bowers put the Hammers on their way to victory early on, with Sarah McCrea (two) and Vicky Kinsman on target in a 4-4 draw before West Ham prevailed on penalties. That victory set up a quarter-final tie against north London side Haringey Athletic, who compete in the Eastern Region Women's Football League Premier Division. Winger Kelley Blanchflower was on fire in that game, grabbing four goals, along with two from Kinsman and an Emma Sherwood goal to give Dicks' side a 7-0 victory.

In the semi-final, the Hammers were again scheduled in an away game, this time against Queens Park Rangers. Having already beaten Martino Chevannes' side away from home at the start of the season, the visitors had one foot in the final when Blanchflower's chipped effort had too much on it for Sophie Cheadle to keep out. That became two feet when Sherwood scored from the penalty spot after a handball.

Dicks' side will now meet Charlton in a final where both clubs have agreed to pay tribute to former player Katie Sheppard, who tragically passed away last summer at the age of 20. A minute's applause will be held prior to kick-off, while both captains will walk forward and lay down a West Ham and Charlton shirt bearing Katie's name.

Kick-off at the Earlsmead Stadium is a 7:30pm Wednesday and the Ladies are appealing for as many Hammers fans as possible to come down and cheer them on. Admission is priced at just £6 Adults and £3 Under-16s.

Alternatively, fans can keep up to date with the latest updates from Harrow by following the Ladies on Twitter at @westhamladies, where you will also be able to tune into LIVE pre and post-match interviews with Julian and the players via Periscope.

For fans travelling to the game, the address to enter into your sat nav is Earlsmead Stadium, Earlsmead, Harrow, Middlesex HA2 8SS.

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Devo returns to old stomping ground
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 5th May 2015
By: Staff Writer

Alan Devonshire is back in management - just a fortnight after leaving Braintree Town. The former West Ham United and England winger left the Vanarama Conference Premier side in mid-April after turning down the club's offer a new one-year contract extension. And it has taken him less than two weeks to find a new - or rather old - club, after it was confirmed that the 59-year-old has returned to Maidenhead United where he began his managerial career back in 1997. According to a post on the York Road club's website, Devonshire has replaced former Maidenhead boss Johnson Hippolyte who left the club last week after failing to agree a new deal. "Devonshire will now seek to continue his impressive managerial record and take the Magpies forward on the pitch to transform their current status as perennial strugglers," read the Magpies' post. "Current youth team manager Sam Lock will be joining the first team coaching staff as part of Alan's backroom team. Welcome back Dev!"

Since leaving Maidenhead in 2003, Devo has enjoyed spells at Hampton & Richmond Borough (2003-2011) and Braintree (2011-2014).

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Jimmy Greaves facing 'long road to recovery' following a stroke
Last Updated: 05/05/15 1:34pm
SSN

Former Tottenham and England striker Jimmy Greaves faces a 'long, slow road to recovery' according to his wife Irene. The 75-year-old was admitted to hospital on Sunday following a severe stroke which has left him in intensive care. In a statement, his wife said his recovery would be a lengthy process, adding: "Jimmy is having to do what he is told, and understands the seriousness of what has happened to him. It is going to be a long, slow road to recovery and he is in the best possible hands. "On behalf of Jimmy and our family, We would like to thank the many thousands of you who have voiced your support and concern. We would greatly appreciate it if the media would allow us privacy for what is going to be a long period of rehabilitation."

Speaking earlier, Greaves' agent Terry Baker said he is "conscious but unable to speak", adding: "We have had thousands of get well messages including one from a devastated Ian St John. Thank you to everyone for your thoughts at this time." Greaves is regarded as one of the greatest English forwards of all time. He scored 44 goals in 57 games for his country and also netted a club record 266 times in 379 matches for Tottenham. He also scored more league goals (366) than any other player in Europe's five major championships - England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France. After retiring from the game, Greaves co-hosted the popular Saturday lunchtime football show Saint and Greavsie alongside former Liverpool forward St John. Greaves suffered a minor stroke in 2012, but was thought to have made a full recovery. He had been due to be indicted into the Tottenham Hall of Fame in a sell-out ceremony at White Hart Lane on Wednesday, 13 May.

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39 YEARS AGO THIS HAPPENED
By Sean Whetstone 5 May 2015 at 18:21
West Ham Till I Die

In 1965 West Ham used home town advantage to win the European Cup Winners Cup at Wembley Stadium with a win over 1860 Munich. 11 years later the boot was firmly on the other foot on 5th May 1976 as the Hammers travelled to the Heysel Stadium in Brussels to take on Anderlecht.

John Lyall's side had reached their second European final by seeing off Lahden Reipas of Finland, Ararat Yerevan of the Soviet Union, FC Den Haag of Holland and Eintracht Frankfurt in the semi-finals. Their Belgian opponents passage had been much tougher, scraping past Rapid Bucharest and FK Borac Banja of Yugoslavia before a quarter-final against Wrexham, a tie they won 2-1 over two legs. Their easiest passage was against East Germans BSG Sachsenring Zwickau in the semi finals to set up a mouthwatering clash.

The West Ham team was virtually the same as the one that had beaten Fulham in the 75 Cup Final to get them into the competition. Two goal hero Alan Taylor had dropped to the bench, Keith Robson coming into the side in his place and Kevin Lock had been replaced by Keith Coleman. Trevor Brooking remained as the creative force in the team,

Anderlecht featured two of the splendid Dutch side of 1974 in their line up, with Rob Rensenbrink and Arie Haan providing the attacking firepower. Future Hammers star, Francois Van Der Elst was in the Belgian sides midfield.

Once again the incomparable David Coleman was on commentary duty for the BBC with QPR boss Dave Sexton alongside him, fresh from almost guiding the Hoops to the First Division title, where they had just been pipped by Liverpool.

For the second season running, an exhibitionist French referee, this time Robert Wurtz was on duty in a European final, and Coleman was quick to remind the viewers of the "one or two controversial decisions by the French referee in the 1975 European Cup Final" a remark Leeds fans will have been quick to agree with.

The opening 10 minutes of the game were very quiet. West Ham enjoying the bulk of possession but no real opportunities. It was the Belgians who had the first opportunity, Rensenbrink galloping down the left to attack Frank Lampard before firing a low ball across the face of the goal which Mervyn Day and his defenders managed to scramble away.

Evenly matched in the opening stages in terms of football, sartorially the Hammers were streets ahead. Whilst they were bedecked in a brand new Admiral strip, the Belgians strip looked like it had been thrown together at the last minute, with shirts that were too tight and shorts that looked too short. With most players wearing the shirts outside the "mauve" shorts, they looked vaguely ridiculous.

The fashion stakes were only noticable because the football was so poor in the first quarter of the match. It was 25 minutes before West Ham threatened the Anderlecht goal, moving the ball down the right, the attack ending with Pat Holland blazing wildly over the bar.

That was enough to wake the travelling fans, and within minutes loud choruses of the club anthem, I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles reverberated around the Heysel Stadium. That noise raised the spirits of the West Ham players and they began to take a grip of the game. Graham Paddon drove the ball into the area and it was flicked goalwards by Billy Jennings. Jan Ruiter in the Anderlecht goal watched the ball carefully before tipping the ball over the bar.

On 28 minutes the Hammers took the lead. Once again it was Paddon who provided the opportunity, his driven cross from the left hand side of the box was headed down by Billy Bonds into the path of Holland who had ghosted into the area to slide the ball home.

West Ham now had their tails up and looked the more likely to score again, Lampard hitting a low skidding effort which forced the keeper into getting down to make a save. The Hammers full back may not have got his name on the scoresheet, but he was about to play a key part in the match, unfortunately for all the wrong reasons

With just three minutes until the break, Lampard played a woeful back pass towards Mervyn Day, leaving the ball hopelessly short of its intended target. It was gobbled up by Rensenbrink who drove into the West Ham area. Despite the best efforts of Billy Bonds who had got back and forced the Dutchman back towards a crowd of West Ham players, Rensenbrink kept his composure to smash the ball into the net. Coleman, as usual summed up the moment perfectly: "Frank Lampard walks away as Anderlecht celebrate a truly gift goal" adding "he looked the lonliest man in the ground."

West Ham boss John Lyall shuffled his pack at the break with the unfortunate Lampard replaced by Alan Taylor, the man whose goals had earned the Hammers entry to the competition. Whilst still adjusting to the change in personnel, Anderlecht took the lead. Rensenbrink started a breakaway attack, gliding through the West Ham midfield before producing a superb reverse ball which set Van Der Elst free. The Belgian international strode purposefully into the box before lifting the ball over Day with the outside of his boot to make it 2-1.

It would have been understandable if West Ham had folded, two goals in five minutes either side of the break having turned the game completely on its head, but to their credit, the Hammers dug in and went again. Taylor went close to equalising when he latched on to a Bonds knock down, striking the ball from an angle similar to that from which he had scored his second against Fulham in the Cup Final the previous year. However Jan Ruiter was a far different prospect to Peter Mellor and he blocked the shot. He confirmed this from the ensuing corner, denying Taylor again, this time superbly turning away a shot by Taylor which was heading for the top corner.

West Ham though were rewarded for their sustained pressure midway through the second half. Trevor Brooking was the architect, drilling in a cross from the left hand side which was cleverly glanced in by Keith Robson with a clever stooping header which went in off the far post. "It's there, beautiful goal by Robson" exclaimed Coleman as the Hammers levelled things up.

The equaliser seemed to spark Anderlecht back to life, and they immediately stepped up a gear. Day in the West Ham goal produced a great save to keep the scores level, denying Vercauteren. However Day was helpless moments later when Anderlecht regained the lead from the penalty spot.

Once again Rensenbrink was West Ham's torturer, again collecting the ball and driving into the West Ham area. Tommy Taylor slid in desperately to try to stop the Dutch master, but only succeeded in taking his legs away and giving Monsieur Wurtz a simple decision. Rensenbrink himself stepped up to take the spot kick and smashed the ball home to make it 3-2 with 17 minutes remaining.

The Hammers desperately threw themselves into attack, but left themselves vulnerable to the counter attack. Day denied Van Der Elst, standing up to palm away an effort following another sweeping move, but with just six minutes remaining the future Hammer sealed victory for the Belgians. Once again it was a breakaway attack with Rensenbrink providing the Belgian international with the opportunity, splitting the West Ham defence with a super through ball. Van Der Elst, having beaten the offside trap kept his cool to sidestep the backtracking McDowell before sitting Day on the floor to roll the ball into the net. "West Ham's all out attempts to attack were caught out there" said Coleman.

Two minutes later the final whistle blew and Anderlecht had won the Cup Winners Cup, their first European trophy, and started a run of three consecutive finals. For West Ham, it remains their last European final (not withstanding the Intertoto Cup!). Two years later they would be relegated to the second division.

West Ham Starting lineup:
Goalkeeper Mervyn Day
Defender/Right back John McDowell
Defender Keith Coleman
Defender/Centre back Tommy Taylor
Defender/Midfielder Billy Bonds
Defender/Left back Frank Lampard
Midfielder Pat Holland
Midfielder Trevor Brooking
Midfielder Graham Paddon
Forward Billy Jennings
Forward Keith Robson

Subs: Alan Taylor came on for Frank Lampard on 47 minutes.

Attendance 51,296

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Liverpool pip Hammers to Fair Play title
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 5, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Liverpool has pipped West Ham to Premier League Fair Play title by one point. The fair play league is calculated to include matches up to 30th April. The Hammers have led the fair play league for the majority of the season but Liverpool have snuck in the back door on the last update posted today online by just one point. However, all is not lost because if Liverpool stay in fifth place in the Premier League and hold off 6th place Spurs (a double bonus) then they will automatically qualify for an UEFA Europa league spot and the Fair Play Europa place will be offered to the second place Irons. All of this relies on England finishing in the top three in the UEFA Fair Play ranking yet to be announced.

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The case for Moyes
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 5, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

ClaretandHugh subscriber chicagolimey has sent us his appraisal of David Moyes and presents a compelling case on behalf of the 52 year old Scot. The views expressed here are his on and are not necessarily shared by ClaretandHugh

MoyesmeetingSince David Moyes emerged as the leading candidate to take over from Sam Allardyce there have been a lot of comments posted questioning his credentials. However his career record makes a strong argument for his appointment, not only statistically, but especially if you consider the resources he has had at his disposal during most of his managerial career. Starting at Preston North End he took over a team threatened by relegation from the old Second Division. Within a couple of years he took them to the verge of the Premier League with an impressive win percentage over that period of 48.29 pc. He was only in his thirties and his achievements at Preston were not dissimilar to those achieved by Eddie Howe has just pulled off at Bournemouth. He was at Everton for eleven years -a near unbelievable amount of time in PL management – and turned them from relegation candidates into regular top eight finishers with several European qualifications. He maintained a win percentage of 42% which is phenomenal over such a length of time. He didn't win any silverware but without the backing of an oligarch or the launch pad of a huge stadium that's a tough nut to crack.

Here's the interesting statistic. During his one season at at Man United he took over a lot of stubborn, seasoned pros who were stuck in the Ferguson way of doing things and was arguably never given time to prove himself or turn it into the club he wanted. Why do I say this? Well, after Ferguson took over from Ron Atkinson in November of 1986, he guided Man U to none losses (29%), 10 draws (32.3%) and 12 wins (38.7%) over the remaining 31 games of the 86/87 season. I remember there were big questions being asked about him at that time.
Moyes achieved a 52.9% win rate during his first season at Old Trafford but because of the demand for instant success within today's top five or six he was unceremoniously dumped.

Since leaving United he has guided Real Sociedad -another relegation threatened outfit into a unit that has slowly begun to establish mid table status… all this with limited language skills an d a limited budget. Remember we are talking about one of the world's toughest leagues here and just to beat Barcelona 1-0 during the process is impressive. He is a passionate hard-nosed Scot who will demand a lot more fight than Sam. Sure, his football is not the prettiest but if he produces the wins, the manner in which he does it will not seem so important as they do at the moment. He is only 52 years old still and is only surpassed in PL wins by Ferguson, Wenger and Redknapp. If he's available maybe he could be just the man we need to take us into the Olympic Stadium after all.

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Tomkins's hopeful update
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 5, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

James Tomkins has revealed that he's closing in on a West Ham return after declaring on his Instagram account he's back in training.
He declared:"Out on the pitch today, can't wait to be back!" #rehab #hardworkpaysoff #whufc #COYI#nikefootball #nikeuk

The big defender has been out for a couple of months after dislocating a shoulder in training but is looking for a return ahead of season-end. He is hoping that he will feature either against Aston Villa, Everton or Newcastle after an impressive season ahead of his injury.

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The COST of David Moyes
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 5, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Earlier today a CandH follower made the CASE for making David Moyes West Ham's next boss..but what about the cost? In this piece associate editor Sean Whetstone looks at the Scot's financial past and what the Hammers may be expected to offer him should a deal land up on the table.

Prior to joining Everton in 2001 David Moyes earned £700,000 per year to manage Preston North End For his first seven years in charge of Everton he more than doubled his salary pocketing £1.56m per year doubling again to £3.3m per year in 2008 when he signed a new five year contract withe the Toffees.

In 2013 Moyes signed an ill fated six year contract on £5m per year with Manchester United worth a potential £30m. When he was sacked 10 months later by Manchester United he lost out on far more generous compensation through an " ejector seat" clause in his six-year contract limiting his money to 12 months' salary if the club failed to qualify for the Champions League meaning he earned £9.1m including compensation for his 10 months in charge of the Reds.

In 2014 Real Sociedad literally broke the bank in offering the Scott a club record of two million euros per year worth around £1.46m per season on a 18 month deal until June 2016. It is thought West Ham will offer to double his current wages at Sociedad in a two year deal to put him on a similar wage enjoyed by Sam Allardyce subject to him achieving certain performance targets such as avoidance of relegation and a bonus related to league position. It understood Moyes has an exit clause in his contract meaning he can leave Real Sociedad without compensation if a Premier League come in for him.

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West Ham United chasing move for Birmingham City ace
BY CHARLIE FIRTH ⋅ MAY 5, 2015 ⋅ POST A COMMENT
Football League World

Premier League side West Ham United are chasing a deal for Birmingham City goalkeeper Darren Randolph, according to the Mirror. West Ham are eyeing up the Ireland international to become their back up keeper after amassing 11 clean sheets in the Sky Bet Championship this season. The 27-year-old is one of many Birmingham players out of contract at St Andrews this summer, and if he were to reject a new deal, the Hammers would seemingly be ready to snap him up. Their current back up Jussi Jaaskelainen is also out of contract during the summer and a link to Randolph would suggest he won't be handed a new deal. Birmingham had a decent season this year and will certainly hope Randolph will stay with them in order to aid a promotion push next season under Gary Rowett. They eventually finished in 10th spot having accumulated 63 points this season, beating Bolton Wanderers on the final day.

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REO COKER SET FOR PREM RETURN…
EX-WEST HAM SKIPPER LINED UP FOR ODD CRYSTAL PALACE SWITCH
Date: 5th May 2015 at 4:37 pm
Written by Alex Hams | Comments(0)

Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew is ready to offer Nigel Reo Coker a shock return to the Premier League this summer, according to reports from ESPN. The former West Ham captain currently plies his trade in North America's top tier with MLS side Montreal Impact after moving across the Atlantic Ocean back in 2013. Reo Coker was a favourite of Pardew's during their time together at Upton Park, with the now Palace chief signing him and later making him his captain. Although he's now 30 and has been away from English football for a while, the Eagles chief is convinced the midfielder can still do a job and is keen to take a risk on him as he plots ahead of his first full season in charge at Selhurst Park. Reo Coker started his career with Wimbledon, before signing for West Ham in 2004. He then went on to play for Aston Villa, Bolton and Ipswich before switching to Major League Soccer, initially playing for Vancouver Whitecaps. He then joined Chivas USA, but after the California based side folded over the winter he joined Montreal Impact where he plays alongside former Fiorentina midfielder, Marco Donadel.

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