Daily WHUFC News - 5th June 2015

Valencia helps Ecuador earn draw
WHUFC.com

Enner Valencia's Ecuador warmed up for the 2015 Copa America by drawing 1-1 with ten-man Panama on Wednesday evening. The West Ham United striker earned his 19th senior cap in the competitive international fixture played at the at the Estadio Rommel Fernandez Gutierrez in Ciudad de Panama. Gustavo Quinteros' Ecuador went ahead nine minutes after half-time through Fidel Martinez, but Roman Torres' penalty cancelled out the opener. Valencia was then the victim of a nasty tackle by Anibal Godoy which resulted in the Panama player being sent-off. The two nations will meet again on Saturday at the Estadio Reales Tamarindos in the Ecuadorian city of Portoviejo.
Ecuador kick-off their Copa America challenge against host nation Chile in Santiago on 11 June, before taking on Bolivia in Valparaiso on 15 June and Mexico in Rancagua on 19 June. Valencia and his compatriots will be happy to get beyond the First Round group stage for the first time since 1997, when they reached the quarter-finals.

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West Ham United make trades with eToro
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are pleased to announce the Club's first social trading partnership, agreed with the largest company in its field, eToro. The partnership will take effect at the start of the 2015/16 season.

Social trading enables online users to view the share purchases and sales that other stock market investors are making, so that they can follow the strategies of the most profitable investors.

Other major football clubs, including Champions League finalists Barcelona and Juventus, and England's four Champions League qualifiers Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United, have all agreed commercial partnerships with social or online trading companies within the past two years.

Felicity Croft, Commercial Director of West Ham United, said:

"We are delighted to form this partnership with eToro, and we look forward to working closely together over the years to come. Many of the biggest Clubs in England have agreed partnerships with social trading companies in recent months, and for West Ham to attract such a large and globally-successful player in this sector is a sign of our growing global reach and ambition. It is clear that leading brands can see the exciting future that lies in store for West Ham United and are buying in to our potential."

Yoni Assia, CEO and Co-founder of eToro said:

"We are delighted to be partnering West Ham at this exciting time for both us and the Club. Our platform supports those making their first steps into investing but also gives more experienced traders and investors the opportunity to manage their funds and get copied by other traders. This deal reflects a number of positive growth areas for our business as well as the ambitions of the eToro brand in the UK and across the world. We really see this as a leap into the premier league for eToro."

Under the terms of the commercial partnership, eToro will be able to market their website and products to Hammers fans across West Ham's various digital and social media platforms, as well as taking part in joint promotional activities with the Club.

This is just the latest commercial partnership that West Ham have agreed with companies from different sectors in recent years, ranging from healthcare providers to bespoke tailors, all helping to raise the revenue coming in to the Club, and allowing increased investment in the playing squad.

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Chadwell Chatter
WHUFC.com

Hello everyone,

It is the close-season now, but we will be back at Chadwell Heath soon to prepare for the UEFA Europa League qualifying rounds, which is very exciting for the Club.

I liked my first season with West Ham United and my best moment was the game with Manchester City, while my worst moment was the home match with Chelsea, when we lost one-zero.

The Manchester City goal was a very important goal for me and for the fans. They like a good ambience and it was a good game, a very big game and to win 2-1 was very important for the players and for the fans.

It was fantastic for me to have a moment like scoring that winning goal in my first season and I thank God for it and hopefully I will score more goals next season.

Against Chelsea, Thibaut Courtois was fantastic and stopped everything I could throw at him. It was very bad for me and after the game, I couldn't sleep. In my mind, it was very important to win that Chelsea game, but that's life and will try to beat them next season.

Every year I try to improve on what I did the season before. Before this season, I said to myself I would score 12 goals and I scored 12, so next season I want to score 20. If I play games, I will score.

The hardest defender I played against was the Southampton defender Jose Fonte, who was a very strong defender in a very good team. He and the other centre-back Toby Alderweireld are both very good defenders.

For me, the funniest moment of the season that has just finished, my first season in England, was getting to meet and know my friend Chiekhou Kouyate. He is a very nice guy and is smiling all the time.

It is my first season here and Cheik helped me to settle into life in England and I like that. It's a simpler life for me because Cheik is here. I talk to Cheik if I need to.

My injury has gone now and I started training before the end of the season and I will be ready for next season.

This summer I will see my daughter in France and my family in Senegal. I will be training every day, though, because I see next season as being very hard.

I only played 25-26 games last season because of my injuries and I want to play at least 34-35 next season. That would be very nice for me.

See you all soon,

Diafra

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Great Run Series comes to new Stadium
WHUFC.com

The Morrisons Great Run Series is giving West Ham fans and supporters the chance to have a sneak preview of their new home ahead of everyone else. 1895 spaces have been guaranteed for the first West Ham fans to sign up to the Morrisons Great Newham London Run, to celebrate the year the Club was founded.

Taking place in and around Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on 19 July 2015, the 10K event is a day not to be missed. The course will take in the sights of Lee Valley VeloPark, the London Aquatics Centre and the Copper Box Arena and all runners will get the chance to have their very own Olympic moment as they finish inside the Stadium and cross the famous finish line and running track, subject to transformation work being completed. Now you can follow in the footsteps of Usain Bolt, Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis-Hill.

Fancy doing the run as part of a team? Then sign-up to the Marathon Relay Challenge. Each person in the team of four will complete a 10.54K distance, passing a special sash at the end of each section to their team as they cross the former Olympic Stadium finish line. The team's combined distance will be equal to a marathon.

Don't miss out on these amazing opportunities to be part of a once-in-a-lifetime event. Register your place at www.greatrun.org/London and enter the promo code '1895'.

More information can be found at: www.greatrun.org/London. The 10k event costs £32 per person. The Marathon Relay event costs £100 in total (£25 per person).

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Cresswell wins another award!
WHUFC.com

Hammer of the Year Aaron Cresswell has added to his impressive haul of awards by being voted London24Sport Player of the Year for 2014/15.

The West Ham United left-back added to the three trophies he won at the Club's own Player Awards by scooping nearly a third (33.03 per cent) of the total votes cast by supporters of London's Barclays Premier League clubs.

The ever-present defender, who was also named Signing of the Season and Players' Player of the Year at the end of his first campaign in east London, beat Tottenham Hotspur's England centre forward Harry Kane (28.74 per cent) into second place, with Arsenal's Chile striker Alexis Sanchez (27.44 per cent) in third.

The top six was rounded out by Chelsea's Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard (5.05 per cent), Queens Park Rangers striker Charlie Austin (2.89 per cent) and Crystal Palace winger Yannick Bolasie (2.83 per cent).

"This year has gone very well for me personally and for the team," Cresswell confirmed. "If someone had told me when I joined from Ipswich that I would have played every game and every minute, I would have snapped your hand off!

"I've settled in and we've got a great set of lads here, and from the first moment I walked in they have welcomed me with open arms."

Cresswell and his Hammers teammates are currently enjoying a short summer break before returning for pre-season training on 22 June ahead of the Club's maiden UEFA Europa League campaign.

The Hammers will discover on the same day who they will face in the first qualifying round, with the two legs set for Thursday 2 and 9 July.

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West Ham experience getting worse, the survey says
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 4th June 2015
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United's rating as an away trip has fallen in the latest annual FSF poll.

The survey, which has been conducted on an annual basis for the last three years ranks the entertainment value for away fans at all 92 Premier and Football League grounds.

And despite climbing in the rankings from 17th to 15th, West Ham's rating as an away ground fell from a lowly 5.89 (out of 10) in 2013/14 to just 5.58 last season.

Travelling fans were asked to rate each club in their team's division on a number of factors, including transport links, turnstiles, stadium layout, food and drink, pitch view and security.

Topping the table this year with a score of 7.79 were Hull City - small consolation following their relegation to the Championship. Last season another relegated club, Cardiff City, topped the list.

The enforced long walks and subsequent hour-long queues that await any fan attempting to use Upton Park tube station after a match at the Boleyn Ground will no doubt have played a major role in lowering West Ham's score.

Despite having the option to stop at Upton Park on the mainline track, current operators C2C have not been asked to investigate that possibility by West Ham in many years - a solution that would dramatically ease the build-up of crowds that occurs after every match.


FSF Survey: Premier League Club Rankings
(last season's ranking in brackets)

1. (3) Hull City 7.79
2. (4) Southampton 7.23
3. (13) Stoke City 6.94
4. (8) Sunderland 6.93
5. (-) Leicester City 6.84
6. (5) Arsenal 6.84
7. (2) Swansea City 6.72
8. (10) Newcastle United 6.68
9. (9) WBA 6.63
10. (12) Manchester City 6.53
11. (11) Tottenham 6.11
12. (18) Everton 5.80
13. (-) Burnley 5.76
14. (15) Aston Villa 5.69
15. (17) West Ham United 5.58
16. (16) Chelsea 5.52
17. (14) Manchester United 5.40
18. (19) Liverpool 5.32
19. (20) Crystal Palace 4.94
20. (-) QPR 3.58

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Bielsa to sign two-year deal - with Marseille
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 4th June 2015
By: Staff Writer

Marcelo Bielsa is reported to have agreed a new two-year contract with current club Marseille, according to reports in France this morning.

Today's edition of La Provence claims that the two parties have finally settled their differences and agreed a new deal to extend the 59-year-old's stay at OM.

According to the paper Bielsa has finally agreed to put pen to paper on a lucrative new contract following discussions that lasted several days, ending any chances he had of moving to the Premier League with West Ham.

La Provence add that Bielsa is scheduled to attend this weekend's Champions League Final and will return to Argentina thereafter, hence all formalities are expected to be concluded sometime this week.

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Marcelo Bielsa set to snub West Ham interest as he closes in on new Marseille deal
16:24, 4 JUNE 2015
BY LIAM CORLESS
The Hammers were exploring Bielsa as a possible replacement for Sam Allardyce but will now seemingly have to look elsewhere
The Mirror

West Ham managerial target Marcelo Bielsa has agreed to sign a contract extension with Marseille, according to reports in France.

French publication La Provence claimed on Thursday that the 59-year-old is set to pen a new deal which will keep him in charge of the Ligue 1 club until 2017.

He is expected to sign the contract, which will see him receive a significant pay rise, within the next 48 hours.

West Ham were understood to have made Bielsa their No 1 target as they look to replace departed boss Sam Allardyce, who left the club on the final day of the Premier League season.

Richard HeathcoteGone: West Ham are on the lookout for a replacement for Sam Allardyce
Sevilla manager Unai Emery has also been touted as a potential replacement for Allardyce but, with Napoli also interested in his services, it is unclear as to whether he is keen on the role.

Former Hammers player Slaven Bilic remains the bookies' favourite to take charge at Upton Park.

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West Ham transfer target Andre-Pierre Gignac shelves move until he sees who their new manager is
22:30, 3 JUNE 2015
BY DARREN LEWIS
Free-agent striker also wanted by West Brom, Southampton, Stoke and Newcastle could follow his Marseille boss Marcelo Bielsa to the Hammers
The Mirror

Andre-Pierre Gignac will wait until West Ham appoint a new manager before deciding which Premier League club to move to this summer.

The 29-year-old French striker, who scored 21 goals in 37 Ligue 1 appearances for Marseille last season, is a free agent and has already received a huge contract offer from West Brom.

Southampton, Stoke and Newcastle are also contenders for the frontman, who has 77 goals in 186 games for the French club.

Gignac has been weighing up his options, with West Ham targeting back-to-back Europa League-winning coach Unai Emery but also his old Marseille boss Marcelo Bielsa to replace Sam Allardyce.

Emery now looks set to stay at Sevilla after also being linked with Italians Napoli.

Martin RoseEuropa League of his own: Emery has won the competition in back-to-back seasons
Should Bielsa take over at Upton Park, Gignac would be keen to move to London.

The striker has already held talks with both the Milan clubs and Napoli and has had a lucrative offer from Russian club Dynamo Moscow but is known to fancy a move to the Premier League.

He was the subject of an approach from West Ham in this year's winter window, but Marseille blocked the bid as they tried - in vain - to qualify for the Champions League.

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Cressie beats Kane and Sanchez
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 4, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

Aaron Cresswell has been London24.com Sport Player of the Year for 2014/15. The Hammers left back beat Tottenham's Harry Kane into second spot with Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez in third place. It caps an amazing forst season for the player who slotted in at left back wonderfully for the Hammers and became an ever present, picking up the Hammer of the Year award. He took 33.07 per cent of the votes with Kane on 28.74 per cent with Sanchez even closer in third with 27.44. Chelsea fans may not be pleased to see Eden Hazard down in fourth, but he did beat Charlie Austin and Yannick Bolasie.

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Sakho: 'Next Season I want to score 20′
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 4, 2015 in Whispers
C AND H

Diafra Sakho has set his own personal target to score twenty goals next season. Speaking to the official website the top Hammers goal scorer said 'Before this season, I said to myself I would score 12 goals and I scored 12, so next season I want to score 20. If I play games, I will score.' The Ligue 2 Player of the Year for 2013-14 scored 20 goals in his final season for Metz helping them win promotion to Ligue 1. When Sakho signed for West Ham he set himself he originally set a goal target of 10. "From the moment I arrived I set myself targets," said Sakho. "Personally that was to get in the team, I knew that I was going to score goals." "The target is only 10 goals, I didn't know how things were going to pan out, but it is still only 10. I'm the sort of person that once I've a target in mind, I stick to it, even when I know that perhaps I'm going to achieve it, I still have to get there. The moment I get to 10, I'll set new targets, 15, 16,or 17 perhaps, but personally, for me, the target is 10."

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Irons make good on Sakho contract promise
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 4, 2015 in News Agenda, Whispers
C AND H

West Ham have made good on their promise to Diafra Sakho that he would be rewarded for excellence. ClaretandHugh has learned this evening that although it was kept entirely quiet at the time, the Senegal striker was given a substantial rise on his original pay deal back in the winter. As the top goalscorer announced earlier today he that he would be ready for the start of the season we were told "Diafra is very very happy and working hard. "It was kept very quiet at the time but the club gave him a substantial pay award on his basic contract around Christmas after David Sullivan had promised him a reward for excellence earlier in the season." Sakho, like the rest of the squad, will have their contracts reviewed again in December.

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Youth coach: It was hard work under Sam
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 4, 2015 in News Agenda, Whispers
C AND H

Fair play to www.foreverwestham.com who have come up with some very well needed comments on the lack of youngsters who came through to first team level under Sam Allardyce. The site quotes Under-18 coach Mark Phillips as saying it was "hard work" to get the former manager (still sounds good) to notice exciting prospects. And it adds: 'Despite co-chairmen David Gol d and David Sullivan announcing in January they wanted to see Academy talent given a chance in the first team, only 18-year-old Reece Burke was given any real game time during the second half of the season. Given the somewhat insipid end to the season, there seemed to be growing frustration amongst fans and senior figures at the club towards Allardyce's refusal to blood players such Elliott Lee and Reece Oxford. Phillips said: "It's been hard work at times under Sam, getting the players in front of him. "But it just shows the ones he has played, such as Reece Burke, have stepped up to the mark, and we've got a few more in the wings. "I'd like to think we're always giving 100 per cent. But it is an interesting time to see who will come in and what they're philosophy on the game is, and see if it sits with ours."

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Fit again Sakho:"I'll be ready"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 4, 2015 in News Agenda, Whispers
C AND H

Diafra Sakho will be fit to ready to return to full training when the squad come back for pre-season next week. The striker has been out of action since April with a thigh problem but is very much on the mend. Our first Europa League qualifying game is just four weeks away and so the squad will soon be back at the training ground to prepare and 'Sak' will be with them. He told the official site: "My injury has gone now and I started training before the end of the season and I will be ready for next season. "This summer I will see my daughter in France and my family in Senegal. I will be training every day, though, because I see next season as being very hard. "I only played 25-26 games last season because of my injuries and I want to play at least 34-35 next season. That would be very nice for me."

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Irons go full steam ahead for Bilic
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 4, 2015 in News Agenda, Whispers
C AND H

Slaven Bilic is ready to fly to England for interviews with West Ham United as soon as asked. And ClaretandHugh understands that could be within the next few days as the two Davids move quickly to make their first approach on the former central defender. We were told by a source very close to Bilic: "Slaven has been watching the situation closely from Croatia and wants to believe he's in the frame now. He sees Upton Park the as his second home. "The fact that top managers have apparently turned the club down is not an issue with him – he enjoys that the West Ham owners have been dreaming big."

We can confirm that the former Croatian manager is now at the top of the Hammers wanted list after moves to speak with Seville boss Unai Emery never got off the ground. The Seville boss was offered around 3.5 million euros to take over at Napoli but is set to reject that and all other offers having all but decided to stay where he is. "That has left Bilic as the prime target for the Hammers and club sources have revealed that moves are afoot to make their first approaches over the next few hours. It will be a major shock if the 46 year old doesn't hammer out a two year deal with the club he served as a player in 1996-97. Meanwhile ClaretandHugh has learned that Marseilles boss Marcelo Bielsa allegedly wanted between £75m – £100 million transfer budget when interviewed for the Hammers job. Bielsa was an early front runner for the Upton Park job but like Rafa Benitez was looking for a hefty transfer way in excess of what the club is able to offer its new manager.

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Hammers fear Emery snub
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 4, 2015 in News Agenda, Whispers
C AND H

West Ham fear Unai Emery will become the fourth top manager to give them a swerve despite making him a huge offer. Having missed out on David Moyes, Rafa Benitez and Carlo Ancelotti, West Ham have made Emery a lucrative offer, complete with a big Champions League qualification bonus, to take over as manager. But The Telegraph reports talks have stalled and the Hammers fear he could opt to stay y Seville after taking them into the Champions Cup via the Europa Cup victory.. David Sullivan and David Gold to go back to their list of targets.with Slaven Bilic becoming a bigger and bigger favourite to snatch the vacant post. The co owners want to make an appointment by the end of next week, which means they must quickly identify who to go for if their worst fears over Emery are confirmed.

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Bilic landslide ahead
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 4, 2015 in McAvennie The Legend, Whispers
C AND H

Slaven Bilic is a massive favourite with the West Ham fans to take over as the club's manager according to a new poll launched a few hours ago. ClaretandHugh's 'Best of the Rest' Poll has been set up since Rafa Benitez, Jurgen Klopp, David Moyes and Carlo Ancelotti fell by the wayside after being the club's top choices for the job. The new poll includes Bilic, Eddie Howe, Garry Monk, Sean Dyche, Gus Poyet, Brendan Rodgers, Alan Pardew, Gareth Southgate, Harry Redknapp, Tony Pulis, Glenn Hoddle and Michael Laudrup. The 24 hour poll which closes at 9 am on Friday sees Bilic with just over 64 per cent of the vote ahead of Michael Ludrup with nine per cent and Eddie Howe with seven.

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