Daily WHUFC News - 19th July 2015

Peerless Payet peels Shrimpers
WHUFC.com

Dimitri Payet was the undoubted star of the show as West Ham United scored
an entertaining 3-2 pre-season win at Southend United on Saturday. The
France international scored two outstanding goals to cap a virtuoso
performance at Roots Hall, the first an unstoppable free-kick and the second
an accurate finish into the bottom corner. Payet also played a central role
in the winner, too, collecting the ball inside the penalty area, beating his
man, crossing and forcing Luke Prosser to put the ball into his own net. The
opening half was a thrill-a-minute affair. West Ham controlled the early
part of the match, with full debutant Stephen Hendrie going closest when he
stabbed Payet's through-ball a yard past the far post. Having survived a
flurry of Hammers corners, Southend took an unexpected lead on 20 minutes
when Darren Randolph failed to gather a deep John White cross and Kevan
Hurst fired home via a slight deflection. Payet then took centre-stage,
stepping up to curl in an unstoppable 25-yard free-kick into the top corner
after White had brought down the lively Martin Samuelsen. For minutes later,
the No10 was at it again, slotting a superb finish inside the left upright
after Samuelsen's initial shot had been blocked. Roared on by 1,500-plus
fans packed into the old North Bank, West Ham looked set to take total
control of the game, only for Southend to get back on level terms four
minutes before half-time.

A cross was allowed to travel all the way over Randolph to the far post and
Anthony Wordsworth, who controlled and centred for Jack Payne, who headed
into the unguarded net. Into the second half and West Ham went ahead for a
second time on 56 minutes, with Payet the architect, dropping his shoulder
and firing in a low cross which Prosser could only stab past Play-Off final
hero Daniel Bentley and into his own net. To complete an outstanding debut,
the former Marseille man played in Cheikhou Koyuyate – making his first
appearance of the pre-season – but the big Senegal midfielder saw his low
shot well saved by Bentley. A short time later Payet, fellow debutant Angelo
Ogbonna, the returning Kouyate, Samuelsen and Stephen Hendrie were among six
players replaced, with youngsters Reece Oxford, Josh Cullen and Friday night
Development Squad scorer Nathan Mavila among those to come on.

Southend manager Phil Brown also chopped and changed his lineup and with so
many substitutions, the game lost its flow and pattern to a great extent.
Sakho and Maiga combined twice late on, but the former shot into the side
netting before sending a looping header onto the roof of the net. To be fair
to them Southend kept going until the final whistle and fired a couple of
efforts of their own over Randolph's crossbar, but it was the Hammers who
held on comfortably to secure their first pre-season success. The Hammers
will return to action as soon as Tuesday evening, when Bilic will take his
squad up the A12 to face another Essex-based League One side in Colchester
United. Kick-off at the Weston Homes Community Stadium is at 7.45pm.

West Ham United: Randolph, Pike, Collins (c), Ogbonna (Oxford 60), Hendrie
(Page 60), Poyet, Kouyate (Nasha 60), Payet (Cullen 60), Parfitt-Williams
(Mavila 60), Samuelsen (Maiga 60), Sakho
Sub not used: Spiegel

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Payet delighted with debut brace
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's Dimitri Payet said he was delighted with a brace on his
Hammers debut. The Frenchman was in sparking form by the seaside as he
capped an impressive debut off with two excellent goals against Southend
United. Speaking after the match, the 28-year-old said: "I'm very happy to
score two goals on my debut. "It's important for me because it's my first
game in England and I want to make a good first impression." Payet's brace
helped the Irons to a deserved 3-2 win over League One outfit Southend
United, although the Claret and Blues were made to work hard as they fell
behind in the early exchanges. The creative midfielder's first goal came
after superb work by youngster Martin Samuelsen, who beat two men before
being fouled on the edge of the box, up-stepped the man of the moment to
dispatch the free-kick inside the left-hand post. His second goal of the
game came shortly after from a similar distance, he pounced on a loose ball
on the edge of the box and guided it past Dan Bentley. The travelling
Hammers supporters gleefully sang 'Dimitri Payet, he scores when he wants!'
He continued by saying: "My first goal was a free-kick. Martin did very
well. I got an opportunity, I knew where I was going to put it and it worked
for me. "For the second goal, the ball came to me, I had a little bit of
time and space, so I thought 'Why not?'"

On a positive day all round for the Hammers, which saw a number of
impressive performances, Payet said he hoped this was just the start of a
prosperous relationship with his fellow attackers. "I enjoyed playing with
Diafra and all my new teammates. We are not as sharp as we can be, but we
will improve. I think we can be very good. "I don't think I'm far away from
being fully fit but it depends on how many games I play. I want to play as
much as possible. "Hopefully today was just the first two goals of many for
West Ham."

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Woods - 'Dimitri played exceptionally well'
WHUFC.com

Chris Woods says the West Ham United coaching staff cannot help but be
excited by the way the Hammers are playing in pre-season. The goalkeeping
coach spoke to West Ham TV following Saturday's thrilling 3-2 pre-season
victory at Southend United – a game in which debutant Dimitri Payet scored
two spectacular goals and set up the Hammers' own-goal winner. Woods
admitted the Hammers would still need to work on their defending ahead of
the start of the 2015/16 Barclays Premier League campaign, but said the
overall feeling among the backroom team was one of real optimism. "It was
definitely an entertaining game," said the former England goalkeeper. "When
you play teams like Southend, they make it difficult for you and they want
to come out and prove something. "We just had to come out and do the
professional thing and we obviously went a goal behind, but Dimitri played
exceptionally well, played a number of really telling passes and scored two
great goals."

With six goals scored in their opening two pre-season matches, Woods said
manager Slaven Bilic and his staff were pleased with the number of
opportunities the players are creating. "I think that's what it is all
about, creating chances, and everybody says that if you are creating chances
you are in the right place on the pitch," he continued. "With somebody who
can see a pass like Dimitri did, that's a forward's delight. It's the first
time we have really seen him on the pitch and if the forwards can make the
runs, they will love that and it's really good to see."

After two weeks when one half of the squad was based in Ireland and the
other was concentrating on UEFA Europa League football, the group came
together in full on Monday. "It has been a little bit different but it is
what it is and we have to do the best that we possibly can. Everybody has
bonded together and made the most of an awkward situation at times."

With all the players now working under the eye of Bilic and his staff, Woods
says the coaches can start working out exactly what areas need improving and
the strengths that already exist. "Obviously we are looking to improve all
the time and we will use this period of the pre-season to iron a few things
out," he added. "The manager needs to explain what he is looking for and
that takes some time, as well.
"From a defensive point of view, it's nice to keep clean sheets but at the
same time it's nice for the defence and goalkeeper to get some work in in
these sorts of games. "I think clean sheets and saves build confidence and
they are what we are working towards."

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Inverness or FC Astra await in third qualifying round
WHUFC.com

West Ham United or Birkirkara have been drawn to face the winners of the
second qualifying round tie between Inverness Caledonian Thistle and FC
Astra of Romania in the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round. Friday's
draw in Nyon set up the potential all-Britain tie, although the Scottish Cup
winners face a tough task to turn their match around having been defeated
1-0 by Astra in Inverness on Thursday.
The Hammers, meanwhile, will take a 1-0 advantage to Malta in their second
leg as they aim to take another step towards the group stages.
Should West Ham progress, they have been drawn to play the first leg at home
on Thursday 30 July, with the return leg coming seven days later, subject to
any reversal of the tie. Inverness Caledonian Thistle are in their first
ever European campaign, having qualified by lifting the Cup last season.
Their Caledonian Stadium holds 7,800 and Kenny Cameron's men will be aiming
for another strong season having finished third last term. Astra, meanwhile,
are based in Giurgiu, southern Romania and earned their place in the
competition by finishing fourth domestically last term. They were known as
Astra Ploiesti before moving to Giurgiu three years ago and enjoyed their
best season in 2013/14, when they were Romanian runners up.

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Adrian relishing European adventure
WHUFC.com

Fan-favourite Adrian enjoyed his return to action at the Boleyn Ground
during the Hammers' 1-0 win over Birkirkara FC. James Tomkins' last minute
goal means the Irons will take a slender lead into the second leg in Malta
next week. Despite the narrow score line, in truth, the hosts were in full
control and the Spaniard was rarely tested. Aside from one nervous moment
when forward Liliu flashed a drive just wide, the No13 was by and large a
spectator, along with 33,000 other West Ham fans. Speaking after the first
leg, Adrian insisted that 1-0 was a good result for the Hammers: "It was a
difficult game, we were playing against eleven men sitting in front of the
goal. We passed it side to side but we couldn't find a goal. We kept on
going and eventually we got what we deserved."

Despite the early return and a busy pre-season schedule, the No13 continued
to explain his belief that it would help him and his teammates in the
long-term. "It's a good pre-season training for us and helps us get ready
for the season. We know it'll be a long season but we are prepared for that.
"It's always good to be tested because you need to be at your best in the
Premier League, every week. Official games helped you to get to that level.
"A lot of things have changed since last season. The new manager has got a
different passing style and we need time to adapt to it. This is why we need
more games before the Premier League starts."

While in some quarters, involvement in the Europa League is considered
undesirable, Adrian stressed that that is not the case inside the Claret and
Blue dressing room. The two-time Hammer of the Year runner up insisted
that the return of European football to east London could only be seen as a
good thing. "We want to go as far as we can in Europe. It's an important
competition for us, it's a test but as a player, you want these games. "We
need to be strong and be ready for a big season. It's the final season here
at the Boleyn, so it's an emotional season for the fans and an important one
for everyone at the Club. "We want to finish as high in the league as
possible for our final season."

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Brown double downs Clarets
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's Development Squad kicked-off their preparations for the
2015/16 Barclays U21 Premier League season with a comprehensive 4-0 victory
at Chelmsford City. On a sunny evening in Essex, Nathan Mavila's well-struck
first-half effort set Terry Westley's young Hammers on their way at
Melbourne Stadium, before Jordan Brown's quickfire second-half double and
Jaanai Gordon's late goal put a gloss on proceedings. Despite the Club
having UEFA Europa League and first-team pre-season commitments to fulfil,
Westley named a fairly experienced side for the trip to National League
South side Chelmsford, with two trialists sprinkled in among Development
Squad regulars Amos Nasha, Brown and former City loanee Gordon. Also on
show were Reece Oxford and Josh Cullen, fresh from making their senior
debuts for the Hammers in the recent Europa League first qualifying round
win over Andorran outfit FC Lusitans. The first half was a cagey affair,
with the home side arguably creating the better of the chances without
finding a way to goal. The Clarets' best chance fell to floppy-haired
forward Hugo Skepelhorn, but West Ham's on-trial goalkeeper was out in a
flash to deny the striker with his body. At the other end, left-back Sam
Westley almost became an unlikely first scorer on the night, but his
snap-shot from Mavila's lay-off was acrobatically tipped over by home
stopper Ashley Timms. Shots flew over the crossbar at both ends, while the
corner count rose regularly, but true goalmouth action was largely at a
premium until Mavila struck in spectacular style seven minutes before the
break. The left-sided midfielder collected a short corner, exchanged passes
with Cullen before weighing up his options and lashing inside the far post
from 18 yards with his weaker right foot. The second half was a slow burner,
with only a long-range effort from Bricknell to show for the opening 15
minutes. Westley opted to make five substitutions on the hour-mark and one
of the replacements, Marcus Browne, turned provider a short time later when
he laid on a pass for Brown, who slotted neatly under the onrushing
goalkeeper. Two minutes later it was 3-0 to the visitors as Brown collected
a loose ball 25 yards out, beat his marker using pace and power and slammed
a shot through Timms and into the net to complete a very satisfactory
night's work. There was still time for Gordon to head substitute Jahmal
Hector-Ingram's cross against the post before converting the same player's
low centre with six minutes remaining.

Development Squad: Trialist, Knoyle (Page 60), Oxford (Onariase 46), Pask
(Akinola 60), Westley, Trialist (Browne 60), Cullen (Makasi 46), Nasha
(Dobson 46), Mavila (Neufville 60), Brown (Hector-Ingram 73), Gordon

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Southend Utd 2-3 West Ham Utd
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 18th July 2015
By: Staff Writer

Debutant Dimitri Payet gave Hammers fans a tantalising glimps of what is to
come when he scored twice before setting up West Ham's winner at Roots Hall
this afternoon. The new signing, making his first appearance in a West Ham
shirt today equalised for West Ham with a stunning free kick after Kevan
Hurst had given the hosts a 20th-minute lead. He then added a second on the
half hour mark to put the Hammers 2-1 ahead with a wonderful curling effort
from the edge of the penalty area that gave Southend's highly-rated 'keeper
Dan Bentley no chance. And as if that wasn't enough, Payet then created West
Ham's winning goal - after Jack Payne had drawn the Shrimpers level - 11
minutes after the restart, when his cross was turned into his own net from
no more than a yard our by Luke Prosser.

We'll have more reaction and reports for you on this story later...

West Ham United: Randolph, Pike, Collins (c), Ogbonna (Oxford 60), Hendrie
(Page 60), Poyet, Kouyate (Nasha 60), Payet (Cullen 60), Parfitt-Williams
(Mavila 60), Samuelsen (Maiga 60), Sakho.

Sub not used: Spiegel.

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A Star is born – welcome Dimitri Payet
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 18, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

A new Hammers star was born during this afternoon's 3- 2 defeat of Southend
at Roots Hall – Dimitri Payet! It was easy to see why the Hammers spent so
much time chasing the 27 year old before eventually landing the playmaker
for around £10 million. OK, it was Southend and a pre-season friendly but
the man looked a class apart scoring a couple of fabulous goals – the first
an tremendous free kick before completing the brace with a fine finish into
the bottom corner. He was also responsible for the cross which led to
Shrimpers defender Luke Prosser putting through his own net to cap a magical
entry into the claret and blue. With Martin Samuelsen growing and growing as
a first team prospect and Payet pulling every string in a fine Irons display
we can begin to see the return of the West Ham Way after so many years.

Southend led on 20 minutes when Darren Randolph failed to gather John
White's cross and Kevin Hurst fired home. Payet equalised when curling a
25-yard free-kick into the top corner after Martin Samuelsen has been
brought down before Payet gave us the lead when slotting home a brilliant
finish inside the upright after Samuelsen's effort on goal was blocked. The
Shrimpers were back on terms when a cross found Anthony Wordsworth, who
centred for Jack Payne to head home. Payet though created the winner,
crossing a low ball which Prosser stabbed past Daniel Bentley for an own
goal.

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Moyes moves in on Irons "target"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 18, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

David Moyes is being reported as keen to open negotiations with Fabio Borini
who has been linked with the Irons. According to TMW the former Everton boss
David Moyes has now formalised his interest in the player on behalf of his
new club Real Soceiedad and has 'initiated contact with the relevant
parties'. The Italian made just 15 appearances for the Reds last season – of
which only four were starts – and managed just one goal in the process.

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Dimitri Payet dazzles on dream debut for West Ham
Evening Standard
SAM LONG
Published: 18 July 2015 Updated: 17:09, 18 July 2015

£10.7 million summer signing Dimitri Payet didn't disappoint on his debut
for West Ham United in a pre-season friendly against Southend at Roots Hall
on Saturday afternoon. The France international's arrival from Marseille
has, arguably, been the Hammers' best piece of business this summer and the
winger got off to a flyer in English football. Kevan Hurst put the hosts in
front against the run of play, but Payet son stepped up and curled a
delicious free kick past highly-rated goalkeeper Daniel Bentley. The
Frenchman was clearly in the mood and added a second to his tally less than
a minute later with a smart finish to put his side back in control. However,
the League One outfit levelled matters through Jack Payne. The first half
had been all about Payet, but fellow new boy Angelo Ogbonna, a recent
arrival from Juventus, also impressed during his first appearance for the
east Londoners.

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Dimitri Payet warns there is more to come from West Ham after two-goal debut
Evening Standard
SAM LONG
Published: 18 July 2015 Updated: 19:12, 18 July 2015

Dimitri Payet hopes that there will be "many" more goals to come during his
West Ham United career after netting a superb brace on his debut for the
east Londoners on Saturday afternoon. The 28-year-old, who joined the
Hammers from Marseiille for a reported fee of £10.7 million earlier in the
summer, has been eased into action by manager Slaven Bilic and failed to
feature in any of the club's recent Europa League exploits. However, his
career in England started with a bang as he stole the show against League
One outfit Southend at Roots Hall.
Payet curled home a delightful free kick before adding a second with a
clinical finish prior to the break. The France international wasn't done
there and went on to grab an assist for his side's third goal before his
withdrawal on the hour mark. The creative midfielder was thrilled to have
enjoyed such an impressive first appearance in claret and blue: "I'm very
happy to score two goals on my debut. It's important for me because it's my
first game in England and I want to make a good first impression. "My first
goal was a free-kick. Martin [Samuelsen] did very well. I got an
opportunity, I knew where I was going to put it and it worked for me. For
the second goal, the ball came to me, I had a little bit of time and space,
so I thought 'Why not?'" he told the club's official website. However,
despite such a promising start, the Frenchman is adamant that there is more
to come from both him and his team mates as their fitness improves.
"We are not as sharp as we can be, but we will improve. I think we can be
very good. I don't think I'm far away from being fully fit but it depends
on how many games I play. I want to play as much as possible. "Hopefully
today was just the first two goals of many for West Ham," he insisted.

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David Gold 'confident' West Ham teenager Martin Samuelsen is destined for
first-team success
HITC
Olly Dawes

West Ham's Martin Samuelsen is catching the eye during pre-season. West Ham
United co-chairman David Gold has taken to Twitter to praise teenage forward
Martin Samuelsen after the 3-2 win over Southend United. Samuelsen, 18,
joined the Hammers on a two-year contract from Manchester City earlier this
summer, and was widely expected to be one for the future. However, the
Norwegian teenager is now turning heads in claret and blue, having starred
against Peterborough United last weekend, as well as in the 3-2 win over
Southend United earlier today. Many are now wondering whether Samuelsen
could make an impact in the first team, having been so impressive during
pre-season under new manager Slaven Bilic. Now, co-chairman David Gold says
that he is 'confident' Samuelsen will get a chance to shine in the first
team in the near future. The Hammers have had something of a dry spell in
terms of developing their own stars, but Samuelsen now presents them with
the ideal chance to bring a young talent through into the first team. The
young forward has shown in pre-season games that he has the quality to make
an impact both now and in the future, and Bilic so far seems to be very
impressed with his displays. With the likes of Andy Carroll, Diafra Sakho
and Enner Valencia in contention, Samuelsen is unlikely to land a starting
role soon, but as an impact substitute, he could well be in and around the
first team next season - despite the teenager only arriving earlier this
summer.

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West Ham fans react on Twitter to Ogbonna's performance against Southend
HITC
Vincent Ralph

West Ham United defeated Southend United 3-2 on Saturday but what did
Hammers fans think of Angelo Ogbonna's performance? West Ham United have
already played a lot of football this summer, with their pre-season
friendlies intermingled with their Europa League qualifying matches. The
Hammers have played three of the latter to date and are still looking on
course to reach the group stage of the competition later this year, but they
must also prepare for their return to domestic matters. As a result, West
Ham manager Slaven Bilic sent out a strong team to face Southend on
Saturday, and the Hammers ultimately won 3-2. Summer signing Dimitri Payet
stole the show with a brace, while an own-goal from Southend's Luke Prosser
ensured a victory for the visitors. But while Payet was clearly man-of
the-match, West Ham fans will have also been paying close attention to their
new defender Angelo Ogbonna. The 27-year-old arrived from Italian club
Juventus for a fee in the region of £10million and he is now tasked with
ensuring Bilic has a sturdy defence heading into the new campaign. In truth
Ogbonna has some work to do before he will be seen in the same light as
Payet, but his performance this weekend was steady.

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Lassana Diarra free to sign
Posted by Sean Whetstone on July 18, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Lassana Diarra could be set for a return to the Premier League after FIFA
finally cleared him to join a new club according to ESPN claims.
Diarra who trained with West Ham for many months under Allardyce's reign has
been left in limbo after leaving Lokomotiv Moscow last August as he was not
able to join another club because of a contract dispute with the Russian
club. The France international claims he was fired by Lokomotiv which left
him as a free agent, but administrative issues have prevented Diarra from
playing for a new club. It is claimed Diarra has already rejected an offer
from Monaco this summer as he holds out for a Premier League club. Whether
Slaven Bilic revives West Ham interest in the 30 year old remains to be
seen.

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Payet, Ogbonna & Kouyate to feature at Southend
Posted by Sean Whetstone on July 18, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

West Ham's hectic pre-season continues with their second game in less than
48 hours with a short trip to Southend United this afternoon.
The Shrimpers gained promotion back to League One via a sudden-death
penalty shootout at Wembley in May. Hammers manager Slaven Bilic will name
a squad mixed of new arrivals and highly rated youth prospects. Both Dimitri
Payet and Angelo Ogbonna are in line to make their Hammers debuts, while
Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho, who missed Thursday night's victory over
Birkirkara FC will both return to action confirms WHUFC.com in their
preview.

Tickets purchased on matchday at Rootshall are priced at £12 Adults and £6
for Over-65 and Under-21s.

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Allardyce gives it large ….. AGAIN!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 17, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Sam Allardyce has been opening it again – this time on the matter 0f Alex
Song whom he reckons will have a better season if he re-joins the Hammers.
Mind you Allerdici may be overlooking the minor issue of an injury requiring
surgery which has put the switch very much in the balance anyway – that's
the problem as you age! Gets easier to forget such issues.

The former boss – who was never going to stay schtuum on things Irons for
long – claims the real challenge for Slaven Bilic and the club is whether
the new signings will have the same impact as the new faces he brought to
the club in his final campaign with the side. Oh dear!

On Song he said: "I expect it to be, if he does sign, a lot, lot better this
season because I think the pace of the Premier League caught up with him."
Patronising at best ! He added: "They (the Hammers) seem to be spending a
lot of money abroad again and whether they settle in this country like they
did last year, will be another defining factor for Slaven,"

Quite why Sam believes what's happening at Upton Park has anything to do
with him isn't made clear of course although the need to give it large
appears to be as important to him as ever."

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Irons in Inter link
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 17, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

West Ham are tonight being linked with a move for Inter defender Andrea
Ranocchia The 27 year old defender only recently signed a contract extension
but is being named as a candidate for a clear out as the club looks to raise
funds for new squad additions. Tuttomercatoweb claim the Hammers and Crystal
Palace have both shown interest in signing the 27-year-old Italian. And in a
[piece of speculation which looks somewhat bizarre given that a striker is
the main requirement claim that he could become part of an all central
defensive pairing by moving for the Inter captain. However, a Hammers source
told ClaretandHugh: "That looks an inspired piece of creative writing – we
are now sorted at the heart of defence."

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Bookies price up Irons striker targets
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 17, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Sky Bet have made Fabio Borini a 4/5 favourite to join the Hammers this
summer with Javier Hernandez priced at 6/4 and Kevin Miralles 7/4.

Hernandez is still at the head of the Hammers preferences and Sky Bet are
seemingly unimpressed by his reported Old Trafford chances pushing him out
only very slightly in the betting behind Borini and just in front of Kevin
Miralles at 7/4.

Mario Balotelli is still in the running with the bookies to complete a move
to Upton Park being priced up at 4/1 although Palace are odds-on favourites
to land the controversial character at 5/6.

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Lanzini's paperwork holds up loan
Posted by Sean Whetstone on July 18, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Darren Lewis in the Mirror claims Manuel Lanzini is continuing to wait for
international clearance for his move to West Ham. The 22 year old play maker
is claimed to have already agreed a loan deal with a view to a permanent
move to replace Stewart Downing but Lanzini's transfer, expected to have
been completed by Thursday, is being held up by paperwork.

He hit eight goals in 24 appearances to help Al Jazira Club in the UAE
finish second in the Arabian Gulf League last season.

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Nene: "I was at centre of a West Ham conflict."
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 18, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Nene has spoken out on the conflict between Sam Allardyce and David Sullivan
which led to his departure from the club. The Brazilian was brought in by
Sullivan to ease a striking crisis but was barely used by the former boss
and in an interview with L'Equipe appears to still be carrying the scars. He
explained "Today I look more towards Brazil and France. There's West Ham who
want me back, but the experience that I lived there last year I did not
like. I would prefer to return to France. "Many people think that I was not
well physically, but it's not that at all. At first, I had to adapt because
the intensity is not the same as in Qatar, but after it was fine.
"In terms of stats, KMs traveled, I was very good and even better than other
players. The problem is that I have been at the centre of a conflict between
the president, who had sent for me, and the coach." L'Equipe asked whether
with the former manager gone things could be different under Slaven Bilic,
but he said: "Yes, but I am afraid that the same thing happens. I left
Qatar to be in a team that plays football well and to have fun."

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Former Hammers upstage Steven Gerrard
Posted by Sean Whetstone on July 18, 2015 in Videos, Whispers
C AND H

Steven Gerrard scored on his Major League Soccer debut as LA Galaxy beat San
Jose Earthquakes 5-2 yesterday but it is former Hammer 22 year old Sebastian
Lletget who continues to grab the headlines state side as he scored another
goal late in injury time to seal the win for LA Galaxy and make it five
goals in five games for the MLS side. Another former Hammer Robbie Keane
scored a hat trick.

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Sinclair hoping for a top eight finish
Posted by Sean Whetstone on July 18, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Former Hammer turned BBC pundit Trevor Sinclair is hoping for a top eight
finish for West Ham under Slaven Bilic this season. Speaking late last night
on twitter Sinclair said 'Hoping for a top 8 finish to be honest. Think
that's what is expected if we are to move forward again' Sinclair moved to
West Ham in 1998 for a combined fee of £2.7 million; £2.3 million plus West
Ham players Iain Dowie and Keith Rowland moving to Q.P.R as part of the
deal. He scored seven goals in the remaining 14 games to help West Ham
achieve an eighth-place finish in the Premier League that season. He was a
regular over the next two seasons, but a serious knee injury ruled him out
of the final four months. In 2003 following relegation West Ham were forced
to accept a £3.3m bid for the player from Manchester City.

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