Daily WHUFC News - 28th July 2015

Lanzini inspired by Tevez impact
WHUFc.com

Manuel Lanzini is hopeful of following in the footsteps of one of his famous
countrymen at the Boleyn Ground. The 22-year-old Argentine, who arrived on
loan from UAE side Al Jazira last week, is well aware of the impact that
Carlos Tevez had at West Ham United and wants to perform to as high a level.
With just two weeks to go until the start of the Barclays Premier League
campaign, Lanzini cannot wait to get going with his new Club. "I know the
Club from Argentinian players, Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez," he
explained. "I know that the fans are very supportive, the team is very
competitive and this is all important to a player's development. "Tevez is
an amazing player. He made history here but we are very different players. I
am here to try to make my own history for this Club and have a place in the
heart of the fans. First of all, I want to settle here, this is a very
difficult and competitive league. It's then about being at the same level as
my teammates and getting into the starting XI as quickly as I can. "I have
already spoken with the manager. I told him I was looking forward to
starting training, to getting fit and getting up to speed with my
colleagues. It was great to have a chat with him."

With the Stadium move a year away and European football to aim for this
season, Lanzini says this is an exciting period for the Hammers. He added:
"I'm looking forward to it [my first game at the Boleyn Ground] a lot. I am
waiting for that day, to come to the stadium and play for West Ham. "I knew
about the new Stadium for next year but I prefer to think about the present.
Right now, I'm only concentrating on starting training and getting fit.
"Yes, [the Europa League was part of the decision] but it's not the only
factor. To play in Europe is good for any player but there were a lot of
incentives to help me make the decision. "They [the fans] can expect the
maximum from me. I will try to achieve what they want and I'm obviously
looking forward to playing for West Ham."

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West Ham U21s 1 Bournemouth U21s 1
WHUFC.com

West Ham United U21s battled out an entertaining 1-1 draw against AFC
Bournemouth at Rush Green on Sunday lunchtime. During a strong first half
performance, striker Jordan Brown fired the Hammers ahead when his low shot
from distance found the corner of the net, although the lead only lasted
until the hour mark when Joe Quigley netted the equaliser for the visitors.
The Hammers named a strong starting eleven for the visit of ex-Hammer Darren
Purches' Cherries to Rush Green. Leo Chambers returned from an extended
break on the sidelines to partner Emmanual Onariase at the back, whilst Joe
Powell and Nathan Mavila added pace on the wings to support Brown through
the middle alone. It was the second match appearance in as many days for
Nasha, Brown, Mavila and named substitute Jaanai Gordon, who all got vital
minutes under their belt for Slaven Bilic's first team in their 0-0 draw
away to Charlton Athletic on Saturday afternoon. After five minutes, Harry
Cornick caused the first scare of the game when he broke through the Hammers
backline, shrugged off Onariase's last ditch attempt to halt the striker and
fired at goal. Luckily for the Hammers, Howes was out quickly and stood his
ground well to make the save. But it was the home side who opened the
scoring on 22 minutes. The Hammers passing play again caused Bournemouth all
sorts of problems. The ball found it's way into the feet of Brown, who fired
an unstoppable low shot firmly past Holmes and into the bottom right corner
of the net. West Ham's goal gave the team some added confidence and they
came close to adding a second shortly after. The visitors were struggling to
clear the danger from their own penalty box and when left back Borg fired a
powerful low cross into the danger area, the Cherries were thankful to
Hammers winger Mavila who sliced his shot clear of danger from close range.
As half time approached, the Hammers blew a golden chance to double their
lead. Firstly, Borg escaped down the left and put in a high cross to Powell,
but the winger fired wide of the target, before Brown played Mavila through
and his shot was tipped over the crossbar. From the resulting corner, it
appeared Onariase was given a push in the back as he went to head into an
empty net but nothing was given, although the ball then fell to Makasi and
his effort at goal was cleared off the line.

Both sides made changes at half time. For the home side, Chambers and Mavila
were replaced by Declan Rice and Noha Sylvestre, while Bournemouth also made
a handful of changes. And the south coast club almost drew level just two
minutes into the second half when Cornick chested the ball down for Josh
Carmichael who fired over the crossbar. Just a minute later, some tricky
feet from Browne almost allowed him the perfect opportunity to stretch the
Hammers lead, but after turning past two defenders, he fired just wide of
the near post. Westley then made his third and fourth change of the
afternoon replacing captain Nasha and full back Sam Westley for the
energetic Matt Carter and Gordon. But it was Bournemouth who looked the most
likely to score and they came close on the hour mark when Cornick managed to
squeeze in behind Onariase and Borg to smash a low shot at goal, but Howes
made a fantastic save. The equaliser came just a minute later though and
while the Hammers defence were questioning whether Quigley was offside or
not, the Bournemouth man managed to beat Howes and find the bottom corner.
West Ham could have regained their lead on 75 minutes when a defensive
mix-up allowed Brown to run clear at Holmes before squaring it to Powell,
but his effort was blocked on it's way into the net.
In the closing minutes, both sides had chances to win the game. Sam Matthews
curled a shot well wide from distance, just before Brown was denied a second
goal by the assistant referee's flag as he passed the ball into the back of
the net.

Speaking to whufc.com after the game, Academy Manager Terry Westley was
delighted with another hardworking performance from the young Hammers
players and held a special mention for Chambers on his return from injury.
"I was impressed with what I saw today," admitted Westley. "Our players have
been involved over pre-season in first team fixtures and even European games
getting some fantastic experience but this game was more about a realistic
challenge of what our players will have to come up against in the U21
Premier League next season. "Our U21 players have had the opportunity to
play in front of the new manager and his staff, along with the exposure that
comes from playing in front of big crowds at Upton Park and Colchester, it's
been a great benefit to our players. "I'm delighted for Leo Chambers
especially because in the time I've been here, I've not seen him play a game
yet. He has had 18-20 months out of the game so for him to pull through 45
minutes and come out of it with a smile on his face, it's a massive boost
for him and us as a Club because he is a fantastic player."

West Ham U21: Howes, Westley (Gordon 60), Onariase, Chambers (Rice 45),
Borg, Nasha (Carter 57), Makasi, Browne (Pask 75), Mavila (Sylvestre 45),
Powell, J.Brown. Subs not used: T.Brown, Hector-Ingram

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Boleyn Insider
WHUFC.com

The matches are certainly coming thick and fast for the Club at the moment
and Slaven Bilic is now preparing for three games in just six days. I
understand that the hard work is continuing behind the scenes to bring in
more new signings and despite Manuel Lanzini becoming the eighth new arrival
last week, I believe that more new faces will be heading to the Boleyn
Ground before the start of the season. With Andy Carroll set to miss the
start of the season and Enner Valencia only just returning to pre-season
training, my sources have told me that signing another striker remains top
of the priorities. My understanding is that the Club have held a lot of
tough negotiations to land their main targets and remain hopeful that they
can secure a transfer in the next few weeks. There have been a lot of
stories over the weekend linking the club with moves for Alen Halilovic,
Mario Lemina and Federico Mancuello, but I believe there is nothing imminent
on any of those deals. However, I have been told that the Club are still
considering a move to sign Barcelona midfielder Alex Song and are hopeful
that a deal can be finalised before the transfer window closes at the end of
August.

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Hammers complete Dobson signing
WHUFc.com

West Ham United are delighted to announce the signing of highly-rated
defender George Dobson from Arsenal. Dobson is a boyhood Hammers fan and
jumped at the chance to sign for the east London Club. The 17-year-old
arrives with a big reputation having captained the Arsenal Under-18s last
season and also featured regularly for the north London Club in the Under-19
UEFA Youth League. Dobson also made his breakthrough into the Arsenal
Under-21 team last season and played alongside Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby.
The talented central defender says he is relishing the chance to play for
his hometown Club and hopes to make his breakthrough into the first-team
squad over the next few years. Dobson said: "I am over the moon to have
signed and have been a West Ham fan since I was five-years-of -age and this
is a surreal moment. Putting pen to paper is a dream come true for me. "I
had a great ten-years with Arsenal and they helped me as a footballer and as
a person. But the time is right to move and I cannot wait to get started. "I
give 100 per cent every time I put the shirt on and I will give everything
for the team. "The amount of players who have come through the academy, it
was a no-brainer for me. There are lots of opportunities here and you have
just got to take them. I know I will have to work hard. "Terry Westley is a
great guy and has shown a lot of interest in me. That is really important
for a young person and I am looking forward to working under him."

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Ogbonna happy with pre-season progress
WHUFC.com

Angelo Ogbonna was pleased to get another 90 minutes under his belt on
Saturday as he continues to build for a massive season ahead.
The summer arrival played the full game at Charlton Athletic at centre-back,
helping West Ham United keep a clean sheet in their latest pre-season
warm-up. The Italy international says he is feeling sharper with every match
and cannot wait for the Barclays Premier League season to get underway. "It
was a very good game on Saturday," he said. "The important thing for me and
the team is the conditioning and that's coming. "We look confident with the
ball and it was good to have 90 minutes to play and prepare everything for
the next game. "I like this team, this is what I wanted to do [in coming to
the Premier League]. We want to play forward and we want to win. "We want to
celebrate the last season at the Boleyn Ground - that's important and we are
in more competitions with the Europa League, so we're preparing well."

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From the Terraces - The Stadium's wow factor
West Ham United blogger Sean Whetstone returned to the former Olympic
Stadium for the first time in three years on Friday and was wowed by the
sight of the Hammers' new home...
WHUFC.com

On Friday 27 July 2012, I attended the opening ceremony of the London 2012
Olympic games with 80,000 others and was wowed by the Stadium and sheer
spectacle of the night.

Last Friday I returned, in a rebuilt Stadium with a new roof and redesigned
flood iconic lights. It was my first time back in the former Olympic Stadium
for three years and I must say the wow factor is very much there.

Walking up to the Stadium at dusk, it is a thing of beauty. It makes you
feel proud to be a West Ham fan to know this venue will soon be our home for
the next 99 years.

Friday night, under the new floodlights, was a night of celebration for the
legacy of the Olympic Games, with the star attractions, Usain Bolt and Mo
Farah. However, I wasn't there for the athletics, I was there to check
out West Ham's new ground and spent the evening walking around every section
in the upper and lower stands dressed in my new Betway West Ham shirt to
experience the views first hand for myself.

I was instantly impressed with the overall experience, although I can see
there is still some work to do to make it our home for 2016, including the
concourse and the catering facilities, it is hard not to be dazzled with the
work achieved so far. West Ham fans do need to be open minded when they
watch the athletics on TV or see pictures published in the media or online.

The TV cameras and photographs cannot replicate the naked eye and there is
no substitute to being there in person. You feel a lot closer to the action
then TV cameras or photos suggest, even without the retractable seats pushed
forward.

I would really recommend attending one of the rugby games either at the end
of August when Barbarians take on Samoa, or the Rugby World Cup games from
September onwards to get an even better perspective what it will be like
when the Hammers move in.
It makes you feel proud to be a West Ham fan to know this venue will soon be
our home for the next 99 years.
Sean Whetstone
There are certain elements that Hammers fans need to remain understanding
about. First and most importantly, the Stadium will never replicate the
Boleyn Ground and it does not try to.

It is a different kind of stadium with a different shape and different
characteristics. Some fans won't like that, but I think the majority will
embrace change and come to love the new Stadium just like we do the Boleyn
Ground.

The 2015 Champions League final between Juventus and Barcelona was played in
the Berlin former Olympic Stadium with a running track around it and no
retractable seating. No-one mentioned lack of atmosphere or the gap between
the pitch and the front row in that game.

The new roof together with the redesigned floodlights created a magical
atmosphere on Friday night with 40,000 athletics fans watching. Despite
being quite a tame and polite crowd, the roof did its job by trapping in the
crowd's roar and improving the acoustics. I can only imagine what it would
be like with 54,000 football fans.

You also need to be open minded about the lack of West Ham branding and
colours currently, it was great to see claret and blue turnstiles already in
place but a major branding exercise will take place with claret and blue
lighting, West Ham inspired seating patterns and a new LED wrap around the
outside all planned. These will make the Stadium much more like our home
when completed.

I walked all the way around the back row of the upper stand, including some
seats which will be screened off in football mode. I would certainly agree
with David Gold's recent comments that no seat will be worse that Wembley.
In fact, I would go one step further and say there isn't the feeling of
vertigo you get at Wembley in the upper stands. At a reduced Season Ticket
price, I think the back sections of the upper tier will offer great value
for money.

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West Ham linked with Marseille youngster
Posted by Hammers Newshound on July 27, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

West Ham have joined the race for defensive midfielder Mario Lemina,
according to the French media. Lemina is with Ligue 1 team Marseille at the
moment, having joined them from Lorient in 2013 for 4 million euros. French
paper La Provence have claimed West Ham have joined West Brom to show
interest in the talented young midfielder. Liverpoool, Southampton and
Newcastle have all been previously linked with the 21 year old. Born in
Gabon, Africa, Lemina has played for the French under 20 and 21 teams. In
2015 he was called by the Gabon national team to participate in the 2015
African Cup of Nations but he refused his call-up. During a Ligue 1 match in
February 2015 Lemina was sent off for punching a fellow player in the groin.

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Dicks: Lanzini's looking good
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 27, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Julian Dicks hasn't changed much down the years by what we are seeing on
Twitter. Ask a direct questions and the Hammers coach will give as clear an
answer as he one delivered a crunching tackle. And his verdict on the
talents of Manuel Lanzini when asked declaring "He's looked good in
training." The Argentinian nicknamed 'The Jewel' could make his debut either
at Norwich on tomorrow night (Tues) night or at home to Werder Bremen in a
friendly on Sunday. In between those two games, the Hammers face Romanian
side Astra Giurgiu in the Europa League third qualifying round, their fifth
European clash of the season already. Slaven Bilic has been giving run outs
to virtually everybody who could be considered in the first team running and
it will be a surprise if the new midfielder doesn't get his chance.

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Olympic Stadium to keep 74,000 seats
Posted by Hammers Newshound on July 27, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

The Design and Access Statement for the rebuilt Olympic Stadium shows that
there are now 53,000 upper tier seats meaning 2,000 seats have been removed
in the last two rows around the stadium to allow the reconstruction of the
new roof. The rebuilt lower stand will hold 21,000 in football mode
including a new demountable area in the east stand to create a Kop style
stand. This is a reduction of 4,000 from the 25,000 used in the 2012 London
Olympics games. This means the overall capacity for the new stadium now
stands at 74,000. Planning permission remains at 54,000 for football which
will require 20,000 seats to be covered up on match days. How the stadium
operators plan to cover such a large number of seats remains to be unveiled.
Maybe Claret and Blue tarpaulin might planned or images of West Ham heroes
rather than empty seats.

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New boy and the Tevez connection
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 27, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Carlos Tevez is the inspiration for Manuel Lanzini. With a possible debut
for the Irons against Norwich tomorrow the young Argentinian has already
adopted the former legend as his Upton Park role model. He made it clear on
the official site that he is extremely aware of the impact Tevez had on
Upton Park declaring: "I know the Club from Argentinian players, Javier
Mascherano and Carlos Tevez. "I know that the fans are very supportive, the
team is very competitive and this is all important to a player's
development. "Tevez is an amazing player. He made history here but we are
very different players. I am here to try to make my own history for this
club and have a place in the heart of the fans. "I have already spoken with
the manager. I told him I was looking forward to starting training, to
getting fit and getting up to speed with my colleagues. It was great to have
a chat with him.

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Irons make Song future clear
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 27, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

West Ham are likely to seal a deal with Alex Song at the end of the transfer
window rather than wait until next January to sign the midfielder. Song is
currently recovering from an operation and should be fit to return by end
of October the latest although the club is careful to claim that it could be
before that declaring: "We are talking UP to three months."
The player has had surgery to sort out the problems caused by a floating
bone in his ankle. And although the Irons negotiators have spoken to agents
about the possibility of signing out of contract former Leicester City
midfielder Esteban Cambiasso on a short term deal as cover, it's now more
likely that a Song swoop will take place at the end of this window.
Barcelona want the 27 year old off the wage bill and are ready to allow the
player a free transfer but the Hammers want him to sign a one year deal so
they can take a good look at his fitness over next season. ClaretandHugh was
told exclusively: "Obviously Alex would prefer a three year deal but a a
year will be offered with clauses giving him the opportunity to sign for
another two years when he has proved himself fully recovered and that we
remain as a Premier League force. "The club has no doubt that will be the
case but when you are signing contracts you have to cover all the bases. He
will almost certainly be available by the end of October so we wouldn't want
to lose November and December"

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OS seating redesign explained
Posted by Hammers Newshound on July 27, 2015 in News, Whispers
Planning permission documentation explains the reconfiguration of the
Olympic Stadium seating which will be used by West Ham when they move in in
the summer of 2016.
C AND H

The planning documents explain (abbreviated and edited):

"The seating is proposed to be retained at a potential 80,000 spectator
capacity to allow for flexible seating configurations for different events
throughout the year. The sports event capacity is intended to be up to
60,000 spectators, and the retention of the additional 20,000 seats enables
the potential flexibility of layout for other events.

"The significant change to the existing venue will be the reconstruction of
the lower tier into a set of relocatable units to improve proximity and
spectator experience for pitch sport modes, and re-building of a new fixed
mid-tier for the West Stand to achieve better sight lines over the new lower
tier in football mode.

"northThe new lower tier is proposed to be constructed as eight separate
deployable retractable seating sections. These sections will have the
wheels retracted when they are in the fixed position but when deployed the
wheels will rotate down to lift the whole unit. Each wheel has a drive motor
to push the section across the pitch perimeter to the required position,
controlled by an automated system. For retractable seating that need to
cross the running track, a bespoke track protection layer will be laid
across the travel path.

OS2"When the retractable seating is deployed forward for the football mode
configuration, space is created behind the stand for vehicles to bring in
and install the connecting bridges between the back of the lower sections
and the front edge of the concourse. These bridge units will be steel-framed
units with anti-slip deck surfacing. The units will have steel mesh side
guarding and hand rails that fold down for easy transportation, and lock
into the upright position when in use. Safety netting will be installed
between the bridges during the football season as part of the venue
dressing, and to both screen and secure gaps, and prevent litter from
collecting the area below.

"On the East stand only for pitch sports event mode, an extension of the
lower tier will be built on the podium, extending the lower tier back
towards the front edge of the upper tier. This tier extension will be made
from demountable lightweight composite steel.

backrows"For the upper tiers, On the west side, the proposed elevated
seating is divided into a mid-tier for approximately 1,400 spectators; and
upper tier, to allow for two additional levels of accommodation to be
slotted into the structure. This accommodation provides essential
operational areas that require a view of the arena.

"On the north, south and east sides, the elevated seating comprises a single
upper tier, which is contiguous with the upper tier on the west, with approx
53,000 seats completing the bowl. The upper tier will be largely unchanged
from the Olympic Games mode; however, to allow space for the new roof
structure seats will be removed from the two back rows, where headroom would
be reduced below acceptable standards.

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Mirallas hopes grow dimmer and dimmer
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 27, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

West Ham believe they have lost the bid to get Kevin Mirallas out of
Everton. The Hammers have made two bids for the Belgian winger/striker and
both have been turned down flat by Toffees owner Bill Kenwright. And reports
emerged in the national press this morning that the merseyide outfit want to
offer the player a new contract amid rumours that he remains unsettled at
the club. However, that won't help the Irons as despite their bid reaching
£7.5 million, Everton have a year's option in their favour on the player at
the end of his contract next year. A Hammers source said: "We have kept
going but it's beginning to look less and less likely. There's always a
chance but it's down to about 25 per cent. "We have no first hand knowledge
of whether a new deal has been offered to the player but we have had no
encouragement from Everton on this one at all."

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Young Gunner makes Irons switch
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 27, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Young Arsenal defender George Dobson has signed for West Ham. The 17 year
old London boy captained the Arsenal under 18 team last season but has been
allowed to move on to the Irons set-up. The teenager also featured regularly
for the club in the under-19 Uefa Youth League and for the Gunners under-21s
in 2014/15. In a statement Arsenal said: "Everyone at Arsenal would like to
thank George for his contribution to the club and to wish him well with his
continued development at West Ham."

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George Dobson completes 'no-brainer' West Ham switch, explains why move is
'surreal'
HITC
Olly Dawes

Arsenal's George Dobson has completed a move to West Ham United. West Ham
United have confirmed on their official website that they have signed
Arsenal's teenage defender George Dobson this evening. The Hammers have
mostly been strengthening their first team this summer, but as we saw with
the arrival of Martin Samuelsen from Manchester City earlier this summer,
they are also willing to bring in youngsters from 'bigger' Premier League
clubs in the hope of unearthing a gem. Now, West Ham are at it again having
confirmed on their official website that defender George Dobson has joined
the club from Arsenal. Dobson, 17, captained the Arsenal Under-18's last
season, and has made the move to his boyhood club West Ham having supported
the Hammers since the age of five. Speaking to the club's official website
after making the move, Dobson admitted that his transfer was 'surreal' -
before adding that the club's history with young players helped him make the
move. "I am over the moon to have signed and have been a West Ham fan since
I was five-years-of-age and this is a surreal moment," said Dobson. "Putting
pen to paper is a dream come true for me. I had a great ten-years with
Arsenal and they helped me as a footballer and as a person. But the time is
right to move and I cannot wait to get started. "The amount of players who
have come through the academy, it was a no-brainer for me. There are lots of
opportunities here and you have just got to take them. I know I will have to
work hard. Terry Westley is a great guy and has shown a lot of interest in
me. That is really important for a young person and I am looking forward to
working under him," he added.

Promising defensive options

With Dobson's arrival, West Ham now have a number of promising options in
their defence, all of whom could become future first team players. Reece
Burke merged into the first team last season and coped well, whilst Reece
Oxford is also tipped to have a big future at Upton Park having come up
through the ranks. January signing Doneil Henry has potential, and now
Dobson's arrival gives the Hammers another possible first team player years
down the line.

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West Ham youngster eyes loan move
London 24
12:30 27 July 2015 Dave Evans, West Ham Correspondent

Hammers defender Reece Burke is realistic about his first-team chances,
while we look at the chances for the West Ham youngsters West Ham United's
Reece Oxford One of the most refreshing things about this frantic pre-season
is that West Ham have had to use plenty of their promising youngsters both
in the friendlies and more importantly in the Europa League games. The likes
of Reece Burke, Reece Oxford and Josh Cullen have all been given their
chance to show what they could do and they have come through with flying
colours. Saturday's friendly at Charlton saw Oxford and Cullen excel in
midfield, while Burke filled in a full back and there was also Norwegian
midfielder Martin Samuelsen showing what he could do in a game that finished
goalless. But when the season proper starts, just how many chances are
youngsters like these going to get. West Ham United's Reece Burke Burke, at
18, has already played five Premier League matches as well as two Europa
League ties this season, but he is only too aware of the tough job he has to
get some game time. "Obviously if you bring in players like Angelo Ogbonna,
you are going to expect them to play," said the realistic Burke. "Maybe I
will be looking for a loan to play football elsewhere. Hopefully in the
Championship, but maybe in League One – I want to keep as near as I can to
playing in the Premier League." It is a mature plan from a young player who
let nobody down when he came into Sam Allardyce's injury-hit side last
season, helping them keep two clean sheets against QPR and Burnley along the
way. "I thought I did all right when I got my opportunity," said Burke. "I
played five games, not just one or two, which meant that I did ok I think.
So hopefully, I can get more games, if not for West Ham, then out on loan."
West Ham United's Josh Cullen The days when youngsters were thrown in at the
deep end in the top flight are largely gone. A 17-year-old is unlikely to
get his chance in the top flight like Tony Cottee did back in 1982, scoring
against Spurs. But it begs the question, would youngsters like Oxford,
Samuelsen and Cullen as well as Elliot Lee, Kyle Knoyle, who had an
excellent game at Charlton, and Lewis Page, do as well as Burke did last
season when given more than just a Capital One Cup tie to show what they can
do? The answer is that some would thrive and some wouldn't, but such is the
need for instant results in the Premier League, none of them are likely to
get the chance that Burke did last season. Oxford was the best player on the
field at The Valley on Saturday. One move saw him start it, with a clever
pass inside to Dimitri Payet and also finish it with a low cross from the
right side of the penalty area which saw a defender hack the ball away for a
corner. West Ham United's Martin Samuelsen during the Europa League Second
Qualifying Round, First Leg, at Upton Park, London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo.
Picture date: Thursday July 16, 2015. See PA story SOCCER West Ham. Photo
credit should read: Adam Davy/PA Wire. At 16, he looks so cool on the ball.
He still has a lot to learn, but he is unruffled, unhurried and picks his
passes really well. "It was a good experience for me, getting on the ball
and working on my technical side," said Oxford. "Josh (Cullen) and I were
talking before the game and we said one and two touches and then pop it.
Others were telling us the same, so we just did that." West Ham fielded an
attacking side against the Addicks with Diafra Sakho, Enner Valencia and
Dimitri Payet, so Oxford felt his job was a simple one. "We were trying to
give them the ball as much as we could," said the 16-year-old. "Dimitri was
getting on it a lot, we were creating chances, but the finishing just wasn't
there." Mature words for one so young and all these youngsters seem to have
developed admirably both on and off the field. Would Cullen and Oxford done
worse than Mark Noble and Kevin Nolan last Thursday night? Would Lee have
been more dangerous than Modibo Maiga? It is a matter of debate. Burke may
well go out on loan this season, possibly Cullen and Samuelsen too, but in a
world of instant results, there is a chance that picking up average players
from Europe will mean that these budding youngsters will never get a real
chance to prove themselves.

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Newcastle Transfer News: Man Utd snub, £7m delay, West Ham battle over
Sissoko replacement
NEWCASTLE UNITED want to sign Michael Carrick from Manchester United,
according to reports.
By JOE SHORT
PUBLISHED: 08:44, Mon, Jul 27, 2015 | UPDATED: 08:50, Mon, Jul 27, 2015
Express.co.uk

New Magpies manager Steve McClaren is understood to be keen on landing the
midfielder before the transfer window shuts. The Sunday People claim
Newcastle and Inter are both in for 33-year-old Carrick, who joined United
from Tottenham in 2006. But United are said to have rejected the approach
and Louis van Gaal will not countenance the sale. Newcastle club bosses are
growing frustrated over the delay to Chancel Mbemba's £7m transfer. Mbemba,
20, is all set to join the Toon from Anderlecht after agreeing personal
terms and passing a medical at the St James' Park club. However, his visa
application has hit a hurdle as Newcastle wait for the FA to consider an
application from the club for a Governing Body Endorsement, claim the
Gazette.
And DR Congo international Mbemba won't be able to play for the club until
it is passed.

West Ham and West Brom are battling it out with Newcastle to sign Marseille
midfielder Mario Lemina. That is according to La Provence, who claim the
France U21 international is attracting plenty of interest from the Premier
League. Lemina, 21, made 24 appearances for Marseille last season and is
reportedly considered a viable replacement for Moussa Sissoko if the ace
leaves for suitors Liverpool. Liverpool are understood to be keen on the
player, although no bid has yet been made.

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'He's looked good in training' Exciting West Ham new-boy closes in on debut
London 24
07:58 27 July 2015 Brad Pinard

West Ham's latest signing Manuel Lanzini has shown some good stuff in
training already, according to coach Julian Dicks. The Argentinean nicknamed
'The Jewell' arrived at West Ham on a season-long loan towards the end of
last week and could make his debut either at Norwich on Tuesday night or at
home to Werder Bremen in a friendly on Sunday. In between those two games,
the Hammers face Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in the Europa League third
qualifying round, their fifth European clash of the season already. With a
squad just about coping with four games a week in pre-season, Slaven Bilic
will be keen to get Lanzini up and running as soon as possible.

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Tomkins Red Card Set To Be Appealed?
Posted by whufc_news@hotmail.com on July 25, 2015 in News
westhamnews.com

West Ham are likely to appeal the red card James Tomkins received in the
Europa League on Thursday night, according to co-owner David Gold. The 26
year-old wrestled a Birkirkara player to the floor, before kicking him
(whilst the player was on the floor) in an incident just before half-time.
This left the Hammers in a sticky situation, as the tie was level at 1-1,
with their opponents having a man advantage. However, Slaven Bilic's side
scraped through after converting all five penalties in a 5-3 shoot-out
victory. When quizzed on the Tomkins situation on Twitter, Gold said: "We
are looking at video evidence and its most likely that we will appeal
Tomkins red card. dg" Diafra Sakho has to sit out of one more Europa League
fixture before he can play again in the competition, meanwhile new signing
Dimitri Payet has served his suspension and will be available to Astra on
Thursday.

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