Daily WHUFC News - II 2nd July 2015

Lusitans land in London
WHUFC.com

FC Lusitans aim to make the most of their opportunity of playing in front of
a sell-out Boleyn Ground crowd on Thursday night. The Andorrans are more
used to playing in front of audiences running into the hundreds rather than
thousands, but Thursday's UEFA Europa League qualifier offers them a bigger
showcase for their abilities.~ The Primera Divisao runners-up are West Ham's
first European opponents in nine years and manager Xavi Roura is determined
to show they are not just in London to make up the numbers. "We are very
excited," Roura said. "It is a very important moment for the club and the
country. We are very excited to be playing in the Europa League against such
a prestigious opponent. "We've been working hard on our preparations for
three weeks now. There were many big clubs in the draw, but we were drawn
against West Ham and that's great. We know what we're up against, we know
where we are as a team and the draw was big news for us. "It's going to be a
fantastic experience for the team – not just in terms of football but it has
so much value aside from the game. It's a scenario that will motivate us a
huge amount. "No two matches are the same, so it's difficult to compare.
They could be some similarities with the way we play compared with the
national team, but we know where are weaknesses lie and the weapons we need
to use in the team to make up for them."

One player who has performed in front of a large London crowd is the
experienced Oscar Sonejee, for whom four of his 101 Andorra caps have come
against England. He was involved as his country lost 6-0 in front of close
to 60,000 at Wembley in June 2009 and says this game represents a big
opportunity for his team. He explained: "Having that experience always
helps, and I've played in two matches here in England and two in Barcelona.
"Those matches were a great experience, and [the atmosphere will not only
help the players enjoy the match, but it should also make us more
competitive" Those thoughts were echoed by skipper Leonel Maciel, who says
he will not need to give his teammates any added motivation. "Just the fact
we're playing here is sufficient motivation in itself," he said, "As captain
I always have an encouraging word with everyone, but on this occasion I
don't think there's any need to add extra motivation."

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Skipper Tonks ready for early start
WHUFC.com

On the eve of West Ham United's return to European football, Basildon-born
James Tomkins spoke of his excitement at getting the season under way. The
26-year-old Academy graduate will captain the team as they kick off their
Europa League campaign when they face Andorran outfit FC Lusitans on
Thursday evening. Speaking ahead of the Hammers first game of the new
2015/16 season, just 39 days since they last played, Tomkins welcomed the
early return to action. "Ordinarily I would be on holiday at this time of
year, getting prepared for the new season, but I'd much rather be back
playing. "I want game time because it's important for my fitness. To play a
competitive game so early is great for me. Obviously I didn't play much at
the end of last season through injury, so to be back out there is great."

Due to the quick turnaround, the matchday squad named by Academy Terry
Westley represents a mixture of experienced first team and Development Squad
players. Lewis Page and Reece Oxford are in line to make their senior
debuts while further Dev Squad members could feature from the bench.
Tomkins, a fellow Academy graduate himself, stated his pride at being chosen
as captain: "It's a massive honour to captain the side, let alone captain
the side in Europe. I'm delighted, obviously I'm one of the more experienced
players in this squad. "I'm only 26 but I'm still one of the older lads.
Lads like Reece are just 16 years old so I'm ten years older and I've got
that experience. It's a good role for me to take on in this stage of my
career. I'm looking forward to communicating with the younger lads on the
pitch and helping them through it."

The experienced central defender, who had been in superb form for the
Hammers before injury limited his game time, is relishing the prospect of
playing in front of a sell-out crowd at the Boleyn Ground. Speaking at the
pre-match press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Tomkins seemed genuinely
bowled over by the West Ham fans passion for European football. "The
atmosphere is going to be electric tomorrow. There's been a lot of talk
about how important the Europa League is to this Club. "As this is the last
season at the Boleyn Ground, it's going to be emotional but brilliant. We
want to leave this stadium in the best way we can and the Europa league is a
good way of doing that. "We're entering a new era and it's a great
opportunity for everyone to impress the new manager. We haven't had too much
time to work with him but in the time we have had, he has impressed me.
"We've had a few meetings and he seems really friendly. He's done all he can
in a short time to get us ready for the new season and he'll be about in the
dressing room tomorrow. A popular figure among fans and teammates alike,
Tomkins finished by saying that due to the phenomenal demand for tickets,
some players had even missed out. "As captain I've made sure I've got some
tickets for my family and friends but I think some of the other lads have
struggled. "I don't think anyone was expecting a sell-out but we're all
delighted that it is. We're all delighted and it's particularly good for the
younger ones making their debut, it's fantastic."

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Slaven set for Europa team talk
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Academy manager Terry Westley confirmed that new manager
Slaven Bilic will take the Hammers pre-match team talk ahead of the Europa
League tie with FC Lusitans on Thursday evening. Westley has been working
closely with the matchday squad which comprises a mixture of first team
regulars and Development Squad Academy graduates such as Lewis Page and
Reece Oxford. In Wednesday's pre-match press conference, Westley
explained: "The team is all set up. We did all our work in Cork with the
manager. With Diafra Sakho and Mauro Zarate up front and Morgan Amalfitano
and Matt Jarvis on the wings, we pretty much have four forwards. It gives
some indication to our attacking intent. "We don't need a huge team talk
before the game because the work has been done. The players are ready. We'll
have to get here a bit earlier due to the huge number of people that are
coming. We'll have a pre-match meeting with the manager then the players
will do the job."

Westley continued to highlight the importance of Bilic's previous experience
of European football with Turkish outfit Besiktas. While the former West
Ham United defender may have only just taken the reigns, Westley has been
impressed by the Croatians' managerial abilities. "We've spoken about the
shape of the team and the way we'd like to play. We're both happy with how
preparations have gone in Ireland and since we've been back. "Slaven knows
European football inside out. He is a very, very talented manager. He gets
to know the players he works with at previous clubs very well too."

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Page excited by Boleyn debut
WHUFC.com

Lewis Page will fulfil a life-long ambition when he walks out to make his
West Ham United debut against FC Lusitans tonight. Academy Manager Terry
Westley, who will be in the dugout for the UEFA Europa League first
qualifying round first leg tie, confirmed in his pre-match press conference
that the 19-year-old left back will be in his starting XI. Page has been
with the Hammers since the age of ten and aims to make the most of the
opportunity that awaits. "It means everything to know I'll be making my
first team debut," he explains. "It's everything I dreamed of when I was
younger and to get an appearance for West Ham will be unbelievable. "When we
knew we were in Europe starting this early, all the lads were texting each
other over the summer thinking we might get a chance. "We kept ourselves fit
and we want to take the opportunity with both hands. With 35,000 fans there
it will be a great feeling – it'll be different to Rush Green, but hopefully
we will love the atmosphere and just play our football. "It's a big game for
the Club and hopefully we can get the result we want. "

Page formed part of a group of experienced and youthful players who prepared
for Thursday's sell-out game with a training camp in Ireland – training
which he says has set them up for action perfectly. He explained: "It was a
good week of preparation in Ireland. There's been a good intensity to
training, everybody looks pretty sharp and we're all looking forward to the
game. "The first team players in the group have helped us through it.
They've always been there to talk to and answer any questions we've got –
they're just a good bunch of lads.
"The new manager was watching last week and he'll be at the game tonight so
we're all trying to impress. That's the important thing, if we're all
fighting for places we'll get the best out of each other."

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Get with the Programme!
WHUFC.com

West Ham United kick-off the historic Farewell Boleyn season with an 84-page
issue for the UEFA League first qualifying round first leg visit of FC
Lusitans. The 2 July clash with the Andorran Primera Divisio runners-up is
marked with a special retro cover - a feature that will remain a constant
throughout the 2015/16 campaign. The first cover sees new manager Slaven
Bilic pictured in a design that recreates that used for the November 1934
visit of Swedish club AIK Stockholm - one of the first European clubs to
visit the Boleyn Ground. Bilic pens his first manager's column inside, while
Joint-Chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold, captain James Tomkins and
Academy Manager Terry Westley also write exclusively for the programme. Also
inside, fans can read interviews with the Hammers' summer signings Dimitri
Payet, Pedro Obiang, Darren Randolph and Martin Samuelsen. There is the
complete lowdown on Thursday's visitors from Andorra, plus everything you
need to know about West Ham's upcoming move to the new Stadium in Stratford
and how to go about securing your seat in the Club's new 54,000-capacity
home.

A new Farewell Boleyn section features emotional interviews with former
Hammers, fans and staff, classic images and more. As for the contributors,
Ian 'Moose' Abrahams recalls a surreal European night with David Cross,
while Ken Dyer, Matty Lawless and David Croft also pen their thoughts ahead
of what promises to be an unforgettable eleven months. The first issue of
the 2015/16 programme is available for just £3.50 in and around the Boleyn
Ground this evening, or you can order online here. To make sure you don't
miss a single issue of the Farewell Boleyn campaign, order a subscription
for just £90 here.

Alternatively, the Digital Official Programme will be available to download
to your iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, and Android devices alongside PC and Mac
from 9am on matchday.

The Digital Programme comes with all the content you would expect from the
print edition, as well as exclusive video footage, meaning fans from all
over the globe can get ahead of the action and read their Programme and
enjoy exclusive video interviews and highlights.

If you live overseas, that means you can download your Digital Programme
before kick-off, with the game being televised live in a large number of
countries across the world. The print edition will be available to buy in
and around the Boleyn Ground on matchday as usual, packed with all the usual
exclusive content.

The Digital Programme offers supporters a number of great additional
features, including:
Easy to use page-turning technology
Simple content navigation and skip-to-page features
Interactive content including exclusive video footage
Our programmes remember the last page you were viewing
Fans can order back-dated issues
Apple users will have all their issues hosted in one place on Newsstand for
easy access
Hammers supporters can subscribe for the whole season from just £24.99 (fans
receive all back issues) or buy individual issues for only £1.99.

The Digital Programme is available on Apple iPad and iPhone, as well as
Android and via the Pocketmags app on kindle fire and Blackberry Playbook.

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From the Terraces
WHUFC.com

Graeme Howlett, of KUMB.com, looks ahead to Thursday's game against FC
Lusitans...

That West Ham United have been able to completely sell out the Boleyn Ground
for Thursday evening's Europa League tie against Andorran minnows FC
Lusitans is a clear indication of the fans' desire to make the most of the
limited time remaining at our famous old ground. Well, that and the
opportunity to see our new manager Slaven Bilic for the first time since he
was appointed, of course!

Slav will be at the ground, we understand, although he has delegated
management duties to Academy chief Terry Westley - who has been working with
the squad at their Irish training camp - for the night.

In some ways the club have been extraordinarily lucky that a wild-card entry
into European competition has coincided with the Irons' final season in
Upton Park. Nonetheless, the Board should be congratulated for delivering a
sensible pricing structure which ensures not only that the ground is full,
but that entry is genuinely affordable for all.

Although a number of first team players only returned to training this week,
the Hammers will still be fielding a reasonably strong side; certainly one
that should be of sufficient quality to see off the challenge of a team who
have been routinely thumped in the first qualifying round in each of their
previous four Europa League campaigns.

Should West Ham manage to overcome the challenge of Lusitans as expected
(although as Hammers we know NEVER to take anything for granted!) there will
be little chance for Bilic's boys to rest on their laurels, as the second
round commences just seven days after the first round, second leg in
Andorra.

We already know that either Birkirkara of Malta or Armenia's Ulisses await,
but continued progress in the competition will ensure games come thick and
fast once the Premier League campaign - which kicks off the weekend of 8/9
August - begins.

Should West Ham make safe passage through the second qualifying round, they
will play the second leg of the third qualifying round just 72 hours before
the Premier League season-opener at Arsenal. And the final Europa League
play-off round is scheduled for 20 and 27 August - each three days ahead of
two very important early-season top-flight clashes with Bournemouth (home)
and Liverpool (away).

That means August alone could result in the Hammers playing no less than
SEVEN fixtures in 24 days - so it's no surprise that David Sullivan and his
recruitment team are looking to tie up as many deals as early as possible
this summer, with view to a potentially lengthy and arduous European
campaign to follow.

The early qualifying rounds of the competition have unfortunately arrived
too soon for one or two of the club's most recent arrivals to be eligible.
One who the Hammers could certainly do with is Slaven Bilic's latest
acquisition, Dimitri Payet from Marseille.

At 28, the 15-times capped French winger should be at his peak and whilst
some eyebrows were raised at the (undisclosed) eight-figure transfer fee
(except that bit), West Ham should be acquiring a player who will prove to
be worth every penny.

Payet's recent record is quite exceptional; it's already well-documented
that he created 135 goalscoring opportunities last season, more apparently
than any other player in the top European leagues. That should be music to
the ears of Andy Carroll, Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia, who were often
bereft of service during the last campaign (when not being asked to provide
it themselves).

Those 135 chances converted into 17 actual assists in Ligue 1 in 2014/15,
which were complemented by seven goals - a decent return for a player
charged with creating, rather than completing goalscoring opportunities.

Payet followed goalkeeper Darren Randolph, midfielder Pedro Obiang and
full-back Stephen Hendrie into the club already this summer. And according
to whufc.com's Boleyn Insider, two further new signings are set to arrive
imminently. It's going to be a busier summer than usual at the Boleyn...

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'This is why we will sell-out the new Stadium'
WHUFC.com

Diego Poyet says a sold-out UEFA UEFA Europa League first qualifying round
tie against Andorran side FC Lusitans illustrates the sheer size of West Ham
United. Despite the visitors being virtual unknowns until the draw was made
and bringing just a handful of fans themselves, the Claret and Blue Army
have snapped up nearly 35,000 tickets for the game. Midfielder Poyet, who
has been named in Terry Westley's starting XI for the match, believes the
loyalty and commitment shown by West Ham fans ensures they will sell-out the
Club's new 54,000-seater stadium in Stratford a year from now. "It says a
lot about the type of fans we have at the Club," he told West Ham TV, who
will be screening Thursday's tie exclusive, live and FREE coverage on
whufc.com. "I have watched a lot of Europa League games last season in the
main competition and they weren't even sold out, and we've got our first
qualifier and it's already sold out. Massive thanks to all the fans for
coming to support us. "It shows that the new Stadium is going to be sold out
every week. Some people were saying 'maybe it will, maybe it won't' but 100
per cent it will sell-out. It's 2 July and we are filling up the stadium and
it's already been sold-out for a couple of days. "It's great support for
everyone and makes the game ten times more exciting for all the players and
for everyone involved and it's a great game to be part of."

For Poyet himself, the game represents an opportunity to impress those
35,000 fans inside the Boleyn Ground and thousands more watching on
whufc.com around the world, while new manager Slaven Bilic will be observing
from the stands. After impressing for Uruguay at the recent FIFA U-20 World
Cup finals in New Zealand, the 20-year-old holding midfielder is keen to
kick-on again for the Hammers. "I'm really excited for the game," he
confirmed. "I obviously had a really short break on holiday because of the
Under-20 World Cup, but I feel good. "We're already prepared for the game
and we know as much as we can know about the opposition and we're ready."

So, what does Diego and his teammates know about FC Lusitans, who finished
second in Andorra's Primera Divisio last season. "I think they will be
really organised and try to keep it as tight as possible," he explained,
revealing that the squad has watched footage of their opponents in action.
"They are good from set-pieces, so that's something we will have to watch
out for when we play them. "They are not going to be intimidated by us, but
the only thing that might intimidate them is the big crowd. They have got
some international players, but others might not be so used to playing in
such a big crowd, so we will use that to our advantage. "We have home
advantage in the first leg and obviously want to take a good score when we
go there next week."

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West Ham United v FC Lusitans
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 1st July 2015
By: Preview Percy

It's time to pay our first visit of the season to the Avram Grant Olympic
Rest Home For The Bewildered to see how much Preview Percy knows about
Andorra. Not much as it happens...

Hang on a moment, I've only just nodded off after our last game and you wake
me up for this?

Ok apparently we have qualified for the Thursday Night League by virtue of
us coming top of the "Good Egg" league, a concept whose worth can be gauged
by the fact that Liverpool, with one of the worst teams in history for
diving, were also hovering around the top towards the end of the season.
This has left us with a place in Europe, meaning that some of the
meaningless early season matches against lesser opposition have been
replaced by slightly more meaningful matches against lesser opposition.

So, after a draw that used three of my kind of brandy glasses and a bit of
messing about with the fixture dates we find ourselves drawn at home against
FC Lusitans of Andorra. Kick-off is 7:45pm and the rearranged fixture date
means we miss the tube strike. Which is nice.

As far as I can recall from my O-Level Geography (note to kids - O Levels
were sort of like GCSEs would be if you actually had to know stuff to get
them) Andorra is a small bit of land parked between a Pyrenee or two that
both France and Spain forgot to divvy up when they got round to drawing up
the border all those years ago. It's an odd little place which is co-ruled
by two princes, one of whom is always whoever is president of France at the
time and the other is whoever happens to be the Bishop of Urgell at the
time.

As you'd expect then there's a strong Franco-Spanish influence to the whole
place. There is, however, a third major influence on the country in the form
of England's oldest ally. There is a sizeable part of the population with a
Portuguese background which is a bit odd considering how far away it is.
However, it is this influence that is relevant to our opponents in this
first qualifying round. The club name is derived from Lusitania which is the
ancient Roman name for the bit of the Iberian peninsula that contains
Portugal. The kit is based on that of the Portuguese national side whilst
the club crest contains elements of that used by the Portuguese FA.

So what do we know of our opponents? Well at this point I'd usually send out
the work experience girl with an inappropriate number of rings through her
lips to go and find stuff out but it being the close season she's nowhere to
be found so I'm doing the legwork myself. The first thing to note is the
Andorran league is a little bit like the Welsh league insofar as the best
team in the country (FC Andorra) actually plays in the Spanish football
system in the same way as Swansea & Cardiff regularly hop across the Severn
Bridge. So Lusitans can be thought of in the same breath as Airbus UK, Bala
Town and of course the clumsily-monikered The New Saints, whose name derives
from the fact that they didn't want to change the initials when they removed
the sponsor's name from the official name of the club.

One of the things that is odd about football over there is that the stadia
are all owned by the Andorran FA, who decide who is going to play where at
the start of the season. Spurs would, I am sure, have complained about the
illegal state aid this clearly represents but for the fact that a) Andorra
isn't part of the EU so they can do what they like; and b)Spurs are too
occupied with counting the millions they have saved by getting Boris and
Haringay to pay for all those tedious infrastructure improvements that
usually accompany planning applications of the size of their new ground.

Lusitans play in the Andorran "Primera Divisio" which currently comprises 8
clubs. They stretch this out to a 20 match season by splitting the league in
two after everyone has played everyone else home and away with the top four
playing for the title and the bottom four playing to stay in the league.
They were actually Champions in 2011/12 and 2012/13 but their European
pedigree can be gauged by the fact that their inaugural so-called Champions
League "run" consisted of a 9-1 defeat to the then Maltese champions
Valetta. The pinnacle of their forays into European competition is probably
the 2-2 first leg home draw against the Faroes outfit EB/Streymur in the
Champions League in 2013. In fact they were 2-0 up in this match and missed
the spot-kick that would have taken them 3-0 up. Sadly for the Andorrans
(or, if you will, "Portuguese" to give them their nickname) they were unable
to hold onto the lead and the Faroese added a 5-1 win to the first leg draw
to send them out. Their 4th place finish in 2013/14 saw them fall outside
the European qualifying places but their second place last term saw them
qualify for this tie.

Their most famous player is probably, no, make that definitely, a chap by
the name of Oscar Sonejee who is in his second spell with the club having
played at a slightly higher level with the aforementioned FC Andorra, as
well as for a number of other clubs within the Primera Divisio. He is the
country's most capped player, having broken the ton a couple of weeks ago in
Andorra's 1-0 defeat by Equatorial Guinea. Some may remember him getting
into a bit of an argument with Wayne Rooney in a Euro qualifier a few years
back. There again most won't. The list of people who have gotten into an
argument with Wayne Rooney is hardly an exclusive one after all. Sonerjee
has cult hero status in Mumbai of all places, something that can be
attributed to his Indian heritage.

They also boast a Sierra Leonean international in the form of Alfi
Conteh-Lacalle. ACL (as probably nobody calls him given that the initials
are reminiscent of a nasty ligament problem) is in fact a product of the
Barcelona youth system having been born in the Catalonian capital. He was
actually capped by the Spaniards at U19 Level before throwing his hat into
the ring with Sierra Leone for whom he now has, er, one cap. Since exiting
Barcelona, "Knee Injury" has hawked himself around the lower leagues of a
number of countries including Spain, Greece and Hungary where Honved were
the best known of his clubs to date.

After that I'll admit I'm struggling. If this were an FA Cup match I'd no
doubt take great delight in being able to let you know which one of the
opposition was the postman that it is compulsory for all part–time squads to
contain but background details on the players is a little thin on the ground
if truth be told. Mr Sonarjee works in insurance when he's not chasing a bag
of leather about a patch of grass but that's about it. Ok this isn't very
helpful but you try finding out stuff about a country whose main claim to
fame is its duty-free status.

Us? It'll be an unusual team on the pitch. A mixture of one or two old lags
plus a few youngsters to do the running about. We have of course said
farewell to Mr Allardyce since the last woke me up to write one of these
things. Many years ago I wrote something in these pages along the lines that
I didn't want him anywhere near the club. Now he's gone I would say that he
did a job in getting us up. I know it was through the playoffs but he was a
little unlucky that season to see Reading come from nowhere, get outplayed
every week and still win. Their current position shows what a blip that was.
However, it was difficult to warm to the chap, especially as nothing ever
seemed to be his fault. The time was right for him to go so thanks & goodbye
it is.

So it's hello to Slaven Bilic as our new boss. He has already made the right
noises about the type of football he wants his teams to play so hopefully
we'll be a bit more pleasing to the eye over the next, well ten months at
least. However, Biic will apparently be watching this one from the stands
leaving Academy boss Terry Westley in charge dugout-wise.

I wouldn't expect to see too many of our new signings on display meaning
that we'll have to wait for tougher opposition before we see Pedro Obiang
and Dimitri Payet enter the fray. On the other hand it wouldn't be a
surprise to see Darren Randolph take a bow 'twixt the sticks. The rest of
the team has been reported as consisting of O'Brien, Burke, Page,
Amalfitano, Jarvis, Poyet (not Payet), Oxford, Zarate and Sakho. Zarate's
presence suggests a clean slate approach, which will please those who
believe that he wasn't given a fair crack of the whip under the previous
regime.

At this point its traditional to locate £2.50 from somewhere within the
environs of the Avram Grant Olympic Rest Home For The Bewildered and place
it on a prediction but frankly the odds offered by Winstone's The Turf
Accountant for a West Ham win were so ludicrous you'd have to be the Greek
Government to bother placing a wager.

We'll win of course and my main hopes are that a) we somehow manage to
escape pre-season without a player coming down with the traditional serious
injury; and b) the team manages to put on a bit of a show for the 35,000
supporters at home plus the 500 or so popping over there for the return leg.

Enjoy the game!

When last we met: You're joking, right? Ok, since you ask we have never
played them. Alright?

Danger Man: Oscar Sonejee – as an Insurance Clerk he'll know all about
danger. I expect.

Referees: 1st Leg: Vadims Diretorenko (Latvia) 2nd Leg TBA. At least Mike
Riley won't have been involved in his appointment.

Daft Fact Of The Week:: As mentioned, the neighbours have had a major
influence on Andorran culture. For example, although Andorra declared war on
Germany at the start of the First World War, the French influence meant that
they didn't actually join in with any of the fighting. Then the Spanish
habit of having a mid-afternoon nap meant that they were nowhere to be seen
when the Treaty Of Versailles got signed, an omission which meant that,
technically, they remained at war with Germany until 1958. The position was
rectified when, as part of the Europe- wide celebrations in honour of Ted
Fenton's side's promotion to the top fight, all wars involving landlocked
European principalities were cancelled.

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Oxford to make history
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 2nd July 2015
By: Staff Writer

Reece Oxford will become the youngest ever Hammer to take part in a
competitive fixture tonight when he faces FC Lusitanos at the Boleyn Ground.
At 16 years and 198 days, the 6'3" central defender will break a record held
by Leytonstone-born Billy Williams who made his debut for West Ham at the
end of the 1921/22 season, but was a whole 23 days older than Oxford when he
did so. Oxford was close to making his first team debut almost a year ago
when Sam Allardyce named him as an unused substitute for the Capital One Cup
tie against Sheffield United. However despite being involved in the match
day squad on several occasions since, he has had to wait until tonight to
make his bow. Academy boss Terry Westley, a big fan of the youngster
insisted that Oxford is ready to make his bow. "We will find out whether he
can handle the pressure of the big situation, whether he is as good as we
think he is," he said. "We won't know that with him on the bench or in the
stand. "He has an opportunity and the talking has to stop. If he is going
to be one of the best we have produced, he has to be some player, with
(James) Tomkins here and then (Frank) Lampard, (Joe) Cole, (Rio) Ferdinand
and the rest. "Where he is at his age, he has done exactly what he needs to
do."

West Ham United's Europa League qualifying clash clash with FC Lusitanos
kicks off at 7.45pm tonight. Live coverage, for those who cannot attend is
being provided by whufc.com.

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Nolan warns of Euro danger
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 2nd July 2015
By: Staff Writer

Kevin Nolan believes a successful run in the Europa League could make for a
difficult season - although he has urged tonight's team to fully embrace the
opportunity. Now 32 and entering the final year of his contract at the club,
Nolan is unlikely to play a major role in this season's European campaign
but has plenty of experience of doing so, having featured for Bolton in the
(now defunct) UEFA Cup during the mid-noughties. And having experienced the
additional demands required by a good run in Europe - which could
potentially account for an extra 23 games for West Ham to play this season,
should they reach the Final - Nolan is more aware than most of the
difficulties than can arise as a result. "It's going to make everything
tough but it's something that we should all embrace, " he said. "We got in
through the back door but it's something we should all embrace, something we
can learn from. "I played in the Europa for a couple of seasons with Bolton
and really enjoyed my time. There's a few lads who are going to making their
debuts in European football. It's something for them to strive for and in
years to come, for West Ham to be aiming for." And even though he won't be
involved tonight, having remained at the club's Irish training camp with
several fellow first team squad members, Nolan believes Terry Westley's
pre-announced team should have enough in the tank to see off the challenge
of FC Lusitanos. "I wish them all the best," he said. "I'm sure the boys can
get the job done for us."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Let the final season commence
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 2nd July 2015
By: Graeme Howlett

That West Ham United have been able to completely sell out the Boleyn Ground
for tonight's Europa League tie against Andorran minnows FC Lusitanos is a
clear indication of the fans' desire to make the most of the limited time
remaining at our famous old ground.

Well, that and the opportunity to see our new manager Slaven Bilic for the
first time since he was appointed, of course!

Slav will be at the ground, we understand, although he has delegated
management duties to Academy chief Terry Westley - who has been working with
the squad at their Irish training camp - for the night.

In some ways the club have been extraordinarily lucky that a wild-card entry
into European competition has coincided with the Irons' final season in
Upton Park. Nonetheless, the Board should be congratulated for delivering a
sensible pricing structure which ensures not only that the ground is full,
but that entry is genuinely affordable for all.

Although a number of first team players only returned to training this week,
the Hammers will still be fielding a reasonably strong side; certainly one
that should be of sufficient quality to see off the challenge of a team who
have been routinely thumped in the first qualifying round in each of their
previous four Europa League campaigns.

Should West Ham manage to overcome the challenge of Lusitanos as expected
(although as Hammers we know NEVER to take anything for granted!) there will
be little chance for Bilic's boys to rest on their laurels, as the second
round commences just seven days after the first round, second leg in
Andorra.

We already know that either Birkirkara of Malta or Armenia's Ulisses FC
await, but continued progress in the competition will ensure games come
thick and fast once the Premier League campaign - which kicks off the
weekend of 8/9 August - begins.

Should West Ham make safe passage through the second qualifying round, they
will play the second leg of the third qualifying round just 72 hours before
the Premier League season-opener at Arsenal. And the final Europa League
play-off round is scheduled for 20 and 27 August - each three days ahead of
two very important early-season top-flight clashes with Bournemouth (home)
and Liverpool (away).

That means August alone could result in the Hammers playing no less than
SEVEN fixtures in 24 days - so it's no surprise that David Sullivan and his
recruitment team are looking to tie up as many deals as early as possible
this summer, with view to a potentially lengthy and arduous European
campaign to follow.

The early qualifying rounds of the competition have unfortunately arrived
too soon for one or two of the club's most recent arrivals to be eligible.
One who the Hammers could certainly do with is Slaven Bilic's latest
acquisition, Dimitri Payet from Marseille.

At 28, the 15-times capped French winger should be at his peak and whilst
some eyebrows were raised at the (undisclosed) eight-figure transfer fee
(except that bit), West Ham should be acquiring a player who will prove to
be worth every penny.

Payet's recent record is quite exceptional; it's already well-documented
that he created 135 goalscoring opportunities last season, more apparently
than any other player in the top European leagues. That should be music to
the ears of Andy Carroll, Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia, who were often
bereft of service during the last campaign (when not being asked to provide
it themselves).

Those 135 chances converted into 17 actual assists in Ligue 1 in 2014/15,
which were complemented by seven goals - a decent return for a player
charged with creating, rather than completing goalscoring opportunities.

Payet followed goalkeeper Darren Randolph, midfielder Pedro Obiang and
full-back Stephen Hendrie into the club already this summer. And according
to whufc.com's Boleyn Insider, two further new signings are set to arrive
imminently.

It's going to be a busier summer than usual at the Boleyn...

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham trying to sign Arsenal's Carl Jenkinson and Juventus' Angelo
Ogbonna
Last Updated: 02/07/15 12:39pm
SSN

West Ham co-chairman David Gold has confirmed the club are "working hard" to
sign Arsenal right-back Carl Jenkinson. And Sky Italia sources understand
the Hammers are also attempting to sign Angelo Ogbonna from Juventus.
Jenkinson, who has found his first-team chances at Arsenal blocked by Calum
Chambers and Hector Bellerin, spent last season on loan at West Ham and made
29 Premier League starts for them. Ogbonna, meanwhile, has been third choice
behind Stefan Lichsteiner and Giorgio Chiellini at the Old Lady. Hammers
chairman Gold has previously stated the club are keen to bring in players to
play the "West Ham way" and on Thursday he said: "We are very working hard
to try and get Carl back here "We recognise this is an important season for
us, being in Europe, and we will go the extra mile to ensure we have got the
strongest possible squad we can muster." Sky sources understand another
player West Ham are interested in is the wantaway Paris Saint-Germain
playmaker Yohan Cabaye. The 29-year-old former Newcastle midfielder has
struggled to hold down a first-team place at the French champions but it is
understood former Toon boss Alan Pardew is interested in taking Cabaye to
Crystal Palace.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gold tweets good news
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 1, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

David Gold is confident Andy Carroll will soon be ready to rejoin the
action. Despite the club's record signing being unable to join the action
tomorrow night after being injured at Southampton back in the winter, the co
chairman believes the big fella will soon be back. Carroll has spent most of
the summer back at the Chadwell Heath training ground working on his knee
and core fitness. And Gold tweeted: "Andy is training nearly every day he
has great determination and will soon be ready to play. Dg,"

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Young Reece told" Now gain the respect"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 2, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Reece Oxford – at 16 years and 198 days old – becomes the youngest ever
hammer to make his debut in a club first team shirt against Lusiantos
tonight and has been told: "We are now going to find out whether he's as
good as we think he is." Boss for the night Terry Westley said: "We'll find
out whether Reece can handle the pressure of playing in a big situation,
whether he's as good as we think he is. "We won't find that out sitting on
the bench or in the stand. He has that opportunity. He's now got to gain the
respect. The talking can stop and he can show people what he's about. "If
he's going to be one of the best ever [academy products], he's got some way
to go. James Tomkins isn't bad, Lampard, Cole and the rest weren't bad.
"[Reece] has got a bit to do but where he is at this age – England U17s
captain – he's done what he needed to do. He's got to take that into senior
football. Questions will be answered."
Westley claimed the decision for him to take charge of the team for the
early Europa League game was made during last season – before Bilic's
arrival and regardless of the identity of Sam Allardyce's successor. He
added: "You find you're in Europe, so someone has to put a plan together.
The club have been very proactive: 'Who's involved? What players come back
early?'
'We knew what the group would consist of. It was to make a smooth transition
for when the manager was put in place. 'We've got 35,000 who can't wait to
see the team, young and old. Slaven knows the players. He's been in Cork.
It's very much his first game."

Irons team: Randolph; O'Brien, Tomkins, Burke, Page, Amalfitano, Jarvis,
Poyet, Oxford, Zarate, Sakho.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
ClaretandHugh's big match coverage
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on July 2, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

ClaretandHugh will be at Upton Park tonight for the Europa Cup match against
Lusiantos! Rob Shepherd will be our man in the press box and will bring his
report soon after the final whistle has blown on hopefully a big victory. We
will keep those unable to watch on the live West Ham TV stream updated with
flash highlight reports throughout the 90 minutes. ClaretandHugh
congratulates the club for making the stream available when it really should
have been shown on one or other of the various sports channels. Well done to
everybody involved at WHUFC and if you aren't a member of West Ham TV make
sure you join up for the game at www.whufc.com.

It's free by the way.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Remy not for sale say Chelsea
Posted by Sean Whetstone on July 2, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Reports claim that Jose Mourinho has blocked a £15million Loic Remy's exit
from Chelsea. Crystal Palace, Swansea and West Ham have have been linked in
the media with the £80,000-a-week French striker but now it appears Chelsea
has had second thoughts. Remy first team chances have been limited since
joining from QPR, the arrival of Falcao on loan from Monaco is also thought
to push him further down the pecking order of strikers. Chelsea initially
said they would not listen to offers less than £15m for the 28 year old but
have staged a U-turn. Remy scored seven league goals last season despite
making just six starts. As we revealed 7 days ago, a West Ham insider
revealed to Claret and Hugh we were never seriously looking at Remy.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Song continues to train with West Ham
Posted by Sean Whetstone on July 2, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Alex Song continues to train with West Ham despite his loan agreement coming
to an end. Yesterday he posted a video of himself on Instragram training in
a West Ham gym with Hammers new training shorts on. The video re-enforces
the view that the 27 year old midfielder has agreed personal terms with the
Hammers and it is now just Barcelona who stand in his way of a permanent
move to West Ham on free transfer. Song is expected to undergo a final
medical within the next 48 hours and sign permanently if Barcelona agree to
terminate his contract without compensation from West Ham

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Villa agree fee with Hammers target
Posted by Sean Whetstone on July 2, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Aston Villa are believed to be close to finalising a £9million move for
Lille's Idrissa Gueye who has often been linked with West Ham as a possible
summer target. Reports claim Villa have agreed a fee with the French Ligue 1
side for the 25-year-old Senegalese midfielder. He is believed to be flying
to the UK tomorrow for talks and a medical in the midlands. Gueye has been
linked with West Ham, Crystal Palace,Southampton and Marseille in the summer
but appears Villa have come in late to conclude a deal. Reports in France
last week suggested Marseille were closing in on the signing of the Senegal
international, but more money was on offer from Villa and that has turned
the player's head it has been claimed.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham defender: Slaven has real presence
London 24
14:30 02 July 2015 Dave Evans, West Ham Correspondent

Hammers defender James Tomkins says that new manager Slaven Bilic will be a
great success . Jose 'The Special One' Mourinho certainly has it, Sir Alex
Ferguson had it and of course the likes of Brian Clough and Bill Shankly had
it too. Some would say former West Ham boss Sam Allardyce had it too, though
that is a matter of debate, but defender James Tomkins insists that the new
man at the helm has it as well. Presence. That is the key to success for
many of the top managers, the thing that sets them apart from the other
bosses and Tomkins believes Slaven Bilic has it in abundance, despite only
having met him for a short period of time. "I met him briefly and he is
really excited to be with us. Everyone is looking forward to working with
him and he made a great name for himself as a player here," said the
26-year-old. Slaven Bilic the new West Ham manager "At the minute he is
training with the other lads and they are all saying how good training is.
He certainly has that presence like all good managers have. When he comes
into the room, you can hear a pin drop at times." Tomkins joins a long line
of illustrious players who have captained West Ham when he wears the armband
in the Europa League clash with FC Lusitans at Upton Park tonight. And for
someone who has been at the club since the age of seven it means so much to
lead the side out. "It's a massive honour and a good role for me to try and
mature as a player and help the younger lads," said Tomkins, who established
himself as one of the first choice centre-backs last season until injury
struck near the end of the season. "I am only 26, but I am 10 years older
than Reece Oxford who is playing tonight. The atmosphere is going to be
electric and hopefully I can help the younger lads come through it." Tomkins
is an important part of the squad that are looking to progress in the Europa
League qualifying rounds, but does he envy the first-team players that are
currently showing Bilic what they can do over in Ireland? "Everyone is
looking to start well and impress the new manager," he said. "I would be
sunning myself somewhere in a normal year, but for me it is different
because I was injured towards the end of last season and I wanted to play
more games. "To have competitive games this early is great and the manager
will be watching me there." Tomkins knows the significance of this season,
West Ham's final one at the Boleyn Ground before their move to the Olympic
Stadium, and the centre-back can't wait for it to get into full swing. "It
is going to be emotional as much as it will be brilliant this season," said
Tomkins. "We need to leave the season in the best possible place and that
means in Europe as well as in the Premier League." Bilic is likely to be the
key to success this season. He is known for playing high tempo football,
looking to win the ball back early as well as play with flair, something
West Ham fans have not been used to too often under Allardyce. But winning
games and success is still vital and Tomkins and other players know that
they now need to deliver.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Report: Watford, Tottenham enter race to sign FC Sion striker Moussa Konate
HITC
Billy Hawkins

Watford and Tottenham want Konate, who has also been linked with West Ham
and Newcastle United. As reported by Blick, Tottenham and Watford are keen
on signing Moussa Konate this summer, and the latter team have already
opened discussions with current club FC Sion concerning his transfer.
Christian Constantin, chairman of the Swiss club, confirmed in the article
that Gino Pozzo has already visited him to talk about a potential move for
Konate this summer. He said: "The Watford president has already visited me."

Konate, 22, is a full Senegalese international with an impressive goal
record for Sion. He signed for the club last summer from FK Krasnodar, and
went on to score a prolific 22 goals in 33 games for the club, across
domestic league and cup action, as well as the Europa League. He has also
played for Genoa and Maccabi Tel Aviv in his short career, and has netted
four times for Senegal in just nine games. The 22-year-old's impressive
campaign saw him garner interest from England earlier in the summer, with
both Newcastle and West Ham linked to him. The Daily Mirror reported that
the Hammers are considering a bid to partner him up with international
teammate Diafra Sakho, whilst the Mail has indicated a long-term interest in
the forward from Newcastle.
The latest interest from the Premier League suggests that both Spurs and
Watford want to bring him to England this summer, and the Hornets appear to
be in discussions with him already.
He may be unproven in England, but a prolific goal record and young age have
made him a key transfer target. Watford are leading the race for the
forward, and it remains to be seen whether any of the other three interested
parties formalise their interest into a concrete approach in the coming
weeks.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gold is upbeat and Talking Sport
Posted on July 2, 2015 by Headmaster
claret&blues.com
We are indebted to our own Gavin Thurston (GoatyGav) for taking the time out
to précis the interview David Gold gave this morning to the Alan Brazil
Show. Now that we are post all of the 'I think West Ham are treating Sam
very unfairly' routine, it is good that Brazil was able to host Mr Gold and
even better that the co-Chairman sounded so confident that the club is
headed in the right direction. For the first time in years, you know what, I
agree with him!

Goaty's abbreviated transcript captures the main points as follows:

* Avoiding injuries this season (referenced our drop off last term).
* Youngsters coming through to help with squad.
* Doesn't know reason for Slav not being in charge tonight.
* A win tonight takes pressure off in the away leg next week.
* Potential bananna skin (referenced past losses to 4th tier teams in cup
competitions)
* Would be stunned if we didn't win
* What an evening it will be for the Andorrans playing in front of 35K+.
Their last gate was 68 fans
* Asked about Charlie Austin or AN other. Said they are going the extra mile
to make it happen
* Asked about new stadium – is Slaven a Risk? Why Change? Mr Allardyce was
the 2nd longest serving manager. Time for Change. He did what they asked of
him when we were down and stabilised us in the Prem.
* Likely Mr Allardyce will have a few months off rather than go for a job
now.
* Asked if Super Slav was NO1 choice. Replied that he was in the respect
that he ticked so many boxes. Ex player. Fan's favourite. Has Passion.
Understands the club. Has determination. Wants to play entertaining
football. Stats only say some of the story and when the owners met him they
were very impressed and he interviewed well.
* Many fans remember Brooking and Devonshire picking the ball up deep and
setting attacks going – Slav will provide football more in line with the
'West Ham Way'
* The OS will draw fans. Easy to get to. Better experience. Upton Park, by
comparison, a nightmare. Much better public transport links including 5
train stations.
* Ambition? DG said that they want to move on. Get the top 5 to look over
their shoulders. Owners have passion for this and that he feels it's 'Our
Time'. Spoke about the 'Correlation' of the size of a club's fan-base to
it's success as a club.
* Alan Brazil touched on Corporate Hospitality but they went to a break
before DS could answer.
* Kids a the OS – affordable. £99 for Season Ticket in OS. Investing in the
future of the club with young fans. Mickey Quinn commended DS for this –
making football affordable compared to ridiculous prices in Prem for
families.
* Sold out 'Club London' & spoke of potential embarrassment of not filling
the OS. At the moment they are hitting all their targets for sales for the
OS.
* Selling the club on in the future. Doesn't 'want' to do it but if a Super
Wealthy person comes in they may have to step aside and let it happen.
Ideally they would want to stay involved and ensure that the traditions are
retained.
* Asked about new season fixtures. Difficult start at Arsenal. Potential
difficult games against highly motivated, adrenaline filled, newly promoted
clubs.
* Payet was the owner's choice however Slaven "endorsed" the signing. He is
very much an exciting "West Ham Way" player.
* Alan Brazil referenced wise spending and how well West Ham did last Summer
in the transfer market. DS said that all 9 signings "met expectation" and
two "exceeded expectation." Spoke of Diafra Sakho as an example.
* Jenks – working hard to keep him. Cresswell great season but potential
even better. Made comparisons of current full backs to Julian Dicks, Ray
Stewart and Frank Lampard Snr.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 'working hard' to get Carl Jenkinson back from Arsenal, confirms
David Gold
Evening Standard
DAMIAN SPELLMAN
Published: 02 July 2015 Updated: 12:28, 02 July 2015

West Ham co-chairman David Gold has confirmed the club is working to secure
Carl Jenkinson's return to Upton Park. The Arsenal full-back spent last
season on loan with the Hammers and manager Slaven Bilic is hopeful of
retaining his services for the new campaign. Jenkinson, 23, who made 36
appearances last season, has been linked with a series of potential suitors
this season with Southampton and Sunderland among those clubs touted as
possible competitors to West Ham for his signature. The Londoners have
already been busy in the summer transfer market, landing Marseille winger
Dimitri Payet, Sampdoria midfielder Pedro Obiang and Birmingham keeper
Darren Randolph as they attempt to manage the dual demands of domestic and
European campaigns.
Gold said: "We recognise this is an important season for us and being in
Europe we will go the extra mile to ensure we have got the strongest
possible squad we can muster."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham close in on transfer deals for Barcelona's Alex Song and Arsenal's
Carl Jenkinson
Simon Osborn for Metro.co.uk
Thursday 2 Jul 2015 10:24 am

West Ham hope to announce two new signings in the next 48-hours. The Hammers
are set to tie up a permanent move for midfielder Alex Song, who is expected
to join from Barcelona on a free transfer, and a one-year loan-deal Arsenal
defender Carl Jenkinson. Both players spent last season on-loan at Upton
Park and, according to the Daily Telegraph, will both return to play a role
in Slaven Bilic's new-look side. Keeping Song represents a major coup for
the Hammers as Chelsea were also thought to be in the race to sign the
27-year-old former Arsenal midfielder.
England under-21 international Jenkinson turned down a move to Sunderland
last month as he wanted to stay in East London.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham take Wimbledon's Daniel Agyei on trial amid Chelsea interest
By Jack Watson
Posted on July 2, 2015
squawka.com

West Ham United have offered AFC Wimbledon striker Daniel Agyei a trial amid
interest from Chelsea, according to the Daily Mail. The Hammers are having a
big summer after waving goodbye to Sam Allardyce and replacing him with
Slaven Bilic, who almost won the Turkish Super Lig with Besiktas last season
as well as knocking Liverpool out of the Europa League. He's a well-known
manager in England having played over here for West Ham during his playing
days, plus he was Croatian manager when Steven McClaren's England failed to
qualify for the European Championships in 2008. They're now seeking ways to
make improvements to their squad too and have offered Agyei the chance to
shine, who is clearly impressing scouts if Premier League champions Chelsea
have also taken a look at him. Agyei scored 29 goals for AFC Wimbledon's
Under-21s' side last season so clearly knows where the goal is and how stick
the ball in it.
West Ham made two great attacking signings of Diafra Sakho and Enner
Valencia last season and they both made exceptional starts before fading
away.
Sakho ended the season with 10 goals while Valencia finished with six fewer
on four, so adding another goal-poacher to the mix can only be a good thing
for the Hammers and for Bilic who will aim for a top ten finish next season.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Report: West Ham set £8m asking price for Stewart Downing amid reported
Newcastle interest
HITC
Olly Dawes

West Ham will reportedly sell Stewart Downing this summer - if they receive
£8m. According to the Daily Mirror, West Ham are willing to entertain offers
of around £8m for midfielder Stewart Downing this summer. Downing, 30,
enjoyed a productive season for West Ham with six goals in 37 games, but now
faces the Upton Park exit after new manager Slaven Bilic brought in
Marseille playmaker Dimitri Payet. Frenchman Payet will be the undoubted
first choice playmaker next season, meaning Downing could be forced out of
the side - and he is attracting Premier League interest. The Daily Star
recently reported that both Newcastle and Sunderland are interested in
signing the England international, with a battle potentially ensuing between
the two North East rivals. Now, the Daily Mirror report that West Ham would
be willing to sell Downing this summer - if they receive an offer of £8m,
having already rejected an offer of £6m from Sunderland.

Money well spent?

Downing played well for West Ham last season, flourishing as the central
playmaker in a 4-3-1-2 system under ex-Hammers boss Sam Allardyce. If either
Sunderland or Newcastle have plans to play Downing in that role, then he
could well be a good signing - but there are plenty of concerns. Downing
turns 31 later this month, and forking out £8m for a player of that age with
little resale value should be of great concern, especially for Newcastle,
who need to be signing young, hungry players, rather than paying so much for
a player who could be in decline soon.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Obiang and Hendrie train for West Ham, along with 16-year-old Reece Oxford
HITC
Dan Coombs

West Ham have been preparing for tonight's Europa League fixture. West Ham
United have been busy training in yesterday's searing July heat ahead of
their Europa League qualifying match against Lusitanos. Led by Slaven Bilic
and first team coach Julian Dicks, the players were put through their paces
as they prepare for their early season kick-off. Featuring in the training
session were new signings central midfielder Pedro Obiang, who joined from
Sampdoria, and full-back Stephen Hendrie, who joined from Scottish side
Hamilton. Neither are in line to start for the club on Thursday evening,
with academy manager Terry Westley announced the starting line-up at a press
conference, published by the Hammers' official Twitter account, with the
team listed below.
West Ham starting XI to play Lusitanos: Randolph, O'Brien, Tomkins, Burke,
Page, Oxford, Amalfitano, Poyet, Jarvis, Sakho, Zarate.

Mauro Zarate has a second chance to impress after falling out of favour
under Sam Allardyce last season, and Diego Poyet also goes straight into the
side after returning from the under-20 World Cup where he starred for
Uruguay. The most notable name set to appear on the teamsheet in England
under-17 star Reece Oxford, just 16, who is in line to make his first start
for the Hammers. Oxford is pictured below in training with young teammates
Emmanuel Onariase and Jordan Brown.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Crystal Palace and West Ham in battle to sign Yohan Cabaye
Both clubs are willing to meet PSG's £10 million asking price
telegraph.co.uk
Jason Burt 10:22PM BST 01 Jul 2015

Crystal Palace and West Ham United are going head-to-head to try and bring
the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Yohan Cabaye back to the Premier League.
Both clubs have indicated they are willing to meet PSG's £10 million asking
price for the French international who has been told he can leave although
Palace manager Alan Pardew's strong relationship with the 29-year-old – who
he coached at Newcastle United – may prove decisive. Although Cabaye left
Newcastle under difficult circumstances he maintained a good friendship with
Pardew who wants to make him one of three significant signings at Palace
this summer as the club aims to consolidate its top-flight status. Palace
have been in talks with PSG for some time but they are not going to have a
free run at Cabaye with West Ham hoping that their potential – with the move
to the Olympic Stadium next season and the arrival of Slaven Bilic as their
new manager – could prove decisive.
Cabaye was signed for £19million by PSG from Newcastle in January 2014 but
has fallen out of the first-team reckoning with the French champions having
informed him he can find a new club.
Cabaye needs to re-establish himself as a regular first-team player having
been warned that his he will not regain a place in the France squad – ahead
of Euro 2016 – unless he does so.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham step up pursuit to bring Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson back on
loan... and give trial to Wimbledon striker Daniel Agyei
By SIMON JONES FOR MAILONLINE and MATT MALTBY FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 20:48, 1 July 2015 | UPDATED: 22:05, 1 July 2015

West Ham have stepped up their pursuit to bring Arsenal defender Carl
Jenkinson back on loan following his successful spell last season. The right
back impressed at Upton Park and helped the Hammers secure a 12th placed
finish in the Premier League. And with a lack of full back options,
Sportsmail understands the east London club are keen on signing Jenkinson
for a second-consecutive season. West Ham have stepped up their pursuit to
bring Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson back on loan in the summer The England
international made 36 appearances in all competitions last season but is
behind Hector Bellerin and Mathieu Debuchy in the pecking order at Arsenal.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is happy to allow Jenkinson to get more matches
under his belt on a temporary basis. West Ham United's Carl Jenkinson
applauds the fans after the final whistle during the Barclays Premier League
match at Upton Park, London. Meanwhile, the Hammers are expected to give a
trial to AFC Wimbledon striker Daniel Agyei, who has also courted the
interest of Chelsea, on Thursday. Teenager Agyei scored 29 goals for AFC
Wimbledon U18s last season and will be given the opportunity to prove his
worth at West Ham.

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Reece Oxford will become youngest ever player to represent West Ham by
featuring against FC Lusitans at tender age of 16
By ANTHONY HAY FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 21:17, 1 July 2015 | UPDATED: 07:01, 2 July 2015

Reece Oxford will write his name in West Ham's history books by making his
competitive debut against against FC Lusitans at the tender age of 16.
Oxford has been included in West Ham's experimental starting line-up to take
on the Andorran side in Thursday's UEFA Europa League first round qualifying
tie. England Under 17 starlet Oxford will break Billy Williams' record.
Williams had held the title of West Ham's youngest ever player for 93 years.


WEST HAM XI VS FC LUSITANS
Randolph; O'Brien, Tomkins (c), Burke, Page; Amalfitano, Poyet, Oxford,
Jarvis; Sakho, Zarate

Williams made his competitive debut at the age of 16 years and 221 days,
while Oxford will make his competitive bow at 16 years and 198 days. Oxford
came close to making his first senior appearance for the Hammers during the
2014-15 campaign. He was an unused substitute for West Ham's Barclays
Premier League matches against Liverpool, Manchester United, Southampton,
Queens Park Rangers and Burnley as well as in the east London side's Capital
One Cup defeat by Sheffield United in August. West Ham academy manager Terry
Westley will take charge of Thursday's match at Upton Park as Slaven Bilic
has decided to watch the European tie from the stands.

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'We'll see if he's as good as we think' West Ham wonderkid set for debut
London 24
06:50 02 July 2015 Brad Pinard

West Ham are set to hand a competitive debut to 16-year-old Reece Oxford in
tonight's Europa League first qualifying game v Andorran side Lusitanos. A
full house at Upton Park will watch a Hammers XI, featuring a number of
first team players, take to the field with more than five weeks to go until
the start of the Premier League season. One man who will also start is
England under-17 captain Oxford, who will line up in midfield alongside
Diego Poyet. The youngster signed a new contract with the club last year
after being linked with the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal, and academy boss
Terry Westley who will take charge against Lusitanos is hoping he can cope
with the occasion. "We will find out about him," Westley said. "We will find
out whether he can handle the pressure of the big situation, whether he is
as good as we think he is. "We won't know that with him on the bench or in
the stand. "He has an opportunity and the talking has to stop. "If he is
going to be one of the best we have produced he has to be some player with
Tomkins here and then Lampard, Cole, Ferdinand and the rest weren't bad.
"Where he is at his age, he has done exactly what he needs to do. "Some
questions will be answered tomorrow." Some areas of West Ham fans were
disappointed not to see more academy players given a chance under Sam
Allardyce. However Westley thinks former boss Big Sam has left the younger
players in a good position going into this campaign. "You've got to be good
enough," he added. "I spent three years at the Premier League and my job was
to bring through more youngsters. "They have to be good enough but you do
need opportunities and that is why this competition is such a good chance
for us. "People now have to step forward and prove they are good enough. "I
think Sam was good in that respect, right at the end with Reece Burke
playing and Reece Oxford was around the squad. "That is why I was brought to
the club, to have three or four home-grown players playing in the Olympic
Stadium next season, that is what this club is about. "We have to try and
develop the players to be good enough for that."

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'His knowledge of European players is fantastic' West Ham transfer targets
tipped to be a success
London 24
07:10 02 July 2015 Brad Pinard

Slaven Bilic has an extraordinary knowledge of top European players,
according to Hammers coach Terry Westley. The east enders take on Lusitanos
in their opening Europa League clash of the season tonight and Westley will
take charge. Bilic is on his way back from Cork, where the Hammers first
team is based at present, and will fly back out to work with his proper
squad after the game. The Hammers have already nabbed Pedro Obiang and
Dimitri Payet from Europe and more are set to follow with two new signings
expected before the start of next week. Bilic has a superb knowledge of
players, having worked in different countries and at international level,
and he can bring that to Upton Park. "His knowledge of European players is
fantastic," Westley said. The way he talks about players, he is a very
intelligent manager and I am sure he will bring that to the job. "He has
been very respectful. "He knows we know the players and what we are doing.
He has been respectful in terms of training and setting the team up. "We
have spoken about the team and what shape he wants to play, I've no doubt
tomorrow he will make changes if he wants to."

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WEST HAM JOIN RACE FOR STRIKER
West Ham have joined the heavily contested race to sign striker Chris Martin
this summer.
Several other Premier League clubs are interested in the Derby man.
Rob Mullis 7 hours ago
ironscircle.com

According to reports, West Ham are prepared to bring Derby County striker,
Chris Martin, to East London, but will face competition from several Premier
League clubs.
Slaven Bilic's new employers will be looking to go head-to-head with
Martin's former boss at Derby, Steve McClaren, who has recently taken over
at Newcastle United. Crystal Palace, Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion
are also looking to bring the Scotland international up to top-flight
football. The striker himself may prefer to join Alan Pardew at Palace,
where he scored 7 goals in 26 games between 2011 and 2012.
West Ham though, are looking to bolster the squad ahead of a first European
campaign in 9 years, where striking options will be tested to the full and
goals are a must. Chris Martin has scored a total of 45 goals in two years
at Rams; more than any Hammers striker in that time.
Derby County may face a serious challenge to hold onto the 26 year-old who
might offer better value for money than QPR's Charlie Austin, who has been
rumoured to be in Claret and Blue sights.
None the less, if Martin does join, West Ham may be forced to offload one of
the barrage of strikers available for this season, boosted by the returns of
Mauro Zarate and Modibo Maiga.

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Alex Song set for West Ham return after exercising in NEW club training
shorts despite still being on Barcelona's books
By SEAN GALLAGHER FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 01:16, 2 July 2015 | UPDATED: 01:40, 2 July 2015

Alex Song has fuelled speculation that he is closing in on a return to West
Ham after uploading a video on Instagram of him training in the club's new
training shorts in the gym on Wednesday. The 27-year-old, who impressed for
the Hammers during a loan spell last season, is believed to have been at the
club's training base when doing the exercise drills. The shorts, pictured
below, are available to buy via the club's official superstore for £27.99.

As Sportsmail revealed on Monday, the Cameroon international has agreed
personal terms with the east London side and is now awaiting a medical ahead
of a permanent move. A fee is yet to be agreed with Barcelona for the
former Arsenal midfielder though, with the Hammers keen to land Song on a
free transfer ideally. Despite this the transfer is expected to go through
and could be completed within the next 72 hours. New West Ham boss Slaven
Bilic is also hopeful of landing former loanee Carl Jenkinson from the
Emirates, as well as Monaco defender Aymen Abdennour and Lille midfielder
Idrissa Gueye.

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