Daily WHUFC News - 15th August 2015

From the Boardroom - David Sullivan
WHUFC.com

What a fantastic week this has been for the football Club and I was so proud of how the team came away with a memorable 2-0 victory over Arsenal last weekend. We have not enjoyed the best of records at Emirates Stadium over the last few years so it was extra pleasing to get the victory against one of the best teams in the Premier League. I was delighted with how the team performed and everything came together on the day. The players were magnificent and you could see straight away the great team spirit and how everyone was working hard for each other throughout the ninety minutes. What more can I say about our magnificent away support. I know the players have been saying it felt like a home game at Arsenal because you were so loud and your support helped the team claim a memorable win. I have to pay special tribute to Slaven Bilic and the way he got his tactics spot on against one of the best managers in the game. We restricted the number of chances they created on goal and it was great to see people like James Tomkins, who was playing out of position at right back produce such a fantastic display.

Slaven must have enjoyed his first game back in the Premier League and we hope he can maintain that winning feeling as we prepare to play two consecutive home games at the Boleyn Ground. I know it is going to be a special final season as we prepare to leave our famous old stadium and we are planning to have a number of t hemed matches over the coming months. Saturday is 'Claret and Blue Day' and I hope you will get to the game early and enjoy all the festivities around the Stadium.

I saw that David Gold changed the colour of his car this week and I also got into the spirit wearing my claret and blue hat. I hope all the fans will make it a colourful afternoon in east London. We will have face painters, DJ's and number of events taking place and I would urge all the supporters to dress up in claret and blue and together we can make this season one to remember. I am expecting another tough game against Leicester and they showed the quality they have when they beat Sunderland 4-2 in the first game. The bookies give us a 50 per cent chance of winning, but if you really get behind the team I hope we can shorten those odds !

Like everyone, I am really looking forward to seeing Reece Oxford in action once again and it was amazing to see how well he performed on his Premier League debut last weekend. Reece doesn't seem fazed by anything and looked so comfortable playing against some of the best players in the top flight. It is hard to believe he is only 16, but I know that Slaven will manage him well and will continue to get the best out of him. Reece will be picking up the Doris Bell award for the Young Academy Player of the Year before kick-off and that is testament to how far he has come. Credit must go to Terry Westley and our Academy staff for the way they have nurtured Reece's development so well over the past few years.

We have been busy in the transfer market this summer and it was great to see two of our big arrivals Angelo Ogbonna and Dimitri Payet have such an immediate impact in the first-team. Ogbonna forged an impressive partnership with Winston Reid and produced a commanding display at the heart of the defence. I said when Payet came into the Club that he is a world class player and he showed straight away the quality that he is going to bring to the first-team this season. It was a fantastic free-kick that picked out Cheikhou Kouyate for the first goal and I'm sure that all the forwards will be relishing playing alongside him. We are still working hard behind the scenes to bring in another forward but we want to ensure we get the best possible deal for West Ham United. I want to assure you all I will be doing everything I can to bring in the right players to make the squad stronger.

I hope you enjoy the game on Saturday and we can maintain our impressive start to the campaign.

Come on you Irons.

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Jack Sullivan Column
WHUFC.com

Jack Sullivan is the youngest son of West Ham United Joint-Chairman David Sullivan and is a huge Hammers fan. Jack will be giving his exclusive views to the official website in a regular column...

Hello everyone,

Quite simply – an amazing week for everyone at West Ham United.

I have been to Arsenal a few times over the last few years and it is fair to say we have not enjoyed the best of results coming away from Emirates Stadium.

I remember when dad told me the team that Slaven had picked, I could not believe that Reece Oxford would be making his Premier League debut at just 16.

I actually thought we could come away with a 1-1 draw and when we took our seats for the game I could never have envisaged what was about to happen.

Kouyate scored a great header right on half-time and it was the perfect time for us to score a goal.

We came out for the second half and as always my older brother Dave was the last to take his seat as he is very superstitious.

But it definitely paid off as we then scored a second goal and I love Mauro Zarate. I know Petr Cech came under fire for the goal but Zarate's turn and shot was fantastic.

The whole team were just magnificent. James Tomkins was asked to play at right back and he stood his ground and never gave the Arsenal wingers any real opportunity to cause us a major threat.

Sakho worked so hard for the team and showed how much he is prepared to help his team-mates defensively as well.

Ogbonna was fantastic on his Premier League debut and he made several crucial blocks during the game. I like him a lot and and he looks very relaxed on the ball.

We worked much harder than Arsenal and now we move onto Leicester. We have to get a result and make it two out of two.

This is the start of our final ever season at the Boleyn Ground and we are marking our first home game with a 'Claret and Blue Day' on Saturday.

We had a similar thing at Birmingham where everything was turned blue and I hope the fans will turn up in their claret and blue colours.

There will be face painters outside and I'm sure the fans will make it a memorable final season.

If we are lucky with injuries and we continue to show the same kind of passion that was evident against Arsenal, I really feel this could be a special season for everyone at the Club.

It was great to meet up with a number of our fans at the Club Day that we held at the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday.

I turned up as Bubbles and really enjoyed it. It is something that I have always wanted to do.

I wanted to actually do it in a league game, but I thought there would be too much pressure.

But Dad said to me it would be a good idea for me to do it at open training session and it was great to see so many people turn up and support the team.

I didn't realise how hot it was going to be inside the outfit and I was dripping with sweat when I came back into the changing room but it was well worth it.

Dave was telling me that people wanted me to sign autographs which I was more than happy to do. Days like that are all about the fans.

We did a penalty shoot-out at the end of the session and myself and Dave went to pick out people from the crowd. It was a dream come true for some of them.

We managed to get Raphael Spiegel in goal and I managed to score against him as I hammered the ball into the corner of the net.

I hope the fans enjoyed it just as much as we did.

Let's make it a special atmosphere against Leicester on Saturday and continue this amazing start to the campaign.

I look forward to speaking with you all again soon.


Jack

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Ogbonna - I made the right move
WHUFC.com

Angelo Ogbonna has no doubts that he made the right decision to join West Ham United during the summer and believes he can achieve big things with the east London Club this season. Ogbonna joined the Hammers from Italian giants Juventus and showed his quality straight away when he made a superb debut against Arsenal last Sunday. The Italy international forged an immediate partnership with Winston Reid at the heart of the defence and was commanding throughout the 90 minutes as he kept the Arsenal forwards at bay. Ogbonna is relishing the chance to make his first Premier League appearance at the Boleyn Ground against Leicester on Saturday and hopes to maintain the winning start to the campaign. Ogbonna said: "I talked with the coach and he explained to me what he wanted to do with this Club. "The manager sold me the story and I feel it is better for my career to come to West Ham now. I know I will play now and I don't think about last year. I have to think about this year. "I was very happy with my first match and we are now looking forward. We knew it would be a difficult game but we need to take it step by step. "I know the manager of Leicester and we will prepare everything for Saturday. I was so proud of Reece Oxford and it was a pleasure for me to play alongside him. He understands everybody and wants to learn."

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Put that chicken away, missus! Hammers' hubris still unjustified (for now)
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 14th August 2015
By: David Meagher

Without doubt Sunday's win at the Emirates was a delicious moment for Hammers fans who have long suffered at the hands of their neighbours from North London. Breaking a 15-game run without a win in the fixture has undoubtedly raised spirits, and expectations, at West Ham.

David Sullivan has been perhaps the most vocal, openly speaking in the Sunday Times of Champions League qualification and the likes, while gaffer Slaven Bilic has stated that a top four place is not beyond the reach of the club in the immediate future.

Such talk is patently unrealistic given that the club have already crashed out of the Europa League where they were forced to field a development squad in the last round in order to maintain a credible Premiers League starting XI for Sunday. As a result, they have exited Europe but perhaps more tellingly is the quality of the bench on Sunday. Nolan, Jarvis, Maiga...hardly the stuff of top half Premier League squads!

On the up side, although many fans have expressed concern that the change of leadership and/or European commitments during this season could end in relegation tears, the quality of the Hammers back five is way too strong for such nonsense.

Moreover, when you add the deep midfield pairing (perm any two from Noble, Kouyate, Song and Obiang) included in Bilic's favoured 4-2-3-1 system, we will be tough to beat and it's hard to see us not picking up enough results to guarantee safety.

On the flip side, a lack of true striking firepower will undermine our efforts to win enough games to really challenge up top of the league. Two offensive signings and some good luck with injuries could change that picture considerably.

Last season the club maintained an excellent run all the way until Christmas at which point their lack of squad depth undermined their charge.

This season they are already creaking with news that their (only?) available striker has been arrested and charged with a variety of alleged offences, while Morgan Amalfitano has been banished to train with the kids, thus reducing the threadbare options on the wing.

The farcical media circus over the past few days regarding the potential signing of Joey Barton has conveniently deflected attention from the fact that we need a right back, another wide player and at least one striker before we can even consider mounting a challenge for top half status.

All of this presumes that we will also sign Alex Song, along the way.

At present, we are (joint) top of the league, but talk of Champions League places is frankly foolish. These are good times at the club with a new stadium and a host of exciting young players coming through.

The new management appears astute and clearly has the backing of the fans. In Dimitri Payet we appear to have captured a player who may be the most naturally talented that we have had since Di Canio.

Big Sam raised us from a club in Championship disarray to comfortable Premier League status over four years. Bilic and his team hope to achieve a similar level of elevation to top six status, but may well need a similar time frame.

It's worth reminding ourselves that after half-an-hour on Sunday we had held Arsenal goalless but picked up three key bookings along the way. It's hard to imagine that we would have emerged with very much if we had gone down to ten men?

Patience folks, we are on an ascending curve. Last Sunday was a notable peak, but the central tendency is one of slow but sustained growth.

A top half finish this season would be more than acceptable, and let the increased income from the final Boleyn season (yes, prices have gotten awful expensive!) and increased capacity of the OS drive a push for a squad that is truly Champions League in quality and depth.

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Bilic: Reece Oxford reminds me of a young Rio Ferdinand
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 14th August 2015
By: Staff Writer

Slaven Bilic has told the BBC that Reece Oxford reminds him of former team mate Rio Ferdinand. Bilic played alongside the now former England international when he was emerging through the ranks at the Boleyn Gournd in the mid 1990s. And 20 years on, West Ham manager told BBC's Football Focus says the 16-year-old Oxford is the closest thing he's seen to Ferdinand since those days. The full interview may be seen on Football Focus on BBC1, Saturday lunchtime.

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Allardyce: Europe a step too far
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 14th August 2015
By: Staff Writer

Former Hammers boss Sam Allardyce believes that West Ham will struggle to qualify for Europe this season - despite last weekend's breathtaking start to the campaign. Slaven Bilic's new-look West Ham got their Premier League campaign off to the perfect start at the Emirates last weekend with a 2-0 win over London rivals Arsenal. However Allardyce maintains that Bilic and his squad will still have their work cut out to emulate his team's qualification - albeit via the fair play table. "If David Sullivan and David Gold have told Slaven Bilic that they expect to get into Europe this year then I think it's way beyond the capabilities of the squad at this moment in time," he told Bein Sports. "I told them that. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why they didn't renew my contract in the end. "

Allardyce, who remains out of work also admitted that he had fallen out with his employers towards the end of his tenure due to their changing demands."I did everything they asked for and they wanted more, and I found that extremely ungrateful in terms of what I'd done for them," he complained. "West Ham was a case of building a broken football club back up again. [Achieving promotion] was the biggest job I had done in one season. "Ultimately, my biggest problem was finishing tenth in the first year; I would have been much better off finishing fourth from bottom."

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Slaven Bilic's vision sold Angelo Ogbonna on West Ham move
Last Updated: 14/08/15 11:20am
SSN

Angelo Ogbonna admits Slaven Bilic's vision for West Ham was what sold him on a move there from Champions League finalists Juventus. The Italian international was the second eight-figure signing of the summer at Upton Park after Dimitri Payet when he moved to England last month. Leaving the team which has won the last four Serie A titles for a side which was 12th in the Premier League last term might be seen by some as a surprise move by Ogbonna. The 27-year-old admits Bilic's words convinced him his future lay in London, however, and he is relishing the chance to play regularly after being in and out of Juventus' first XI last term. Now Ogbonna is looking to build on last week's impressive win over Arsenal and he said: "I talked with the manager and he explained to me what he wants to do with this club.
"The manager sold me the story and I feel it is better for my career to come to West Ham now. I know I will play now and I don't think about last year. I have to think about this year. "I am very happy but it (the Arsenal win) was only the first match so we are looking forward and not just thinking about what we did in the first match. "We knew it was a difficult game but there are a lot of difficult games so we have to concentrate on the next game and take things step by step." Ogbonna's team-mate Reece Oxford was praised for his display against Arsenal last week and the defender admits he is learning from the 16-year-old as much as he is taking tips from others.
He added: "It's not just me giving him my experience but also our experience together. He helps me and I help him. "We are only one group and we follow what our coach teaches us and maybe, step by step, everything will be good for us. It's a pleasure to play with someone as young as him. "He's a very quiet boy and I'm very proud of him because he understands everybody and wants to learn everything. He wants to learn all the tactics and methods. I'm very happy for him."

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Slaven Bilic vows to restore West Ham's famous 'Football Academy' to its former glory
0 COMMENTS22:30, 14 AUGUST 2015
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA
Hammers churned out homegrown heroes including Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard and boss is optimistic a new breed of stars is on the way
The Mirror

Slaven Bilic hopes Reece Oxford will be the first of a new batch of West Ham wonderkids. The Hammers lived up to their Academy of Football nickname in the 1990s when the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick came through the ranks. Bilic remembers those days well having been a player at the club at the time and a team-mate of Lampard and Ferdinand as they started out. The Upton Park boss gave 16-year-old Oxford his Premier League debut in West Ham's 2-0 win at Arsenal on Sunday. "In all of the best teams over the last 20 to 30 years, the core of the team were homegrown players, plus four or five foreigners were really top class and who added quality," said Bilic. "You can't buy that, you can't beat that harmony when it happens. "Nowadays in football, it's very hard to do that as you want instant success. "But West Ham have to make a balance. West Ham was always known for producing really good players.
"In the last 15 to 20 years maybe the best academy in England, if you take Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Michael Carrick, Glen Johnson, Joe Cole and many, many more. "We will try to do it again. "We have a few very good youngsters, not only Reece, a few more. We have to be careful with them. "Of course, some of them will go on loan, some of them we will keep. And if the possibility occurs, we will give them a chance."

The spotlight has been on defender Oxford since his starring role at Arsenal last week but Bilic wants to keep a lid on the hype as the Hammers prepare for Saturday's home match against Leicester. He said: "He's just normal. He's just the same Reece Oxford. I haven't known him for ages so I can't notice some changes but I think it's more us that are thinking about it rather than him. "But it would be best for ­everyone to stop talking about Reece Oxford. For him definitely and also for us at the football club, to concentrate not just on Oxford but on all the players."

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West Ham unimpressed with Sam Allardyce over claim they were 'ungrateful' not to give him new deal
0 COMMENTS22:07, 14 AUGUST 2015
BY DARREN LEWIS
Big Sam claimed that he did "everything they asked for and wanted more" and believes that he warranted a new contract at Upton Park
The Mirror

West Ham are unimpressed at Sam Allardyce's claim that they are "ungrateful" for not giving him a new contract. It is understood that the club feel that they backed him substantially in the transfer market during his time at Upton Park and gave him every chance to earn a prolonged stay. Big Sam, succeeded by Slaven Bilic, led the Irons back into the Premier League three years ago. He left, however, at the end of last season when his deal expired. Speaking to beIN Sports this week he said: "I did everything they asked for and they wanted more. I found that extremely ungrateful in terms of what I'd done for them. 'The West Ham Way' is obviously not winning every week, like I tried to do! "I did everything they asked for and they wanted more, and I found that extremely ungrateful in terms of what I'd done for them.

David Gold and the Hammers were not happy with Allardyce's claims. "They thought we could get into Europe [West Ham did play for Europe via the Fair Play table] and thought they might be able to get to a cup final. That wasn't in the format of the job description when I started. "I don't take kindly to people who don't appreciate what you do for them."

Allardyce sealed his own fate with the club's poor run of form under him during the second half of the campaign, a period during which he managed to win just three League games after Boxing Day. There was also frustration that £15.7million striker Andy Carroll was unavailable for much of the last two years. The Hammers turned down the chance to bring in cheaper strikers such as Wilfried Bony, who has since impressed for Swansea and been sold to Manchester City, because of Big Sam's faith in Carroll.

Striker Modibo Maiga, who cost £6million, managed six goals in 42 appearances and has twice been loaned out while £8.5million Matt Jarvis and £5.5million Kevin Nolan are surplus to requirements. West Ham received far better for money once they took a more hands-on role regarding transfers last summer. Left-back Aaron Cresswell, brought in for £3.5million from Ipswich, has since been coveted by Chelsea and Manchester City. Striker Diafra Sakho, not initially wanted by Allardyce, cost an initial £2.5million and scored in eight of his first ten matches with a total of 12 goals in an injury-affected season. And free transfer Mauro Zarate, frozen out by Allardyce last season, is back in the fold and has returned to form with goals in each of his last two games, the latest against Arsenal last weekend.

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Transfer news: Bilic nails the Irons striker dilemma
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 14, 2015 in News
C AND H

Earlier today Slaven Bilic spoke of the difficulties of signing strikers . It was a timely intervention in the debate – or perhaps more accurately – a chorus of disapproval that has been doing the rounds on social media. Among the many songs being sung are two which are so familiar they hardly need putting into words: " The f…ing board wants to get its so and so finger out " and "give him what he f…ing wants."

If only life was so simple and thankfully the manager has a more realistic attitude and better understanding of the way things work.
He's been quoted today as saying it's not easy, that it's frustrating even for clubs that have no limit whatsoever budget-wise – ESPECIALLY with front men.

If you don't believe him take a look at Manchester United who are being baulked at every turn in their striker search – just one major reason why we can't prise Javier Hernandez away.

Beyond that there are personal terms to settle, last minute overnight changes of mind as was the case with Raul Jimenez, clubs holding out on fees, agents' commissions and late bids from rival clubs. Then there re hidden issues of which the public never become aware such as injury and fitness problems – it can be one dilemma on top of another.

Accusing a board of not getting their fingers out is just silly and leaves the impression that for reasons which are never made clear, the board don't want to do business. Slav has a talent for putting his finger on key issues at the right time. Yes it's annoying and frustrating amd social media is like the old public bars where we can all let loose with a volley of abuse if we want.

Sadly it won't make one iota of difference ( although it may make us feel better). The best way forward I politely suggest is to exercise a little patience. After all there's still over two weeks to go until the window closes and we all know the real business is done at the end anyway.

Oh yes, you MAY NOW GO TO BED!

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EXCLUSIVE: Irons dismiss links to Turkish striker
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 14, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Reports that Turkish goal ace Burak Yilmaz is lined up for a move to West Ham are well wide of the mark.

Claims coming out of Turkey tonight suggest the deal is all but done – which is surprising news to the West Ham power brokers!

The 30-year-old remains at the centre of rumours claiming the Hammers are set to complete a deal at between £9-10 million.

But ClaretandHugh was told exclusively: "That's all news to us!

"We know about the player, but the chances of him joining us are no more than 10 per cent!"

Turkish media had claimed the striker was set to sign a three-year deal worth around £48,000-a-week.

But that is way wide of the mark, according to senior executives at the Boleyn.

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EXCLUSIVE: Zarate making a big impression on Bilic
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 14, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Mauro Zarate's rebirth at West Ham looks to have secured his future under Slaven Bilic. The Argentine striker looked set to leave Upton Park at the end of last season, but despite a troubled period in London he has found an admirer in the new manager. And a well placed West Ham source told ClaretandHugh: "Everybody is delighted for him after the events of last season when it looked as though he would be on his way. "His loan to Queens Park Rangers was not easy for him when there was all the publicity about his fitness doing the rounds."

He was even have fined two weeks' wages for throwing a tantrum before the game against Liverpool after storming out after failing to make the matchday squad at Anfield and returned to the capital on his own The Upton Park hierarchy, however, are delighted at the way he has settled down under the new manager who has given him plenty of match time and been rewarded with two goals in five appearances – including the opener in the League game at Arsenal. ClaretandHugh was told exclusively: "Mauro has worked so hard in pre-season and made a great start in European games and last weekend. The manager is very pleased and the player's future looks more and more secure."

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EXCLUSIVE: Fans vent fury over Allardyce outburst
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 14, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

So the cat is out of the bag and now we really know what Sam Allardyce thinks about our team – and the club's owners.And, surprise, surprise, the results have gone down like a lead balloon with Irons fans! Since we published the news that Big Sam had broken his silence on his Irons departure, ClaretandHugh readers have been telling us what they think of our former manager.

And the stark reality is they're not impressed!

Fan comments

Here's a sample reaction to Allardyce's outburst from infuriated Hammers fans:

oldiron: "Really, what did he expect, 3 wins between Christmas and the seasons end, god he is pathetic if that is a criteria to keep your job. Go away Sam we don't want to listen to you, you are only making yourself look pathetic . Go and find a team to manage and leave West Ham alone, we will be fine. The more you go on and the more people look at your last 4 months of management you will be lucky to get a job. Be gone and be silent."

rugbyirons: "I've changed my mind. Keep talking Allardyce. The more you say the more you can be seen for what you were. Pathetic."

RayStewartsRightPeg: "Apparently the Natural History musuem is making space for when the bones of the newly discovered Egosaurus is dug up – although they do suspect it'll lack a backbone."

essexclarets: "West Ham being ungrateful? Really? They paid him £3m a year and dared to ask for the team to win…. he knew that he wasn't going to stay for a long long time. No sh*t Sherlock! Watching the crap dished up since last xmas you could see he didn't give a toss anymore."

Michael Miller: "It just reinforces what I always thought of BFS – a nasty bit of work, no class, out of touch, self-obsessed, egotistical, hypocritical, – I could go on…"

HamburgHammer: "Hard to find a more self-promoting, egotistical, deluded, arrogant and bitter manager out there. Things are never his fault, it's always other people or circumstances. Why did he leave Bolton ? Well, he told us because that club didn't match his ambition. So now his latest club had ambition, but failed to put that in his job description apparently and didn't buy Messi for him to achieve that ambition.
Last year we were reminded by those defending and supporting Allardyce that we should be grateful for him helping to stabilise our club.
Which I did in the end despite me still feeling very relieved he's gone. After reading all that stuff even my sense of gratitude stats to dissolve.
No matter what happens at our club, even after leaving our club Allardyce will continue to linger: If we do well this season, it'll all be because of his fantastic groundwork he did in the last four years, leaving Bilic such a brilliant team.
If things don't go so well, it'll be because Allardyce is no longer with us."

RayStewartsRightPeg: "I get tired of him banging on about he got promoted as asked. Actually, despite arguably the best squad in the Championship and one of the best transfer budgets, he only managed to luckily scrape through via the Play Offs. Look at the two managers who did better than him in the Championship that sacked – both sacked within months in the PL, one now out of work and the other plying his talents in League 1. Lets not even mention Holloway and Blackpool. I bet none of that is included on his CV!"

essexclarets: "If he wants to see someone who is ungrateful, he should look in a mirror. He was paid £12 million in the 4 years he was manager, what did he really think paying him that amount of money was for..? We were the worst team in the PL since xmas last season & only because we had a 4 game winning run the year before that we didn't get relegated then."

As you can imagine, there's a lot more vitriol from where these came from. So please take a look at the comments section of our news and whispers articles.

And remember, if you've got a view on Allardyce, or anything else to do with West Ham, please share it with the Claretand Hugh community.

We'd love to know what you think.

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EXCLUSIVE: Bilic gives green light to new Song deal
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on August 14, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Slaven Bilic has told the club's owners to pursue the Alex Song deal. ClaretandHugh has reported that the club had been keen to get the defensive midfielder on board since before former Croatia boss, Bilic, arrived in east London. Some fans believed these ambitions may have changed due to Slav's arrival – but we have learned Bilic is an admirer of the Barcelona player and would love to include him in his plans for the new season. A highly placed Hammers source confirmed that the club are monitoring the player's rehab programme since he underwent an ankle operation. He told ClaretandHugh exclusively: "The plan would be to bring him in ahead of the window closing. "He may not be ready for anything up to six weeks after that, but better that than have to wait until the January window. Slaven is an admirer of the player and is happy for the deal to go ahead."

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West Ham won't allow Reece Oxford to get big-headed, says Slaven Bilic after teenage wonderkid's dream debut
By SAMI MOKBEL FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 22:29, 14 August 2015 | UPDATED: 22:29, 14 August 2015

Slaven Bilic has told wonderkid Reece Oxford he will not tolerate any arrogance following the 16-year-old's league debut. The midfielder excelled as he started last weekend's 2-0 win at Arsenal, underlining his status as one of the country's best talents. However, Bilic has urged his youngster to stay grounded or face the consequences. 'If he goes a little bit down or big-headed then you have to react, of course,' said the Croat. 'I think that in every situation where suddenly something happens it changes the daily routine of the player.
'It doesn't matter if he's 20 or 30. It can happen to any person and we just have to be aware to monitor that sort of situation.'
Meanwhile, Angelo Ogbonna has revealed Bilic sold him on his vision for West Ham. The Italian defender picked up two Serie A titles during his time with Juventus but said he had been lured to east London with the promise of regular first-team football. 'The manager sold me the story and I feel it is better for my career to come to West Ham now,' he said. 'I know I will play now and I don't think about last year.'

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Report: West Ham once again interested in Carlos Vela, despite £21m release clause
HITC
Mathew Nash

The Hammers are on the look out for a forward and the Mexican appears to be back on the radar. West Ham's pursuit of a striker in recent weeks has certainly been a major topic of discussion. With Andy Carroll and Enner Valencia both out with injury the club are short in the attacking department. Up to now the players linked with West Ham have been those not wanted by their current clubs. The likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Alvaro Negredo and Raul Jimenez spring to mind. Now they are once again being linked with a move for former Arsenal forward Carlos Vela. Vela now plays for David Moyes' Real Sociedad outfit in Spain and has a release clause of £21 million, as reported by The Mirror. The Mexican has been linked with a move to the club by Shoot and the Brentwood Gazette this week as West Ham continue their pursuit for a new striker. It certainly appears odd to see this story rocking up now. West Ham are certainly not likely to meet Vela's massive release clause anytime soon. In fact, it is just over a month since it was heavily reported that Vela had rejected the opportunity to head back to London with West Ham, as reported by The Express. So West Ham fans would do well to pay little attention to talk of Vela's imminent arrival.

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Sam Allardyce: West Ham owners were 'ungrateful'
Last Updated: 14/08/15 11:32am
SSN

Sam Allardyce has launched a scathing attack on West Ham's owners, branding them "ungrateful". The former Hammers boss does not believe the club will qualify for Europe this season and admits his lack of faith in the squad may have ended his chances of getting a new contract. Allardyce, who left in the summer after four years in charge at Upton Park, believes he did everything that co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold had demanded. He said: "The 'West Ham Way' is obviously not winning every week, like I tried to do. "I did everything they asked for and they wanted more, and I found that extremely ungrateful in terms of what I'd done for them. "They thought we could get into and thought they might be able to get to a cup final, and that wasn't in the format of the job description when I started.
"I don't take kindly to people who don't appreciate what you do for them."

The 60-year-old, who is taking a break from management, told beIN Sports: "We both decided to part company in quite an amicable way in the end, but I certainly wasn't going to stay, in my mind, for a long, long time. "If David Sullivan and David Gold have told Slaven Bilic that they expect to get into Europe this year then I think it's way beyond the capabilities of the squad at this moment in time. "I told them that. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why they didn't renew my contract in the end? "Ultimately, my biggest problem was finishing 10th in the first year [back in the Premier League] - I would have been much better off finishing fourth from bottom."

Allardyce was replaced by former Hammers player Slaven Bilic, who began his Premier League campaign with a 2-0 win at Arsenal last Sunday.
Bilic's side are at home to Claudio Ranieri's Leicester City on Saturday.

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"Ungrateful" West Ham slammed by Sam Allardyce as he lifts lid on his Hammers reign
22:30, 13 August 2015
By Adrian Kajumba
"'The West Ham Way' is obviously not winning every week, like I tried to do! I did everything they asked for and they wanted more" says ex-boss
The Mirror

Sam Allardyce has branded West Ham's owners "ungrateful". He has also dismissed his former employers' chances of qualifying for Europe this season but admits his own lack of faith in the squad may have dashed his chances of getting a new Hammers contract.

Allardyce, 60, has lifted the lid on his summer exit after four seasons in charge at Upton Park, telling beIN Sports: "'The West Ham Way' is obviously not winning every week, like I tried to do! "I did everything they asked for and they wanted more, and I found that extremely ungrateful in terms of what I'd done for them. "They thought we could get into Europe [West Ham DID play in Europe this season but only after winning a place in the first qualifying round of the Europa League via the Fair Play Table] and thought they might be able to get to a cup final, and that wasn't in the format of the job description when I started. "I don't take kindly to people who don't appreciate what you do for them. "We both decided to part company in quite an amicable way in the end, but I certainly wasn't going to stay, in my mind, for a long, long time. "If [West Ham co-owners] David Sullivan and David Gold have told [new manager] Slaven Bilic that they expect to get into Europe this year then I think it's way beyond the capabilities of the squad at this moment in time. "I told them that. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why they didn't renew my contract in the end? "West Ham was a case of building a broken football club back up again. [Getting West Ham promoted] was the biggest job I had done in one season. "Ultimately, my biggest problem was finishing tenth in the first year [back in the Premier League] — I would have been much better off finishing fourth from bottom!"

Allardyce's West Ham reign has left him convinced the days of managers ruling a club from top to bottom are over. He added: "A manager today is fast becoming something owners don't want. They [owners] are in charge of the football club and want to see it flourish and the days of the manager being the almighty, dominant power like they used to be are long, long gone and you must build a relationship and understand."

Meanwhile, Bilic has confirmed midfielder Morgan Amalfitano HAS been axed from the first team-fold after a pre-season bust-up with him — as we exclusively revealed on Tuesday. Bilic said: "My first job is to protect the team. To keep the team as a unit, in the best possible way. If I feel that someone is damaging it in a way, I have to react. I had to do it, to keep the harmony, to keep everything in place."
Striker Diafra Sakho remains in contention to face Leicester on Saturday, despite his recent arrest on suspicion of assaulting his girlfriend.

* WEST HAM and Charlton have made their moves as the race for in-demand Dagenham & Redbridge starlet Jodi Jones hots up. The Hammers are understood to have tabled a £250,000 bid for the 17-year-old forward. Championship Charlton have offered £100,000 plus defender Ayo Obileye, who has already spent last season as a teammate of Jones' on loan with the League Two club. Almost 50 scouts attended the Daggers' pre-season friendly against Crystal Palace to watch Jones in action. Charlton's second-tier rivals Sheffield Wednesday and Reading were among the clubs represented and both want to take Jones on trial.

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