Daily WHUFC News - 11th September 2015

Chadwell Chatter - Angelo Ogbonna
WHUFC.com

Hello everybody,

We are still celebrating our victory over Liverpool and it was a great
performance from the team. We had good organisation and everything was
amazing. To end 52-years without a win is a long time for any team and the
coach prepared everything so well. We had a good game.
It is not just about one player but everyone in the team. When we have good
organisation everything gets better. When you win you enjoy the next game so
our preparations have a good feel about it at the moment and we want to put
things right (against Newcastle) because we are very annoyed about our last
two results at home. I hope the new signings will enjoy the West Ham
mentality and everything around the Club. The West Ham attitude is different
to other teams and I hope everyone is comfortable in this team. Alex Song is
a great signing for the Club. We need that kind of experience and he is
someone who has played at another level and it is great for us. We now look
forward to the Newcastle game on Monday night. It is not just about playing
under the lights, but we need to win for our home support. We are focused
and have to do everything to get the result. I want to concentrate and give
everything and all the players will prepare well to win the game. We have
been unlucky at home and we need to change and do something better than what
we did in the last two games. I am really enjoying life in London. I have an
English teacher and I want to improve my English. When I first arrived at
West Ham I said I wanted to improve so I can listen to everyone and
understand what everyone is saying. It might still take me six months to
understand Mark Noble and James Tomkins as they speak with a Cockney accent
but I will understand !!

See you on Monday.

Angelo

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Ricoh imagine change with the Hammers
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to announce an exciting long-term partnership
with global technology giant Ricoh. The deal will see Ricoh supporting West
Ham in servicing the new Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, bringing
state-of-the-art technologies to the Hammers' future home. The new
relationship will revolutionise the West Ham matchday experience come the
big kick-off in August 2016. Ricoh specialises in delivering business and
experience transformation via its IT and document services. The high-profile
partnership is the latest in the Club's ever-increasing sponsorship
portfolio, which continues to give the West Ham United brand further
prominence domestically and overseas.
West Ham United Commercial Director Felicity Barnard said: "We are
absolutely thrilled to be teaming up with a brand of this calibre. Ricoh has
a rich heritage and proven expertise in business and sports sponsorship.
"Above all, this will allow us to improve the supporter experience by
significantly enhancing our matchday offering. We believe this is a really
exciting partnership for the Club and look forward to working very closely
with Ricoh over the coming years."

Chas Moloney, Marketing Director at Ricoh, said: "We are delighted to have
become a partner of West Ham United and are excited to be working with them
on creating an exceptional fan experience at the new Stadium."

Ricoh are renowned for solutions that improve the interaction between people
and information. As a business, it prides itself on the quality of its
technology, the exceptional standard of its customer service and
sustainability initiatives.

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Chauhan relishing life at West Ham
WHUFC.com

Indian international goalkeeper Aditi Chauhan spoke of her huge sense of
pride at playing for West Ham United Ladies. The shotstopper has attracted a
significant amount of media attention since joining the Hammers in the
summer. Speaking before the game against C & K Basildon at the Irons'
Hornchurch home later today, she said: "Playing for West Ham is a big
responsibility. But it is one that I enjoy and am very proud to be able to
play for them. "Since I joined, I've received a lot of messages from people
here and back home. I wasn't really expecting that to be honest. I feel like
I represent my country every time I play, which is a special feeling." While
the Hammers enjoyed an unbeaten pre-season campaign, Marc Nurse's side are
yet to recreate that form in the league, losing both of their opening games.
Despite the tough start, Chauhan is upbeat about her side's chances when
they play local rivals Basildon, who secured four points from their two
matches. "So far this season has certainly been an eye-opener. I feel
like I'm learning all the time and I can feel myself improving. "Overall, my
time in England has been a brilliant experience. I've really had a great
time, the people I've met have been fantastic. "It took a bit of time to
adjust, but the West Ham girls and the management have really helped me.
They've been so supportive and encouraging."

The Ladies host C & K Basildon at AFC Hornchurch tonight, kick off is
7.45pm.

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From the Newsroom - Dave Evans
WHUFC.com

The Recorder Group's West Ham United correspondent Dave Evans reflects on
the Hammers' start to the season and looks at a successful transfer
window...

In some ways the start of the season has been very West Ham, but then
winning at Anfield is not very West Ham as we all know.

That has to be one of the highlights for me, covering West Ham. It wasn't
just a smash and grab raid, but a superb performance. They outplayed
Liverpool and could have scored more.

They couldn't have complained had it been five. Liverpool barely had a
chance and that's not like West Ham games that I have seen there over the
years.

At home it has been a very different story so far, which is a bit of a
surprise because in recent times West Ham have been fairly good at home,
especially at the start of a season.

It's a bit of a puzzler. It seems that maybe the way Slaven has set up the
team has been great for away games, but if you set up the same way at home
it hasn't quite worked because teams sit back on you.

Perhaps he has to change things and perhaps these new signings will help do
that.

It certainly is strength in depth now, but also what West Ham have now is
something a bit different. Apart from Matt Jarvis they didn't really have a
winger. Now they've got two wingers and there's a lot of pace in that team.

I think that's going to help. He might have to play a slightly different
formation to play these wingers, but it gives him different options and if
Andy Carroll is coming back soon you're going to need wingers.

I'm hopeful for the season ahead, especially with the people he has added to
the squad. If there are injuries there are players to cover now.

I'm hoping for a little bit better than mid-table, although mid-table would
be fine this season because the most important thing is to stay in the
Premier League.

I'm thinking eighth, ninth, seventh. Who knows? But I think that would be a
good first season with the squad that he's got.

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Downing - easy to leave West Ham
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 10th September 2015
By: Staff Writer

Former Hammer Stewart Downing says he still has no regrets about leaving
West Ham in the summer - even though it meant dropping a division. The
31-year-old attacking midfielder, speaking in an interview with BBC Tees
claimed it was "an easy decision" to return to his boyhood club, once their
interest became apparent. "I'd spoken to the chairman and [manager] Aitor
[Karanka] and they had good plans here and were looking to strengthen the
team," he said. "He wanted me to be part of that playing as a number 10 or
as a wide man. "For me, it was a very easy decision to make. The chairman
asked if I was up for it and I said 'if you can make the deal happen and you
get me out of West Ham then I'm happy to come back'. "I gave my word that if
it happens then I'll be straight back. Fair play to the chairman, he did it
and got me back as quickly as he could."

The former England international spent two seasons at the Boleyn Ground and
played some of the best football of his career during the first half of last
season under Sam Allardyce. However his form - like that of the rest of the
squad - dipped alarmingly after Christmas and few Hammers fans were
disappointed to see him return to to the North East in July.

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Michail Antonio at West Ham: Winger's journey from non-league
Last Updated: 08/09/15 7:16pm
SSN

Michail Antonio could complete his journey from non-league to Premier League
when West Ham host Newcastle United on Monday Night Football. Adam Bate got
the views of ex-team-mates and coaches to find out more about the Hammers'
new signing…

With Slaven Bilic's West Ham facing Steve McClaren's Newcastle, much of the
focus ahead of Monday Night Football will be on events that happened in
November 2007. It's indicative of how far he's come that West Ham's new £7m
signing Michail Antonio was lining up for Tooting & Mitcham United in the
second tier of the Isthmian League at the time.

Antonio's route to the top has been far from typical. There was no academy
life for him. Even when the big break did come with Reading, he made more
appearances out on loan at five different clubs than he did in four years
for his parent club. Former West Ham man Martin Allen, then in charge of
Cheltenham, was one of the coaches to give him a go.

"I took him on loan," Allen told Sky Sports. "He was a very pacey
right-sider with a long throw. A good athlete and a down-to-earth lad too."
But he was raw. During a later loan spell at Colchester, manager John Ward
described his finishing as "very wayward", bemoaning Antonio's unfortunate
habit of "knocking it on the A12".

There was potential but it would not be realised with the Royals. "Reading
took him and then let him go, surprisingly," added Allen. "They didn't
really sell him for enough money." It was in a Sheffield Wednesday shirt
that Antonio's development would really become apparent - off the field as
well as on it.

David Prutton, now a pundit with Sky Sports, was a team-mate for much of
Antonio's stay at Hillsborough and remains in touch. "I rang him before the
Forest game at the start of the season for a bit of insight," said Prutton.
"He was as good as gold and had plenty of time for me. Let's just say some
players might have been too busy.

"That non-league experience gives him perspective and the grounding you want
in a player. When he came to Wednesday, there was a bit of maturing that
happened that first season that endeared him to the lads too. He really grew
into it. That temperament is going to stand him in good stead."

He was a tremendous team-mate because of the attributes that he's got. He's
tremendously strong and quick. He's just so direct.

It's not that Antonio didn't have an ego, but that it was a positive - "you
need that to perform in front of 20,000 people" - and it wasn't long before
he emerged as Wednesday's most important player. In one of the
Championship's struggling sides, Antonio was the man who provided the
threat.

"He was a tremendous team-mate because of the attributes that he's got,"
said Prutton. "He's tremendously strong and quick. He's just so direct. When
you're at a team like Wednesday were at the time, what you want is that kind
of outlet like Antonio who can carry the ball 40 or 50 yards up the pitch.
He was a massive player for us."

A move to Nottingham Forest followed in 2014 and Antonio proved just as
vital to his new club. He scored 14 goals in the Championship last season
and ranked in the top three in the division for completed dribbles. Prutton,
a former Forest midfielder himself, feels that solo work should not be
underestimated - it's teamwork of a different type.

"There was one stage at Forest last season when Andy Reid and Britt
Assombalonga were out where it was literally, 'Let's give it to Antonio and
see what he can do with it'. That might sound like fun but when it's 90
minutes, twice a week for 10 months, that's going to take its toll. But he
understood and embraced that responsibility." And then some.

There was the goal against Bolton last season where he ran from inside his
own half before cutting inside to score with his right foot, having already
done something similar with his left foot against Brentford earlier in the
campaign. The control and composure to equalise against Fulham last
September was top class too. He's already scored four goals this season.

Now Antonio's lengthy journey from non-league to Premier League is complete.
In contrast, it's a relatively short one via the London Underground from
Tooting & Mitcham's Imperial Fields in Morden to West Ham's Upton Park and
while Antonio admits he's thrilled to be "back in London", the challenge
ahead of him is rather different now.

"West Ham brings the instant glare of the Premier League and competition for
places," said Prutton. "He's not going there as the main man as he was at
Wednesday and he became at Forest. He'll have to harness his performances
for the team but he can do that and it's all part of the learning curve."

Nevertheless, Antonio is confident of making an impact. "What I bring to the
table is pace, power and goals," he told his new club upon signing. Allen
agrees. "I think it's a very good signing - and a very exciting signing -
for West Ham." Bilic has no Luka Modric this time. But maybe it'll be a man
from Mitcham that can help ruin McClaren's night eight years on.

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HOME SWEET HOME
By Bianca Westwood 10 Sep 2015 at 17:00
WTID

I have a confession to make. Don't judge me. Ok you'll definitely judge me.

I haven't watched any international football. Not a goal, not a throw in,
not even a single kick. Tell a lie…I saw Rooney's 50th goal (well done
Wayne!) go in via a tiny, grainy video shot from the stands at Wembley on
someone's Facebook page. "Call yourself a football fan?!" Yeah some might
say that. I know. I get it. I just fell out of love with the internationals
somewhere in South America. Possibly before. That's not to say it won't
return. It usually does. Nine times out of ten I get whisked away with the
hype and the pre-tournament hope of the mad fan/media frenzy but I must
admit, last time out I felt a bit resigned even before Pitbull and JLo
started singing that dreadful World Cup song. I was as deflated as one of
Tom Brady's balls. After that debacle in Brazil not even Roy's 100% record
in the European qualifiers this time round could rouse me from my
indifference. I've always, always, always loved our national team…but this
time I just couldn't fake it. I've been led up the garden path way too many
times. How many years of hurt is it now?

So I'll be more than happy when the domestic action returns to our pitches
and screens this weekend. Natch. It's oh so quiet without it.

What a season we've had already. Even by West Ham's erratic standards it's
been a doozy. Ever heard of the Land of Topsy Turvy? (SJ Chandos I wrote
this before I saw your post and it's half past ten at night I'm not changing
it now ha!!) Where everything is downside up and outside in? I feel like
that's where we are right now! Who would have predicted a scintillating win
at the Emirates and a precious, but quite anomalous, victory at Anfield,
interwoven with a couple of abject performances at Upton Park against, no
disrespect, inferior opposition of the likes of Leicester and Bournemouth?
What's going on at the Boleyn then? Perhaps you can tell me because I don't
get there as much these days. I know the atmosphere is far less fierce and
foreboding for visiting teams than it once was. The fire and the fury seems
to be reserved for our own a lot of the time. I was listening down the line
from the gantry at the Valley when Soccer Saturday's Sir Jeffrey of Stelling
disdainfully revealed the Hammers fans were booing after twenty odd minutes.
That really disappointed me. It seems like we're so quick to turn nowadays.
Ok we were two nil down at the time but it's still too early to go rogue.
This isn't The Sons of Anarchy! We're not supposed to shoot each other. Not
unless our backs are really against the wall anyway.

I remember interviewing Big Sam last season about our unfavourable home form
and it was extremely unpleasant to learn how difficult it was for some
players to perform comfortably and confidently at Upton Park. He spoke to me
about how hesitant and reticent they would be at times, how uncomfortable on
the ball, how nervous of making a mistake and being the one responsible for
turning the tide and rousing the rabble. He didn't name names but I had an
idea of who he might be referring to. He also accepted that the
responsibility of developing their strength mentally and tactically was
ultimately down to him. He wasn't shirking, but it was revealing. It made me
think deeper about how important fans actually are. They can often make you
or break you. I don't have anyone screaming at me how useless I am when I'm
trying to work (not offline anyway!) so I don't know how it feels but I'm
sure it isn't the best environment to be in. I'm not having that 'we pay
their wages we can say what we like/they earn fortunes they should be able
to take it' argument either. There is a human element here.

It's not the fans' fault if things go wrong on the pitch either. Of course
it's not. If they feel the players aren't pulling their weight then they're
entitled to voice their displeasure in some way. But this is supposed to be
a collective. We're all in this together aren't we? Booing is not the
answer. I've said this before but it gets nasty too quickly and that's not
how Upton Park used to be. It doesn't make the players play any better.
That's why Bilic earns the big bucks. It's down to him to ring the changes
and solve the problems and, largely, he has done that to good effect in both
those home matches. Even in defeat there was never a capitulation or a
return to the long ball boredom that had us so enraptured last term. We
haven't sat back on leads away from home either. Ok so we've parked the bus
here and there but the handbrake was off wasn't it?! Or was it on? I can't
remember but the signs are good. Plus we have a few different names on the
team sheet this season who may be more able to withstand public and vocal
pressure. We'll see. I don't know if that particular monkey is still hanging
off of their backs but after the two home disasters we've had so far, Monday
night will be an interesting spectacle. Let's hope it's not the Hammers'
house of horror!

Does this mean if we lose then there's a problem at the Boleyn? I suppose it
depends on the nature of the performance, the effort, the end product. I
have to say I'm far more confident than I've been in recent years. Not
because it's a misfiring Newcastle we face either. After West Ham's
extravagant spending spree over the summer and in the transfer window we
look very well equipped. I'd say the the chairmen are extremely happy
shoppers. We have a quality squad there, with all sorts of attributes and
strengths at our disposal. More on that another time.

If Slav can get his players, both old and new, to realise their potential
and play with the freedom, poise and self-assurance we want to see, we
really could have an exciting team on our hands. The fans also have a vital
part to play! Maybe Hammers' years of hurt could be over…for a while at
least!!

Come On You Irons!!

B x

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WE COULD STILL STRUGGLE, SO LET'S SING WHEN WE'RE LOSING.
By Neil Clack 10 Sep 2015 at 08:00
WTID

I've read and heard a lot about the excellent atmosphere generated at
Crystal Palace these days. How do they do it? Is it the acoustics of their
old-style ground? One theory is that the South Londoners don't attract 'new
fans', so are still an old school community club (unlike their neighbours,
Chelsea and Fulham). Also too, it seems the fans are well-organised,
modeling themselves, and their singing, along continental lines.

No doubt there's a lot of truth in all of that, but I'd like to add one of
my own, and that is that ever since Palace came up in 2013, the extent of
their fans' expectations has simply been to stay up (well, until this
season, at least). From the very first kick of the first home match of the
season to the last, they've known that they're in for a struggle, and the
aim is to finish 4th from bottom – and they're fully aware that will
inevitably entail a few home defeats and conceding silly goals.

As recently as 2010, Crystal Palace nearly went bankrupt, and survival in
the Championship was only secured on the final day of the 2009/10 season.
They were still hovering around the bottom of the Championship in 2011, but
then somehow, against all odds, in the spring of 2013, they went on a run
and sneaked into 6th place in the Championship. Then, astoundingly, Palace
won the play-offs. Their fans just seem grateful to even be in the Premier
League, and seem to be loving every minute of it, singing their hearts out
like there's no tomorrow. It's been commented upon a lot how they continue
to sing, chant, bang at Selhurst Park even when they're losing.

For many of us who grew up in the electric atmosphere of Upton Park in the
70s and 80s, one of the most disappointing aspects of the West Ham crowd
today isn't so much the booing, as disagreeable as that is, but the lengthy
silences during passages of play, and the general all-round quietness.
Sometimes it seems we only make any noise when we score, and then it only
lasts for a few minutes before quietening down again. Back in the day, when
the opposition scored and the away fans cheered and sung, a lot of Hammers
fans would take that as an affront, and try to drown them out. Indeed, the
roar of 'C'mon You Irons' was often at it's most loudest just after the
oppostion had scored and we were about to kick off; the crowd desperately
wanted to spur their team on, get them back into the match.

Ok, so the terraces have gone, and times have changed, and I accept that you
can't live in the past, but what about that play-off semi-final against
Ipswich in 2004? Upton Park was rockin' that night, a deafening wall of
sound emanating from every part of the ground, as good as anything from the
70s, and we kept it up for the whole 90 minutes too. So, I cannot accept
that we can't make more noise at Upton Park.

But the will has to be there.

We can do it if really want to, but maybe first, we have to change our
mindset?

I was quite stunned whenever I broke my vow of promising to switch off from
football completely this summer, and sneaked a look at West Ham Til I Die. I
couldn't believe how high expectations were. Had my mind be playing tricks
with me from last Xmas to May? Had I imagined what I thought I saw at Upton
Park? – what I saw, or at least, what I thought I saw, anyway, was some
awful football, and a team that had the 3rd worst record in the Premier
league during that period ie. relegation form – a team that was certain to
go down this season if that form continued, and yet, posters on WHTID were
seriously discussing qualifying for Europe this season, talking about
finishing in the top 10 as if it was given. Based on what?

Ok, there's been a change of manager, and a few new signings (many of whom
are untried in Prem league), but personally, I'm under no illusion that this
season could be a struggle. Perhaps years of supporting West Ham have made
me cynical, and I've suffered too many West Ham disappointments in the past,
experienced too many relegations that we didn't see coming etc

But accepting we're going to struggle is a good place to start if you don't
want to get disappointed, ha,ha!

And maybe that's one of the reasons for the often subdued atmosphere at
Upton Park, and the horrible booing – expectations were too high in the
first place. When unrealistic aims aren't met that leads to disappointment,
followed by anger, and even booing?

I guess we're all a bit confused about our team at the moment. Which is the
real West Ham? The two excellent away perfomances, or the disorganised
shambles in the home games? It's not the results against Leicester and
Bournmouth that worries me, but the manner of those defeats. It wasn't just
the mistakes on the goals, but the defence was constanlty giving the ball
away all game long. I have to say though, my fears of relegation were
certainly eased by that brilliant historic day in Liverpool. No doubt I'll
start fretting again when we lose to Newcastle next Monday, only to change
my mind 5 days later when we go up to Man City and stuff them on the
Saturday!

For now though, until these muddy waters have cleared, I still fear
relegation. So, starting with the relegation 6-pointer against Newcastle (a
team who I seriously think could go down this season), let's get right
behind the team, lower those expectations, and Sing When We're Losing!

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West Ham midfielder Alex Song pencilled in for October return from ankle
injury
15:52, 10 SEPTEMBER 2015
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA
The Cameroon international has rejoined the club from Barcelona on a second
loan deal but has been struggled with an ankle problem
The Mirror

Alex Song will be fit to resume his West Ham career next month. Midfielder
Song, who spent last term on loan at Upton Park, rejoined the Hammers on
deadline day on a season-long loan from Barcelona. The move was held up due
to concerns about the 28 year-old's fitness.
But Song has been pencilled in for an end-of-October comeback from his ankle
injury. The Hammer also hope to have striker Enner Valencia back ahead of
schedule in November after he suffered "significant" ankle and knee injuries
at the start of the season. Forward Mauro Zarate is closing in on a return
after missing West Ham's last two games with a hamstring injury.

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Allardyce alert: Big Sam starts bleating on Twitter
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 10, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Well it had to happen eventually – Sam Allardyce has arrived on Twitter!

We've always had a sneaky feeling the bloke kept a keen eye on everything
that was happen in La La land. And now, along with the likes of Joey Barton
and a certain Harry Redknapp, he is among us.

If you would like to send a loving message to the former Hammers boss we're
sure he would like to hear from you. You can reach him at: @OfficialBigSam

The old boy has managed just one tweet so far and his profile picture
appears to be the front cover of his forthcoming autobiography.

So far, Allardyce has attracted more than 3,000 followers.

No doubt, he'll soon be getting a few more. And then the fun will really
begin!

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For goodness sake, Downing – this is getting boring!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 10, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Stewart Downing really does need to get over his departure from West Ham and
sudden move back to the north east.

The bloke just can't keep his criticism of West Ham to himself and seems to
be on the mother of all missions to slag off his former employers.

Downing has twice taken a pop at manager Slaven Bilic for refusing to give
him assurances that he'd be part of his first team plans and thus scarpered
to the Championship with Middlesbrough.

You would have thought that after repeating that at least twice he'd
possibly believe that was enough! But nope, this time he has his sights set
on owners David Sullivan and David Gold.

He's now popped up on BBC Radio Tees to mouth his frustrations at the two
Davids for keeping his transfer "up in the air", claiming they make exits
'difficult and suggesting that the pair are entertaining in their activity.

He said: "Some days I thought 'I could be heading back home today' and then
another week [would go by] and a fee [still] has to be agreed.

"West Ham is obviously a difficult place to get out of. If you've ever dealt
with the owners… they're certainly entertaining."

The former England international suggested that his move to Middlesbrough
was made more difficult by having to negotiate with Gold and Sullivan.
However, he also admitted the pair did what was best for their club – even
if that left players frustrated at times.

He really does need to give it a rest. His was a very small move and the
whole saga has become very boring!

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Cottee on Carroll: it's now 'make or break' for Andy
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 10, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Tony Cottee reckons record signing, Andy Carroll, could move on if things
don't work out for him at Upton Park this season! The former Hammers
goal-scoring legend has given his frankest ever interview in the
ClaretandHugh interview section of the MooreThanJustaPodcast, which will can
be heard early next week. "We have four fantastic strikers when they re all
fit and whether AC will be happy as a sub I don't know, but I doubt it,"
commented Cottee. "If, at the end of the season, he hasn't got in as a
regular, like Paul Goddard in my day, who couldn't get past Frank McAvennie,
or myself, and moved on – Andy may do the same." In the podcast, TC covers
his own Irons days as a player, the Allardyce era and gives his assessment
on this season's "best since the turn of the century"squad.

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Options galore but here's our Irons team
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 10, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Slaven Bilic has more options in front of him for Monday night's game than
many West Ham managers before him. But this in itself can cause a dilemma
particularly with various well rated newcomers he may or may not choose to
draft into the side. An argument has been presented on some forums that we
can hardly change the team to that which scored such an historic victory at
Anfield – I disagree. That team was set up as a counter-attacking outfit and
has already been shown that is not a system which works at the Boleyn where
we HAVE to carry the game to opponents. You can bet your life away that
struggling Newcastle, with two points from four games and second off bottom,
will come to defend and thus we need to find a way of at last getting that
much needed win at home. It's a very long time since we have had the
wonderful problem in front of us but it makes team selection – as mentioned
up top – very difficult.

Carl Jenkinson has served out a one match ban and is available but I'd stick
with James Tomkins at right back behind Victor Moses Reid, Ogbonna and
Cresswell speak for themselves with Noble, Kouyate and Moses in an advanced
right sided role. I'd plump for Antonio on the other side with Payet behind
Sakho as main striker of course. But it's a tough old call and is hard on
Manuel Lanzini who looked a real prospect at Liverpool and Mauro Zarate (if
fit) who has done nothing wrong. Oh and we haven't mentioned Andy Carroll!
But at last we have a squad we can rotate. We are stepping up a level and I
thing the side I've named would give us the attacking impetus and creativity
we need to get results.

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The curious, confusing case of West Ham's start to life under Slaven Bilic
They have scored a lot of goals and beaten Arsenal and Liverpool away, but
they have also lost to Leicester and Bournemouth at home. At least it's not
boring
By Martin Laurence for WhoScored?, part of the Guardian Sport Network
Thursday 10 September 2015 10.33 BST

A fair proportion of West Ham fans were given their wish when Sam Allardyce
left the club at the end of last season. The supporters had become tired of
what was considered a predictable style of play, despite the way he took
them out of the Championship and established the club as a solid Premier
League outfit in his four years in charge.

Signing Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini, Pedro Obiang and Angelo Ogbonna in
the summer lifted the supporters' spirits further, with all four players
having already proven their quality at times this season. Payet in
particular was a real coup and he has made a strong start to the campaign,
with a goal and an assist and the highest averages of key passes (2.3) and
dribbles (2.5) per game for the club.

A flurry of business on deadline day will also have excited many supporters
but, despite adding strength in depth, the additional numbers may confuse
matters a little. Victor Moses and Michail Antonio look like shrewd signings
but fitting them in alongside Payet and Lanzini will be a difficult task,
while Alex Song's return could restrict Obiang's playing time. All of the
players have made the squad stronger but keeping them all content will prove
a tough ask.

Transfer deadline day: De Gea deal off, Berahino anger, Martial signs and
more – as it happened
Interesting that Liverpool have let Ilori, Coates & Glen Johnson leave.
Presumably that means there were at least 3 defenders worse than Lovren at
the club.
Read more
Nevertheless, the fact that Slaven Bilic's reign has begun in such
unpredictable fashion both on and off the pitch has gone some way to giving
the supporters what they wanted. However, while the Croatian has only been
at the club for a few months, it's fair to say the novelty of upsetting the
odds at Arsenal and Liverpool while losing winnable fixtures at home is
unlikely to last.

The positives to take from beating two of the league's big hitters are
dampened by poor displays at home in the club's last season at the Boleyn
Ground. The supporters would love to bid farewell to their old ground with
far more impressive showings than they managed against Leicester and
Bournemouth.

The ease with which their defence was exposed in these games is a real
concern. A tally of three errors that have led directly to goals is
unsurprisingly the highest in the top flight and already half of what they
accrued under Allardyce last season.

West Ham's surprising wins on the road have come courtesy of a
counter-attacking style of play that, while effective in away matches, is
unlikely to be well received at home in games supporters expect to win. It's
on the break though, that their best players can thrive and it's an approach
that has helped the club score the second most goals in the Premier League
after four matches (nine, behind only Manchester City on 10).

West Ham are one of only six teams to have scored in all of their matches so
far, having failed to score in seven of their last 14 league games under
Allardyce. It took them 15 games – stretching back to 8 February – to score
as many league goals at the end of Allardyce's tenure as they have managed
in the first month of this season under Bilic. Those are the sort of figures
that will justify the decision to part ways with Allardyce, but the security
he offered the team has been jeopardised.

Throughout his managerial career Bilic has given off the impression that he
likes being the underdog, presiding over impressive performances against
English opposition in both club and international football in the past.
Already, with the pressure off, West Ham have thrived under his leadership
away from home, with his motivational skills and infectious personality
paying dividends.

However, the jury remains out on the Croat's tactical acumen. His time in
Besiktas is considered as something of a failure due to his inability to win
the matches that mattered most to the club. In eight Istanbul derbies
against Galatasaray and Fenerbahce in the league he was criticised for
adopting too cautious an approach. Bilic couldn't manage a single victory in
those games, losing five and having four players sent off in typically
heated affairs.

Bilic's playing style was aggressive and he has taken that mindset into
management, with his passion getting him in trouble on multiple occasions.
Having qualified for the Europa League's preliminary rounds due to their
disciplinary record last season, West Ham have had a player sent off in six
of their 10 competitive outings this season. There is a sense of chaos about
the side and it makes you wonder if the departure from the predictability
under Allardyce could have been too extreme.

They host Newcastle on Monday and anything less than a win would represent a
real disappointment for the fans. Another spectacular victory away from home
against Manchester City the following week would be even more bizarre than
their wins at the Emirates and Anfield, but it would be in keeping with the
start to Bilic's term.

If the fans desired a move away from the predictable nature of results the
team managed under Allardyce, their wishes have been granted. The grass may
yet be greener at the Olympic Stadium next season though, with Bilic's time
in charge already looking likely to be a tumultuous one.

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STRIKER SET FOR NEWCASTLE COMEBACK
By Michael Brown
readwetsham.com

West Ham only have two injury concerns going into the weekend clash with
Steve McClaren's Newcastle as Mauro Zarate could be fit to face the Magpies
on Monday night as well as former Newcastle player Andy Carroll, who has
also returned to training. Despite the good news, there are still two
players who won't be ready to play until the end of October. Alex Song, who
signed on Deadline Day, won't be ready to play until West Ham face Chelsea
on October 24 after undergoing surgery. Enner Valencia is still a little
further away from making his return as he is not expected to feature for
West Ham until the end of November – The Hammers' clash with Spurs being
touted as his return to action barring any setbacks.

West ham's head of medical and sports science Stijn Vandenbroucke had this
to say about the on-going injuries at the club: "Mauro Zarate is progressing
well and working hard to return after suffering a hamstring injury in
training, with a view to returning to the group before the end of the week
"One of our new signings, Alex Song, is working hard – as you will have seen
on social media – and his ankle is improving, with a view to him returning
by the end of October. "Enner Valencia is rehabbing with a good positive
attitude and we hope to see him return by November."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Amalfitano To Be Farmed Out To Tractor Boys
Submitted by nevillenixon on Thu, 10/09/2015 - 12:06
westhamfans.org

Morgan Amalfitano looks as if he will be the first of several West Ham
United players to be sent out on loan now the 'emergency' transfer window is
open. During the window, players may be loaned from the Barclays Premier
League to lower league clubs for up to three months. Championship team
Ipswich Town have expressed an interest in taking Amalfitano, who has fallen
out massively with Hammers manager Slaven Billic and has been banished to
train away from the first team. Hopes of a reconciliation between Amalfitano
and Billic, who is well known for his tough disciplinary approach, have not
come to fruition, thus making the player's position at the club untenable.
30 year old Amalfitano could well end up in the same team as ex-hammer
Freddie Sears, who has been a great success at Portman Road since his
arrival via Colchester. Ipswich are currently third in the Championship but
were beaten 3-2 at home by Brighton in their last match.
Some West Ham fans will be sorry to see Morgan Amalfitano leave the club,
but he does have a growing reputation for being indisciplined and perhaps
dropping down a division will show him what he is missing, and what he must
do to try and rebuild bridges. - Ed

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com




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