Daily WHUFC News - 4th September 2015

Squad List confirmed
WHUFC.com

West Ham United have submitted their 25-man Squad List of Senior Players
available for selection for Barclays Premier League fixtures until the
opening of the January 2016 Transfer Window.

The Squad List* is as follows – Adrian, Morgan Amalfitano, Michail Antonio,
Andy Carroll, James Collins, Aaron Cresswell, Doneil Henry, Nikica Jelavic,
Carl Jenkinson, Cheikhou Kouyate, Manuel Lanzini, Victor Moses, Mark Noble,
Joey O'Brien, Pedro Obiang, Angelo Ogbonna, Dimitri Payet, Darren Randolph,
Winston Reid, Diafra Sakho, Alex Song, Raphael Spiegel, James Tomkins, Enner
Valencia, Mauro Zarate.

In addition to the 25 Senior Players, the Club has also named eight Under-21
players born on or after 1 January 1994, who are also available for
selection – Josh Cullen, Stephen Hendrie, Sam Howes, Kyle Knoyle, Elliot
Lee, Lewis Page, Martin Samuelsen and Reece Oxford.

*The 25-man Squad List includes eleven 'Home Grown' players who have,
irrespective of his nationality or age, been registered with any club
affiliated to the Football Association or the Football Association of Wales
for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons or 36 months prior
to his 21st birthday (or the end of the Season during which he turns 21).

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From the Treatment Room
WHUFC.com

Hello everyone,

We have some positive news From the Treatment Room this week!

First we would like to welcome Alex Song back to West Ham United after he
re-joined the Club this week. Like everyone, we in the medical team are very
happy to see him back with us.

Alex underwent ankle surgery in June and has been working very hard on his
rehabilitation and we are hopeful that he will be able to step up his
recovery to the next level soon.

We are grateful that he has put his trust in the medical department here at
West Ham and are looking forward to seeing him back out on the pitch.

The next good news story is that Andy Carroll has been training very well
with the squad and is preparing to make his return to the pitch with the
first team very soon.

I would like to thank the medical team for their hard work in getting Andy
fit and ready for action, in particular Eamon Swift who has made a
successful transition from first-team fitness coach to rehabilitation
fitness coach this season and has been working very hard one-on-one with
Andy.

Enner Valencia is doing very well. He had a Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)
injection to stabilise his joint in his leg and is moving in the right
direction. He is working twice a day and is rehabbing well.

Finally, Joey O'Brien is working hard on his rehabilitation after suffering
a calf injury and we hope to see him return to full training soon.

Stijn Vandenbroucke
Head of Medical and Sports Science

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Exclusive - Hurst happy to see Anfield hoodoo end
WHUFC.com

Sir Geoff Hurst has hailed West Ham United for ending their Anfield
heartache – 52 years after scoring the winning goal at Liverpool.
The Hammers and England legend had to rub his eyes in joyful disbelief while
watching final Barclays Premier League scores filter through on Saturday
evening – Liverpool 0 West Ham United 3. That result marked West Ham's first
victory at the home of the Reds since 14 September 1963, when Hurst and
fellow future FIFA World Cup winner Martin Peters scored in a 2-1 success
for Ron Greenwood's side.
Speaking to West Ham TV during a visit to talkSPORT to discuss the impending
release of the film BO66Y The Movie ­– a tribute to his late, great captain
and teammate Bobby Moore – Hurst said he was happy that the Hammers' Anfield
hoodoo was finally a thing of the past.
"It's talked about every year when we go to Liverpool and people remind us
and it's in their programme and in the press that we haven't won there since
'63," he began. "I remember the game well because we used to do quite well
against Liverpool in that period. We drew 2-2 with them in the 1964 Charity
Shield as it was, which was held up at Anfield as they were the league
champions, and I scored another goal there. "I remember the win there and
the goals. For Martin's goal when he scored, he was in the corner of the box
and cut in on his right foot and screwed it into the bottom left-hand corner
past Tommy Lawrence. "For my goal I beat the offside trap. We had a ball
knocked over because Liverpool played quite flat and I knocked it under
Tommy, who was nicknamed the Flying Pig, as he came out with one touch."

Aside from the match-winning goals, Sir Geoff also recalled a comedy moment
as West Ham tried to play out the clock in the final few moments. "The funny
part about it was we were hanging on 2-1, not at The Kop but down the other
end and there were about five minutes to go and we had a corner," he smiled.
"Peter Brabrook, who was a bit of a joker at Chadwell Heath, used to have
this trick of kicking the back of his other foot and missing the ball and
tripping himself up on the training ground. "He actually did this taking the
corner! He went to take the corner, kicked his back leg, missed the ball and
fell over! These days that is a yellow card and possibly real trouble, but
we just fell about laughing with three or four minutes to go!"

Fast forward more than half a century and Sir Geoff was able to celebrate
another victory at Anfield – at last – as Manuel Lanzini, Mark Noble and
Diafra Sakho netted in a historic Barclays Premier League 3-0 success. "It
is overdue and quite remarkable," he enthused. "When I saw the results on TV
when I got home about six o'clock I saw nothing-three and had to look again!
It was astonishing, but records are there to be broken, so it's great!"

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Jelavic relishing Bilic reunion
WHUFC.com

As soon as Nikica Jelavic knew Slaven Bilic was keen on securing his
services this Summer, the Croatian forward was only ever going to make West
Ham United his next move. The 30-year-old striker completed his transfer
from Hull City to the Boleyn Ground on deadline day, linking up once more
with a boss who was in charge of his first club Hajduk Split, then gave him
his international debut in 2009.After suffering the pain of relegation with
Hull last term, Jelavic is determined to bounce back under the leadership of
Bilic. He said: "I'm very excited to be linking up with Slaven again. He is
a great manager and a great man. I'm delighted to be working with him and
his staff again. "We worked together for the national team for four years
and I am really happy to be with him here. "He played for West Ham and for
Everton – he knows the league and I know he can do the job here."

As for Jelavic's own experience, he possesses plenty of top-flight knowhow,
having turned out for Everton and Hull in recent years.
He continued: "Hopefully I can impress the staff, the supporters and
everyone at the Club. I am here to help and will do anything to do that.
"It's good timing to join now, with the international break allowing me to
settle in before that first game against Newcastle.
"I don't think it's going to be a problem to adapt, because I know most of
the players and have played against them in the past."

Jelavic is especially looking forward to linking up with a squad that is
sure to be on a high after dispatching Liverpool 3-0 last weekend. He added:
"I watched the game against Liverpool. It was an amazing performance and
they played well as a team. West Ham have showed that this season they can
make a big step forward. "We have a good unit of strikers here and it is
always good to have a couple of good names in your position because then you
push yourself more and give your maximum in every training session. "I'm
looking forward to working with all these lads because they are all very,
very good players."

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Matrevics signs Hammers' scholarship
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to announce that highly rated goalkeeper
Rihards Matrevics has signed a scholarship with the Club. The 16-year-old
Latvian, a towering figure at 6'7, is rated among one of the most promising
young goalkeepers in Europe. As the shot-stopper is under 18, the deal
remains subject to FIFA approval and International clearance. Speaking after
signing his scholarship, the Latvian U17 international said: "I am really
delighted to have a signed. I've worked hard for this, and it's always nice
to for that to be recognised. "I found out I was signing the contract only a
few days ago but it's something I've been hoping would happen for a while
now."

Despite his tender years, Matrevics has an impressive maturity, both on and
off the pitch, and this has no doubt helped him to settle into life in a new
country. "I'm really enjoying my football here in England so far. It's
quite different to life in Latvia where my friends and family are. It is
sacrifice and at times it is tough, but I love it at West Ham so it's all
worth it. "The Academy staff are excellent at helping me and the other boys
settle in. Obviously I'm still quite young."

Despite only being at the club for a short time, Matrevics has already
impressed fellow teammates and coaches alike, as well as trained with the
first team. "I love training alongside Adrian and the other first team
goalkeepers. It's very different to the standard in Latvia. It's a great
learning experience and I really enjoy it. "Out of the strikers Andy Carroll
has definitely got the hardest shot, the power he gets is unbelievable. I've
saved a few of his shots; it's always a great feeling when you make a save
against a Premier League player of his quality."

Having committed his future, the 16-year-old, who identified Manuel Neuer
and Thibaut Courtois as his goalkeeping idols, stated his aims for his first
season in Claret and Blues. "This season, I want to make my way into the
U18s, see how I do there and maybe make a few appearances for the U21s. "I
made my international debut last year against Belarus. I did alright, it
wasn't my best game ever but hopefully there'll be more to come. "Playing
for my country is a huge honour, it is hard to describe how special it
really is. Alongside playing for a Premier League club it is something I
have been dreaming about for a while."

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From the Boardroom - David Gold
WHUFC.com

In all my time in football I have never known a transfer window like the one
we have just experienced and it was quite simply a remarkable final day for
the football Club. The fact that we were able to bring in four major
transfers is testament to everyone who worked so tirelessly behind the
scenes. These are huge deals for both the players and the Club. I have to
pay special tribute to David Sullivan who has worked so hard throughout the
summer to ensure we have got the best possible deals for West Ham United. He
has had endless number of calls and emails over the last few months to last
him a lifetime. But we have been buying the right players that the manager
feels will improve the squad. We are facing two of the biggest seasons in
the Club's history with the final ever year at the Boleyn Ground and then
our move into the new Stadium next summer. We owe it to our fans that we
leave on a high note and everyone will remember the final ever season at
this famous stadium. These are the most important two-years in my football
career. We are building the football Club for when we move into the new
Stadium and we are building a squad of players and strength in depth for the
coming years.

I'm sure the fans are just as excited as I am by the four new arrivals we
managed to bring into the squad on deadline day. We started with the big
announcement of Alex Song coming back to the Club. There is absolutely no
reason why he cannot be the same player that we saw in the first half of
last season. He can open up defences and has the experience of playing at
the highest level in the Champions League.
I am sure he will enjoy the new way that we are playing and will come in and
do a great job for West Ham United. I know he is injured at the moment but
he is a strong man and I don't think we are taking a risk. We are delighted
that Victor Moses has also joined us on a season-long loan from Chelsea. He
is the perfect fit for us and I hope he will excite the fans this season. We
knew that we need to bring some wide players into the squad and it is
fantastic that the Club were also able to secure a deal for Nottingham
Forest's highly-rated winger Michail Antonio. He has pace and power and has
an impressive goalscoring record and we hope he can bring those talents into
the Premier League this season. If he manages to do that, he will be a big
addition for the squad. We want to excite our fans and have pacy wingers who
can make things happen. We also needed to bring in another striker and I
know that Slaven is delighted to see Nikica Jelavic join the Club. He will
fit straight into the squad and is an experienced pro. Slaven is very
familiar with him and they have worked together in the past. I'm sure he
will get the best out of him.

West Ham United is becoming an exciting football Club and we are showing
incredible ambition. The owners and manager all have the same passion to
make us even stronger and I hope this is going to be a memorable two-years
for everyone connected with the Club.

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Government responds to petition
WHUFC.com

The Government has responded to a petition to hold a public enquiry into the
deal for West Ham United's rental of the former Olympic Stadium.

"West Ham United has a concession at the Stadium and their contributions
reflect that status. The contract, awarded after an open public competition,
has been widely scrutinised and tested in court.

"Following the completion of its transformation programme the Stadium will
be - unlike so many previous Olympic Stadiums - a world-class multi-use
arena with a long-term future, and one that won't require continuous support
from the taxpayer. The stadium remains in public ownership (E20 Stadium LLP
– a joint venture between the London Legacy Development Corporation and
Newham Council) and the profits from its multiple uses will flow to the
taxpayer.

"As a long-term concessionaire West Ham United will only access the full
stadium facilities for and shortly ahead of home matches, anticipated to be
an average of 25 games a year. The stadium's other anchor concession-holder,
British Athletics, has a concession for one month a year. The stadium will
be available for commercial and other uses at all times outside of these
existing commitments.

"The Stadium is a multi-use venue, which has already hosted a major
athletics meet this year, the Sainsbury's Anniversary Games, and will host a
range of other events in 2015 including five matches during the Rugby World
Cup this autumn, a Rugby League international between England and New
Zealand and the Race of Champions motorsport event. In addition the Stadium
will host elite athletics including the IAAF and IPC Athletics World
Championships in 2017.

"A world class stadium operator has been appointed and it is part of the
operator agreement that the Stadium will host concerts and other events.

"None of these events will financially benefit West Ham United. All revenues
from these events will be shared by the operator and the Stadium owners. The
stadium operator has a proven international track record of success in
managing and maximising revenue from multi-use stadia and is contractually
incentivised to generate maximum income.

"The agreement with West Ham United, including their contribution to
transformation costs and rent, followed an open competitive process, which
was delivered under EU rules, conducted visibly and exposed to significant
scrutiny. The outcome has been tested in the courts and upheld. As the
winning bid this constituted the best available return for the taxpayer and
secures the commercial viability of a national asset for the next 100 years.


"The European Commission (EC) is responsible for assessing whether public
investment distorts the competitive market. The EC has considered this issue
on more than one occasion and has done so with full sight of the contractual
terms, comprehensive detail of the tender exercise and in depth legal
opinion on compliance with UK and EU law. It has found no case to answer.
Therefore we do not believe that a public inquiry is necessary.

"The detail of the rental agreement between the Stadium owners and West Ham
United is commercially sensitive. Disclosing details of the contract would
undermine the future negotiating position of the Stadium's operator, Vinci,
who are working hard to bring in future events to get the greatest possible
return and ensure that the Stadium is a commercial success.

"It is important that the stadium owners and operator are able to negotiate
future contracts in a way that derive maximum value and are not constrained
by any one agreement. Such arrangements are standard practice and are
designed to both protect the previous public expenditure and maximise the
return on this investment."

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

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West Ham Olympic Stadium deal: Fans inquiry call thrown out
BBC.co.uk

The government has rejected a request from a group of football supporters to
investigate the rental of the Olympic Stadium to West Ham United. The
supporters claimed the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) would
subsidise rent, which it denied. The group made up of trusts from clubs
including Arsenal said it was "disappointed" by the decision but had
expected it. The government said the deal had been "scrutinised" and
"upheld". A Freedom of Information request previously revealed West Ham
contributed £15m to the £272m conversion of the stadium and will pay up to
£2.5m a year in rent. The LLDC, which owns the stadium, will pay for
"facilities and services" such as pitch maintenance and for stewarding on
match days, which can cost £2.5m annually. In comparison, Manchester City,
who moved into the former Commonwealth Games venue, pay overheads on top of
£4m rent.

The coalition of supporters, made up of trusts from clubs including Chelsea
and Tottenham Hotspur, started an online petition which had gained more than
24,000 signatures in favour of an inquiry. Mat Roper said the group remained
concerned they were expected to see it as a "fabulous deal for the taxpayer"
when they had not seen any figures backing that up and one document they
requested had been "completely redacted". He said: "We're no nearer the
truth of what we think is in the rental agreement....until we know that then
we're going to continue. "Whether it happens to be continuing with that
petition, a new petition or... a new FOI request, it's certainly not dead in
the water."

The group said they remained concerned the deal would give the Hammers a
competitive advantage. But the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said:
"West Ham United has a concession at the stadium and their contributions
reflect that status. "The contract, awarded after an open public
competition, has been widely scrutinised and tested in court. "The stadium
remains in public ownership and the profits from its multiple uses will flow
to the taxpayer." While West Ham will host all of their home matches at the
stadium, British Athletics will take control of the arena for one month
every summer.

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Bilic failed to tempt Zaza into Premier League switch
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 3rd September 2015
By: Staff Writer

Slaven Bilic was so desperate to land Juventus' Simone Zaza before the
transfer window closed that he told the striker he would be one of the first
names on his team sheet, a report claims today.

TMW claim that Bilic contacted the 24-year-old Italian shortly before the
window closed in one final last-ditch attempt to lure him to the Boleyn
Ground, amidst reported interest from Arsenal - the only club in Europe's
top five leagues not to sign an outfield player during the summer.

However Zaza rejected the opportunity to move to London after Juventus sold
Fernando Llorente to Seville and allowed Kingsley Coman to join Bayern
Munich on a season-long loan - which sent him shooting up the pecking order
at the Serie A club.

Despite Zaza's decision to remain in Italy, it has been confirmed that Juve
agreed to allow the player to join West Ham, but left the decision down to
the player himself.

Following Zaza's decision to remain in Italy, West Ham signed Nikica Jelavic
from Hull City - one of four signings Bilic and the Hammers made in the
final 48 hours of the transfer window.

* Another striker who also cliamed to have rejected overtures from West Ham
during the final few days of the transfer window is former Fenerbahce star
Moussa Sow, who signed for United Arab Emirates outfit Al Ahli in a £16m
deal.

Speaking to the National, Sow claimed that he rejected two Premier League
clubs in order to move to the Middle East.

"I received a few offers from England and other teams in the UAE," he said,
"but I have been here many times and, after I spoke with my family and
friends, I decided to come to Al Ahli.

"It's a project I like, I feel safe with the people here and they helped me
come here. I heard the club has had lots of big players pass through, such
as Grafite and Fabio Cannavaro, which gave me more information about the
club and helped me make my decision."

Al Ahli ensured the move went through by agreeing to pay Sow a $1m bonus he
claimed he was owed by Fenerbahce.

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Government won't look into West Ham stadium move
Last Updated: 03/09/15 4:19pm
SSN

The Government has rejected a request from a host of supporters' clubs for
an inquiry into West Ham's move to the Olympic Stadium. The Hammers are due
to take on a 99-year deal as tenants starting from next season but the
decision to hand West Ham the stadium has been questioned ever since it was
first announced two-and-a-half years ago. A television documentary aired
last month pointed out how much West Ham would be saving due to their
agreement with the London Legacy Development Corporation and, since then,
eight supporters' groups started a petition for an inquiry into the details
of the decision.

Fans' trusts from Arsenal, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Charlton, Fulham and QPR
- as well as two clubs who failed in bids to take over the stadium, Leyton
Orient and Tottenham - all called on the Government to open a case but their
request was thrown out on Thursday. "West Ham United has a concession at the
stadium and their contributions reflect that status. The contract, awarded
after an open public competition, has been widely scrutinised and tested in
court," a statement released by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
read.

"The stadium remains in public ownership (E20 Stadium LLP - a joint venture
between the London Legacy Development Corporation and Newham Council) and
the profits from its multiple uses will flow to the taxpayer. "The agreement
with West Ham United, including their contribution to transformation costs
and rent, followed an open competitive process, which was delivered under EU
rules, conducted visibly and exposed to significant scrutiny. As the winning
bid this constituted the best available return for the taxpayer and secures
the commercial viability of a national asset for the next 100 years. "The
outcome has been tested in the courts and upheld. As the winning bid this
constituted the best available return for the taxpayer and secures the
commercial viability of a national asset for the next 100 years." While West
Ham will host all of their home matches at the stadium, which will sport
West Ham livery and colours, British Athletics also have a deal to take
control of the arena for one month every summer - with the Anniversary Games
and the 2017 World Athletics Championships set to be hosted there.

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THE LIVERPOOL RESULT, THE PLAYERS ON LOAN AND THE NEW SIGNINGS SHOW
AMBITION, AMBITION, AMBITION.
By Tony McNulty 3 Sep 2015 at 10:03
WTID

I have to say it has been a bloody good week all round for West Ham. I went
to university in Liverpool so have a real soft spot for both the town and
the reds – but beating them 3-0 at Anfield as just wonderful. As other have
already said, it wasn't only winning 3-0 that caused so much joy, but the
manner of it. The last time we won there – the goalscorers were Geoff Hurst
and Martin Peters!

Hurst scored at Anfield 52 years ago.
There was a fantastic start from Manuel Lanzini, a great take by Mark Noble
and then it was really good to see Diafra Sakho score as he does so well for
us. It was a very solid performance at the back and this allowed the rest of
the team to play flowing attacking football. Liverpool didn't have a chance.
All the new signings played well – as did older hands especially Mark Noble
and Diafra Sakho.

The historic victory – our first at Anfield since 1963 – was marred
temporarily by the absurd red card that Mark Noble got – but this has since
been rescinded by the F.A. Quite right too. They should also have a look at
the two yellow cards that Coutinho got, especially the second one. It was a
lovely pirouette from Payet, but it wasn't a yellow card.
It is very strange to look at the early league table after four games. On
home form, we are rock bottom with only WBA below us, yet on away form we
are top – with Manchester City. It would be entirely normal to have looked
at the first four games of the season and say that hopefully we would emerge
with at least six points from the two home games and – with a little luck –
we might get something at either the Emirates or Anfield! No-one would have
foreseen that we would emerge with six points – but from two away games,
with nothing to show for two very poor performances at home. So far, then,
these are very strange times indeed. But should we worry?

I said in an earlier post that I remain really optimistic about this season
and think that we will have a good overall performance and one that will do
the club proud in our last season at the Boleyn ground. I am ow more
convinced than ever that this will be the case. As I said, all our new
signings played well at Liverpool – Randolph, Ogbanna, Obiang, Lanzini and
Payet – as did our existing players. This was part of the reason for my
optimism.

But then, by the time the window was firmly closed shut yesterday – but
optimism doubled or trebled – we have never had such a successful in the
transfer market. Adding Victor Moses to a now confirmed loan quartet of him,
Jenkinson, Lanzini and Alex Song is a masterstroke. Each of this quartet not
only knows how to play football, they know how to play in a team. Jenkinson
had a bad game against Bournemouth– but he wasn't alone and will be a key
player this year. The solidity of the defence against Liverpool was without
him, remember, and he will only add to this strength.

When you look at the depth of skills that these loan players bring and add
them to the existing squad – then any true fan will be encouraged. When you
add to this MIchail Antonio, Stephen Hendrie, Nikica Jalevic then you have a
really balanced squad with the depth to survive the rigours of the season.
Indeed, not only to survive but to flourish. There are good grounds for my
optimism and good grounds for giving the manager and his staff a bit of
leeway to produce the football we all want to see.

Tuesday was the culmination of a very productive summer in the markets and
the addition of seven players bought outright and four on loan is a sign of
a team that has the ambition to do well this season. It is a squad that
should mean our overall form resembles our away form up to now, not our form
at home. However much the management and whole staff feel like patting
themselves on the back because of such a successful summer in the markets,
they should be a little cautious.

We need to start delivering the goods at home. I can think of nothing better
than knocking hell out of Newcastle on Monday 14th's night game to show the
way forward. To show that the success in the markets was for a reason – that
it had some purpose – and that was to make sure that the fans would get the
send-off that we deserve in our last season at Upton Park. I think we are in
for exciting times. I think Bilic will deliver. I think Newcastle should be
concerned – our home form it just about to become as good as our opening
away form.

One other small point – the millions and millions swirling around the
premiership, especially the TV money, has made this a record year again in
the transfer market. Maybe we should celebrate this success, but the
championship seems further and further away from the premiership – and the
drop now seems increasingly to be a drop into oblivion. That is something we
should be really worried about.

Martin Peters went to Spurs as part of Jimmy Greaves deal
I know it was different times completely, but I was flicking through a
newspaper album on West Ham and noted that on May 15th 1967 West Ham paid
£50,000 for Billy Bonds and three years later – March 17th 1970 – West Ham
paid £100,000 plus Martin Peters for the great Jimmy Greaves. Dim and
distant history I know – but it makes you wonder, doesn't it.

Bring on Newcastle – our first three points at Upton Park – and that will be
another bloody good week for West Ham.

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BLINDERS AND BUSES
By Jo Phillips 3 Sep 2015 at 18:07
WTID

Mr Dale is right. Our transfer deals were blinders and personally I can't
wait to see Alex Song playing again. He's an exciting player, always
energetic, physical and somehow manages to cross great distances so he seems
to be in several places at once. Blinders aside, I can't help thinking that
the transfer deadline is a relief and marks the start of the season proper.
Endless speculation that means football columns bear more resemblance to a
bookies' board can stop and we can focus on the game. The window shopping
and wish lists go and we get on with what we've got. That looks like a
pretty solid squad or as Bilic may say a busload of talent and potential.
What's with him and buses? I watched his interview after Anfield several
times to see if repetition would make it more comprehensible but frankly,
after that historic victory, I don't care if he's using reruns of On The
Buses and a poster of Reg Varney to get them playing like that.
Several commentators praised the West Ham composition on Saturday – the
dictionary definition is putting together of parts into a whole. That's a
pretty fair summing up of a team that played almost effortlessly together,
in tune and attuned to each other, the opposition and the opportunities. A
brilliant game and a terrific result, almost incredible after our previous
two matches. There wasn't a poor player on the pitch for us and indeed, many
were outstanding but I would single out Aaron Cresswell who showed again
what an important player he is – I remember the first time we saw him. The
aforementioned Mr Dale and I were astounded that such talent had been ours
to snap up from Ipswich.
So, good new signings, a brilliant result and as the late Ian Dury sang ,
reasons to be cheerful.

And yes, we fans are as fickle as the weather and I'm sure managers,
chairmen and players get used to love and hate in equal doses. Let's hope
they're basking in our collective love this week. I just hope Bilic's
enigmatic comments about buses isn't a veiled reference to coaches required
for winning only away. But if it is then tickets please and all aboard the
Hammers rollercoaster.

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West Ham Premier League squad list: Michail Antonio included after deadline
day switch
20:28, 3 SEPTEMBER 2015
BY JAMES WHALING
The winger moved from Nottingham Forest in a £7million move, and joins Andy
Carroll in the squad who is on the comeback trail
The Mirror

West Ham have named their 25-man squad for Premier League fixtures this
season. Deadline day signing Michail Antonio makes the cut, as does striker
Andy Carroll who is on the comeback trail after a knee ligament injury, and
Alex Song who has rejoined the Hammers. Antonio joined from Nottingham
Forest for £7million as the window slammed shut, as Slaven Bilic looks to
build on wins at Arsenal and Liverpool early in the season. Players such as
Reece Oxford are included in the U21 squad list, along with a host of other
youngsters who are eligible for selection.

Here is the full squad...

Amalfitano, Morgan
Antonio, Michail
Carroll, Andrew
Collins, James
Cresswell, Aaron
Henry, Doneil Jor-Dee Ashley
Jelavic, Nikica
Jenkinson, Carl
Kouyate, Cheikhou
Lanzini, Manuel
Moses, Victor
Noble, Mark
O'Brien, Joseph
Obiang Avomo, Pedro Mba
Ogbonna, Obinze Angelo
Payet, Dimitri
Randolph, Darren
Reid, Winston
Sakho, Diafra
San Miguel Del Castillo, Adrian
Song Bilong, Alexandre
Spiegel, Raphael
Tomkins, James
Valencia Lastra, Enner
Zarate, Mauro Matias

Under-21 players (Contract and Scholars)
Akinola, Olatunji Oluwasehun
Bogard, Clarke Ellis
Boness, Danny
Borg, Oscar Francis
Brown, Jordan Antonio
Brown, Tim
Browne, Marcus Alexander
Burke, Reece
Carter, Matthew James
Chambers, Leo Alexander
Cullen, Joshua Jon
Diangana, Grady
Dobson, George David
Elsom, Ross
Gordon, Jaanai Derece
Hector-Ingram, Jahmal Justin
Hendrie, Stephen
Howes, Samuel Scott
Knoyle, Kyle
Lee, Elliot Robert
Makasi, Kusu Moses
Mavila, Nathan
Nasha, Amos Lawrence
Neufville, Vashon
Onariase, Osaore Emmanuel
Oxford, Reece Joel
Page, Lewis Robert
Parfitt-Williams, Djair Terraii Carl
Pask, Joshua David
Pike, Alexander George
Powell, Joe
Poyet Gonzalez, Diego
Rice, Declan
Samuelsen, Martin
Scully, Anthony Richard
Sylvestre, Noha
Westley, Samuel Edward

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Explaining Downing's departure to Martin Keown
Posted by Sean Whetstone on September 3, 2015 in Sean's Blogs, Whispers
C AND H

Martin Keown has spoken about West Ham's transfer window and says he doesn't
understand why we let Stewart Downing go. Speaking in his Daily Mail blog
Keown said "Generally West Ham did not lose too much with their outgoings
but I must say the sale of Stewart Downing to Middlesbrough is a deal I just
don't understand. It was not so long ago that we were praising him and the
influence he was having. He has been outstanding in recent seasons and
though I'm sure he's happy to be back 'home' at Middlesbrough, he should
want to play in the Premier League for as long as possible."

Happy to answer that one for you Martin, Downing telephoned David Sullivan
three times and asked to leave West Ham. He left West Ham for one final mega
pay deal and an enormous bonus if he helps his boyhood team Middlesborough
get back to the Premier League. However, he later claimed he never wanted
to join West Ham in the first place and was quoted by one newspaper as
saying about Liverpool "I wanted to stay and fight for my place, Brendan
said he wanted me to stay, but the club told me that there was an offer from
West Ham. I didn't want to move."

He also told another newspaper after leaving West Ham "The change of manager
was a big factor, If Sam had stayed, then I'm sure he'd have had a good sit
down to try to persuade me to stay. After speaking to Slaven, I didn't get
that feel of someone who really wanted me there. He said, 'I'd love you to
say', but I didn't get the feeling that I got when Sam signed me."

On the KUMBPodcast West Ham Co Chairman David Sullivan explained the truth
about Downing:

"Downing phoned me personally and asked three times to leave so it is
nothing to do that he didn't feel wanted, they offered him a five year
contract on more money than he was on with us which is incredible for a
Championship side, he was on big money with us. What Downing has said is
dam right lies, I can say that, look at his phone bill and you can see he
personally phoned me up desperately wanting to go back to Middlesborough, it
was his home town club. We said we would like to to stay, we don't want you
to go and he said I don't want to stay, he has now said he didn't feel
(loved), no-one asked him, he went for financial reasons and they then have
to justify it and tell fibs. They just made him an incredible offer and he's
gone back to his home town club, they gave him a 4 to 5 year contract, I can
see his point of view, we wish him all the best, we wish Middlesborough get
promotion because we get a million and a half quid more, we will be cheering
them on"

The reality is you left for the money Downing, we know it, you know it and
know hopefully Martin Keown now knows it. Problem solved Martin, you only
had to ask!

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Sullivan refuses to backtrack on Austin and Barton
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 3, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

After conducting a question and answer session with David Sullivan, HUGH
SOUTHON reckons an unapologetic co-chairman has now put the recent Charlie
Austin and Joey Barton controversies in their rightful place.

David Sullivan found himself at the centre of a couple of controversies
during the transfer window but trust me, this is not a man to back down when
he believes he's in the right.

And the co chairman was pretty true to form in an exclusive interview with
ClaretandHugh when discussing both matters frankly and openly.

It will be recalled that during a podcast with KUMB, Sullivan made it clear
his reasons for not moving in on QPR's Austin was because of concerns over a
previously failed medical at Hull, and worries about the state of the
player's knee.

Being the silly season, the story took off like an airliner and even Austin
took to Twitter to aim both barrels at the co-chairman's head, claiming he
had no knowledge of his injury history or anything else.

Sullivan remained unmoved then, and as defiant in his interview with us,
despite an apology from his fellow chairman David Gold on talkSPORT which
appeared to be linked to another over Joey Barton.

The new Burnley midfielder has been moaning about reports that West Ham's
interest cooled presumably when fans and reportedly players weren't too
happy at the idea of him being offered even a pay as you play contract.

Sullivan's response to both players was to say of DG's apology: "I wouldn't
be apologising: there's nothing to apologise for."

What's interesting about these cases is that both individuals will be
plying their trade in the Championship this season and it's significant that
no other Premier League clubs were in a big hurry to sign Austin.

Love him or hate him, Sullivan tells it how it is, and to demonstrate
there's another side to the coin, he'll hold his hands up when necessary, as
he did in the question and answer session.

He was quick to admit he was sorry he hadn't signed Andrew Ayew admitting:
"I really fancied him."

Apologies? Regrets? They occasionally have their place in this game. But
there's no time to dwell on either, and its reassuring to hear them put in
their proper perspective by Sullivan.

Thinking about it, words such as storms and teacups come to mind.

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Exclusive: Sullivan on deals, controversy and Bilic!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 3, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

David Sullivan has been leading the Irons' transfer activities all summer.

And with its closure yesterday, he has received almost unanimous acclaim
from the Claret and Blue Army.

As a friend of ClaretandHugh, the co chairman has kindly agreed to answer a
series of EXCLUSIVE questions which tackle some important issues, such as
any regrets he might have on signings that got away; how he feels in
retrospect about the Charlie Austin and Joey Barton controversies; and how
he is getting along with new boss, Slaven Bilic.

He gives his views to ClaretandHugh's founding editor HUGH SOUTHON.

CandH: David, on ClaretandHugh estimates you have spent more money in the
transfer market than ever before – was that always the plan?

DS: NO, but we realised how important this season was for the club and we've
dug deep !

CandH: You almost seem to have become our director of football along with
your role as co chairman – is that a fair assessment ?

DS: No, but I'm a very hands-on chairman

CandH: With Mark Noble's red card having been rescinded should the FA look
at Danny Ings' play acting in the challenge

DS: No, I think he was genuinely hurt.

CandH: The fans have rarely been happier than over the last few days – after
the last 18 months or so you must be happy and relieved.

DS: Yes both happy and relieved, its been a very tough window. My own regret
is not signing Andre Ayew who went to Swansea, as I really fancied him.

CandH: How difficult or easy is it settling down to life with a new manager
and his methods after a long relationship with the previous boss,

DS: There is always an adjustment , but he's a nice man and very hard
working. I admire hard work

CandH: David Gold apologised on talkSPORT for the controversies over Barton
and Austin but is there actually much to apologise for.

DS: I wouldn't be apologising ! I don't think there is anything to apologise
for.

CandH: Your thoughts on the season ahead?

DS: I really don't know as we've had the strangest first four results.
This must be the best team we've had at West Ham United since we've been at
the club. Let's HOPE that translates into league position. I do NOT like
4-3 defeats even if there are lots of goals!

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