Daily WHUFC News - 1st October 2015 !

International round up
WHUFC.com

West Ham United left-back Vashon Neufville was a second half substitute in
England U17s emphatic 8-0 win over San Marino. The highly rated defender
came on in the 55th minute replacing Arsenal's Reiss Nelson as the Young
Lions routed their opponents in the Febres Sports Complex, Portugal. The
U17s next European Qualifier is against Armenia, who lost 7-0 to Portugal,
on Thursday 1 October, kick off local time is 2pm. Declan Rice played the
full game as the Republic of Ireland U17 drew 1-1 with Sweden at the Harju
Sport Center, Lohja, Finland. Rice had an opportunity to score after just
three minutes but his effort fell wide. The draw ensures Tom Mohan's side
top spot and the opportunity for a better seeding in the Elite Phase draw.

Glen McAuley scored Ireland's goal just before half-time and the Irish
looked set to record a clean sweep of victories before conceding a late
equaliser from Chelsea's Joseph Colley with three minutes left. Last week,
Rice scored twice for the Republic of Ireland U17 in a 6-0 win over Malta.
The highly rated defender-come-midfielder scored his first ever goal for his
country with a powerful header from a free-kick after 34 minutes. The
youngster then doubled his personal tally shortly after the half-time
interval as well as providing an assist.
The comprehensive win sees Rice's side qualify for the UEFA U17
Championships Elite Qualifying Round.

In the Football League, Reece Burke played the full game as Bradford City
slipped to a 2-0 away defeat at Colchester United. First half goals from
Callum Harriott and Marvin Sordell were enough to seal the victory. The
Bantams next face Rochadale away on Saturday 3 October.

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The Big Interview - Carl Jenkinson
WHUFC.com

Carl Jenkinson believes he is starting to re-produce his best form for the
Club and hopes to make it four away wins in a row when the Hammers head to
Sunderland on Saturday.

Jenkinson, who made another season-long loan move from Arsenal did not enjoy
the best of starts to the campaign after he was sent off during the 4-3 home
defeat against Bournemouth.

But the talented full-back made a successful return to the side and played
his part in a memorable 2-1 win over Premier League leaders Manchester City
at the Etihad Stadium.

The 23-year-old defender was disappointed that his side could not make it
four league wins in a row as they had to settle for a point in the 2-2 draw
with Norwich last weekend.

But he is confident the Hammers can get straight back on the winning trail
when they head to the Stadium of Light this weekend.


We are back on our travels this weekend when we face Sunderland. After
beating Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, how confident are you that
we can extend this amazing unbeaten run away from home in the north east?

CJ: "Fingers crossed that is the plan. Sunderland are fighting for their
lives at the moment and have not had too many results so it will be tricky.

"But if we can execute the games that we have played away from home this
season then I think we will be fine."


You must be delighted with your own performances since making a return to
first-team action. Do you feel you are now producing your best form?

CJ: "Obviously I got sent-off and it was important that I got back into the
team. I want to push on now and play some good football and feel that I am
doing that now.

"On a personal note and for the team things are looking alright."


You have played in some great teams over the years. How excited are you by
the attacking talent that we have got in the squad this season?

CJ: "I think they are great and on the break they are as good as anyone.
They are incredibly dangerous and have a lot of pace which frightens team.

"The team from back to front is very strong and there are not many
weaknesses if any. That is important, not just in the starting line-up, but
in the squad as well and we have strength in depth.

"That is hugely important. Attacking wise we can score goals and it is about
keeping it out defensively which is part of my job, but we are doing okay at
the moment."


Everyone is talking about the form of Dimitri Payet following his move to
the Club during the summer. How impressed have you been with him and the way
he has quickly settled into his new surroundings?

CJ: "He is an exceptionally talented football player and has shown everyone
what he can do so far. I am sure there is more to come from him.

"It is amazing how he has come from another league, moved all his family,
changed his house and everything has changed for him, but he has settled
down so quickly.

"They often say that it can take the foreign lads a season to do that, but
not with Dimi and he has settled in straight away and he is playing
fantastic football. Fair play to him and it is fantastic for us and his
team-mates."

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From the Treatment Room
WHUFC.com

Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke issues an update From
the Treatment Room - in association with Spire Roding Hospital...

Hello everyone.

We have had some positive news from the treatment room this week and hope to
see some key players returning to first-team action in the near future.

Enner Valencia has been working hard to reach the level of fitness that is
required to train with the squad.

The plan is for Enner to join some parts of team training later in the week
and we then hope he will be able to step up his training regime and join in
a few full team training sessions next week.

We had the official team photo on Tuesday and trained at the Boleyn Ground
in the morning.

Injured players also trained in the stadium and we used the stadium stairs
to do some good fitness work with Enner and Alex Song.

Alex is doing fine, working with the ball and is on schedule.

Angelo Ogbonna has entered the final stages of rehab and will join full
training soon.

We picked up some knocks and bruises from the Norwich game, but are positive
and working hard to recover all players for the Sunderland trip.

Stijn Vandenbroucke

Head of Medical and Sport Science

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Academy of Football trio called up
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to announce that three Academy of Football
graduates have been called up for international duty during the upcoming
international break. 19-year-old defender Reece Burke, currently on-loan at
Bradford City, has been called up to the England U20 side who face a triple
header against European heavyweights Holland, Turkey and Germany. Also
representing the Young Lions is highly rated goalkeeper Sam Howes who will
join up with the England U19 squad. They also have a trio of matches,
playing Macedonia first before ties with Finland and Italy. The third
Academy graduate to represent their country is Development Squad captain
Josh Cullen. Having scored against Andorra last time out, the midfielder who
will be part of the Republic of Ireland U21 squad as they prepare to play
Italy U21 on Tuesday 13 October as part of the Under Championship 2017
Qualifying Round.

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Premier League clubs' fans unite for ticket protest this weekend
By Alistair Magowan
BBC Sport

Fans from all 20 Premier League clubs and 10 Championship teams will join
forces this weekend to protest about the cost of ticket prices.
A recent study found the Premier League's average ticket price - £53.76 -
was the most expensive in the world. Protests will be co-ordinated at all
of this weekend's top-flight games, calling for a £20 cap on ticket prices.
The Premier League said focusing on the most expensive tickets "does not
provide a fair reflection".
Fans intend to display banners at matches including the Merseyside derby
between Everton and Liverpool, and Arsenal's home game against Manchester
United. But there have been suggestions some clubs may prevent such banners
being unveiled. Aston Villa, who host Stoke City on Saturday, have
previously only allowed those in support of the team. Kevin Miles, chief
executive of the Football Supporters' Federation (FSF), said: "Pricing is a
major barrier to watching live football for many fans - no club should deny
fans the right to freedom of speech within grounds on such a central issue.
"Any club who does that will rightly face criticism from their fans."

Supporters' groups from Championship sides Cardiff, Leeds, Birmingham,
Nottingham Forest, Hull City, QPR, Bolton, Reading, Middlesbrough and
Bristol City will join their top-flight counterparts in staging protests.

Who is the most expensive? (Top-priced tickets)
Home games Away games
Arsenal £97 West Ham £85
West Ham £95 Arsenal £64
Chelsea £87 Chelsea £59

Source: 2014 BBC Price of Football study
'Twenty's Plenty'

The BBC's annual Price of Football study has brought the cost of football
tickets into sharp focus. The FSF says the increase in the Premier League's
domestic TV revenues - to £5.14bn over three years from next season - could
allow clubs to charge fans nothing and still see an increase in income
compared to this season. But it is focusing its protest on the cost of away
tickets, in a campaign called 'Twenty's Plenty'. "We're delighted to see so
many fan groups involved in the weekend of action - supporters are standing
together against high prices," Miles said. "In the coming weeks, Premier
League clubs have a choice to make when they carve up the latest
multi-billion-pound media deal. Without match-going fans filling the
stadiums, and particularly those who make such arduous away trips, football
simply wouldn't generate such wealth."

The Premier League, which says occupancy at stadiums has been at 95.9% for
the past two seasons, provides each club with £200,000 a year for
initiatives for away fans. That is set aside to cover travel costs or reduce
ticket prices. The FSF says the 'Twenty's Plenty' initiative has already led
to 68,000 fans saving a total of £738,000 over the past two seasons through
reciprocal deals, where clubs agree to cap each other's away-ticket prices.

'A life sentence with no parole'

The Premier League says 12 clubs offer some adult season tickets that mean
fans pay £26 or less per match Away tickets for Manchester United fans
travelling to Emirates Stadium on Sunday will cost £64 - the second-highest
away price in the Premier League and the minimum home fans will pay for a
'category one' fixture between bigger teams. Home tickets at Arsenal can
reach £97, the most expensive in the Premier League. Raymond Herlihy,
chairman of Arsenal supporters' group Red Action, told BBC Sport he had
sympathy with away fans. He added: "This is an issue which is bigger than
your club or mine. It affects the millions of people who watch their teams
every week. We are trying to get the issue out there because we are being
priced out. "Supporting Arsenal is a life sentence with no chance of
parole."

Protestors will unfurl special FSF banners at half-time and before and after
matches. Dave Kelly, of Everton supporters' group Blue Union, said there
had been no opposition from Everton, Liverpool or Merseyside police. Banners
are set to be draped across both sets of fans at Goodison Park to show their
solidarity. Kelly added: "The Merseyside derby is known as the friendly
derby but we want it to be the affordable derby in recognition of the loyal
support that both clubs receive. "Our request to achieve a reciprocal deal
between Everton and Liverpool has fallen on deaf ears this season but we
will keep pushing the issue."

A Premier League spokesman said: "While the most expensive tickets are
subject to the most attention, the huge number of offers available at clubs
are generally ignored. This approach does not provide a fair reflection of
what the vast majority of fans are actually paying to attend Premier League
football matches. "To provide an example, this season 12 Premier League
clubs offered adult season ticket prices which work out as fans paying £26
or less per match. And many of the junior season-ticket offers at clubs see
young people attending for less than £10 per match."

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West Ham a must win game, says Mackems skipper
KUMb.com
Filed: Wednesday, 30th September 2015
By: Staff Writer

Sunderland captain John O'Shea has called West Ham United's forthcoming trip
to the Stadium of Light a 'must win game' for the home side.

With seven games of the campaign already played, the Black Cats sit bottom
of the Premier League with just two points and without a single win to their
name.

And from their three home games so far they have managed just one point and
two goals - whereas West Ham have won all three of their away games in the
Premier League so far, scoring seven times.

That form - or lack of it - has led former Manchester United defender
O'Shea, who was in the team beaten 3-0 at Old Trafford by his previous club
last weekend to demand a win against the Hammers this weekend.

"Even if people are doing things better together, we need a win," he said.
"We've had draws and performances, but we've not got anything from it. We
need to turn that around quickly.

"This West Ham game is going to be a crucial one for us to pick a win up. If
we can improve the concentration, then the effort is there on the training
ground and hopefully it will turn quickly.

"It's one of those things, you have to make sure you do your work on the
training ground, make sure you prepare properly for games. We need to get
clean sheets and then hopefully get the supply to the strikers to score for
us."
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Hammers linked with Argentinian international
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 30th September 2015
By: Staff Writer

West Ham are once again being linked with a move for Paris Saint-Germain's
Argentinian international Ezequiel Lavezzi. The Hammers explored the
possibility of signing the 30-year-old forward in the January transfer
window earlier this year but were left disappointed after Lavezzi opted to
remain with PSG, where he has spent the last three years. However West Ham
are believed to have renewed their interest in landing the winger, who will
be available on a free transfer at the end of the current season when his
existing contract expires. Lavezzi, who spent five years in Serie A with
Napoli before moving to France in 2012 has made more than 40 appearances for
Argentina since making his debut in 2007. This season he has found himself
on the periphery at the Parc des Princes, having made just two starts so far
this season - although he has also made a further five appearances from the
bench. And despite his lack of appearances, PSG boss Laurent Blanc believes
he is still a major asset to the club. "In the big clubs there is
competition and not everybody can play," he said recently. "But Pocho looks
good and is in great shape."

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Injured Carlton Cole still on radar of Celtic manager Ronny Deila
Last Updated: 30/09/15 8:14pm
SSN

Boss Ronny Deila confirmed that Carlton Cole had suffered an injury with
Celtic but stressed signing talks are still ongoing. The 31-year-old former
West Ham striker returned to Glasgow for a second week's training in a bid
to win a deal with the Scottish champions. Celtic majority shareholder
Dermot Desmond thinks Ronny Deila is the right man to lead the side despite
their early exit from the Champions League. Celtic majority shareholder
Dermot Desmond thinks Ronny Deila is the right man to lead the side despite
their early exit from the Champions League. Cole picked up a knock at the
club's Lennoxtown training complex on Tuesday but the Hoops manager played
down its significance. Deila said: "Carlton got knock at training. We have
to see what injury it is and how long he is going to be out. "We don't think
it is a big one. He will still train with us and we will see what is
happening. "But we are still talking. The last game he played was at the end
of May so whatever happens, it is not a short-term thing, like he will be
going in and be fantastic for Celtic at once.
"He needs to build up his fitness and that is what we are doing now."

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Report: Hospital checks for Carroll
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 30, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham are clearly being ultra-cautious over the well being of record
signing Andy Carroll after his prolonged injury history. ClaretandHugh
blogger – the very well respected ExWHUemployee – is reporting tonight that
the striker was taken to the Spire Roding Hospital today. 'Ex' reports that
the big fella was due to have an MRI scan to check on his recovery from his
injury and to ensure nothing occurred from Saturday's match. Carroll was
seen to be hobbling at one stage during his appearance as a sub but finished
the game and later ClaretandHugh was told by club insiders that all was well
with the front man. We contacted our sources after concern were raised by
our followers on the CandH Facebook forum at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/363174467150521/?fref=nf.

We were told that as far as anyone was concerned there appeared to be no
problem but Ex's tweet tonight suggests that absolutely no chance will be
taken concerning the the player's well being.

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Great news on Adrian contract
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 30, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham will not be rushing into new contract talks with goalkeeper Adrian
despite his contract running out at the end of the season.
The brilliant Spaniard has been in sensational form this season – looking
even better since he came back from his sending-off in the match against
Leicester City. And with his current deal coming to an end once this
campaign is through the Irons might have been expected to already be in
talks with the stopper. But when signing a three year deal back in 2013 our
negotiators had he foresight to ensure that a two year option in the their
favour was also put in place. And that will ensure that the 28 year old
former Real Betis keeper remains at the club until at lest 2018 – great news
in a season of great news for all Hammers fans. A well placed club source
said: "The two year option has turned out to be a particularly bright piece
of business."

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Frankie Mc's greatest Boleyn memory
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 30, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Frank McAvennie will miss everything about the Boleyn declaring: "There will
be a hole left but the memories were magical." The ClaretandHugh blogger and
one of the club's most favourite sons officially launched out 'Farewell to
the Boleyn' today which will see ClaretandHugh bringing pictures,
recollections from top players and videos through the season. But for
Frankie the unforgettable moment was in his last game on On 2 May 1992,
when, coming on as a sub for Mitchell Thomas he went out in style grabbing a
hat-trick.

Sadly we had already been relegated in 22nd and bottom place and his tally
in a frustrating season for both the player and the club was just six goals
from 20 league games. But he said: "It seems strange to say it but that was
memorable for a last game – a very special moment of playing before the best
supporters anywhere." Of the club and Upton Park Supermac said: It's a
privilege to launch CandH's tribute to the place. It's a wonderful club –
it's my club. Always will be. "The people who work there have always been
utterly fantastic to me – the always are and the fans are so special. I love
that place. "The walk down Green Street, round the market and then Cottee
and me chasing each other in round the back of the ground because we were
always late. Wonderful memories. "I'm sure life at the Olympic Stadum will
be great but saying goodbye to the grand old Boleyn is so hard for all of
us. There will be a hole left for us all."

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Moses nominated for award
Posted by Hammers Newshound on September 29, 2015 in News
C and H

Victor Moses has been nominated for the September Premier League's African
Player of the Month. Leicester City's Riyad Mahrez from Algeria, West Ham's
Victor Moses, Watford's Odion Ighalo, Sebastian Bassong from Norwich and
Mame Biram Diouf from Stoke City have all been nominated for the award. "We
have a shortlist of five players this month, because we have not been able
to separate our players in terms of brilliance this month. The standard has
been that high" Organisers said. The New African Soccer Awards are given
based on votes from members of the African media and followers on social
media, and the winner of September's award will be announced live on
Africa's first sports channel in Europe, Ben TV (Sky Channel 182) on
Saturday on Sport Tonight.

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Report: Irons eye Palermo midfielder
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 29, 2015 in News
C and H

The Irons are tonight being reported as weighing up a January move for
Palermo's in-form midfielder Oscar Hiljemark, CalcioMercatoWeb claim the
23-year-old – who only left PSV Eindhoven in the summer – has made a fine
start to life in six Serie A outings. And these performances have seen
scouts from the Irons and Southampton travel to the Palermo stadium.
Hiljemark captained Sweden's U-21s through their successful EURO 2015
campaign over the summer, during which he was often lauded for his
commanding displays.

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'Homeless' former Iron struggling again
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 30, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Carlton Cole appears to have tun into the same problems at Celtic a he did
when joining the Irons as an out of contract player – fitness! The former
Irons striker is attempting to land a deal with the Scottish outfit but
sadly things may look bleak for the 31 year old. Without a pre-season behind
him, trials at Parkhead have seen the problem emerge with coach John
Kennedey admitting it's tough getting him match fit in a short space of
time. He is reported as saying "He did well last week but he is short on
football fitness. "He has not done enough football training to get a proper
judgement, but we know what he is all about I think when the club and his
representatives speak together, then the deal has to be right if there is
one to be done."
A number of Championship clubs had been linked with Cole and Premier League
outfit Bournemouth are the latest club to reportedly show an interest.

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Adrian nails the Boleyn problem!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 30, 2015 in News
C and H

It really is very simple – we have to start a lot faster! Adrian's command
of English may not be as great as some but he knows how to nail it and
reckons right now the Hammers are giving teams too much time to allow their
confidence to grow at the Boleyn. In a nutshell it is us that may be causing
our own problems at home rather than anything the opposition are able to
conjure up. Speaking to the official site he said: "Away we are playing very
well but sometimes here at home we need to start much better "We allow the
other team to have more confidence and they can score. For us, at the moment
we are playing better away from home but you have your fans here and of
course if you play well, the fans are with you. "We need a result or to
score first to have our fans with us."

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Noble captaincy – a legend answers the big question
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 30, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

ClaretandHugh blogger John Moncur missed an appointment with
MooreThanJustAPodcast this week so has made up for it by covering a couple
of issues close to his heart here. Yesterday, Moncs discussed Carl
Jenkinson's 2015/16 West Ham future and today he talks about the decision to
make Mark Noble captain in the light of Alex Song's return – probably at the
end of October.
Every week we provide, wherever possible, a top Hammers name for the show.
John has become a bit of a legend and will be appearing on
MooreThanJustAPodcast over the next couple of weeks.
I believe Mark Noble is the right man to be our leader despite the fact that
he may not always be holding down a position in the team. Many believe the
return of Alex Song will put pressure on him for his place but that should
always be the case with any player and I still believe Mark should remain as
captain of the club whatever his team status. If he's not playing then we
have either Winston Reid, or possibly James Tomkins, who I believe is
growing and growing this season, and may be a future candidate for the job.
I think Reidy would probably be the choice at this moment but I'm a big fan
of JT and believe he would be in line should circumstances materialise that
require him to take the job on. I can even see a day not being too far off
when Aaron Cresswell may well be able to take the armband if he can become
more vociferous towards those around him However, Mark is the man as club
skipper. He's brilliant in and around the dressing room. He has enormous
respect among the players and has a big new contract behind him. He is a
motivator and a leader on and off the pitch and we are lucky to have a lad
like him around the place. Should he lose his place for whatever reason he
will take it on the chin – there's no sulking with him. All he wants is
what's best for West Ham and if that is Alex Song at times Mark will take it
– no problem.

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Westley knows he has to start winning
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 30, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

In the absence of any serious news on the first team front – let's turn our
attention to the thoughts of Academy manager Terry Westley's slow seasonal
start. There seems to be a view among some, that a totally win-less start to
the season, isn't a necessary requirement of Development squad (reserve
team) football. It really is very hard to agree with such a cack-handed view
of things. We play games to win and both confidence and ability can fade if
you are constantly being beaten. No youngster comes off a pitch thinking:
'Oh well hammered again but never mind I learned some stuff today.' Doesn't
happen! As we reported the other day Terry has now been handed a spanking
new contract and his comments on the official site this morning don't begin
to hint at losing being an option. Quite the opposite. Among some of the
comments he makes to www.whufc.com he says: "We've now played six games, and
in those games we've led seven times yet not held on to win. "The team is
going from a 9/10 performance to a 5/10 in periods of the game. We're making
some poor decisions which are letting teams back into games. We have to be
more resolute and we might just have to win a game 1-0 to get that monkey
off our backs."
"I half wish we had a game to get a win and start showing what we're capable
of. We now look forward to a bit of a break in games, where we can really
focus on ourselves." Terry Westley knows full well football matches are
there to be won. The pressure's on and we are hoping and believing it will
be sorted. So let's hear no more nonsense about the losing option
please!www.whufc.com

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A 'SELL TO BUY' SCENERIO IN THE JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW!
By S J Chandos 30 Sep 2015 at 08:00
WTID

David Sullivan has confirmed that the club (because of FFP restrictions)
will need to sell fringe players if they are to make further signings in
January. I am not sure if it is exactly the wisest strategy to flag that up
to other clubs in advance! Surely players interested in any of our surplus
players will now come in with low offers, in the knowledge that we are
fairly desperate to sell. It was interesting that after Sullivan made this
statement there was a short rush of stories about it signalling a January
'open season' on some of our best players (such as Payet, Sakho and
Cresswell). Of course that was never the case, Sullivan was always referring
to an imperative to sell fringe players in order to free up room in the
salaries budget. The idea that the board would weaken the squad in this most
important of all seasons makes no sense whatsoever!

In fact, as I argued last week, I think that West Ham's days as a selling
club are finally over. And the enormous income generated by the PL TV deal
means that not only can we hang on to our best players, but we are in a
strong financial position to tempt excellent players from top overseas clubs
(a la Payet from Marsailles). I guess there is still a danger from the top
four (champions League) clubs, but that is why it is so important that we
continue to push on to mount a sustained challenge for a place in the top
six and, hopefully, European qualification next season. What a fanastic
bonus that would be in the club's first season at the OS.

The club did excellent business in the summer transfer window. But there is
always the possibility that Slaven Bilic will want to 'refresh' the squad in
January, especially if certain targets become available. Basically, this
means that the club need to identify those current Hammers players deemed
surplus to requirements. I think it is probable that five players may fall
in to that category. Arguably they are: Collins, O'Brien, Amalfitano, Jarvis
and Zarate. Of these, Amalfitano and Jarvis are the likeliest to exit,
Amalfitano because it is reported that he has seriously fell out of favour
with Bilic; while it is time for Jarvis to move on and we probably have a
willing buyer in Norwich City. Collins is also likely surplus to
requirements in January, but much depends on the preparedness of Burke and
Henry to provide reliable first team cover. I am not sure about Henry, but
all signs are that Reece Burke will be ready to compete for a first team
place when he returns from loan. But, if O.Brien leaves then a new
right-back will need to be signed in January to replace him. Similarly,
Zarate could move if Bilic targets another striker, such as Zara. It is also
likely that he would command a decent transfer fee, with the likes of Gerona
and Malaga having shown previous interest. Personally, I like Zarate and I
would retain him. However, recruitment to the first team squad must be
conducted on the basis of continuous improvement, with ever better quality
players being signed. So, if a better striker than Zarate becomes available,
then why not?

The club will have their priority list of January targets, but there are a
couple of young players that I rate.The first is Sam Byram of Leeds Utd, a
right-back who is equally adept at playing wide on the right flank. This is
a defender who could replace O'Brien in the squad and become Jenkinson's
successor next season. The other is Will Hughes of Derby County, who is
probably the outstanding young midfielder currently in the Championship.
Hughes has a big future and will make the transition to a top PL club sooner
or later. What a statement of future ambition it would be to sign him. In
fact, there is also a third player, but I doubt that he would be considered
cost-effective. That player is Blackburn Rover's Jordan Rhodes. He is a
natural goal scorer and performs season after season. Yes, there is an
important transition to be made to the PL, but I just have a notion that
whoever gambles on Rhodes is putting their money on a safe thing. I guess
that some would argue that there must be a reason why no PL clubs (to date)
have moved for him. But I think that a lot of that has more to do with his
estimated £12m valuation and the availability of more cost-effective options
in the foreign market.

Saturday should see another very interesting match. Can we replicate our
recent away-day PL successes against a obviously struggling team? A cynic
would point to West Ham's propensity to beat the better sides and then
follow it up by suffering a defeat to a side they really should beat.
However, I do not think so, I feel that we will set up in a solid 4-2-3-1,
defend high up the pitch and hit them with swift counter-attacks. Sunderland
are not a particularly good team and we should take the three points. I am
looking for a 0-2 win, with Moses, Antonio (from the bench) Lanzini and
Payet playing key roles in a classic counter-attacking smash and grab.
Anyway, fingers crossed. COYI.

SJ. Chandos.

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Watford attacker Alessandro Diamanti hits out at former club West Ham,
claiming... 'everyone ate what they wanted'
By DANIEL PRESCOTT FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 00:38, 30 September 2015 | UPDATED: 01:14, 30 September 2015

Watford attacker Alessandro Diamanti has taken a swipe at former club West
Ham United – claiming the east London side were unprofessional during his
time at the club. Diamanti was voted runner-up in the club's Hammer of the
Year awards during his first season at Upton Park, scoring eight goals after
a summer move from Livorno in 2009. His first spell in England was
short-lived, though, and he returned to Italy after just one season, despite
having four years of his deal still left to run. But the Italian joined
Watford on loan from Chinese Super League side Guangzhou Evergrande in the
summer, sealing a return to England, and he is clearly impressed by his new
surroundings. 'I found a football club that is more modern. At West Ham
everyone ate what they wanted, but at Watford you follow a specific diet,'
Diamanti told Gazzetta dello Sport. 'After the pitch work we have sessions
of yoga and Pilates. There is a lot of attention for the video part. We have
an English teacher available. A new world.'

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