Daily WHUFC News - 29th January 2015

England U17 call for Hammers duo
WHUFC.com
Reece Oxford and Jahmal Hector-Ingram have been named in the England U17
squad
28.01.2015

Two West Ham United Academy prospects have been named in the England U17
squad for the Algarve Tournament in February. Defender Reece Oxford, who
recently put pen-to-paper on his first professional deal with the Club, and
striker Jahmal Hector-Ingram have both been called up by Young Lions coach
John Peacock for the four-team tournament. England will take on the
Netherlands, hosts Portugal and Germany over an intense five-day period,
which will serve as preparation for their UEFA U17 Championship Elite Round
qualifiers in March.
16-year-old Oxford has been capped eight times at this level already, while
Hector-Ingram has two goals to his name from six England U17 caps.

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FA Cup date set
WHUFC.com
The Hammers' FA Cup fifth-round tie at West Bromwich Albion will kick-off at
12.45pm on Saturday 14 February
28.01.2015

West Ham United can confirm that the FA Cup fifth-round tie at West Bromwich
Albion will kick-off at 12.45pm on Saturday 14 February. The Hammers can
also announce that the Club has received a full allocation of 5,500 Standard
tickets for the last-16 tie at The Hawthorns.
Standard tickets will be priced at £20 Adults, £15 Over-65s, £10 Under-21s
and £5 Under 17. Tickets will go on sale to supporters on the following
dates:
*Bond Holders/Corporate - 9am, Wednesday 4 February
*Priority Post Deadline - 5pm, Wednesday 4 February (for processing on
Thursday 5 February)
*Season Ticket Holders General Sale - 9am, Friday 6 February
*Academy/Youth Academy Members - 9am, Saturday 7 February
*General Sale - 10am, Sunday 8 February

Official Club Coaches will leave the Boleyn Ground at 8am, with seats priced
as follows:
*Season Ticket Holders and Academy Members - £22 Adults and £19 Concessions
*Non-Members - £27 Adults, £24 Over 65s/Under 16s

The Valentine's Day match will see the two sides meet for the third time
this season, with West Ham holding the edge in the two Barclays Premier
League meetings, winning 2-1 in the West Midlands in early December and
drawing 1-1 at the Boleyn Ground on New Year's Day.
West Ham have met West Brom five times previously in the FA Cup, winning
through on four occasions, including a third-round replay in January 1980 on
their way to lifting the trophy for a third time that May.

Prior to that, the first FA Cup meeting came in January 1913, when the
Hammers prevailed after a two first-round replays. In January 1933, West Ham
defeated the Baggies 2-0 in the third round on their way to the semi-finals.

In January 1953, West Brom scored their only FA Cup success over West Ham
with a 4-1 victory at the Boleyn Ground. More recently, West Ham triumphed
again in the third round in 1980 before scoring a 2-0 third-round victory at
The Hawthorns in January 1993.

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The Big Interview - Terry Westley
WHUFC.com
Academy Manager Terry Westley wants to produce more first team players
28.01.2015

West Ham United Academy Manager and Head of Coaching and Player Development
Terry Westley is excited about the Academy prospects Reece Oxford and Joe
Powell who recently signed professional contracts.

In an exclusive interview with whufc.com, we talk to the experienced coach
about the importance of promoting players above their age groups, the
restructuring of the Academy and producing more first team players.

Terry, fantastic news that Reece Oxford and Joe Powell have signed
professional contracts with the club, how happy does that make you?

TW: "I think that because we've got them long term we can plan for the next
four years. This allows us to put things in place, ensure that they develop
and make sure they become first team players. "First and foremost, we are
delighted that they have committed to the club, but from a developer's point
of view it gives me time now to work with them. They both have all the
ingredients to become first team players."

Reece in particular has attracted a lot of attention recently, there was
interest from a lot of other clubs, so does keeping him here send out a
message that the Academy means business?

TW: "Yes I think it has made a statement to other clubs out there that we're
not going to let our best players leave. There was a lot of interest with
Joe as well, which is why we needed to offer them a contract and get them
committed to a long term programme. "They now have a great opportunity to
become first team players sometime in the near future. We look at it in
terms of four year cycles, like the Olympics. You concentrate on London
2012, and then focus on Rio 2016. The gold medal for us is young players
playing first team football in the new stadium."

There is a tradition at West Ham of producing young players, how important
is it for these two players as well as their contemporaries to continue this
tradition?

TW: "I hope it sends out a sign to the other four boys that we've offered
contracts to. They have a future here and we have committed to keeping our
best players here. "We want to go back to that culture of West Ham
producing their own. We are all behind that here, the first team staff, the
manager and the owners have particularly backed us on these signings. So
I've got a big smile on my face that we signed Reece and Joe and hopefully
we'll get a few more signed soon."

For the fans who haven't seen Reece or Joe play before, what can you tell us
about them?

TW: "Joe Powell is a real attacker. He can beat people, come off the right
wing and hit shots with his left foot. He comes from a family with a
pedigree that have played, his brother was here and he now plys his trade at
Millwall in the first team. He's the right shape, good athleticism, mentally
tough enough and he's got the ability to become a professional player. "With
Reece, I think everyone is seeing, if you're a West Ham supporter there was
interest from Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal. Having seen
him play for England, as captain across Europe, he is one of the best
centre-backs in Europe. He's got a big future and we hope to see them both
one day in the first team."

Both are U16s who have played in older age groups, does that show the
potential that they have?

TW: "Yes, and that has got to continue. If you are an U16 you've got to be
playing U18 football, if you are an U18 you have to be playing
U21s. And if you are an early developer you can push on into the U21s which
is what Reece has done that."

There's been a restructuring at the top for the U21s with Steve Potts coming
in from the U18s, can you explain the thinking behind that?

TW: "At U21 level we believe you need coaches rather than managers, so Steve
has joined the U21s as a coach and will continue to work across age groups.
We believe he can still work with the U16s and U18s which will benefit them.
His knowledge and experience can really help them. His work with the U21s is
also important so there is a sense of continuity. So that is first in my
mind. "Steve is committed to the club, he's got two boys in the system,
Freddie at U11 and Dan in the U21s. Given the amount of times he played for
the club he is a legend. He's dedicated and hardworking and a very important
member of staff at the Academy. Hopefully these conditions will help him to
flourish. I want to see our staff work across a number of age ranges."

As you say, Steve has been a big part of the Academy for a number of years.
First with the U16s, then the U18s and now U21s...

TW: "Yes, and that will go with all the staff across the Academy. James Rowe
is a talented coach, he's young but he wants to improve. One week he may
work with the U18s, the next week the U10s. Mark Phillips is the same, U14s
and U18s. That is the structure that we're working with."

Finally, how important is the U21s as a bridge between the Academy and the
first team?

TW: "Yep, that's the next challenge. Once we've got the structure in place
and we secure signatures of players, the next step is getting players into
the first team. Rio Ferdinand was 17 when he was around the first team,
Frank Lampard the same, Joe Cole, the list is endless. We have to get back
to that. James Tomkins and Mark Noble are regular first team players, so we
need to produce more."

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Heartbreak for Kouyate & Senegal
WHUFC.com
Senegal were eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday
27.01.2015

Cheikhou Kouyate and his Senegal side suffered the heartbreak of an early
elimination from the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday.
Needing a point to secure their progress from the group stage, they came up
short against Algeria as goals from Leicester City's Riyad Mahrez and Nabil
Bentaleb, of Tottenham Hotspur, secured a 2-0 win for the North Africans.
With Ghana coming from behind to dramatically defeat South Africa 2-1 in the
group's other concluding fixture, it meant Senegal dropped from top to
third, two points behind both Ghana and Algeria. Senegal started the
tournament promisingly, with Kouyate starting in a 2-1 win over Ghana. The
Hammers No8 was then a used substitute in their 1-1 draw against South
Africa and returned to the starting XI against Algeria, but was unable to
help the Lions of Teranga get the result they craved.

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Young pair depart
WHUFC.com
Development Squad duo Jamie Harney and Danny Whitehead have both left West
Ham United
28.01.2015

Development Squad duo Jamie Harney and Danny Whitehead have both left West
Ham United. Northern Ireland U21 international centre-back Harney (pictured)
has turned his loan spell with League One club Colchester United into a
permanent move. The 18-year-old has made one first-team appearance for the
U's since moving to the Essex outfit in November 2014.

Midfielder Whitehead (below), who was signed from Conference National side
Stockport County in summer 2013, has had his contract with the Hammers
cancelled with immediate effect. The 21-year-old made one first-team
appearance for the Hammers in an FA Cup third-round tie at Nottingham Forest
in January 2014.

West Ham United would like to thank both Jamie and Danny for their hard work
and wish them all the best for their future careers.

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Stephen Hendrie: West Ham in talks with Hamilton full-back
BBC.co.uk

Hamilton Accies left-back Stephen Hendrie has flown to London to hold
signing talks with West Ham United. Hendrie, 20, is out of contract at the
end of the season and could agree a pre-contract deal to join the English
Premier League club in the summer. Accies vice-chairman Ronnie MacDonald
last week criticised the London club, claiming that a transfer fee in excess
of £2m had been agreed. He said Hendrie agreed terms but that West Ham did
not complete the deal. MacDonald was irked because a fee had been agreed
with Crystal Palace for the 20-year-old product of Accies' youth system
before the Hammers made their interest known. The Scottish Premiership
outfit had been keen to sell during the January transfer window rather than
wait for compensation in the summer. However, it now looks likely that the
Scotland Under-21 international will remain at New Douglas Park for the rest
of the season. Hendrie, who had also been linked with Celtic, made his debut
for Accies aged 16 and has made 97 appearances for the club.

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West Ham's Jamie Harney makes permanent Colchester switch
BBC.co.uk

Colchester United have signed defender Jamie Harney on a free transfer from
Premier League club West Ham. The 18-year-old, who has made one substitute
appearance for the U's since joining on loan in November, has signed a deal
until 2016. He can play either centre-half or right-back, but has mostly
featured for Colchester's Under-21 side since moving from the Hammers.
Harney has been is capped at age group levels up to U21 by Northern Ireland.

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Ravel Morrison: West Ham midfielder in Italy for Lazio talks
BBc.co.uk

West Ham midfielder Ravel Morrison has travelled to Italy for talks with a
view to signing a pre-contract agreement with Lazio, with the Premier League
club's consent. It had been reported the Hammers had blocked Morrison, 21,
from travelling to Italy over a breach of his contract. However, it is
understood the delay was down to existing training commitments. If he signs
for Lazio they would become Morrison's sixth club in a career blemished by
off-field controversies. Earlier this month the Crown Prosecution Service
dropped all charges against the England Under-21 international pertaining to
allegations that he assaulted his former girlfriend and her mother.
Morrison would become the first Englishman to play for Lazio since Paul
Gascoigne's spell with with the Italian outfit from 1992 to 1995, should the
deal go through.

Here BBC Sport looks at the ups and downs of Morrison's career.
'Better out of Manchester'

Ex-Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said Morrison was "better out of
Manchester" Former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson once claimed the
14-year-old Morrison was the most talented youngster he had seen at the club
since the schoolboy Paul Scholes and handed him a first-team debut in the
League Cup in 2010 against Wolves. Morrison won the FA Youth Cup with
United, but only managed a further two senior appearances in the League Cup
in the 2011-12 campaign. With his contract set to expire in the summer of
2012, Ferguson allowed Morrison to join West Ham in January of that year.
Ferguson labelled the player's contract demands "unrealistic" and said he
was "better out of Manchester" because of his troubles away from football.

A temperamental talent, transformed...
Morrison was branded "the best footballer since Gascoigne" by former Blues
boss Lee Clark in 2014 After just one appearance in the Championship in the
2011-12 season for West Ham following his transfer to Upton Park, Hammers
boss Sam Allardyce sent Morrison out on a season-long loan to Birmingham
City in the following campaign. The then Birmingham boss, Lee Clark, praised
Morrison for transforming his approach to football after the player overcame
an uncertain start to life at St Andrew's, in which Clark considered
terminating the loan, to become a consistent performer. "The conversation we
had a couple of weeks ago seems to have done the trick," Clark told BBC WM
in October 2012 as he insisted the player had turned a corner. "Since then
he's been nothing short of brilliant in terms of his application and his
attitude."

Flawed genius
Morrison has been described as "a fantastic talent" by QPR boss Harry
Redknapp Morrison forced his way into Allardyce's team in the first half of
the 2013-14 season and produced some eye-catching performances as he scored
five goals in his first 12 games for the Hammers.
The playmaker's most memorable goal came in West Ham's 3-0 win over
Tottenham in October 2013 when he effortlessly glided from his own half and
through the Spurs defence before ending the run with a chipped finish.
Allardyce described it as a "bit of genius" and said Morrison had "sorted
himself out".

Broken relationship
Morrison was called up to the England Under-21 squad the same month, but he
subsequently fell out of favour with Allardyce, who claimed the player
overstated minor injury problems. Allardyce also denied allegations in the
Guardian newspaper that his relationship had broken down with Morrison in
relation to a disagreement over agents.

'Greatest player since Gascoigne'
The precocious performer scored six goals in 17 appearances for QPR Despite
Morrison's early season form for West Ham, which saw him talked of as a
possible contender for England's 2014 World Cup squad and helped him draw
praise from Roy Hodgson, his differences with Allardyce saw him sent on loan
to Championship side QPR in February 2014. Alluding to Morrison and
Everton's Ross Barkley, Hodgson told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek in
December 2013: "These two must realise we do have great faith in them and
enormous admiration for their talent." After Morrison scored two brilliant
goals in QPR's 2-0 win over Birmingham , Blues boss Lee Clark labelled him
"the best footballer since Paul Gascoigne" . Clark had been a former
team-mate of Gascoigne at Newcastle. Under Harry Redknapp's management
Morrison played a key role in QPR's promotion-winning campaign and finished
the season with a combined total of 11 goals in 38 appearances for QPR and
West Ham.

L'enfant terrible
Morrison has made seven appearances for Cardiff City in his loan spell at
the Welsh club A couple of appearances for West Ham at the start of the
2014-15 season suggested Morrison was back in Allardyce's thoughts, but he
was then loaned out for a third time to a second tier club in September 2014
when he joined Cardiff on a three-month deal. Morrison revealed he had
started to learn French while at the Welsh club, but returned to West Ham
early because of personal reasons. Allardyce said following Morrison's
return to Upton Park that he was in despair at watching the 21-year-old
"wasting his talent".

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West Ham United rising high in all-time chart
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 28th January 2015
By: Staff Writer

West Ham are just two wins away from becoming the 15th most successful
English league club of all time. Last year the Hammers surpassed both Leeds
United and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the all-time points list for the
English Premier League/old Division One. Now, just two more wins would see
them join Derby County on 2,510 points - although West Ham have played 2,304
top-flight matches to achieve that total and the Rams, 2,468. Whilst that
particular target should be easily attainable before the end of the current
campaign, at this season's rate of 1.64 points per match it will take the
Irons approximately four-and-a-half years to surpass the team immediately
above them. That's current Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, who have
a total of 2,781 points! West Ham are one of only four clubs in the top 20
never to have won the Division One/Premier League title; the others being
West Brom, Bolton and Middlesbrough.

English Premier League : All Time Table (Top 20)

* Denotes club not currently in the Premier League. Average points per game
in parenthesis. Points total based upon points-per-win system applicable at
the time.

1. Liverpool Pld 3966 Pts 5350
2. Arsenal Pld 3966 Pts 5291
3. Everton Pld 4350 Pts 5158
4. Manchester United Pld 3610 Pts 5088
5. Aston Villa Pld 4016 Pts 4679
6. Chelsea Pld 3230 Pts 3988
7. Tottenham Hotspur Pld 3226 Pts 3947
8. Manchester City Pld 3438 Pts 3860
9. Newcastle United Pld 3334 Pts 3785
10. Sunderland Pld 3248 Pts 3424
11. West Bromwich Albion Pld 2978 Pts 2996
12. Blackburn Rovers * Pld 2720 Pts 2947
13. Bolton Wanderers * Pld 2802 Pts 2824
14. Sheffield Wednesday * Pld 2582 Pts 2781
15. Derby County * Pld 2468 Pts 2510
16. West Ham United Pld 2304 Pts 2504
17. Wolverhampton Wanderers * Pld 2422Pts 2480
18. Leeds United * Pld 2060 Pts 2455
19. Nottingham Forest * Pld 2178 Pts 2404
20. Middlesbrough * Pld 2400 Pts 2401

The current Premier League clubs outside of the all-time Top 20 are Stoke
City (22nd, 2,146 points), Burnley (24th, 2,065 points), Leicester City
(25th, 1,856 points), Southampton (26th, 1,772 points), Queens Park Rangers
(35th, 1,050 points), Crystal Palace (42nd, 582 points), Swansea City (49th,
275 points) and Hull City (52nd, 121 points).

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Kouyate could make Liverpool comeback
KUMb.com
Filed: Wednesday, 28th January 2015
By: Staff Writer

Senegal's elimination from the African Cup of Nations may have been bad news
for the West African nation - but potentially a huge boost for West Ham
ahead of this coming weekend's trip to Liverpool. Chiekhou Kouyate - who
played a full 90 minutes in Senegal's 2-0 defeat against Algeria, one that
sent them tumbling out of the competition - will now return to West Ham
sooner than expected. That means the midfielder should return to England
this week - and possibly in time to face Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday
afternoon, according to co-chairman David Gold.

Kouyate, who joined West Ham last June in a £7million switch from Anderlecht
has made 16 appearances for United since moving to England - all in the
Premier League. His only goal so far came in the 2-1 defeat at home to
Arsenal on 28 December.

* Senegal's exit also meant the end of the road for head coach Alain
Giresse, who yesterday complained bitterly about Diafra Sakho's inclusion in
West Ham's match day squad for the FA Cup tie with Bristol City. "I am out
of contract. My contract has finished," he said. "The road ends here for
Senegal. There will be a lot of changes in and around the team. What happens
next I don't know, but I know what I am going to do."

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Stephen Hendrie to sign pre-contract agreement
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 28th January 2015
By: Staff Writer

Hamilton Academicals full back Stephen Hendrie is on his way to London in
order to sign for West Ham, say reports north of the border.
The 20-year-old left-sided defender will sign a pre-contract agreement with
West Ham allowing him to move South in the summer upon the expiry of his
current contract (Daily Record). Although Hendrie had hoped to complete his
move to London this month, before the end of the current transfer window the
two clubs were unable to agree terms. That particular deal was cancelled
last week by the Accies, whose vice-chairman Ronnie MacDonald blasted West
Ham for their conduct during negotiations. "The fee was agreed, Stephen
agreed personal terms through his agent and they were meant to come up to
our place on New Year's Day to sign off the deal and didn't appear. They
then said they would up on the 4th but didn't appear so I just cancelled the
deal. "I'm getting phone calls from London saying they want to resurrect it
but as fas as I'm concerned it's off. I think West Ham are shambolic and if
that's how they carry on their business that's up to them, They should do
things properly."

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We'll have Lassana
KUMb.com
Filed: Wednesday, 28th January 2015
By: Staff Writer

West Ham are reported to be monitoring free agent Lassana Diara's planned
move to Inter. TuttoMercatoWeb claim that West Ham, along with German club
Hamburg are waiting in the wings should the French midfielder's move to
Roberto Mancini's Serie A side fall through. Although technically a free
agent Diarra is still involved in a legal dispute with former club Lokomotiv
Moscow, who sacked him in August 2014 after the former French international
failed to turn up for training. That led to Celtic dropping a planned bid to
sign the 29=year-old earlier in the season and has thus far prevented the
Italians from completing their approach. Diarra has several years'
experience of Premier League football having previously featured for
Chelsea, Arsenal and Portsmouth. However it is six years now since he left
Portsmouth to join Real Madrid, since when he has represented Russian clubs
Anzhi Makhachkala and Moscow - for whom he last featured in July 2014.

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West Ham's Ravel Morrison in Rome to finalise Lazio deal
Last Updated: 28/01/15 12:36pm
SSN

Ravel Morrison has arrived in Rome to finalise his pre-contract agreement
with Lazio. The midfielder's West Ham deal is up at the end of the season
which means he is entitled to negotiate with European clubs. And an
agreement to join Serie A Lazio this summer should be sealed if the England
U21 passes a medical. Morrison came through the ranks at Manchester United,
where he was highly thought of, but disciplinary issues contributed to their
decision to sell him to West Ham three years ago. The 21-year-old has since
spent time on loan at Birmingham, QPR and Cardiff and last appeared in the
Premier League back in August.

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THE BIG QUESTION: WILL THE OLYMPIC STADIUM IMPROVE OUR PERFORMANCES?
By Bobby Shovels 28 Jan 2015 at 15:00
West Ham till I Die

In the early days of our muted move to Stratford, I was a fervent opponent.
Why not rebuild the Chicken Run? Do we really want a running track in a
stadium that is not purely our own? What about the aura of the Boleyn?
Another stadium banished to the history books like The Dell, the Baseball
Ground, Roker Park and Highbury.

That pessimism has had to give way to reality, as well as democracy, after a
supporter poll found strong backing for our move from E13 to E20 (the
ground, not the nightclub in EastEnders). I had to understand that despite
my misgivings about the business of football, money matters and the added
revenue and the surge in executive packages would help solidify West Ham's
place among the country's elite.


However, my pessimism – like any West Ham fan's worries – has not completely
died and I was reminded of this while listening to a podcast from a few
years back. It cited a 2003 report by Thomas Dohmen, from Bonn's Institute
for the Study of Labor, that looked at 3,519 matches over 12 Bundesliga
seasons. The title of the study was, "In Support of the Supporters? Do
Social Forces Shape Decisions of the Impartial?"

Of course, as with any such report, the title doesn't do the paper justice.
What Dohmen found was that in football (well, German football at least)
referees were influenced by the crowd and often ended up favouring home
teams. This took the form of lengthening games when the home was behind by
one goal, especially when the crowd was dominated by a large section of home
fans. Referees were even found to favour the home side in terms of penalty
kick and goal decisions.

Yet here's the big takeaway: the report found that the strength of a
referee's favouritism depended on the crowd's closeness to the pitch and was
even influenced by the presence of a running track separating the home fans
from the pitch. Such was the case in Berlin and Munich's Olympic stadiums.

"A remarkable finding is also that more penalties are awarded in stadiums
without a running track," Dohmen said. "Strikingly, given that a penalty was
awarded, the decision was more likely to be correct when the game took place
in a stadium in which a track separates the stands from the field."

His conclusion: "A likely explanation for the observed behaviour is that
referees are emotionally influenced by the atmosphere in the stadium."

Now, there are many problems with the study: in the year the report was
published, Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga while playing in a stadium with
a running track. Furthermore, the report only surveyed German football and,
perhaps more importantly, you can't say a referee is the most important
determinant in the outcome of a football match.

You may also add that our stadium has retractable seating – yet I still
remain to be convinced by this plan and there are already concerns about a
sizeable gap between the fixed upper tier and retractable lower tier.

My history may be blinkered, but I certainly feel that West Ham's home
advantage was far more evident during the days when the West Stand had not
become the behemoth it is now, and with the pitch shifting away from the
boisterous Chicken Run. In the fifth-placed finish of 1999, we won 11 of our
19 home games, losing only 5.

In fact, a quick bit of dodgy maths: I looked at the average number of home
games we lost in the 12 seasons since 2002 (just after the West Stand was
built) and compared that to the 12 seasons before. On average, before the
new stand was built, we lost 4.91 home games per season; since then, it's
been 6.58.

Now, in the years since the West Stand was built we've spent a couple of
seasons in the Championship, so we had to play more games. Yet arguably,
maybe we went down because the atmosphere was just not as intimidating?

Then again, it could just have been about the lack of decent football,
something Dohmen's report did not look into either. So maybe the conclusion
is much simpler: just play good football in the new ground.

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MOURINHO'S ALLEGED INTEREST SHOULD STEEL WEST HAM'S RESOLVE TO RETAIN
VALENCIA!
By S J Chandos 28 Jan 2015 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die

Are we determined to continue moving forward as a club? Is this season the
start of a process of positive transformation or is it merely a brief
interlude, which will see us return to our former status as a club of
perpetual underachievement? As rumours circulate about West Ham cashing-in
on Enner Valencia, these are pertinent questions. Last summer we completed
the major overhaul of the squad that was so urgently required and it has
paid enormous dividends. It has turned us in to serious contenders for a top
six PL finish and rendered last season's struggles a distant memory. Now, we
must retain our best players, move out those players surplus to requirements
and add yet further quality to the squad. We do not need to sell a striker
of great quality, such as Valencia, who is still settling in to the English
game. And certainly not mere months after his arrival and to a team like
Chelsea!

Enner Valencia will come good and I want to see him do it in a West Ham
shirt, not the blue of Chelsea FC. Certainly, Jose Mourinho knows quality
when he sees it and his alleged interested should steel West Ham's resolve
to retain the player. Valencia needs to adjust to the physical side of the
English game and develop his striking partnerships with Carroll & Sakho. It
will happen, we fans need to be patient and Valencia must continue to work
at his game. And conversely, Sam Allardyce also needs to start playing to
Valencia's obvious strengths, particularly his lightening pace. More
accurate balls need to be played forward, in to space, to allow him to
capitalise on his pace and finishing ability.

So, as far as I am concerned, the club should defintely rebuff Chelsea's
overtures and retain the striking triumvirate of Carroll, Valencia and
Sakho. Moreover, We need to ensure stability in the quality core of the
squad. That needs to be accompanied by an ongoing process of continuous
improvement, adding players of greater quality in each window and increasing
competition for places. If a player of quality moves on (a la the
possibility of Winston Reid leaving on a Bosman) then we must set ourselves
the ambitious objective of always replacing them with a player of equal or
greater quality. That is the recipe for sustained success. And I sincerely
hope that this will soon involve not only incoming transfers, but also the
elevation out own young players via the Academy. I have high hopes of Reece
Burke successfully making the first team transition and we can take great
confidence from the fact that such outstanding prospects as Oxford and Borg
are currently in the pipeline.

One hopes that David Sullivan stands by his expressed resolve to retain our
best players and that he rejects any bid for Valencia. Similarly, I cannot
say that I am too keen on the proposed Darren Fletcher deal. I am sure
Fletcher has been a very good player for Man Utd in the past, but we must
think seriously before signing a 30 year old, with a recent history of
health problems, on an alleged £60,000 a week, three and a half year
contract. With Kouyate's impending early return from the African Cup of
Nations, do we really need Fletcher? I would prefer another midfielder, who
could compete with Downing for the spot at the offensive apex of the
midfield diamond. Moreover, with Morrison's seemingly inevitable exit in the
summer, would it not be a positive step to line up a move for a youngster of
comprarable promise. One such prospect that West Ham could consider bidding
for is Derby County's outstanding midfielder starlet, Will Hughes. The
acquisition of Hughes would be a real transfer coup, which would send out
another clear and positive indicator that West Ham have ambition and are
moving in the right direction.

Certainly, we need to move heaven and earth to sign Song and Jenkinson next
summer. Both players have been instrumental to our success this season. Song
will command a hefty fee and a substantial wage package, but quality always
costs! It will be a major mistake to let Liverpool, Arsenal or Man City
steal Song away from us. While, Jenkinson will probably not cost the quoted
£12m fee. It is much more likely to be in the region of c.£6m and that is a
fair transfer fee for a young player of Jenkinson's ability and potential to
develop and progress. It has been confirmed that the club will have a
substantial transfer/wages budget next summer and appropriate resources need
to be committed, as a priority, to secure Song and Jenkinson on long-term
contracts.

Currently, in this window, it would appear that the club are making new
overtures to sign Hamiliton left-back, Stephen Hendrie. While, there are
rumours that Dan Potts is considering a possible move to Blackpool FC. It
may prove to be a loan move, but if Hendrie does join then that could mean
that a permanent deal is on the cards for Potts. We shall see? There is also
talk of the likes of WBA and Cardiff City making a loan move for Matt
Jarvis. Personally, I would be surprised if Jarvis moved, at least in the
January window. Arguably, we need to retain the wide options guaranteed by
his continued inclusion in the squad. While, it will also be very
interesting to see how Don Henry shapes up and whether Marcus Nilsson's
current trial proves successful?

Finally, it appears that the Senegelese FA have made a complaint to FIFA
about Sakho's participation in our FA Cup tie at Bristol City. It has been
reported that they are pushing for a ban for Sakho until the end of the
African Cup of Nations competition and a possible FA Cup expulsion for the
club! In the meantime, West Ham intend to include Sakho in the squad for the
forthcoming PL fixture at Anfield. And quite rightly so! Talking of Anfield,
this would really prove to be a notable season if we could manage to grab
our first win there since 1963-64! Surely, what is probably the longest
hoodoo in English football has to end at some point? Could this be the
season? Lets hope so.

SJ. Chandos.

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West Ham deny any wrongdoing over Diafra Sakho injury row as Senegal lodge
FIFA complaint
15:44, 28 January 2015 By Darren Lewis
The 24-year-old withdrew from the Africa Cup of Nations only to feature
against Bristol City last weekend as the club vs country row continues
The Mirror

West Ham insist they will be vindicated in the escalating club v country row
over striker Diafra Sakho. Sakho, 25, is facing a ban after his country
Senegal made an official complaint to FIFA about him playing in the FA Cup
for West Ham. The Lions, knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations on
Tuesday, remain angry that Sakho withdrew from their squad before the
tournament with a back injury. Senegal officials are particularly upset at
not being able to examine the frontman themselves because West Ham insisted
he could not fly. The Hammers, however, strongly deny any wrongdoing and
insist they have not pulled a fast one. Co-owner David Sullivan has stressed
they have been acting solely on the advice of leading medical professionals.
He said: "Any FIFA hearing will vindicate us. The player missed four games
as a result of injuries incurred whilst playing for Senegal. We have done
nothing untoward." To prove their point, Sakho will be driven north by West
Ham while his team-mates are flying to Merseyside to play against Brendan
Rodgers' men on Saturday. Senegal national team coach, Alain Giresse, saw
red after Sakho played against Bristol City on Sunday and insisted the
Hammers are opening the door for other players to follow suit. Giresse
fumed: "This sets a dangerous precedent because you're going to have players
claiming they cannot catch planes to Africa but who can still play
football." Sakho came on in the 57th minute of the FA Cup Fourth Round tie
and scored the winning goal. Giresse said afterwards: "I'm surprised to
learn he played." Sakho was also criticised in his homeland and took to
social media to defend himself, writing: "Never doubt the lion sleeping in
me, as I never doubt the passion that burns within you.".
West Ham, however, maintain they are following the advice of leading
specialists who have warned that the player is prohibited from flying. As
such, Sakho also travelled to Bristol by road on Sunday while his team-mates
were flown from London. But Giresse said: "When you cannot fly for six weeks
and then suddenly you're playing a football game, there must be miraculous
medicine in England."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Winston Reid proved West Ham are still on his mind with fine Bristol City
showing
11:06, 28 January 2015
OPINION BY STEVESTAMMERS
The New Zealand international is out of contract and looks all set to leave
Upton Park - his performance at Ashton Gate shows he'll be missed
The Mirror

There were several players who emerged with immense credit for West Ham's
win at Bristol City. It was an FA Cup tie that no­-one in the Premier League
would have relished – especially in light of the carnage the day before when
Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham all had their dreams dashed in
spectacular fashion. But West Ham were ultra­-professional. The first 20
minutes were always going to be crucial and West Ham survived. Andy Carroll
showed just what a fit Andy Carroll is capable of achieving. James Tomkins
grows in stature with every game. And Mark Noble was just the kind of
midfield player you need on a January afternoon in the West Country when the
going is tough. But if one man warrants a special mention, it is Winston
Reid. Everyone in the East End knows that the New Zealander is on his way –
either in the next six days when the winter transfer window is still open or
in the summer when it opens again for business.

Come June, he will be on a free transfer. An an extremely lucrative one at
that. Manager Sam Allardyce is already making preparations for that
eventuality and his central defence of choice since it became clear that
Reid would not sign a new deal has been Tomkins and James "The Ginger Pele"
Collins. But Collins was injured and Allardyce drafted in Reid. And Reid
looked anything but disinterested in what was a major test of his
professionalism. In short, he was outstanding – especially against a huge
mountain of a striker in Matt Smith. The man on loan from Fulham is a
genuine handful but Reid handled any threat with calm, with aggression when
needed and with immense composure. Many in his position would not have
fancied the demands of last Sunday afternoon and participation in a frantic
cup tie that would test nerve and character. Reid passed that test – and
credit to him because his mind could easily have been elsewhere.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Massive Dev Squad clear-out on the way
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 28, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

West Ham are set to stage a massive cull of the Development Squad over the
next few weeks. The club confirmed today that Jamie Harney and Danny
Whitehead have both have both left West Ham United. And this follows
announcements on their social media channels that Ben Marlow and Kieron
Bywater will not be signing new contracts. Colchester United later announced
they had signed former Hammers U21 defender Harney on a free transfer
following his release.

It won't stop there with no news of contract offers to 14 others -Danny
Potts, Elliot Lee, Seb Lletget, Paul Mccallum, Lewis Page, Taylor Tombides,
Josh Cullen, Balir Tugott, Matthias Fanimo, Kieran Sadlier, Raphael Spiegel,
Moses Makasi, Nathan Mavila, Amos Nasha and Sam Westley.

If all of them leave the club in addition to the four already named it will
be a complete clear out of the Academy built by Tony Carr and Nick Haycock.
Terry Westley took over the Academy last Summer with Steve Potts announced
as the Under 21 manager last week. It is understood Terry has been tasked by
the board with getting return on the £4m plus investment made into the
Academy every year. The Hammers U21's remain bottom of the Premier League
U21 league with eight points after losing eight of their 12 games this
season.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cardiff Jarvis wage share makes "zero sense"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 28, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Matt Jarvis is set to stay at Upton Park despite Cardiff City's attempts to
take him to the club on loan. The Hammers have reacted to stories linking
him with the club making it clear that as things stand the winger will stay
where he is. A source told ClaretandHugh: "It's correct that Cardiff have
asked to take him but the terms aren't good enough for us to do the deal.
"Cardiff want to pay half his wages but that made zero sense to us given
that we could be left short on numbers at some stage." However should the
Welsh club to come back with an improved offer a deal could still be done
but that doesn't look likely.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Morrison off to Rome
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 28, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Ravel Morrison has flown to Rome and looks set to finally put pen to paper
on a pre-contract with Italian club Lazio assuming he passes a medical.
Because he has already played for two clubs this season – West Ham and
Cardiff City, he is not permitted to play for a third club meaning he will
have to wait until the summer before he can wear a Lazio shirt. West Ham
will continue to pay Ravel Morrison's wages of £15,000 per week until the
end of his contract in the summer adding another £300,000 to the player who
will leave on a free transfer.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Senegal spite unfair on Sakho
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on January 28, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Well it seems as if Senegal are ready to spill as much West Ham blood as
possible in general and Diafra Sakho's in particular. And whilst we should
all spare a little sympathy for them following a shock exit from the African
Cup of Nations and Sakho's inability to help them out, coach Alain Giresse
and the National Federation do seem to be pushing things perhaps a tad too
far. Seeking revenge on the striker and his club for allegedly misleading
them over his back injury maybe understandable to some but is entirely
pointless in reality.

Nor does it help the player before his international career has begun and is
in my view very unfair to him because they were offered every opportunity to
check things out. Club v country rows are as old as the hill and entirely
boring – this one has been made into one of the most unpleasant. I have
little doubt that West Ham did all they could to persuade the player to stay
at Upton Park prior to the injury- none of us are stupid are we? They wanted
their prize asset available and after the injury he sustained at the hands
of the national team on his last excursion to Africa that was
understandable. However, he was injured against West Brom and as a result
the club sent all the medical reports to his national team and even invited
them to London to check him out themselves. They flatly chose not to do so
and thus any view they may have of his injury is entirely invalid and should
surely not be taken seriously by Fifa. Senegal were told the player would be
out for up to six weeks. He came back after three so where exactly is their
complaint. Giresse has shown himself to have a very big mouth – shame he
didn't save some of the words for his medics by ordering them to London to
check the player. He now stands on the sidelines issuing of unpleasant and
malicious remarks about miracle cures in England and suchlike. I hope he has
a Twitter account – many love that sort of crap on there. You can have your
suspicions but to voice them at Fifa based on no evidence whatsoever when in
fact you were offered the opportunity is stupid and ill informed. Any
complaint should go absolutely nowhere! Senegal have nothing to gain from
this little bit

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons clear up OS banding worries
Posted by Sean Whetstone on January 28, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

The Hanmmers have cleared up confusion caused to season ticket holders in
Sir Trevor Brooking upper after the West Ham Olympic Stadium migration
brochure sent to over 21,000 season ticket holders appeared to show they
have been moved from band 4 to band 3. Claret and Hugh has been told by a
senior club source the problem was caused by a printing error and fans
should not worry. Concern was growing in social media that West Ham were
planning to move the Family enclosure from price band 4 to price band in the
Olympic Stadium with one fan tweeting chairman David Gold to demand answers.
A senior source told Claret and Hugh "In the Boleyn/Migration brochure there
is a printing error on the Boleyn Ground seating map which wrongly
classifies the existing Sir Trevor Upper as Band 3 not Band 4 (a difference
in the shade of blue). "The error has been rectified on the websites and we
have explained the mistake to a few supporters who have enquired as they
sit in that area and were understandably perplexed. "As you know the banding
for the OS has yet to been released so I can only assume that supporters
have noticed the apparent change in banding and presumed it was a precursor
to a change at the OS. The family area at the OS will remain Band 4 although
it may increase in size to encompass other bands (thereby offering more
choice to families). "I am very confident that supporters will believe we
are staying true to our commitment to affordable family football when the
pricing structure is released."

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