Daily WHUFC News - 24th March 2015

Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com

Sam Allardyce believes the international break has come at a good time for
his side following their 1-0 win over Sunderland. Diafra Sakho's late goal
secured a valuable victory for the Hammers in what was a tight affair at the
Boleyn Ground. Due to the international break, Allardyce's men have twelve
days to prepare for their visit to struggling Leicester City, by which time
the West Ham manager hopes to have a near to fully fit squad. "The break
comes at a good time because it gives us the opportunity to get Winston Reid
and Enner Valencia back fit. Carlton Cole obviously came back for 45 minutes
and I thought he did well. We want to push on for the last part of the
season and hopefully we win more games than we lose. "Saturday was a big win
especially considering some of the players we had missing. Hopefully we will
pick up a fair few points between now and the end of the season."

Having had a tough run of fixtures since the turn of the year, the Hammers
have struggled for points despite a run of good performances against some of
the best teams in the Premier League. Looking ahead to West Ham's final
eight games of the season, Allardyce is targeting a strong end to what has
been an impressive campaign. "We've only lost two games to teams below us in
the league and that in itself shows the season that we've had but also with
the games coming up it is a big opportunity to get more points on the board.
"Recently, the performances have been there but the results haven't been.
We're still in a great position, we're on 42 points which is what we got
last season and we're heading for our best points total since we've been
back in the Premier League."

While all his attentions are focused on the next game away at the Foxes on
Saturday 4 April, Allardyce is planning further improvements to the squad
during the summer. "This squad needs to grow and get better but before
that we need to finish the season off as well as we can. "At the end of the
season, we'll look at the squad and see what we've been capable of and why
we haven't been able to maintain it. Then we'll take the appropriate steps
to close that gap. "We want to build the club by bringing in more players
that can directly challenge the first team, that is the best way to improve
the squad."

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From the Boardroom - David Sullivan
WHUFC.com

A win is a win and it's nice to score the winner in the last minute for the
first time this season after losing a number points in the latter stages of
games recently. I think overall we were the better team but it wasn't a
memorable performance, which is understandable considering the injuries
we've had. Our reserve central defender Doneil Henry got injured at
Blackburn, meaning one of our most important midfielders, Cheik Kouyate, had
to fill in as a central defender.

So the defence is weakened and so is the midfield. We're also missing one of
our best forwards in Enner Valencia, so for me if we had Valencia and
Winston Reid playing it would make all the difference. It would then release
Kouyate to midfield and allows Valencia to partner Sakho up front. Sakho
runs relentlessly but on his own doesn't have the impact he has when
Valencia is running with him. With just those two players we'd have a
totally different team.

Sakho is probably one of the best headers in the division but all of his
headers are going just wide at the moment. He had a fabulous header on
Saturday that went literally six inches wide. On another day that hits the
back of the net and it's labelled an unbelievable header.

But when his chance came in the dying minutes he took it and that's what a
good striker does to get his team the three points. He steadied himself and
made it looks easy, which it certainly wasn't.

At the other end I also thought we defended very well. Collins was
outstanding and Kouyate did well considering he was out of position. We need
to get back in the habit of keeping clean sheets again and hopefully
Saturday can be the start of a lean period for opposing strikers.

Come on you Irons!

David Sullivan

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Loan round up
WHUFC.com

Sean Maguire scored for Accrington Stanley in the 2-2 draw at home with York
City. The attack-minded midfielder pounced on a loose ball in the box to
level the proceedings after Luke Summerfield had opened the scoring five
minutes earlier. Jake Hyde looked to have sealed the win for York however
Josh Windass equalised in the 90th minute.

Tim Brown played the full game in Canvey Island's 1-0 away defeat to Harrow
Borough.

Modibo Maiga came on in the 46th minute in FC Metz' 0-0 draw away at Caen.
The Malian striker replaced Gaetan Bussmann at half-time.

Paul McCallum played 25 minutes of Portsmouth's 1-0 defeat at AFC Wimbledon.
Ben Chorley's sixth minute own goal proved to be the difference between the
two sides, McCallum came on in the 65th minute, replacing James Dunne.

Raphael Spiegel was an unused substitute in Carlisle United's 1-1 draw with
Morecambe. Brad Potts opened the scoring in the 53rd minute with a 25-yard
drive. Morecamble rescued a point from the penalty spot as Padraig Amond
sent Dan Hanford the wrong way.

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Downing's European dream
WHUFC.com

Stewart Downing says 'Europe is still an option' after West Ham United
ground out a 1-0 Barclays Premier League win over Sunderland.
A first win in eight league matches lifted the Hammers back above Stoke City
into ninth place on 42 points with eight games still to play.
With six of those eight against teams currently in the bottom half, Downing
is seeking a strong finish that could see West Ham sneak into the UEFA
Europa League places. Meanwhile, Sam Allardyce's side are still top of the
Premier League Fair Play Table, the Club may have a secondary route into
continental competition too. "All teams have dips in the season and ours was
over the period we've just had," said the midfielder. "The most important
thing was winning and I feel it can put us onto another streak like we had
before. "Obviously you can't play well every week and I don't think it was
about that on Saturday, it was just about getting the points. "We're ninth
with a lot to play for. We have still got Stoke to play and we've got
Leicester away next, so there are a lot of winnable games for us to pick up
points from and Europe is still an option. "I think Europe is still there.
If you look at the games we have got to play, I think there are a lot of
points to pick up. You keep going right to the end, because a lot of the
teams have nothing to play for and they switch off and that's not our aim.
"Our aim this year is to get in Europe. I don't think tenth place is good
enough. We need to aim higher than that and I think we've got the players to
do it."

Focusing on Saturday's victory, which was secured through Diafra Sakho's
neatly-taken 88th-minute strike, Downing felt West Ham were value for the
three points. At times, Sunderland made things frustratingly difficult for
the home side in their first match under new head coach Dick Advocaat, but
thanks in part to Downing's all-round performance in a variety of positions,
the hosts finally made the breakthrough. "I think it was just one of those
games," said the No11. "They've been struggling and we've been on a bad run,
so it was just about getting the win. The goal came at a good time and it
was a great finish. I'm not sure if it was a foul [by Nene], but it was a
great finish. "It was difficult for us because they put men behind the ball
and tried to hit us on the counter, so it was hard for us to get through
them at times. Obviously they've got bid lads at the back, so we tried to
change the system and get in behind them a bit more. "We got a bit of luck
but I think we were due a little bit. We were better in the second half,
definitely, and looked more likely to score and Sakho got the all-important
goal at the end, which was massive for us."

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International round-up
WHUFC.com

While West Ham United may not have another first-team fixture until we
travel to Leicester City on Saturday 4 April, a number of Hammers players
will fill their international break.

James Collins is in the Wales squad for their vital Euro 2016 qualifier with
Israel in Haifa on Saturday 28 March. For more on this game, turn to page 22
for an in-depth interview with Collins.

Cheikhou Kouyate is in the Senegal squad for their friendly with Avram
Grant's Ghana in the French city of Le Havre on the same evening.

Fitness allowing, Winston Reid will travel to Seoul to represent New Zealand
against South Korea on Tuesday 31 March.

At age-group level, Diego Poyet could make his Uruguay U20 debut against
France in Clairefontaine on Thursday 26 March, followed by friendly matches
against Uzbekistan and Portugal in Coimbra, Portugal on Sunday 29 March and
Tuesday 31 March respectively.

Carl Jenkinson has been named in Gareth Southgate's England U21 squad for
their friendlies against the Czech Republic and Germany. The Young Lions are
preparing for this summer's UEFA European U21 Championship in the Czech
Republic so meetings with two of their fellow finalists is sure to prove a
useful exercise.

England U21 are first in action on Friday 27 March when they travel to the
Czech Republic, then welcome Germany to Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium
the following Monday for a 7.45pm kick-off.

Reece Oxford captained England U17s to a 3-1 win in their opening European
Championship Elite Round qualifier with Norway at Burton on Saturday. The
Young Lions will hope to complete the job of qualifying for the finals in
Bulgaria in May when they host Slovenia (Chesterfield, Tuesday 24 March) and
Romania (Burton, Thursday 26 March).

Sam Howes is in the England U18 squad for two friendly matches with
Switzerland in Telford and Walsall. The first fixture will be played behind
closed doors, but the second will be played at the Banks's Stadium at 5.30pm
on Saturday 28 March, with tickets available by calling 01922 651414.

Josh Cullen has joined up with the Republic of Ireland U19 squad for their
European Championship Elite Round qualifiers with Czech Republic (Mannheim,
Thursday 26 March), mini-group hosts Germany (Sandhausen, Saturday 28 March)
and Slovakia (Mannheim, Tuesday 31 March)

Elsewhere, Kevin Nolan is playing in an All-Star Charity Match at Anfield on
29 March after being picked by fellow Liverpudlian Steven Gerrard.

Guy Demel will play in a Testimonial match for former Hamburger SV teammate
David Jarolim in Germany on 28 March.

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Team Behind The Team
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's Medical and Sports Science department has long been at the
forefront of innovation when it comes to helping players recover after
matches. One method used by the Club in recent seasons has been whole body
cryotherapy – a temperature controlled chamber used for treatment of muscle
injuries and for faster recovery during congested periods of the football
season. Whole body cryotherapy works by exposing the players briefly to an
extremely cold environment in temperature controlled chambers, inside which
the temperature is maintained at levels up to -1,400C.

The Hammers have had a busy fixture list in recent months with 17 matches
being played since Christmas, and some fixtures being within 48 hours of
each other. During these games players can cover large distances of up 13km
in each game – most of which is covered via walking and jogging however,
players can perform up to 1,400 'forceful activities' in a 90 minute match
such as; accelerations, decelerations, turning, jumping, tackling and
kicking.

This large physical exertion throughout busy periods of the fixture list
poses greater injury risks and can lead to reductions in performance through
fatigue, so naturally is a concern for the Medical and Sports Science
department. With that in mind, and with a lack of available information
about whole body cryotherapy, West Ham are undertaking a ground-breaking
study into its benefits in helping players recover and replenish after
matches.

West Ham's study is being led by sports scientist Jack Birch – the latest in
a line of Swansea University graduates to join the Hammers, following
fitness coach Eamon Swift and sports scientists Tommy Taylor and Matt Evans.
Birch explained that the Club is leading the way in conducting research into
the use of innovative recovery methods in football. "As we cannot control a
player's movement during a football match, our study uses a protocol that
allows us to replicate the demands of a football match," he began. "So, for
our protocol, we have used a repeated sprint test with controlled rest
periods in between each sprint. After each sprint, there is a zone where
players must decelerate quickly and come to a halt." "Previous research has
shown that the majority of reduced performance and fatigue in football
happens during repeated sprints and high intensity efforts so that is the
key reason for this setup". In the long term, we are looking to evaluate the
use of whole body cryotherapy as a recovery protocol, as there is minimal
literature available in this area at the moment, especially relating to its
use within professional football players."

The logical question to ask Birch is 'How will you know whether whole body
cryotherapy works?' The answer is that he is putting volunteers from the
Club's Development Squad through a game related protocol, followed by either
the extreme cold exposure of whole body cryotherapy or the more traditional
method of passive recovery. "We will measure a variety of physiological,
psychological and performance based variables at different timepoints
throughout a set recovery period in the players," Birch explained. "This
will allow us to determine the possible benefits whole body cryotherapy can
have on our players after a game."

"Currently following a match, football players use a range of methods to
recover but we are trying to determine the optimal recovery strategies for
our players post match, and so this research allows us to understand whether
we can enhance our current protocols using the latest methods."

Birch is being aided in his study by his colleagues from West Ham's Medical
and Sports Science department and Swansea University, where he is currently
studying for a Masters by Research (MRes) under the guidance of Prof. Liam
Kilduff. Naturally, Birch hopes his findings will be taken on by football
clubs all over the country and beyond – helping him to secure a position at
West Ham United for years to come. "My background is similar to my fellow
sports scientist here at West Ham, Tom Taylor. We both completed our sports
science degrees at Swansea University and have both conducted a Masters by
Research alongside our internship with West Ham."

Like his colleague and fellow Swansea graduate, Birch hails from the South
West, where he grew up catching waves off the North Devon coast near his
home village of Braunton. "I am from Devon and although I grew up playing
football, the main sport in my life was actually surfing because I lived
right near the coast," he explained. "I competed as a surfer and a
footballer when I was younger, and couldn't imagine my life without sport
which made me realise I wanted to pursue a career within it, because I
couldn't see myself doing anything else. "I chose to go to Swansea
University because I knew it had an excellent Sports Science reputation and
it was near the coast so I could keep surfing, which was the perfect
combination for me!

"Overall my time in Swansea worked out perfectly and propelled me into an
amazing position as a sports scientist at West Ham, which I am hugely
enjoying. Long may it continue! COYI."

The Swansea link
West Ham United has built up a strong link with Swansea University in recent
years. The South Wales institution has a reputation for running one of the
best Sports and Exercise Science faculties in the UK – and the Hammers have
taken full advantage. The Club's fitness coach Eamon Swift, sports scientist
Tom Taylor and sports science intern Jack Birch all studied or study under
the expert guidance of associate professor Dr Liam Kilduff. A fourth, sports
scientist Matt Evans, spent three seasons with West Ham before returning to
his native Wales to work with the Welsh Rugby Union.

Prof. Kilduff is proud of the close association between the University and
the Hammers. "Over the last number of years we have built up a very strong
collaborative partnership with West Ham," he confirmed. "The medical and
sports science staff at the Club are very proactive in trying to ensure the
players are in the best possible shape come matchday and exploring the
potential benefits of cryotherapy is a great example of this. "With a number
of our graduates now working at West Ham and with our reputation for
completing research that is highly relevant and impacting in elite sport, it
is a partnership that will continue to grow and benefit both organisations."

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Jack Collison: Ex-West Ham player vows to make comeback
By Chris Osborne
BBC Sport

Former West Ham midfielder Jack Collison has vowed to return to football and
has not given up on his international career with Wales.
The 26-year-old is without a club after struggling with a knee injury, and
has not played a game since May. I've decided to take a bit of time out to
make sure I've recovered from injuries," he told BBC Sport. I'm going to
wait until pre-season and try and get back into it at the start of next
year." Collison, who played 121 times for the Hammers over eight years,
signed a short-term deal with Ipswich Town in September, but did not make an
appearance for the Suffolk club. His career has been hampered by a
persistent knee problem, which restricts the amount of training he can do
between games. But the Cambridge United youth product has not ruled out the
possibility of adding to his 16 Wales caps. "If I can get back performing to
a good level, I don't see any reason why I can't try and force my way back
in," he said. "It might take a year. it might take two years. I love playing
for Wales. Who wouldn't want to play international football?" Collison said
he had received offers from clubs to play until the end of the season, but
will consider his options in the summer. Teams such as MK Dons or
Peterborough United could be possibilities, with the Bedfordshire-raised
midfielder keen to stay in the area. Meanwhile, Collison is spending time
coaching youngsters in Bedford and Peterborough, and says it is a viable
alternative to playing. "It's giving me a lot of joy. I'm looking to give
something back to the communities, particularly at grassroots level," he
added. "I get more enjoyment out of working with the kids than I have with
almost anything over the last few months."

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Hammers linked with Austrian midfielder
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 23rd March 2015
By: Staff Writer

West Ham are being linked with a move for Austrian international midfielder
Julian Baumgartlinger. The 27-year-old, Salzburg-born, ball-winning
midfielder has been scouted by West Ham for a number of weeks and is one on
the radar for this summer's transfer window. Out of contract in the summer,
Baumgartlinger - who currently plays for Mainz in the Bundesliga - has been
capped 30 times and is interesting a number of parties across Europe. He is
being viewed as a potential replacement for Alex Song, who appears no closer
to signing a permanent deal with West Ham than when talks broke down last
month, as exclusively revealed here on KUMB earier this month.

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DG delighted with "outstanding" Sakho
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

David Gold expressed his delight and relief at the 1-0 victory over
Sunderland following Saturday evening's game. It was one of the toughest
scraps of the season and not pretty but with the cliche "win ugly" seemingly
fashionable we can all now look forward to the blinding finish which the
manager and players seem to believe may be on. The co chairman took to
Twitter to express his relief and delight at a victory which lifts the club
into ninth place with Leicester City up next after the international break.
He tweeted: "Our luck changed today and we won with a last minute goal for
the first time this season from the outstanding Diafra Sakho. dg"

Meanwhile DG has set up a new FB page which he is encouraging people to take
a look at. it can be found at https://www.facebook.com/DavidGold123 where he
writes: "I now have a public facebook page for everyone to see. Please share
the link. dg"

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Moyes rules out move home
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

David Moyes has made it clear he won't be arriving at West Ham or any other
Premier League in the immediate near future. The Scot – in an outspoken
interview – has made it clear that he believes the English League is in
decline. And speaking on BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek programme he said
he has no intention or desire to make an immediate return to England. Asked
the question he declared: 'I think someday I will. 'I've left when I didn't
expect to be leaving but what I've taken on is a great job. I love working
in Spain.'
Of the League itself he said: 'It's not been too long ago where we were
looked at as probably having the best teams, and it does change.
'Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal are all exceptional teams in their own
right and they'll be disappointed they went out, (of the Champions league)
and maybe on another day they'd have gone through. 'It's just becoming a wee
bit of a habit that we're not getting our teams quite as close to the final
as we had in the past. 'I think this year you'd have to say it's probably
the poorest Premier League I've seen in a long, long time. 'Maybe we do go
over the top and recently we have maybe talked up the Premier League more
than what it's actually been. There's other leagues which are certainly now
comparable.'

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Looking back: Sullivan's early thoughts
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Way back in November 2014 – after a tearaway start to the Irons season – the
club's co-chairman David Sullivan consented to an exclusive question and
answer session with ClaretandHugh. He spoke of the early progress, his
hopes, and expectations and touched on the trickiest and long longest
running saga of them all – the manager and the pro and anti brigades he
attracts. Much water – some clear and some murky – has flowed under the
Boleyn Bridge since then but sometimes it's a good idea to look back and rem
ind ourselves of what's already on the record but perhaps forgotten. So with
the international break ahead of us, a much needed victory behind us and
Leicester City in front of us, lets recall what DS wanted back then along
with his views on the thorniest issue of all.

CandH Have you been surprised at the progress we have made this season?

DS: Yes and No, in reality its too early to say the progress we have made,
the season is 38 games not 11. HOWEVER, we are scoring a lot more goals and
playing much better football.

CandH: You put situations in place – a closer cooperation with manager on
transfer budget, attacking coach etc – that appears to have worked – would
you agree?

DS: Sadly, its too earely to say, but the signs are promising

CandH: It's a very open Premier League so far – is there any reason for us
not to be thinking of European football next year

DS: I said at the start of the season that our target should be European
competition. Six teams, other than Chelsea, are not sucking the points out
of the table as they usually do.

CandH: I know it's early days but would Diafra Sakho rate No 1 on your all
time list of best buys right now.

DS:Right now yes, but judge him over the season

CandH: There's been a lot of talk about Andy Carroll's future – can you
tell us the true situation.

DS: He's a very important member of the squad. He was sensational when he
came on Saturday.

CandH: Can you confirm that there are no escape clauses in the deals of our
new signings – notably Diafra and Enner.

DS: No escape clauses

CandH: Can you update us on Winston Reid – the general view seems to be
pessimistic.

DS: We are still in discussion with his agent

CandH: What's the position on FFP.

DS: We have a wage cap this season for all players, including 124% employers
NI of *£56m. Next year it goes to £60m. You can only exceed that figure if
you increase NON TV income or make a profit selling players. We are right on
the limit.

(*This includes all win and positional bonuses)

CandH: There seems to be a constant war between the pro and anti Sam
brigades. Do you have a message for them?

DS: People are entitled to their opinions. We live in a democracy. I'd say
'judge him over the season.'

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Noble runs for miles
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Mark Noble was the team's busiest player of those on parade in Saturday's
game against Sunderland. According to stats produced by top Twitter source –
@EPLStatman -the midlfielder covered more distance than any other player
from either team. Nobes completed an extraordinary 7.3 miles and coupled
with his pass completion rate had strong claims for the man of the match
award. In the first half every one on his 23 passes found their target
although the same source reveals that Diafra Sakho managed to only complete
three of 12 in the first 45 minutes.

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New West Ham Way is on the cards
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 23, 2015 in Whispers
By Rich Sprent
Claret & Hugh

The criteria the board are imposing in their search for a new manager tells
a story. It's one that is restrictive if pragmatic. And yet if you look at
the candidates spoken about it shows a plan in operation. Out go exciting
coaches like Christophe Galtier and Frank De Boer. Neither have experience
of the Premier League. The shopping list has thus far apparently included
Rafa Benitez, David Moyes and Slaven Bilic.

All three are excellent coaches and produce similar teams. defensive minded,
strong and progressive. Many won't agree but Sam Allardyce shares their
footballing principles. Replacing him however, removes the baggage of having
split the fanbase so divisively. The three on the list would evolve West Ham
rather than revolutionise us.

Many have quoted a West Ham way. This ain't that. With the coaches
mentioned, they all have the ability to begin a legacy. They will have the
benefit of money being invested into the playing squad with the goal of year
on year progression. Southampton are lauded for the way they've begun their
legacy program.

Their next coach will have been lined up should Koeman move on. Investment
in youth, players bought to fit into the system, the coaching and
recruitment principles are all well stated. They appear to be the model of a
progressive football club.

The shopping list criteria from the Dave's precludes any emerging talent. No
rookie bosses who may have a different view of how to play. I know that this
website's owner much admires Roberto Martinez. Roberto is an idealist and I
see many comparisons to his coaching style as that of Ron Greenwood.

He is almost inflexible in his footballing principles. His players even
reportedly begged him to let them play longer passes more often. Defence
first is not an option for Roberto as it wasn't for Ron. Any coach of his
ilk will not be considered by the current board. That 40 point mark won't
ever be a risk for the board. This season's target was 56pts and is still
achievable.

So it appears that there is a new West Ham way being instilled with the
recruitment perhaps being overseen by Tony Henry.

The Academy is being overhauled which is tough on the U21 players who may
have had an outside chance of making it with the club. Sam carries the can
for this but it's something deeper. There are little risks being taken. The
known targeted managers all have similar skillsets. It's to be evolution and
certainly no revolution.

As much as I would like to see us go for Eddie Howe or Christophe Galtier
neither fit this new set of ideals in place for the soon to be E20 legacy.
The football should improve with the investment in the squad. The dream to
be self sufficient through the academy is always there. Having better
players will help take that pressure off once they can break into the team.

The plan appears to be very business like. Very pragmatic. It's to be much
admired and I'm not moaning. If it's applied then we become better year on
year and should compete for Europe from next season. Thinking back to
Greenwood however and the legacy does maybe lack a little soul.

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Irons reluctant to risk Reid
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 23, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Winston Reid looks unlikely to join the New Zealand squad for their clash
against South Korea during the international break. Although the central
defender is on the mend from a hamstring injury, Hammers medics believe
there's too much of a risk in him being launched into action before he's
properly healed. New Zealand coach Anthony Hudson is a pal of Sam
Allardyce's and is being kept in touch with the situation ahead of the
friendly in Seoul. But the Hammers boss is likely to err on the side of the
caution given his current injury problems to ensure that Reid is 100 per
cent fit for the clash against Leicester. A Hammers source revealed to
ClaretandHugh that the club want him to stay at home insisting he needs more
time to recover from the injury to ensure his presence in the team for
Leicester on April 4. He said: "It's an unnecessary risk. If he plays too
soon it could put him out for longer." But the Kiwis boss said: "Winston is
our captain and leader and we will continue to monitor his situation
closely."

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Allardyce drops hint about summer transfer strategy at West Ham
HITC
John Verrall

West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce is already thinking about making
additions to his squad. West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has told
TalkSPORT that he intends to bring in first-team players during the summer
transfer window. The Hammers boss is determined to raise the quality of his
squad and only wants additions that can make an immediate impression on the
side's starting XI. "We want to build the club by bringing in more players
that can directly challenge the first team, that is the best way to improve
the squad," he said. It suggests that Allardyce's current approach is more
of a short-term one, rather than one which looks towards the future, and it
mirrors the policy that the club had in the previous summer transfer window.
The Hammers signed a number of players designed to go straight into their
senior squad, and they have felt the benefit of that this season. Although
West Ham's form has dipped slightly more recently, they have still put
together one of their more impressive campaigns in recent memory and have
plenty to build upon. For Allardyce to already be commenting on transfer
targets suggests that he believes his future lies at the Boleyn Ground. The
experienced boss has been tipped to be heading towards the exit at West Ham
by the Daily Mail, with his contract expiring at the end of the season, but
it seems that he is expecting to be handed a new deal.

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Will there ever be a West Ham homecoming for this legend?
By Harry Burford - Mar 23, 2015
http://westhamworld.co.uk/

Even midway through this season's domestic campaign – over seven years on
from when the stocky Argentine striker first departed the east end in more
than cloudy circumstances – West Ham United have seemingly been unable to
detach themselves from the numerous transfer reports linking Carlos Tevez
with a sensational move back to Upton Park.

And for good reason too. El Apache, as the 31-year-old Juventus forward has
been lovingly nicknamed back home in South America, simply goes down as one
of greatest Hammers favourites of the modern era. His well-documented trials
and tribulations in the claret & blue have been recorded forever in West Ham
folklore for future generations of Irons fans to sit back and ponder upon.

Even if his initial partner in crime down in the east end – the now
30-year-old Barcelona dynamo Javier Mascherano – didn't quite gel in the
same way Tevez did with the Upton Park faithful, such a dramatic period in
West Ham's recent endeavours will likely not be forgotten by the rest of the
Premier League any time soon.

In light of these latest, and albeit predictable, transfer stories linking
the club back to the highly coveted Argentinean, just how likely would
another out of the blue move for Carlos Tevez really be for David Gold and
David Sullivan in the run up to West Ham's final year at the Boleyn Ground?

Whilst such a sensational turn of events would likely come as a great
pleasure to the majority of the Upton Park faithful, in reality this move
looks to be in the same place that it always has been – unlikely at best.

Carlitos is undeniably a top player. He has a turn of pace better than most
of his counterparts in the modern game, a certain unique tenacity that has
seen several defenders fall short of besting the talented forward – and
although the striker took a while to get off the mark with the Hammers all
the way back in 2006/07 – Tevez ultimately commands a clear goal-scoring
threat when given the adequate freedom up top.

As the former Manchester United and City man still has a reputation as one
of the top players in his field at the moment however, it ultimately seems
too unlikely that our former no. 32 will ever be pulling on the Hammers
shirt in a competitive fixture again.

He isn't short of game time at the moment, still has a good few years left
in the tank to do the business at the very top, and certainly wouldn't be
lacking in high profile suitors should the player eventually decide to leave
Serie A.

Combined with the fact that West Ham definitely wouldn't be in a position to
afford his potentially hefty wages, Carlos Tevez didn't have the best of
times off the pitch whilst playing in England last time around – so any
illustrious return to the Premier League just doesn't seem like it's ever
going to happen.

That said, the Hammers may as well give it a go and try to bring the former
fan-favourite back to Upton Park. Yes, the club have no real reason to
believe such a deal would ever go through – but as no one within the
footballing community ever expected either Tevez or Mascherano to sign under
Alan Pardew in the first place – you can simply never say never when it
comes to West Ham.

Some will say he's not worth it because of the subsequent compensation that
had to be issued to Sheffield United as a result of his arrival. Many may
elude to the suggestion that he's not a real Hammers legend because he was
only at the club for one season.

There may even be those who resent Carlos Tevez for using West Ham as a
stepping stone and ultimately moving onto bigger and better things – but if
the opportunity arises for the club to somehow get their hands back on
Carlos Tevez in the run up to the Olympic Stadium move – such an audacious
transfer should be welcomed with open arms.

As we have all likely seen the end of Carlos Tevez as a West Ham player
however, perhaps now would be a good time to cast an eye over our current
batch of potential stars, and take a look at which players have what it
takes to become the next Hammers heroes throughout the foreseeable future.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com



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