Daily WHUFC News - 16th September 2015

From the Boardroom - David Sullivan
WHUFC.com

I was thrilled to see the team come away with such a fantastic result
against Newcastle on Monday night and help us record our first home win of
the season. It was a thoroughly professional performance, a brilliant team
performance and very satisfying indeed. I would particularly like to pick
out Dimitri Payet who along with a number of other players was outstanding.
I said when we first signed him that he was world class and I'm sure all the
fans can see the quality he is bringing to the first-team this season. He
has wasted no time settling into his new surroundings. He was Slaven's
number one target to bring to the Club and we are delighted that he chose to
join us. We hope he can maintain this form throughout the campaign. Dimitri
scored a superb first goal and showed his quality again with the second
goal. He still needed to keep his composure and produced another clinical
finish when the ball came back off the bar. I know Slaven was particularly
impressed with another new signing Victor Moses. He also produced a
fantastic display and had a memorable debut for the Club.

We knew he would bring pace and power to the side and like Payet he can
change the game at any stage. He lasted for 88 minutes and will only grow
stronger over the coming weeks. I also want to pay special tribute to
goalkeeper Darren Randolph who has proved a lot of his critics wrong. I
think over the last three games he has shown he's a very capable,
international keeper who will be pressing Adrian all season for a first-team
spot. People may not realise it, but we are the joint highest goalscorers in
the Premier League. On Saturday we take on the best defence who have yet to
conceded a goal so it promises to be another great game! I would urge all
supporters to come and watch the Development Squad when they face Newcastle
at the Boleyn Ground next Monday.

The kick off is 7pm and admission is FREE for our fans. This is a great
chance to come and see our next generation of young stars in action.

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Shaka impressed with Bilic impact
WHUFC.com

Former West Ham United and Newcastle United goalkeeper Shaka Hislop believes
Slaven Bilic and the Hammers are the perfect fit after their 2-0 win over
the Magpies last night.

Dimitri Payet was on target twice on a night where West Ham showed their
counter-attacking ability and pace all over the pitch.

Hislop was impressed with the performance and believes there will be more to
come under Bilic.

He said: "They have got a manager in Slaven Bilic who knows the Club, who
knows the fans, who knows the way they want the game played and he respects
it.

"The Club believe in this manager, they believe that he is going to bring
the kind of football they want to see, that he will give the yoing players
in the Academy their opportunity.

"He's winning games and if he continues to do that he will be on the right
path for West Ham."

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The Big Interview – Carl Jenkinson
WHUFC.com

Right-back Carl Jenkinson reflects on a successful return to first-team
action and looks ahead to Saturday's trip to Barclays Premier League leaders
Manchester City. The England international returned to action as a
first-half substitute against Newcastle United and played his part in a
valuable 2-0 win over the Magpies. Now, he and his Hammers teammates have a
visit to the Etihad Stadium to face the unbeaten Citizens to plan for.

Carl, let's start with Monday's 2-0 home win over Newcastle United – a
deserved victory and a first Boleyn Ground success in the Barclays Premier
League…

"It was a good result and we kept a clean sheet as well. I am a player who
likes to get forward, but this game it was just about defending well and
trying to stop them scoring and I think we did that. It was great to finally
get a home win, we hadn't done that before this game and it is always nice
to win in front of the home fans, I am sure they enjoyed it."

You came on as a first-half substitute for Angelo Ogbonna after missing the
Liverpool win through suspension, but slipped back into things immediately…

"All I want to do is play football and you need to be ready. Obviously it
was unexpected today, once I knew I wasn't in the team. You never expect to
come on as a defender, so it was nice to come on and do my bit."

You must have been pleased to bounce back with three points and a clean
sheet after a couple of mistakes and a red card at home to AFC Bournemouth
last time out?

"Everyone has a bad day at the office, you just get on with it. That's life
and it is about how you respond. The boss didn't say a lot, he knows what
sort of person I am and that I am not going to dwell on it and that is what
I have done."

Watching Monday night's win and the victories at Arsenal and Liverpool, it
looks like we are a real threat on the counter-attack, with pace and chances
galore. It must be fun?

"It is exciting to play in a team like that. We have got a lot of power and
ability going forward and it is about utilising that. Sometimes Newcastle
played into our hands on Monday, especially when we went ahead because we
didn't have to play silly, we just lapped it up and then hit them when we
could and could have had a third, but I think that style of play probably
suits us when you look at the type of player we have brought in and the way
we want to play."

The season has started very similarly to a year ago, when West Ham collected
seven points from five games ahead of a trip to Manchester United. This time
around, it is nine points from 15 and a visit to Manchester City…

"It is a good start. It has been very up and down so far, but we are in a
good place in the table, we just have to build on that now. It is all about
consistency in this league and trying to get a run of results together, that
has to be the aim."

Manchester City have not conceded a goal in winning all five of their league
games so far, but presumably we go there with belief we can alter that
record?

"Of course they are flying at the moment, but we've got some good results
against the big teams this season so we've got to be encouraged by that. We
can afford to go there with no fear at the moment, with the way we are
playing this season. People aren't expected to go to City and win these days
and it's not that easy, but we'll go there confident and play with no fear."

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Noble - We have to take care of Payet
WHUFC.com

West Ham United captain Mark Noble feels the victory over Newcastle was a
bigger result than the memorable win at Liverpool and is expecting big
things playing alongside Dimitri Payet and new signing Victor Moses. The
Hammers produced an outstanding display and were inspired by new signing
Payet who showed his quality once again with another man of the match
performance. The French international opened the scoring early in the game
with a superb curling shot and then added a second on 48 minutes when he was
in the right place to convert a rebound from a Victor Moses shot which hit
the bar.

Payet has made an immediate impact at the Boleyn Ground following his summer
move from Marseille and has already shown that he is going to be one of the
star performers in the Premier League. Noble says he is relishing the chance
to play alongside the talented forward and hopes he will continue to show
this kind of form for the remainder of the season. Noble said: "It is great
from my point of view as I have played a bit further forward in recent games
and I played a part in his first goal. "I knew as soon as I laid the ball
off to him that he would score as he is that kind of player and having the
confidence like that is key. The second finish is harder from my point of
view as the ball was in the air a long time and it was a great finish.
Victor was fantastic and was gutted that he could not score himself. "He is
strong, has got great feet and can score a goal. We just need to look after
him."

Noble will never forget being part of the side that managed to end 52-years
without a victory at Anfield and played such a key role in a convincing 3-0
victory. But after suffering consecutive home defeats against Leicester and
Bournemouth, the Hammers new club captain knew the importance of securing
the first home victory and knows the importance of having a successful
season in the final ever season at the Boleyn Ground. Noble added: "I think
this game against Newcastle was more important than the Liverpool result.
"We did the same against Arsenal and then lost the next home game. We didn't
want to do that again and our main aim was the result rather than the
performance but I think we got both on the night. "We want to keep playing
the way we are, put points on the board and worry about the other stuff at
the end of the season. "As the chairmen have stated and I have said in the
past, this season is one of the most important in the Club's history because
we cannot go into the new Stadium as a Championship Club. "There is a lot of
pressure on the boys and the manager, but we just need to keep our feet on
the floor and keep working for each other."

The other big talking point to come out of the Newcastle game was the superb
performance from Moses on his Premier League debut for the east London Club.
The Nigeria international immediately showed the quality that he is going to
bring to the Hammers this season with his pace and power and was unlucky not
to get on the scoresheet just after half-time when his shot hit the bar.
Noble said: "He brought us pace and strength. Victor is a great lad and
doesn't show too much emotion. "It was a big decision from the manager to
play him as he left Pedro (Obiang) out and he was fantastic against
Liverpool. "But I think at home we wanted to set our stall out and go for
the game. We certainly showed that early on. "We have the added quality that
Victor brings to the team and you can see the quality we have got on the
bench with big AC, Jelavic, Michail who is hungry and looks really strong in
training. It is exciting."

The Hammers now head to Premier League leaders Manchester City on Saturday
in confident mood and after recording victories over Arsenal and Liverpool
in the first two away games, Noble sees no reason why they cannot cause
another big surprise at the Etihad Stadium.
"We just need to keep working hard again this week. We cannot think we have
done it and it gives us a bit of leeway going into the Manchester City game
and try and get a result. "City are by the far the best team and they have
not conceded a goal yet. That would be a major feat if we could score.
"Everyone knows how good they are and their players seem to be back on it.
We have also got a good team and when you look at our first three away
games, to already have six points is exciting."

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West Ham Olympic Stadium deal 'must be made public'
BBC.co.uk

The managers of the Olympic Stadium have been told to make public the
details of a rental deal with West Ham. Football supporters submitted a
Freedom of Information request to obtain the tenancy agreement amid claims
the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) would subsidise the rent.
An Information Commissioner has said LLDC, which denied the claims, must now
comply with the FOI request. LLDC had refused to reveal its rent on grounds
of commercial sensitivity. The decision comes ahead of West Ham moving into
the stadium for the start of the 2016-2017 football season. In reaching a
decision dated 3 September, the commissioner said neither West Ham nor LLDC
had been able to show how revealing the details of the tenancy agreement
would place them at a commercial disadvantage or how this information could
be exploited by a competitor. The stadium was built using tax payers' money
and is currently in public ownership. LLDC manages the stadium and is
believed to be considering whether to appeal against the independent
commissioner's decision. A coalition of 14 supporters' trusts from around
the country called on LLDC head, London Mayor Boris Johnson, to waive its
right to appeal. They said an appeal would further delay the publication of
the tenancy agreement, which they argue is in the public interest. In a
statement, the trusts said the deal raised issues over the apparent use of
public money to "subsidise a commercial football business". "It seems the
taxpayer will be paying the cost of a series of overheads which every other
club, rightly, has to pay for themselves," they said. "It is important that
the taxpayer is allowed to know exactly what has gone on here, and to judge
whether it is a responsible and fair use of public money."

The supporters' trusts had argued the Olympic Stadium deal could give the
Hammers a competitive advantage and asked the government to investigate in
August, but the government said the deal had been "scrutinised" and rejected
their request.

Previously a spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said:
"West Ham United has a concession at the stadium and their contributions
reflect that status. "The contract, awarded after an open public
competition, has been widely scrutinised and tested in court. The stadium
remains in public ownership and the profits from its multiple uses will flow
to the taxpayer."

The Olympic Stadium deal allows West Ham to host all of their home matches
at the stadium. British Athletics will take control of the arena for one
month every summer. LLDC has until 8 October to reveal the commercial
details of the Olympic Stadium tenancy agreement.

West Ham deal - quick facts
West Ham has contributed £15m to the £272m conversion of the stadium, the
LLDC has confirmed
LLDC has said it would pay for "facilities and services" such as pitch
maintenance and for stewarding on match days, which can cost £2.5m annually
The amount of rent that West Ham United FC will pay to use the stadium is
not publicly known yet
The football supporters coalition believes West Ham will pay up to £2.5m a
year in rent, potentially giving the Hammers a competitive advantage, but
LLDC has refused to confirm the rental cost
The independent Information Commissioner has now ruled LLDC must reveal the
rental details or it could face legal action
To put the possible rent in context, Manchester City moved into the former
Commonwealth Games stadium and pays overheads on top of £4m annual rent

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Olympic Stadium contract details to be revealed
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 15th September 2015
By: Staff Writer

Full details of the contract that enabled West Ham to take anchor tenancy of
the Olympic Stadium are to be revealed, after the Information Commissioner's
Office finally agreed to comply with a Freedom of Information request.

A year-long campaign started by supporters of Championship club Charlton
Athletic has finally ended in success, after it was ruled that the full
terms of the arrangement should be revealed.

Both West Ham United and the LLDC had argued - successfully, up to now -
that the terms and conditions of the contract should remain undisclosed in
order to maintain commercial confidentiality.

However today's decision means that the club will be forced to reveal
exactly who pays what and when for the stadium, which West Ham are set to
move into next summer.

According to journalist Owen Gibson, "the LLDC will be obliged to reveal
which costs it is meeting, on matchdays and elsewhere, and which are being
met by West Ham. The exact terms of the lease, including a negotiated
discount if West Ham are relegated, will also have to be revealed for the
first time."

A spokesman for the LLDC told the Guardian: "We are disappointed by the
Information Commissioner's decision which we believe will damage our ability
to secure the best deal for the taxpayer in future.

"The stadium will have many users and publishing the contractual details
will undermine our ability to deliver the best financial outcome from
numerous future negotiations. We always strive to balance transparency while
protecting the taxpayers' financial interest and we are considering the
ruling carefully as we decide what action to take."

West Ham and the LLDC have the opportunity to appeal against the decision
should they wish to do so. The news comes just a fortnight after the
Government rejected calls to investigate the decision that led to the club
being awarded tenancy of the stadium.

West Ham are yet to comment on the news.

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Vaz Te poised for Premier League return
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 15th September 2015
By: Staff Writer

Former Hammer Ricardo Vaz Te could be on the verge of completing a surprise
return to the Premier League. West Ham United's 2012 play-off final hero is
currently training with Premier League rivals West Bromwich Albion, and
hopes to earn a contract at the Hawthorns. Now 28, Lisbon-born Vaz Te has
been a free agent since leaving Turkish side Akhisar Belediyespor in the
summer, with whom he spent just six months. However the Birmingham Mail
reports that he has been offered a trial at Albion by current manager Tony
Pulis - who was minutes away from signing the Portuguese striker's former
partner at West Ham, Carlton Cole, during last season's January transfer
window. Vaz Te was signed by Sam Allardyce for a cut-price £500,000 during
the January 2012 transfer window. He went on to make 61 appearances for West
Ham in total, scoring 19 times - including the goal at Wembley that ensured
he will forever hold a place in West Ham folklore.

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Ogbonna to miss City trip with hamstring injury
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 14th September 2015
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United defender Angelo Ogbonna will almost certainly miss West
Ham's trip to Manchester City this weekend after sustaining a hamstring
injury in tonight's 2-0 win over Newcastle United. The Italian international
was withdrawn 42 minutes into this evening's Premier League clash after
going to ground following a sprint and could even be a doubt for the visit
of newly-promoted Norwich City the following weekend, according to manager
Slaven Bilic. "It was a long sprint and he's fast, but for a big man to have
such a long sprint it's dangerous," Bilic told KUMB after the game. "He
pulled his hamstring. We still don't know but it looks like it's not a big
one, so hopefully maybe only one week." However the manager - who saw his
team earn their first win at home in the Premier League since he succeeded
Sam Allardyce - was delighted at his team's performance - and the return of
Andy Carroll, who made his long-awaited return to the first team as a late
substitute. "It is very important for him and it is very important for the
club," he added. "It's almost like signing a new player. It was a really
good night, also for him."

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West Ham ordered to release details of Olympic Stadium move
Last Updated: 15/09/15 9:39pm
SSN

West Ham have been forced to disclose the financial details of the club's
move to the Olympic Stadium. The Information Commissioner has ruled that the
terms of the deal must be made public, after Freedom of Information was
requested by campaigners. The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC)
and West Ham have attempted to block any release of information, insisting
that details of the deal involving the largely taxpayer-funded stadium must
remain private for commercial confidentiality. The Hammers will take on a
99-year deal as tenants of the stadium, at a reported annual cost of £2.5m,
from the start of next season. "We are disappointed by the Information
Commissioner's decision which we believe will damage our ability to secure
the best deal for the taxpayer in future," said an LLDC spokesperson. "The
stadium will have many users and publishing the contractual details will
undermine our ability to deliver the best financial outcome from numerous
future negotiations. "We always strive to balance transparency while
protecting the taxpayers' financial interest and we are considering the
ruling carefully as we decide what action to take."

A coalition of club supporters' trusts, who formed in order to contest the
decision to allow West Ham the move, praised the decision to release
information. "The Information Commissioner's decision could not have been
clearer, and it is equally clear to us that publication must follow," read a
statement from the trusts. "This campaign is publicly backed by 25,000
individuals, football supporters' trusts from around the country, and the
public interest in the issue is there for all to see. "We call on the mayor
not to use the appeal system to delay publication of this document further.
If he does it will open him up to the suspicion that he has something to
hide."

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Kevin Nolan says Dimitri Payet will be a success at West Ham
Last Updated: 15/09/15 3:15pm
SSN

Former West Ham skipper Kevin Nolan believes a big future lies ahead for
Dimitri Payet after he scored both goals in Monday's 2-0 victory over
Newcastle. The 28-year-old Frenchman, a £10m buy from Marseille in June, has
scored three times in five Premier League matches this season. Nolan, who is
currently training with Leyton Orient after being released by West Ham, told
Sky Sports News HQ: "He will be a success in the Premier League. "It is
always a worry when you spend a lot of money on players from abroad because
you don't know whether they will adapt to the Premier League or not. "But he
has shown he has taken to it like a duck to water and I'm delighted because
he's a nice man too."

They have a strong chance of a top-10 finish and I think that'll be a good
season for them, with them moving into the Olympic Stadium next year. West
Ham's victory lifted them to fifth in the Premier League table and Nolan
believes a top-half finish is not beyond them this season. "They have a
strong chance of a top-10 finish and I think that'll be a good season for
them, with them moving into the Olympic Stadium next year," he said. "But
it's not the best start for Newcastle, who are now stuck at the bottom of
the table. I don't think Steve McClaren envisaged that. I guess he wants to
put his mark on the team but it's taking more time that he probably
expected. "It's a great football club and I have faith he will keep them in
the Premier League."

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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic hails Dimitri Payet after Newcastle win
By Lyall Thomas
Last Updated: 15/09/15 10:40am
SSN

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has heaped praise on Dimitri Payet after the
forward scored twice to sink Newcastle. The summer signing from Marseille
scored early in both halves to seal a 2-0 victory at Upton Park and confirm
the Hammers' best start to a Premier League season in seven years. But it
was less the France international's goals and more his teamwork and graft
that had Bilic purring. The West Ham boss told Sky Sports: "He's not only a
great player that is deciding games but he makes all players around him play
better. "That is the most important thing you want in a footballer; someone
who is not only an individual but a team player. "I've known him a long
time and I tried to get him to Besiktas last year but it was impossible. He
is the player I really wanted from the start and hoped he would come [but] I
didn't believe it would happen." The win was West Ham's second in a row
after a shock 3-0 victory at Anfield a fortnight ago, and it lifted Bilic's
team up to fifth in the table with three victories from five games. Bilic
said: "The victory is was small proof that we are in a good way and that
we've really done well in the transfer window. "I think we fully deserved
three points. It was a big relief to get the home win. "But we have showed a
good reaction and we need a really good season. The club are moving forward
and into a new stadium. We need a good team that can defend and attack with
numbers, keep the ball, and we are working on that."

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SOMEWHAT OF A ONE-MAN SHOW
By Bobby Shovels 15 Sep 2015 at 17:00
WTID

I'm never one to buy into the commentary of some pundits, but I agreed with
Jonathan Pearce when he said there is something about Upton Park under the
floodlights. Bar the frustration for many at it taking so long to arrive in
E13, the atmosphere and the sense of expectation was perfect. And so, we
finally got the home win we were so desperately in need of, and to be on
nine points, having not conceded in the last two and scored 11 (the highest
alongside Man City and Leicester City) is incredibly encouraging.

A side note here, Chelsea have the leakiest defence in the Premier League at
the moment, conceding 12 goals. While they have had their worst start to a
season in nearly thirty years, we have scored in all our opening five league
games for the first time this century. I like stats when they make
depressing reading for the boys out west.

Furthermore, it is a solid last two games that give us confidence going into
the Man City away game. We haven't won there since we returned to the
Premier League in 2012 and would be nice to see us do what Crystal Palace
did against Chelsea. One of their players said that they used to always go
to Stamford Bridge and just try not to lose by much, rather than really go
for the win. There's no shame in us giving it a go at the Etihad. Both teams
can clearly score goals. Of course, their defence is much more solid, but
that run of five clean sheets needs to end at some point.


I must admit though I am not as convinced by yesterday's performance as
others seem to be. Yes, Dimitri Payet is a player to behold: his touch, his
energy, his pace, his finishing. He is the real package, and as Gary Neville
noted, he shows just how ludicrous the transfer market has become. The
former Man United defender said that we are so accustomed to huge transfer
figures that £11 million seems nothing. Yet we forget that in the grand
scheme of things £11 million is a lot, and you can get a thoroughly decent
player for it.

Victor Moses also impressed, as did the surprise pace Mark Noble showed in
the second half. Finally, to see Andy Carroll back in action was a relief.

Yet for me, this was an interesting performance that revolved around Payet
and our counter-attacking style, with us struggling to really dominate the
match and have sustained periods of free-flowing football.

A lot was said before this weekend's fixtures about the number of away wins
over home ones (this weekend saw that trend reverse). Many a pundit pointed
to the fact that home teams have the expectations of the fans to deal with,
who expect them to press and attack and not sit back. Thus, the opposition
soak up the pressure and get the home team on the counter.

That has been the aim of Bilic in all of his wins: the counter. We only saw
39% of the ball versus Newcastle but had the most shots on target. Against
Liverpool, we had 37% possession. Against Arsenal? 38% possession.

When we have lost, we have seen more of the ball: 46% at home to Bournemouth
and 70% against Leicester. What to make of this? Well, it's nothing to get
too dispirited about: being a good counter-attacking team is something to
rejoice, for as I have said before, I have felt we have struggled to be
clinical in front of goal in recent years. Indeed, Big Sam would admit that
weakness often.

Yet I found myself frustrated by our sloppiness, our lazy balls, and our
frequent loss of the ball. For those who felt Bilic was going to bring a
beautiful style of football akin to Arsenal I would say that he has not
delivered that. Yes, he has created an exciting team on the break, but the
idea that we can dominate a game, hold the ball, and create wave after wave
of attack NOT off the back of the opposition losing possession? That is not
what I have seen.

So this system often works well, but what happens when we play a top team
that is on fire, like City? Arsenal and Liverpool were not really a threat:
we got them on good days. Newcastle could have punished us when we were
sloppy but they were so weak. It is notable that Bournemouth and Leicester,
the latter a really in form side, are the ones who took advantage of our
lack of control on the ball and general sloppiness.

Still, nine points out 15 is good going, and a stable base for the Man City
game. The question is, will we continue to successfully work our
counter-attacking style against a team far more on point than Arsenal or
Liverpool? And come future home games against lower sides, will we be able
to truly dominate a match?

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NEWCASTLE - THE BLIND HAMMER REPORT
By Blind Hammer 15 Sep 2015 at 08:35
WTID

Slaven Bilic took a huge step towards consolidating his new look and style
West Ham team last night. The topsy turvy nature of his away form and home
form, apart from providing emotional trough and peaks, also contained real
risks. In recent history Aston Villa were an example of a side who could
achieve the occasional extraordinary result away but nevertheless struggle
and avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth because they had dreadful
home form. Bilic did much to allay any such fears by the nature of this
team's performance.

Bilic's reading of the home form problem was also proved spot on. Many,
including apparently the joint Chairman, David Gold, assumed that he would
start with the same side which completed the historic Anfield win. Gold
along with many other commentators anticipated that Moses would start on the
bench. Bilic's decision to start Moses was however entirely logical from his
analysis of the Anfield win. He said then that West Ham had the players
needed to perform away from home, but not the necessary squad depth to
enable a system capable of unlocking defences at home.

So Bilic had the toughness and analytical ability to sacrifice the entirely
blameless and unlucky Obiang from his team selection, despite the emotions
of the momentous Liverpool win. This decision provided rewards throughout 88
minutes of this match. Moses was considered by many to be the Man of the
Match. He was a constant outlook for West Ham, stretching and engaging an
increasingly demorilised Toon defence for 88 minutes until he departed the
pitch to a standing ovation. The highlight of Moses's performance was of
course his barn storming run after 48 minutes, culminating with a shot which
thudded off the woodwork for Payet to calmly complete his brace for the
night. West Ham has again the guile and pace in their team to exploit teams
with speed and aggression. West Ham under Allardyce and before seemed most
vulnerable when they were attacking, perhaps at a corner with top teams,
especially Arsenal and Chelsea set up to rapidly expose their momentarily
depleted defensive resources. Last night West Ham did unto Newcastle what
had been in previous seasons done to them. Payet's second goal arrived only
30 seconds after Newcastle were pressing with a free kick outside the West
Ham penalty area.

This squad will be further blessed with counter attacking verve when
Valencia hopefully returns to full fitness. In the meantime Moses looks a
fine recruit and may be a crucial part of the jig saw in unlocking defences
at home.

For Obiang consolation appeared in his 59th minute substitution of Lanzini.
Bilic again impressed here as few commentators saw this move as West Ham
were playing well but tactically it was spot on to consolidate the team's
position. Obiang went on to provide the stiffening and resolve in midfield
to help snuff out any threat Newcastle could mount. For a long time West Ham
managers have belatedly reacted to games with their substitutions, normally
in response to changes in the opposition Manager strategy. Bilic provided a
glimpse of a manager who will instead proactively strategise his team and
shape the game.

Despite the withdrawal of Lanzini West Ham still carried a threat. The
potency of a counter attacking verve, even at home cannot be under
estimated. West Ham's ability to hit Newcastle on the break instilled fear
and ate away at their fragile confidence. Newcastle had their moments,
especially after the introduction of Ayoze Perez and actually produced more
shots than apparently they had all season. The fact that they did not seem
to seriously threaten our victory, despite this being their best attacking
performance does not augur particularly well for their long term prospects
this season. Apparently McClaren has been rewarded with a transfer spend of
over £50 million this summer, far in excess of what was provided to Bilic.
In many ways Newcastle and West Ham are in similar stages of rebuilding both
with new Managers. On this evidence Bilic has grasped some nettles that
McClaren has not. In particular McClaren's team whilst comfortable in
possession do not appear to have assembled enough threat.

Nevertheless the Newcastle rally in the second half meant that West Ham's
defence was tested, which was in a way reassuring. Randolph confirmed the
club's judgment in signing him with a number of fine saves. Arguably he has
done nothing wrong and deserves to keep his place against Manchester City,
though Newcastle did not threaten him much with aerial crosses. . How Bilic
manages the returning availability of Adrian will again provide some insight
into his management style. Pleasingly Ogbonna was not the headless chicken
we saw against Bournemouth but again appeared a composed and classy
defender. His substitution after 42 minutes this time was due to injury
rather than ineptitude. Bilic's choice to replace him was also interesting,
rather than replacing like for like with Collins he brought on Jenkinson and
moved Tomkins into his preferred central defensive slot. This indicated the
pecking order we suspected with Collins the fourth of our centre back
options. Jenkinson also had the strength of character to provide a solid
performance and proved he had not descended from hero to zero after the
Bournemouth debacle.

Above all last night West Ham took, for the first time this season, the lead
at home. The goal after 9 minutes steadied the nerves of both the team and
the crowd and meant that we were able to cope with periods of sustained
Newcastle possession without any erosion of confidence. Payet, the home
Stadium Man of the Match, has barely got a mention in this report yet which
is to not to deny the guile and creativity of his performance. Ultimately it
was his clinical striking which won the match for West Ham and we now seem
to be a team which carries threat from all across the pitch. If Payet is
kept quiet, we have, as Lanzini proved against Liverpool, other players who
can set up and score goals. Ally this to a Sacko who seems to thrive on
leading the line from the service he is now receiving West Ham have clearly
potential to be a multi-dimensional rather than one dimensional attacking
force.

Last night was the first brick in establishing the Boleyn as again a
fortress for our final season there. There will be much tougher tests to
come but already it seems unlikely that the team as set up last night would
have endured the debacle we witnessed against Bournemouth. Football is a
confidence game and what we saw last night was a West ham team which could
grow into a powerful outfit with increased instilled confidence. Potentially
this could be a very exciting season indeed. What remains to be seen is our
resilience after adversity. My worries about this stem not so much from the
team but our crowd. The Premier League is the most competitive league in the
world. Teams like , Swansea and Crystal Palace now have financial resources
which dwarf teams like Marseille Ajax and most other European and even
global teams. We will go behind again at home this season, not just against
teams like Chelsea or Manchester City but even against teams like Watford
and Aston Villa. The challenge then is not just for the team but the crowd.
We have seen what this team can do with support. On Sunday I heard a
Leicester crowd roar their team back from a 2-0 deficit to a stunning 3-2
win. How would our crowd react if we had unluckily gone behind last night,
perhaps from a deflected goal and debateable penalty? How would we react to
being 2-0 down against Aston Villa? I know we have to have put up with a lot
of dross, especially in recent times, but my hope is that one day our crowd
can rise to the class of a Leicester crowd and provide the same unstinting
support. This season, at home, will be as much a test of the Crowd's
resilience as it is the teams'.

Come on you Irons!

David Griffith

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West Ham's Dimitri Payet used to work in a clothes shop - proof football's
not always glamorous
0 COMMENTS 11:07, 15 SEPTEMBER 2015
BY WILL MAGEE
The Mirror

After scoring a brace in West Ham's easy 2-0 win over Newcastle last night,
Dimitri Payet is most likely on top of the world right now.
Well, this clip should bring him back down to earth. Footage has emerged of
a very young Payet at his old workplace and it couldn't be more different to
a Premier League football club - this is a nice reminder that a player's
life isn't always quite as fancy as it might appear.

Back when he was in the youth team at Ligue 1 side FC Nantes, Payet had to
supplement his modest wages with a day job - he worked in a clothes shop.
Seen here all youthful and fluffy-cheeked, Payet helps customers with all
the usual awkwardness of an adolescent retail assistant. It's actually very
endearing.

He's come a long way since, obviously - hold onto your dreams, adolescent
shop assistants, for you might one day be a Premier League footballer who
bangs in goals against the Magpies.

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Hammers big loan signing set to feel the heat
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 15, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Exclusive

Michail Antonio can expect to get his West Ham call-up sooner rather than
later despite Victor Moses' impressive first outing for the Hammers against
Newcastle. The club's board have invested heavily in a big season from Moses
which could cost them almost £6 million – more if he is involved in Cup
matches at around £180k a game. And although that makes him the most
expensive loan signing in the club's history it's Antonio who is carrying
the long term faith of club insiders. The 25 year old has taken to life at
the club to the manner born and is gagging to get past Moses and into the
first team as quickly as possible. ClaretandHugh was told exclusively:
"Victor has all the experience required at this stage and is a great signing
but he's not an out and out goalscorer having managed 25 in the last five
seasons. Michael meanwhile has managed 40 in the last four – 16 of them for
Forest last season and has been fantastic in training and is applying
himself brilliantly." Moses will have to be at the top of his game if he is
to keep Michail out with our sources claiming that it's the former Forest
player who is looking the pick of the new signings at Chadwell Heath.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ginge's naughty banter with the fans!
Posted by Hammers Newshound on September 15, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Despite being touted to leave in the summer James Collins remains a massive
favourite with Hammers fans and shared some great banter with them despite
being unused substitute last night at the Boleyn Ground.

Collins warming-up on the sidelines with Andy Carroll and Michel Antonio was
serenaded with choruses of 'There's is only one Ginger Pele' during a lull
in the game from hundreds of Irons fans in the Sir Trevor Brooking lower
stand.

When he stopped his warm-up to wave to laugh and wave at his admirers he was
treated to a rendition of 'Your'e not Ginger anymore!' in reference to his
now shaved head.

Showing his naughty side Collins pointed down to his nether regions. When
the crowd responded that he could 'Get it out' he laughed and wiggled his
little finger in the air to save his manly blushes.

Whether Collins gets many games this season or not, he has a great rapport
with the Hammers fans and shows he can banter with the best of them.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big clubs to dwarf OS financial advantages
Posted by Sean Whetstone on September 15, 2015 in Sean's Blogs, Whispers
C AND H

Hammers fans believing the move to the Olympic Stadium will allow us to
compete with top six look set for a big disappointment next season.

For whilst Arsenal saw a huge £40m hike in turnover when they moved from
Highbury to the Emirates in 2006, the Irons may see only a quarter of that –
at least in the short term.

The Emirates stadium has 60,000 seats compared to the Olympic Stadium
54,000. Arsenal have 7,000 corporate seats compared to West Ham's 3,600 in
the new stadium and the Gunners season ticket prices are much higher than
the Hammers. Arsenal season tickets start at £1,014 with the most expensive
seats at £2,013 and season ticket holders are forced to buy the first three
Cup games.

By comparison West Ham's season tickets start at £289 for the new band 5
with the most expensive band 1 normal seat priced at £899 (under Arsenal's
cheapest seat). Add to that equation the popular £99 season ticket for the
under 16's and 100,000 free tickets per year for Newham residents.

The Hammers heavy discounting on the first season on season tickets,
together with half the number of corporate seats compared to the Emirates,
means the increase in revenue will be between £10-£15m per season.

Speaking exclusively to Claret and Hugh to a senior cub insider told us:

"Our (increase in turnover) will be £10m-15m as we have kept prices low at
the OS. There might be more from retail and sponsorship.

"My figures relates JUST to tickets and hospitality. Arsenal have 7,000
corporate, we have limited to 3,600 to make lots of good seats available for
ordinary (ie non corporate) supporters."

Based on 2014 released financial accounts Manchester United had a turnover
of £433m, Man City £347m, Chelsea £324m, Arsenal £304m, Liverpool £256m and
Spurs £181m as the six clubs with the largest turnover in the Premier
League.

West Ham have a turnover of £115m in 2014 so a £15m hike from moving the
Olympic Stadium would still leave us £50m adrift of Spurs, equal with
Newcastle on £130m and £126m behind Liverpool. We will be between £170m and
£300m behind the top four.

West Ham's turnover is currently 10th in the League with Aston Villa £117m,
Everton £121m and Newcastle £130m all above us in terms of financial power.

As the old saying goes Rome wasn't built in a day and it might takes
several years at The Olympic Stadium to realise the benefit. And a rise in
ticket pricing might be needed before we can financially compete with the
Leaue's big clubs.

All Premier League clubs will benefit from a new TV deal next season adding
tens of millions to every club's turnover but the top club will benefit more
– making the gulf even larger.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers issue Payet assurances
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 15, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

West Ham's new 'superstar' Dimitri Payet is attracting the sort of publicity
that Hammers fans fear will bring him all too quickly to the attention of
top Premier League clubs. But ClaretandHugh can reveal that the Irons have
the Frenchman locked into a 'no release clause' deal until 2020 and that the
club has an option in their favour for a further 12 months at the end of
that. Both Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher drew great attention to the
player's contribution to the Newcastle game following his two goal man of
the match during last night's Sky coverage of the game. And that will have
raised fears – as already demonstrated on the ClaretandHugh forums – that
the player could be eyed up by the big boys as the hype machine is cranked
up. However, we were categorically assured this morning by a top Upon Park
source that there are "absolutely no release clauses in Payet's deal." And
were there to be it's unlikely that a club would be anywhere near ready to
pay the sort of fee that would have any chance of getting him. At 28 years
of age he could not command the kind of fee that would be of the slightest
interest to the Irons and that was confirmed by David Sullivan in a
ClaretandHugh exclusive quote earlier today when claiming he would be worth
£40 million were he 21. At this moment – given the way he is affecting the
team – he is worth all of that to the Irons. We were told: "We negotiated
very hard with Marseilles on the price and with the player and his agent. He
is locked down to us – there are no release clauses."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic revolution will take us to heights
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 15, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

As was always going to be the case there were believers, unbelievers and
those who reckoned we should be careful what we wished for. I for one am
really glad I wasn't one of them and wished for something better and more
exciting with all the risks that go with such thinking. The pundits – caught
in the thrall of a manager they know and trust – warned the board us we were
getting it wrong by moving towards the new Olympic Stadium with a new boss.
But after last night's Boleyn performance in general and Dimitri Payet's in
particular, a new hope and realism is enveloping everybody – we may be
seeing one of our best teams emerging. I can hear the "oh do shut ups" as I
write but why?: We are seeing a revolution at Upton Park and it's happening
so quickly. With such as Payet and Victor Moses providing flair and style we
haven't seen down the east end for a very long time, who knows where we
could be heading. With a manager who believes in playing to feet at pace and
letting the creative players have their heads the sky really is the limit.
Five games have passed – with two defeats we could have done without and
here we are in fifth place as the league's joint top scorers. The moans and
groans at the Leicester and Bournemouth defeats were perfectly
understandable but the midlands outfit have put that in perspective and now
sit second after an extraordinary end to last season and start to this one.
Bournemouth was all about some terrible mistakes – that too has been put
right with two great wins against Liverpool and now Newcastle following.
It's the speed of it all that I can't get over. A couple of week nonsensical
'BilicOut' hashtags were appearing on social media. Today the atmosphere is
of excitement, anticipation and joy and huge optimism. If a manager and team
can produce this sort of football after so short a period of time we should
be excited, we should anticipate great things, we should be excited, we
should be hugely optimistic and joyful. I really am glad as most are that
they did dare to wish for something better. We should all be basking in
seeing hopes and dreams unfolding before us.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Exclusive: Sullivan reacts to win over Newcastle
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 15, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

West Ham co chairman David Sullivan has reacted to last night's home win
over Newcastle United and is very satisfied with what the team served up.
And he pointed out that although it may have passed a few people by the
Hammers are now joint Premier League goalscorers with 11 – sharing the
position with Manchester City and Leicester City. Sullivan was delighted
with the display telling ClaretandHugh: "It was a highly professional
performance – very satisfying indeed." And he added: "People may not realise
it, but we are the joint highest goalscorers in the Premier League. On
Saturday we take on the best defence who have yet to conceded a goal ! The
two goals from Dimitri Payet and his superb all round performance
demonstrated that the club was right to make him the priority signing of the
summer and Sullivan is delighted the player agreed to become a Hammer. The
likes of Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher – discussing the Frenchman's
contribution on Sky – seemed stunned that we had managed to sign him for
around £10 million but Sullivan explained the situation. He told us: "If
Dimitri was 21 years old he would probably have cost in the region of £40
million. We paid £10 million dead!"

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ogbonna hopes rise
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 15, 2015 in News, Whispers
C AND H

Angelo Ogbonna will face a scan over the next 48 hours as the club attempts
to discover the extent of the injury he received against Newcastle. The
defender left the action before half-time – which is always a worry -after
appearing to feel his hamstring while down injured. But this morning a
source in explaining that the player was off for a scan explained that the
injury may not be as bad as first feared. He said: "It may not be too bad
but we obviously need to put him through the process. "He was playing well.
It's a shame but James Tomkins did extremely well at central defence and
it's great that we are now so well covered in most positions." Tomkins had
been peforming well at right back but was switched to central defence with
Ogbonna's departure and is clearly booked for a place at the heart of the
back four for the game at Manchester City this weekend.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Moses: "The team were brilliant"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on September 15, 2015 in News

VictorMosesWestHam-605225Victor Moses produced a stunning first appearance
in the claret and blue last night and is determined to keep things going.
Moses completed a deadline day move to Upton Park which will cost the Irons
around £180,000 a game if he plays throughout the remainder of the League
season. His display last night will be remembered for the brilliant counter
attack which led to the second Dimitri Payet goal and sealed the points for
us. Now he clearly can't wait for the next game at Manchester City as the
team move on in a bid to inflict another shock defeat on a top four club.
Moses tweeted: "Great to make my debut for West Ham last night! The team
were brilliant now let's move on to the next game."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dimitri Payet making West Ham teammates better, hails Hammers boss Slaven
Bilic, after £10m man downs Newcastle
By talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) | Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Slaven Bilic hailed Dimitri Payet after he fired West Ham to a first home
win of the season. The Frenchman, a £10.5million arrivial from Marseille in
the summer, scored both goals as the Hammers beat Newcastle 2-0 on Monday
evening. He struck a sublime opener after just nine minutes, when Mark Noble
collected Diafra Sakho's backheel in the penalty area and laid the ball back
for the midfielder to coolly sidefoot a curling effort into the top corner.
Three minutes into the second half Payet wrapped up the win when he followed
up after Victor Moses' shot crashed against the crossbar. "It's small proof
that we really did well in the transfer window. Payet is a player I wanted
from the start," said Hammers boss Bilic. "I've known him for a long time,
he is one of those players who is not only a great player who scores goals
and makes goals, but he also makes the players around him play better." The
Hammers' first home win of the season lifted them up to fifth but Bilic
added: "I didn't set targets in terms of finishing in the top 10. "Our
target is that we want a good team that can defend with numbers and can
attack with numbers, a team who can keep the ball. "If we succeed in that
that should give us more points. But I don't know if we will be fifth, or
15th." It all added up to another miserable evening for Newcastle boss Steve
McClaren at the hands of Bilic. The night did not start well after they
arrived late at the stadium having had to walk the last mile of the journey
due to the heavy traffic. They even asked for the kick-off to be put back in
order to give them time to warm up sufficiently, but to no avail. "We can
make excuses and say the preparation wasn't ideal, but it's no excuse," said
McClaren, who lost his job as England boss eight years ago after a Wembley
defeat to Bilic's Croatia. "We felt the preparation wasn't long enough and
asked the referee to put it back. "But we didn't do tonight what we have
done for the previous four games in terms of organisation, discipline and
being hard to beat, we lacked that. "It's a learning process, and we've
learned a lot tonight. You don't like going through nights like tonight,
it's painful, but sometimes you have to."

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com




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