Daily WHUFC News - 19th December 2015

Preview - Swansea City
WHUFC.com

The background
Two clubs seeking to end six-match winless runs meet at the Liberty Stadium
in Sky TV's Super Sunday 4pm kick-off. After claiming the scalp of Chelsea
in October, four draws and two defeats have followed for West Ham United,
while Swansea City have picked up just one point from their last half-dozen
fixtures. The Hammers scored their second consecutive 0-0 draw at home to
Stoke City last weekend, while the managerless Swans lost 2-1 at Manchester
City to Yaya Toure's last-gasp goal.

The history
West Ham and Swansea have met on 57 occasions in league and cup since a
first meeting in the FA Cup first round on 7 January 1922 – a tie which
ended goalless at Vetch Field. The first league game between the two clubs
came on 27 August 1932, when the club then known as Swansea Town – it did
not become a city until 1969 – won 1-0 in Division Two, again at their old
Vetch Field stadium. The Hammers and the Swans have met six times in the
Premier League, all in the last three seasons. West Ham have won all three
home games against Swansea, and picked up two draws at the Liberty Stadium,
including a point from a 1-1 stalemate last season. Swansea scored a 3-0
victory over newly-promoted West Ham in their first-ever Premier League home
match on 25 August 2012. In all, the pair have met 57 times in league and
cup, with West Ham winning 26, Swansea winning 17 and 14 matches ending in
draws. West Ham have outscored Swansea 107 to 73 in those 57 matches.

The match
Team news
West Ham United

The Hammers will be without six players on Saturday, with Victor Moses,
Winston Reid (both hamstring), Diafra Sakho, Manuel Lanzini and Andy Carroll
(all thigh) and Dimitri Payet (ankle) all injured.

Swansea City

In contrast to their opponents, the Swans have a near clean bill of health
for Sunday's game, with only England midfielder and former West Ham
schoolboy Jonjo Shelvey (calf) considered to be an injury doubt.

Match info
Swansea will be without a permanent manager for the second consecutive
fixture following the departure of Garry Monk. Former Swansea, Cardiff,
Southampton and Wales forward Alan Curtis will take caretaker charge.

Sunday's match referee is Lee Mason, assisted by Adrian Holmes and Stuart
Burt. The fourth official will be Simon Hooper.

West Ham have gone six league matches without a win (D4, L2), as have
Swansea (D1, L5). The Swans have lost their last three league games and won
just one of their last 13.

Swansea have won just three of their 16 Barclays Premier League fixtures,
including two at the Liberty Stadium.

The Swans have not won away from home since 30 August, when they defeated
Manchester United 2-1.
Ticketing, travel, coverage and other info
All 1,200 Standard Tickets for this match have SOLD OUT.

Rain is expected in South Wales on Sunday, with temperatures reaching a high
of 11C (52F).

Fans travelling to the Liberty Stadium will be heartened by the news that
road and rail services to and from Swansea are currently unaffected by major
road or engineering works.

If you are not heading to the match, make sure you follow all the action on
our digital channels. Our Live Match Centre has audio commentary, in-running
stats, text updates the best pictures and more, while you can get involved
in the conversation on social using the hashtag #SWAWHU.

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View on the Visitors - Swansea City
WHUFC.com

South Wales Post sportswriter Stephen Ware lifts the lid on Sunday's
opponents Swansea City

It has been a tumultuous time for Swansea City, so how would you sum up the
season so far?

"Swansea started the season pretty well, taking eight points from their
first four games, beating Manchester United and drawing with Chelsea, but
things seem to have unravelled since, culminating in Garry Monk losing his
job last week. "Swansea are on a bad run at the moment, with one win in 13.
They did draw at home to Tottenham and Everton, which weren't bad results,
but in the last month their form has really dipped. "They had two
particularly bad home performances, one against Bournemouth and one against
Leicester. They were lucky to scrape a draw with Bournemouth after going two
down after 25 minutes, and it could have been worse. "They got themselves in
a similar situation with Leicester, but they got another one after going in
2-0 up at half-time and that performance had all the makings of one which
leads to a change of manager. It looked like the team had run out of ideas a
little bit and that, in particular, is what's prompted the Chairman into
making a change of manager."

Was Garry Monk a victim of his own and Swansea's success in finishing eighth
last season?

"There have been tensions, but I don't think he lost the dressing room. The
captain Ashley Williams has spoken this week and been at pains to point out
that he had no falling out with the manager. There has been the odd incident
in training, but nothing out of the ordinary. "It's hard to pinpoint exactly
what went wrong, but a lot of the players have been involved on
international duty. Ashley Williams and Neil Taylor helped Wales to quality
for the Euros, while Gylfi Sigurdsson has been away with Iceland, who
unexpectedly qualified as well. "Perhaps the international exertions have
taken a lot out of the players. When they came back after the last
international break, individual performances have slumped. "Ashley Williams
has been sensational since he joined in 2007, but he's not been at his
normal level this year. Likewise Sigurdsson, he's improved lately, but he's
not been at his best for much of this season.
"That has been the story across the board and when you have too many
individuals not playing to their best, it has an affect across the team.
"There is also a thinking that Swansea have been doing so well, punching
above their weight for years, that expectations have reached an unrealistic
level. Eighth place last year was fantastic, but can Swansea expect to reach
those heights every season? Possibly not."They have improved the team and
expected to kick on and at least be in the top half, so they are well below
where they were last year."

Swansea have had a fairly high turnover of managers for a club on an upward
trajectory, so is there confidence that Huw Jenkins will get it right in
appointing a new manager?

"The last two – Michael Laudrup and now Garry Monk – have been sacked in
fairly quick succession, whereas before that they hadn't really sacked
anyone since Brian Flynn in 2004. All the others have gone of their own
accord – Roberto Martinez, Brendan Rodgers and Kenny Jackett before that.
"Looking at it, Swansea seem to be falling into the same pattern as other
clubs in that, when things aren't going right, they pull the trigger. They
have been quick to do that this year, perhaps because of all the extra
television money that's coming in. "Huw Jenkins has got a very good record
of finding the right man to take over, although within Swansea's story there
have been a couple who haven't quite hit the heights of others, like Paolo
Sousa for example, and Laudrup as well by the end. Not every manager has
been as successful as Rodgers or Martinez."

Sunday's game pits two clubs on six-match winless runs against one another,
so would Swansea have picked West Ham as their opponents?

"Alan Curtis will be in caretaker charge again and Swansea have got West Ham
and then West Brom on Boxing Day, so the feeling is that these two home
games are chances to pick up points and move away from danger a little bit.
"I keep reading about West Ham's injuries all the time. They seem to be
losing new players every day, so that's encouraging for Swansea. Andy
Carroll being out is a boost because he always scores against Swansea. Big
centre forwards cause Swansea problems, and Andy has done damage in the
past, so they'll be pleased to not be coming against him. "Swansea have
struggled against everyone recently, though, so it'll be interesting to see
how the game pans out."

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Right man, right time, right place
WHUFC.com

James Tomkins has been in the right place at the right time for West Ham
United this season. In the five matches that the No5 has started at
right-back, the Hammers have not conceded a single Barclays Premier League
goal! With a record of three wins and two goalless draws from those five
fixtures, it should come as no surprise that Tomkins is enjoying his new
position. "I always seem to say that it is very new to me and I am still
trying to learn the position, but I am really enjoying it as it helps with
my game," said the Essex-born defender, who has started at right-back in
victories over Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle United, and recent 0-0 draws
with Manchester United and Stoke City. "I am just trying to do the best I
can defensively. I know I can do a job there. Going forward is always more
difficult, but hopefully I am getting there. "I think it is just a case of
knowing when to go forward. Against Stoke last Saturday, I pushed on a bit
more and that comes with the confidence of playing there and getting used to
the position."

Tomkins has clearly gained the confidence of manager Slaven Bilic in his new
position, and looks set to keep his place on the right of the back four for
Sunday's trip to Swansea City. While his first job is to keep goals out of
the net, the 26-year-old knows a modern full-back also has to help his side
to attack whenever the opportunity arises – a part of his game Tomkins
believes is improving with every game he plays. "I think the manager knows
that going forward will be more difficult for me and at times he tells me to
stop getting forward when I am trying to gallop towards the other goal!" he
smiled. "Defensively he knows I can do a job, but you have to strike the
balance. Hopefully I am getting used to when to go forward and when to stay
back. "Last weekend, he was pretty much their star man I was playing against
– Arnautovic – so to play well against him does give me confidence. He makes
good runs inside and he scored two goals against Man City doing that, so we
talked about that in the meeting before the game. "The gaffer has put his
faith in me and defensively we look quite solid as a back four and we have
got clean sheets from that. We just need to get goals at the other end too."


Looking ahead to Sunday's game at the Liberty Stadium, Tomkins is desperate
to add to Swansea's troubles by extending their winless run to seven games –
ending West Ham's own six-game streak without a victory in the process. "You
never know what you are going to get with a team who have just changed their
manager," he observed. "We will see what sort of team we will face on the
day, but they are still a good team. A couple of bad results doesn't make
them a bad team. "I know they are down there though so if we can get on top
of them, the crowd are going to get on them. Everybody is looking forward to
it and hopefully we can get some points on the board."

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FA Cup fever hits the Hammers!
WHUFC.com

Demand for tickets for our Emirates FA Cup third round tie with
Wolverhampton Wanderers has been huge, with the match having clearly caught
the imagination of Hammers fans.

Tickets went on General Sale for the Saturday 9 January visit of Kenny
Jackett's Championship side as West Ham United embark on their final FA Cup
campaign at the Boleyn Ground.

Slaven Bilic's squad will leave their historic home of 112 years in the
summer and supporters are keen to bid their own personal FA Cup farewell to
the famous stadium.

West Ham are three-times FA Cup winners and have already scored some
fantastic victories in the Barclays Premier League this season, beating
Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea with some outstanding
entertaining football.

Bilic's style has enthused the fans to the extent that the Club is closing
in on a sellout for the visit of Wolves early in the New Year.

Season Ticket Holders can secure their seat for just £20 Adults, £10
Over-65s/Under-21s, and £5 Under-16s.

Prices increase by £5 in all categories for non-Season Ticket Holders.

Manchester City are the visitors for a mouth-watering Barclays Premier
League fixture at 5.30pm on Saturday 23 January and tickets are on sale to
Members now!

West Ham will be seeking to complete a memorable double over Manuel
Pellegrini's UEFA Champions League challengers, so don't miss what is sure
to be another memorable evening under the Boleyn Ground floodlights.

Buy now at whufcboxoffice.com, over the telephone on 0871 529 1966* or in
person from the Betway Stand Ticket Office.

*Calls cost 13p per minute plus your phone company's access charge.

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Rice signs first pro deal
WHUFC.com

Promising Academy midfielder Declan Rice has agreed his first professional
contract with West Ham United. The Republic of Ireland U17 international,
who turns 17 in January, has pledged his future to the Hammers after
impressing hugely for the youth team and Development Squad in recent months.
The teenager has scored three times in 12 Barclays U18 Premier League
appearances this term, while also turning out twice for Terry Westley's
Development Squad. "I am very happy to be signing here," Rice told West Ham
TV. "Since I got released by Chelsea two years ago, I never would have
thought this would happen, so I'm delighted with it. "Very hard work is
what's got me here today and hopefully over the next couple of years I'll
keep doing that and keep getting more contracts. "I found out about the
contract about four or five weeks ago. I knew it was on the cards if I kept
playing well, but I wasn't really focused on that. I was just focused on
playing well and keeping my head down. "The day I signed my contract was
also my Mum's birthday, so she was very emotional as it was a proud moment
for me and my family."

A versatile performer, Rice can operate in the back four or as a deep-lying
midfielder. When asked to label the parts of his game he is most proud of,
it is evident that the 16-year-old has plenty of qualities. "I can play in
two positions, I can play at centre-half or central defensive midfield. I
read the game well, am strong and can pass with my left foot and my right
foot. "The best part of my game is my communication. I see myself as a
leader. "As a centre-back, I think I could get a bit stronger, so I'm going
to get back in the gym and keep working hard."

Having agreed his first pro deal, Rice is now setting his sights on
establishing himself in Westley's Development Squad on a regular basis.
Meanwhile, having netted twice in three UEFA European Under-17 Championship
Qualifying round fixtures in September, the youngster is aiming for further
recognition at international level. "It's brilliant to work at the Academy
with all the coaching staff and all the players. There is a proper good vibe
and we want to keep it going, so it's all good. "It just shows how well I've
been doing this season that I've played in the Development Squad and also
for Republic of Ireland at U19 level. "I've just had a little bit of an
injury, so I want to get back fit, get in the Under-21 squad and keep
progressing. I want to get a few more starts in the Under-21s and call-ups
for the Republic of Ireland."

Looking further into the future, Rice has ambitions of pulling on a Claret
and Blue shirt at the new Stadium in Stratford, completing a fantastic
turnaround in his fortunes after being released by Chelsea at the age of 14.
"Ever since I left Chelsea and the Club took me on, I really like West Ham.
The people here have looked after me and I wouldn't think about going
anywhere else. This the Club for me.
"It's going to be the best stadium in the world, in my opinion, and the
stuff that's going to be happening there is unbelievable. Hopefully, in a
few years' time, I'll get the chance to play there. "It would be brilliant
to make my debut there in front of my friends and family and the people who
have taught me since I was young. Hopefully I'll get my chance."

*West Ham United embark on their FA Youth Cup campaign with a third-round
tie at Derby County on Friday evening.

Kick-off at the iPro Stadium is at 7pm and admission is FREE for all
supporters. The Toyota West Stand Lower will be open for fans and entry is
available through turnstiles 13-16.

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Swansea v West Ham
KO 16:00
18 December 2015
Last updated at 11:57

Barclays Premier League
Venue: Liberty Stadium Date: Sunday, 20th December

TEAM NEWS

Alan Curtis has no reported new injury problems in what is expected to be
his last game as Swansea's caretaker boss. Jonjo Shelvey could play after a
calf injury but striker Eder and defender Franck Tabanou remain absent with
ankle and thigh injuries respectively.
West Ham striker Andy Carroll is doubtful with a groin problem. Manuel
Lanzini remains out with a thigh injury that has sidelined him since the end
of November, but the midfielder should be fit for the Boxing Day game.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

Alistair Mann: "Last week's heart-breaking defeat at Manchester City
effectively summed up Swansea's recent fortunes. "Five defeats in the last
six games points to a side lacking in self-belief, yet at the Etihad they
moved the ball around with typical swagger, created good chances and on
another day would have left with at least a point. That Joe Hart was the
hosts' man of the match says a great deal. "It proved that caretaker boss
Alan Curtis can be safely entrusted with team responsibilities as the club
moves closer to securing Garry Monk's replacement. "Intriguingly, visitors
West Ham are also without a victory in their last six games, yet with most
of their best displays coming on their travels, they will represent awkward
opponents for a Swansea side without a home win since August."
Twitter: @alistairmann01

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

Swansea caretaker manager Alan Curtis on rumoured Swansea managerial target
Marcelo Bielsa: "Obviously I know his reputation but I don't know a great
deal about him, so I have been Googling him. "When a new manager comes in,
you're never quite sure how he's going to react or how he deals with
players, training and the staff. "But Bielsa's reputation as a coach is
fantastic, and if Pep Guardiola rates him as the best coach ever then he's
obviously somebody you're bound to learn from."

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic: "The keys to beating Swansea? I watched their
last five games and they didn't play the best. Sometimes they showed good
quality going forward but they were open at the back. Sometimes they were
unlucky, as they definitely were at Manchester City last weekend. "We must
be as compact as them, and then we have the quality to beat them. We have to
show more quality in the final third."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

I looked at how well Swansea played against Manchester City last week and
thought 'where has that come from?' Their tactics were no different to when
Garry Monk was in charge, apart from they all had a go. If they do the same
again on Sunday then I actually quite fancy the Swans to win this time.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
Swansea have won just one of the six previous Premier League meetings
between the sides (D2, L3).
West Ham are looking for a first win at the Liberty Stadium (D2, L1).
Swansea City
Swansea have won just one of their last 12 league matches, and have lost
five of the last six.
The Swans haven't won at home in any competition since August.
They haven't kept a clean sheet in any of their last 10 Premier League
games.
Swansea's tally of 15 league goals this season is the second-lowest in the
top flight.
West Ham
West Ham haven't won in six league games, since beating Chelsea at the end
of October, a result that lifted them to third in the table.
West Ham's last two league games have been goalless draws.
The Hammers have won more points away from home this season than they have
at Upton Park (14 compared to 10).

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Slaven Bilic: West Ham are not planning to hit the sales …unless it's an
exceptional deal
SLAVEN BILIC
Evening Standard

I suppose this is, relatively speaking, the calm before the storm. It might
be busy out there on the shopping streets and malls but as far as we are
concerned it's business as usual this weekend when we go to Swansea. After
that, things become more hectic. Christmas, for us, is a busy time,
probably one game too many if I am honest. We go to Aston Villa on Boxing
Day and are then at home to Liverpool on January 2. In between, we have a
home fixture on the 28th against Southampton which, to my eyes, makes it one
game too many. That's the way it is for everyone, so the best thing to do is
prepare as well as you can — and get on with it. Of course, the day before
the Liverpool game, something else happens: the transfer window opens.

As this is my last column before that happens, it's the right time to talk
about January and what that might mean for us here at West Ham. First of
all, I've had experience of the transfer window before, when I was a manager
in Russia and Turkey. We didn't do much business at either club but there
was some. The big plans are always in the summer, when 80 per cent of the
deals are done. Sometimes you don't plan to do much but then some long-term
injuries come along and you have to revise those plans, perhaps try and sort
out a short-term loan deal to help you over those troubles.

Also, things are beginning to be different where the money is concerned. The
extra revenue that is coming the way of all Premier League clubs means that
everyone can compete with the best.
The big spenders have always had the money — and now they have more — but
there is a limit. They can't buy another seven top players, because they
already have them. It is the clubs further down who have benefited most.
Take West Brom, for example. They didn't have to sell Saido Berahino before
they spent £12million on Salomon Rondon. It's like having an apartment that
is full of expensive furniture and 60-inch TVs and then someone comes along
and gives you a big wad of cash. What more can you buy? You have it already.
Someone else, though, who has an apartment but not the furniture can use the
money to good effect. That is a big reason why the Premier League this
season is so tight. We are not planning to be active this January. I said
this before we had the injuries and I say it again now. The only way that
would change is if something exceptional became possible, the club wanted to
do it and it would raise significantly the quality of our game.

With regard to our injuries, they're all ahead of schedule. Manuel Lanzini
is very close, while Dimitri Payet is ready to begin light training on the
pitch. If all goes well, he will be back in full training with us in two
weeks. Even Victor Moses and Winston Reid, with hamstring injuries, should,
if everything goes well, be ready again in four weeks. That only leaves
Diafra Sakho, who will be longer.

This is what I have told the players: that we have to get through this
period of three or four weeks, but then the good point will be the players
will be back physically and mentally fresh for the second half of the
season. Up until now, we are doing okay. I was proud of the way the players
performed against Stoke and, before that, Manchester United. It is a mixed
feeling, though, because we didn't win. Don't get me wrong, I believe we
have done well without our injured players but when they are all there I am
so confident against any team. Even when we are not at our strongest we've
shown we are equal to most teams.

One final thing on the transfer window. There has been some speculation that
one or two of our players could go — James Collins is one who has been
mentioned. For me, 'Ginge' is a manager's dream. It has not been easy for
him at times because he has been out of the team for some periods. But
before, during and after every training session or match, he has been an
important part of my squad — he has been so positive.

Up until the injuries, there was a possibility that one of our offensive
players could possibly go in January, possibly on loan, but not now. If
anyone wants to leave, if they come knocking on my door, then perhaps we
would consider it, but if that doesn't happen then no one will be going.

This is the time for Christmas parties and I have been asked where I stand
on them as far as the players are concerned. I like to trust my players.
They've already had their party — yes, that's Andy Carroll below! — after
the Manchester United game and before they went I talked to the senior
players. Don't forget I was a player once and I went to those parties. It's
all about the timing. They enjoyed themselves but came back okay. It's also
about the balance. You don't want them going wild but then again it's
traditional and it's once a year. Don't forget, they have been under
pressure, too. We also went out together, the players and the staff, to a
restaurant in central London earlier this week. This time, though, it was a
quiet one!

It's been a weird week for us after moving training grounds from Chadwell
Heath to Rush Green, a couple of miles down the road. I like Chadwell Heath,
I have my routine there but for some, like Mark Noble (third from left), it
has been part of their regular routine for years. It's like his second home.
I miss it, to be fair, but I decided to move because of the pitch. The facts
were showing that, for some years, we have been picking up injuries there
and so I felt we needed to make the change to help the players,
psychologically as much as anything. We will carry on training here until
the end of this year. Then, when we are into January, we will review the
situation.

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Former Chelsea youngster signs pro terms
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 18th December 2015
By: Staff Writer

Republic of Ireland youth international Declan Rice has signed a two-year
professional contract with West Ham. The 16-year-old central
defender/defensive midfielder, who was released by Chelsea two years ago
admitted that he was "delighted" to sign pro terms with the Hammers. "I'm
very happy to be signing here," he said. "Since I was released by Chelsea I
never thought this would happen, so I'm delighted. "I found out [about the
new contract] four or five weeks ago and I was really shocked, to be honest.
I wasn't really focused on that, I was just focusing on playing well and
keeping my head down. "I've got a little injury at the moment but I hope
when I get back, I can get in the Under 21s squad and keep progressing.
Hopefully I can get a few more starts for the 21s this season and earn
another call up for the RoI."

Rice - who still supports Chelsea despite having been told he has no future
at the club in 2013 - scored against his former club back in September as
West Ham's Under 18s became the first team to beat them this season. However
he insists there is no question where his professional loyalty lies since
making the move from west to east London. "I really love West Ham and the
people who look after me here are very good," he said. "I wouldn't think
about going anywhere else, this is the club [for me]."

* In other Academy news, goalkeeper Sam Howes has joined National League
South club Wealdstone on a short-term loan. 18-year-old Howes, who has
represented England at Under 17 and Under 19 level has joined the Stones on
a month's loan. He will replace regular number one Jonathan North, wh ois
set to undergo a knee operation.

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Carroll out of Swansea trip
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 18th December 2015
By: Staff Writer

Andy Carroll is unlikely to feature against Swansa on Sunday due to a groin
injury, manager Slaven Bilic has revealed. Already struggling to cope with a
lengthy injury list, Bilic revealed this morning that he had almost
certainly lost the England international ahead of this weekend's trip to
Wales. "We have a situation with Andy Carroll in that he is feeling his
groin," he told the media at his morning's pre-match press conference.
"We're going to see today but it looks like he'll be off for the Swansea
game, which is a big blow. "I think it will be one game only, that's what
the medical team has told me. It's nothing major. We have the choice of
Valencia or Jelavic up front. "They are quality players, they are good
players and they are different players. Maybe the two of them will play
together. We still have a couple of good strikers on our roster, even
without Sakho and Carroll."

Already missing half of his first choice starting XI - including Sakho,
Payet, Moses, Reid and Lanzini - news of Carroll's impending absence only
adds insult to injury. Yet Bilic says he has been happy with the
contribution of those fringe players who have been drafted in to replace
their unavailable companions. "The bonding, the quality and the character we
have showed are positive, of course, so I'm really confident for Sunday's
game," he added. "If we keep that kind of team spirit when these players
start to come back, it's all very positive, but we have to go through this
period of two or three games without them."

Following the trip to Swansea on Sunday, West Ham face Aston Villa next
Saturday (Boxing Day), Southampton at the Boleyn two days later (28
December) before completing their holiday programme against Liverpool at
home on 2 January - a total of four games in just 13 days.

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No sell out for Swans trip
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 18th December 2015
By: Staff Writer

Swansea have been unable to sell out this weekend's clash with West Ham -
despite having temporarily reduced ticket prices. Although match day adult
tickets for this Sunday's Premier League clash have been reduced to just £30
across the board, the Welsh club still have plenty of tickets available for
sale and are still pushing them - just 48 hours ahead of the game.
Managerless since parting company with Garry Monk last week, former West Ham
managerial candidate Marcello Bielsa remains one of the favourites to land
the post. However that is unlikely to happen before this weekend's clash
takes place - a game from which West Ham will be seeking their first win in
seven matches. One player who will be doing his best to deny West Ham that
much-needed victory is Swans star man Andre Ayew, another who was linked
with a move to the Boleyn Ground in the summer. The 26-year-old Ghanaian
international has scored six goals in 17 appearances for the
under-performing Jacks since moving to Wales in June and admits that he and
his fellow team mates need to win the game for their fans. "In this
situation we need points, and we will do everything we can to get points at
home," he told Swansea's website. "The supporters will be behind us again.
Lately it has been difficult for them because of our results, but hopefully
we will make them proud on Sunday. "Hopefully our fans will be enjoying
their Christmas with three more points to our tally."

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West Ham join Manchester United, City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs
on football's rich list
Last Updated: 18/12/15 10:23am
SSN

West Ham are listed in the top 20 of a new football 'rich list'. The Hammers
proposed move to the Olympic Stadium, coupled with their improved
performance in the Premier League, has seen their potential value rise to
£196m. The survey, by the London School of Marketing lists Real Madrid as
Europe's most valuable club with an estimated worth of £2.07bn with
Manchester United (£2.05bn) just behind them in second. Barcelona (£2.007bn)
are third with Manchester City (£2bn) fourth - Chelsea, Arsenal and
Liverpool are the other English clubs in the top 10.
Tottenham are listed as the 13th most valuable club although their potential
worth is also set to rise after they were given planning permission to start
work on a new 61,000 capacity stadium.

1. Real Madrid - £2.07bn
2. Manchester United - £2.05bn
3. Barcelona - £2.007bn
4. Manchester City - £2bn
5. Bayern Munich - £1.492m
6. Chelsea - £870m
7. Arsenal - £832m
8. Liverpool - £624m
9. Juventus - £531m
10. AC Milan - £492m
11. Borussia Dortmund - £445m
12. Paris St Germain - £403m
13. Tottenham - £381m
14. FC Schalke - £363m
15. Inter Milan - £279m
16. Atletico Madrid - £277m
17. Napoli - £224m
18. Newcastle United - £222m
19. West Ham United - £196m
20. Galatasaray - £187m

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LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AT WEST HAM? YOU MUST BE JOKING.
By Daniel Margrain 18 Dec 2015 at 17:00
WTID

I'm sure that I speak for the vast majority of West Ham fans when I say that
the start of each season is met with an air of extreme trepidation. The
feeling of anxiety in anticipating what is to come in the opening six weeks
or so of any campaign is exacerbated if our first game of the season happens
to be a home fixture.

From a personal point of view, I can barely get through the hours leading up
to the opening Saturday afternoon kick off without exhibiting a combination
of cold sweats, nausea and nervous fidgeting. I can only compare the
experience to my school days during the hours leading up to the time when my
exam results would drop from the letterbox on to the hallway floor.

You know you have to face the proverbial music at some point but don't want
the potential disappointment that comes with it. You tell yourself you want
to know the results of your exams but paradoxically, at the same time, you
fear the dreaded fail, rather like sitting through a horror movie with your
hands "covering" your eyes. Similarly, I dread putting on Final Score,
particularly during the opening day of the season and particularly if the
game is at home.

The agony is prolonged due to the fact that our home result is invariably
the last Premier League one to be read out, just as it was the case that
Ardleigh was one of the last streets on our posties Basildon round.
Non-football fans are simply unable to comprehend the suffering we football
fans have to endure on a Saturday afternoon. Every season has been the same
for me since I can remember and the 2015-16 season was no different.

As our pre-season Europe campaign under our new charismatic manager turned
out to be nothing less than an unmitigated disaster, expectations for a good
premier league start were low. After confounding the football world with our
amazing opening league victory against Arsenal away, confidence was high for
the next few games.

But West Ham being West Ham, we lost the next two at home on the bounce to
less than glamorous opposition before turning it around with three
subsequent victories, two of which were nothing less than stunning against
Liverpool and Manchester City respectively.

With 12 points in the bag after our opening six games, I felt as though I
was, to a degree, in a position to be able to relax. Of course West Ham fans
never totally relax. As all life-long Hammers supporters will know,
expectations for a successful season are typically medium to non-existent.

If in this current campaign, the Hammers were to finish in a top eight
position and have a good cup run I'll be relatively happy. Despite our
recent hiccups in the league, not least in part due to our mounting injury
list, I believe our squad is strong enough to secure a top half finish.

With our move away from our spiritual home at the Boleyn into the Olympic
Stadium at Stratford in east London from next season, it's important that we
finish high up in the table in order to attract new players to the club
while keeping hold of our best.

With a manager and former player (who appears to be finally attuned to the
entertainment ethos of the club that the fans demand) pretty much cemented
into place for the foreseeable future, things are as solid as they can be
for a club of our size and the relatively limited resources we have at our
disposal.

As far as the fans are concerned, off the park shenanigans are, at least on
the surface, good as well given that those who run the club plan to
substantially reduce season ticket prices in an an attempt to fill the new
stadiums 54,000 capacity – a model that other clubs have apparently been
encouraged to adopt.

But as I will hopefully be able to argue persuasively in the remainder of
the article, this is a double edged sword. Here's the problem: According to
the April 22 edition of the Guardian, West Ham United are paying just £15
million towards the £272 million cost of converting the Olympic Stadium
despite the fact that, should the club still be a Premier League outfit next
year (which seems highly likely), it will – under the terms of a new TV deal
– be entitled to a payout of at least £99 million.

Small business people, many of whom run their businesses on extremely tight
margins, might be scratching their heads as to how it can be that certain
elites within football, are seemingly immune to the kind of market forces
that the rest of us are compelled to adhere to?

I'm not one of these obstinate traditionalists who is intent on stifling
change. On the contrary, I embrace it. I'm excited as the next man about the
move to our shiny new stadium. However, what I'm less than enamoured by is
arguably the morally and financially expedient trade off that allegedly
comes with it. I have no insight into the medium to long term business plan
model that the club has in place, but it would surely be churlish to deny
the directors at the club have not been eyeing up something along the lines
of the Arsenal model.

I'm not arguing here that non-transparent deals are unique to West Ham
United, it's just that I'm uncomfortable with the idea of us engendering
success both on and off the field in a way that is, I contend, symptomatic
of what I regard as a malaise that seems to have become an accepted, and
some might argue, intrinsic aspect of socioeconomic and political life in
our country.

That the kinds of non transparent business practice described seems to have
become a normalizing feature of not only professional football and other
sports, but in public life more broadly, is not something West Ham fans, or
indeed any other fans, should readily embrace without serious critique.

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THE NEVER-NEVER
By Terence Bates 18 Dec 2015 at 11:53
WTID

I grew up like many in humble origins in the 1960's where only the rich had
a car or a colour TV. I can remember the man from Provident coming to
collect payments at the door so that my single-parent Mother could buy
things like clothing for the family.

If you looked at finance options then it was termed on the 'tick' or 'The
Never-Never' meaning you either paid for it twice or what I always thought
was, you never stopped paying. The man from The Provident seemed to be at
our door every week to collect money, the debt never seemed to go away.
Credit cards were as far from thought as the thought of mobile phones and
computers . As a consequence of this upbringing I do not borrow money, I
don't buy anything unless I have the funds, the only exception to this is a
property mortgage.

Also as I was growing up I remember the story of Jimmy Greaves, the top
tiers highest ever goal scorer returning to the UK after Chelsea sold him to
AC Milan, and then sold him back to Spurs in a deal worth around £99,999,
the idea of £99.999 was in order to not burden Greaves with the tag of being
a 100k footballer. This was one of the first ever international transfers to
the UK. Such was the shock of the deal and the delicate nature owing to
currency exchange controls, the Chancellor of the Exchequer from the then
Conservative government had to sanction the transaction.

In a bizarre take on the transaction Greaves was considered similar to
luxury goods and by classifying the transaction in this way they could
navigate around the controls and justify the transaction and concerns of the
balance of payments. My how things have changed…

In the 21st century loans and finance have got way more sophisticated and
have formed a massive part of our economy and sadly has culminated the
legalising of virtual loan sharking as companies whop out interest rates as
high as 5000% under the banner of payday loan type schemes. The Never Never
is back and alive and knocking on more of the populations doors than ever
before.

The explosion in easy credit has fuelled unprecedented rises in consumer
spending as we look to get the latest gizmo and gadget and football has not
escaped it's inflationary and complexities, as we see deals worth millions
and millions increase year on year. Greaves as 'luxury goods' was at that
time bought outright by Spurs. Now days clubs put together various schemes
to construct purchases and also some of these involve elaborate loan schemes
without retaining the ownership registration of the players involved.

Chelsea have an incredible 39 players loaned out to other clubs. Whilst
there is a limit on the number of players you can loan in, you can loan out
as many as you like. In Italy Juventus reportedly have 58 players farmed out
elsewhere and another Italian club Parma at one point had 226 players
affiliated to them… they unsurprisingly clogged themselves up in such an
economic mess they went bust earlier this year.

This system favours the money bags clubs who can greedily buy up all the
best players and in order to comply with FIFA rules simply rent them out
like some mega property owning landlord, for Rachman read Rachomovic.

I can understand the benefits of developing younger players and they gaining
valuable football experience by playing in lower leagues, but there is
clearly a massive abuse going on here.

I have never understood the logic of Carl Jenkinson, Alex Song or now Moses
loan deals with West Ham all of whom are well passed the 'development'
stage. In the case of Jenkinson, I believe the uncertainty and the message
it sends out affects his confidence…. Sorry son you're not good enough to
play for us, here sign a new deal with us and we will farm you out to a
lesser successful club'. Confused? I would be.

Jenkinson has been dire this season; he looks a lost soul. I watched him
close up in the match against Bournemouth, he looked terrified. I believe
the rejection from Arsenal (because that is essentially the message coming
out) has affected his confidence, it would mine… how would you feel in the
same situation? Jenkinson of course started from the mandate of young player
development but has evolved into something else. Jenkinson has now been
dropped by Bilic and one can assume his confidence is shot to pieces.

It is one thing to loan a player out to get playing time and experience in
order to develop the player but something completely different to hedge your
bets and throw players around like a cement mixer you'd hire from HSS.

Okay I get there are success stories, Alex Song would never have made it to
West Ham from Barcelona, the loan system can work as a prelude to a
purchase, a 'try before you buy' ethos, I can see that. But I do believe it
is time to tighten up and regulate loan schemes within the football industry
and create a tidier transaction system in the movement of players between
clubs.

As I stated earlier the richer clubs benefit from the current system as they
are enabled to buy as many players as they like and then lease them out
elsewhere. There needs to be a cap of say 10 players that can go out as well
as a limit on those coming in on loan. These loan out schemes also need to
have a time limit that is age related placed upon them.

Jenkinson now looks like the modern day equivalent of the never-never, he is
never going to make it at Arsenal and based upon his current form he is
never going to make it at West Ham. In fact, he might now never make it at
all.

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Slav has shown sheer class and quality
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 18, 2015 in Hugh's Blogs, News,
Whispers
C and H

West Ham's Slaven BilicNot a single excuse – not one! It would have been so
easy to have moaned and groaned from the moment this appalling injury jinx
struck the club but that's not the Slaven Bilic way. Instead he has managed
to put a positive spin on everything: Payet's absence? That gives Lanzini
his chance? Lanzini missing? Zarate will step up to the plate, Moses? Ok
Michail it's down to you.
And all the way down the line he has got a reaction from the squad as one
after another they have gone down like a row of nine pins and along the way
changed training grounds. Now it's Carroll's turn to suffer another absence
yet all we hear from the boss is that it will only be for one match and all
the other players are rushing their way back to full fitness. In the
meantime he declares we have top strikers in Valencia and Jelavic!

I'm not going to make a comparison between Slav and the former boss because
quite simply there isn't one. In fact after nearly more than enough years
than I want to remember covering football I've never seen a boss quite like
him. They all make excuses, they are all economic with the truth and any
opportunity to find a handy reason for defeat is taken. So as this Christmas
approaches I have my present and am still enjoying it – the arrival of a
manager who not only 'gets' us but refuses any approach than to take
everything that comes his way totally in his stride and refuse to be
anything other than entirely honest. Compare that approach to what we've
seen from Jose Mourinho over recent weeks – again Slav has shown himself to
be entirely different class. Thanks for the first five months of your
reign. I'm looking forward to the next five years and beyond with great
expectation. I just love the honesty and the refusal to do anything other
than accept whatever happens out on that pitch is down to him. Such a change
– such an almighty refreshing change.

Thank goodness Moyes said no, Benitez was otherwise engaged, Ancelotti
reckoned there were bigger bigger fish to fry and Klopp waited to be Kopped.
We got our man – the best man. Merry Christmas.

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Young Iron tipped to "force his way into team"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on December 18, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Brilliant Martin Samuelsen has recovered from injury and is expected to
continue his unbeaten run in a Peterborough United shirt at Blackpool
tomorrow. The 18 year old was injured after returning from London Road and
scoring the winner in an under 21 match for the Irons against West Brom to
end the Baggies' unbeaten run. But Posh director of football Barry Fry
revealed this morning to ClaretandHugh: "He's fit, has trained twice this
week and will be in the team at Blackpool tomorrow. "The guy is critical to
us. He can make the difference between us being in the play-offs and
actually winning the League. I just hope we can keep him until the end of
the season.
He beat four players in training the other morning and smashed it past the
keeper. All the lads just stood and applauded him. He may be the best young
player I've ever seen and I've been around a very long time. "This league
will toughen him up and I believe he is absolutely bound come back to West
Ham next season and force his way into the team. He's incredible."

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Payet to resume training
Posted by Sean Whetstone on December 18, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Slaven Bilic has confirmed Dimtri Payet should resume training in ten days
time. Speaking at his pre match press conference ahead of Sunday's match
against Swansea City Bilic said. "Lanzini and Payet are doing really well.
Lanzini should be ready for the Villa game and Dimi should start to train in
ten days"
The manager said the team are positive despite news that Andy Carroll is
likely to be unavailable "We are positive. After Man U and Stoke I said we
want to win, but I said the way we fought and played without players was
good" said Slav Slav and the team have been training at Rush Green all week
and Bilic added: "The pitch we are training on is really good – much better
than the pitch at Chadwell heath. It is good at Rush Green. It's going to be
our new base and it needs a bit of work. The main reason why we changed was
the pitches"

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Andy Carroll Out Injured
Posted by Sean Whetstone on December 18, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Slaven Bilic has told a press conference that Andy Carroll has a groin
injury and is unlikely to be available for Sunday's away game against
Swansea. Bilic told reporters in his pre match press conference "We have a
Andy Carroll situation where he is feeling his groin and he could miss the
Swansea game which is a big blow. It's one game. It's nothing major. The
scan showed a little bit of a problem. Not long term but it's very unlikely
he's going to play" "We have the choice of Valencia or Jelavic up front.
They are quality players. Maybe the two of them will play together"

"The keys to beating Swansea? I watched their last five games and they
didn't play the best. Sometimes they showed good quality.Going forward but
they were open at the back. Sometimes they were unlucky, as they definitely
were at Man City last weekend.We must be as compact as them, and then we
have the quality to beat them. We have to show more quality in the final
third. Swansea started the season good, especially the guys up front. They
bought Ayew and with Gomis and Montero they were dangerous.Then their form
dropped off, as happens to teams. You lose a bit of confidence and freedom
and then you lose games. Garry Monk last year, considering he is a Swansea
legend, did brilliant so to be out of it in 16 games is sad and shocking"

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Gold proud of home grown player stats
Posted by Sean Whetstone on December 18, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham Chairman David Gold is proud of the amount of time home-grown
Academy players have played this season. Gold tweeted to his followers "West
Ham have used home-grown Academy players for 2629 minutes this season. Five
teams have none. Man. City are on 166 minutes. dg" Reece Oxford has made
three appearances with 132 minutes on the pitch in the Premier League and
Josh Cullen one appearance and one minute. The majority of West Ham
home-grown Academy players turning out for the West Ham first team came in
our Europa League games against FC Lusitans, Birkirkara FC and Astra
Giurgiu. Elliot Lee, Josh Cullen, Diego Poyet, Martin Samuelsen, Reece
Burke, Reece Oxford, Kyle Knoyle, Jordan Brown, Alex Pike, Doneil Henry and
Lewis Page all took an active part in our European adventure.

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Bilic on Mourinho
Posted by Sean Whetstone on December 18, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Slaven Bilic has spoken of his surprise at Jose Mourinho's sacking "I can
only say about Mourinho that I'm definitely surprised. It was the subject of
rumours for the last couple of months but I'm still surprised. When you are
the best in the business you have many people who would like you to fail"
"It's a big loss for the league and Premier League is going to miss him. I
really hope he is not lost because we'll miss him a lot. I don't believe any
player will deliberately have a bad training, not to mention a bad game.
They are top professional players"
"Nobody knows if Jose would have turned it around. Chelsea are in an
uncomfortable situation, but they are not panicking. I do believe he would
have turned it. It's not the only time this happened to a big club. It
happened to Borussia Dortmund last season" "Every time a new manager comes,
it's always at the start new energy and very positive and you get a couple
of wins.There are more clubs or teams sacking their managers when situations
like this occur, than those who stick with their managers. Ten years ago you
were laughing at Italian clubs sacking their managers every year and now
it's happening in the Premier League" "Mourinho going shows nobody is safe.
You have to enjoy your job, do your best and work hard for the club you are
in"

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Slaven Bilic puts return date on Manuel Lanzini and updates on Dimitri Payet
training
10:03 18 December 2015
London 24
Brad Pinard

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic hopes Manuel Lanzini will be back to face
Aston Villa on Boxing Day. The playmaker has been out for around a month
with a ligament injury, but is set to return to training on Monday and will
be involved over Christmas. West Ham are hoping to seal a permanent deal for
Lanzini after his impressive start to the season on loan from Al-Jazira.
Bilic hopes they will both be back soon, with Lanzini ahead of schedule.
"Lanzini and Payet are doing really well," Bilic said. "Lanzini should be
ready for the Villa game and Dimi should start to train in ten days." West
Ham travel to Swansea on Sunday without a host of key men which also
includes Andy Carroll now.

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Juventus demand £21m for West Ham and Crystal Palace target
Express.co.uk
WEST HAM must break the bank if they want to sign Juventus striker Simone
Zaza, according to reports.
By JOE SHORT
PUBLISHED: 07:37, Fri, Dec 18, 2015 | UPDATED: 08:05, Fri, Dec 18, 2015

Zaza, 24, is out of favour in Turin and is free to leave in January. Juve
are keen to make a profit on their summer buy from Sassuolo. And Italian
newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport claim their valuation of the frontman peaks
at around £21million. Andy Carroll is the Hammers' record signing, arriving
at he club on a permanent basis in 2013 for just over £15m. West Ham boss
Slaven Bilic is reportedly considering moves in the transfer market -
although Zaza may be out of the boss' price range. Gazzetta also claim
Crystal Palace are keen on landing Zaza during the January window. Palace
manager Alan Pardew brought in record signing Yohan Cabaye over the summer
for £10m and may be given more money to spend in January should a £100m
investment deal with a group of American businessmen be completed by the New
Year. Zaza has scored five goals for Juve this season but the Italy
international has made only 10 appearances. The forward signed permanently
for Juve after his dual ownership with Sassuolo was scrapped in the summer,
with West Ham failing to secure a deal before deadline day. He has so far
struggled to earn games behind Alvaro Morata, Paulo Dybala and Mario
Mandzukic in the Juve front line and Gazzetta claim he will be swiftly sold
if a club meets their asking price.

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