Daily WHUFC News - 21st March 2016

Cresswell - We thought we could win
WHUFC.com

Is it a sign of how far West Ham United have come this season that they left Stamford Bridge disappointed with a point on Saturday. Manuel Lanzini and Andy Carroll twice had the Hammers in front against last season's champions, only for Cesc Fabregas to strike at the end of both halves to secure a 2-2 draw. Aaron Cresswell was close to getting on the scoresheet himself when he hit the bar in the second half and he admitted to a touch of frustration at the final outcome. He explained: "We're very disappointed with the circumstances in which we drew the game. It was the same when we played Man Utd last week, we went to Old Trafford and we were disappointed to come away with a draw. "I thought we fully deserved to win. I don't know whether it was a penalty or not, but it's another draw and another point on the board."

West Ham made a lightning start to the game, harrying their hosts from the off and moving in front thanks to Lanzini's stunner and Cresswell had praise for both goalscorers. He added: "A couple of months ago we had a few games where we started slowly, but that's not been the case in the last few weeks. "Manu came up with a great goal today, then big Andy came on and got the second goal for us. "You won't have the full 90 minutes against Chelsea, and Andy came on and changed the game for us to put us on the front foot, and we just couldn't hang on for the three points."

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Stat's a Fact - Chelsea
WHUFC.com

The strength in depth that West Ham United now possess has become more and more evident this season as Slaven Bilic's substitutions have influenced a number of results. From Victor Moses' game-changing cameo at Norwich City, to the goalscoring comeback from Diafra Sakho at Everton, the Gaffer has been able to turn to his substitutes time and time again to great effect. The Hammers were at it again on Saturday when, with Chelsea having started the second half purposefully, Andy Carroll was introduced to the action. He stepped off the bench on the hour mark, and just two minutes later he had finished past Thibaut Courtois, following an inviting pass from Dimitri Payet, to put the Hammers 2-1 up. It was Carroll's fourth goal of the season – two against Chelsea and three coming when he has entered the game from the bench. His impact was clear at Stamford Bridge, as the No9 won a game-high five aerial challenges, despite only being on the pitch for 30 minutes. He also got away three shots – only Dimitri Payet had more on the West Ham side – as he helped the visitors get back on the front foot and come so close to completing a famous double over their west London rivals.

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Farewell Boleyn Memorial Service
WHUFC,com

The West Ham United family gathered at the Boleyn Ground on Sunday morning to remember dearly departed loved ones. Hundreds of Hammers fans turned out to pay their respects to those whose ashes have been scattered or buried around the Boleyn Ground or in the Memorial Garden down the years, and those whose names are remembered on the Commemorative Bricks. The memorial service itself, led by Club Chaplain, Reverend Alan Bolding, culminated in an emotional rendition of Bubbles, before supporters were invited to conduct their own private tributes pitchside.
Bill Sutherland, whose mother's ashes rest in the Memorial Garden, was understandably struck by the poignancy of the occasion. "I think it's vital that the people who came here on Sunday could say their goodbyes," he explained. "That was the most important thing. "Unfortunately, the people that we've come here to celebrate are not coming with us. It's just nice. This is where they wanted to be."

And Bill recalled his mother's very first European away day with the Hammers, an impulsive trip to Romania, no less. He continued: "She decided on a Tuesday that we were going to go to Steaua Bucharest on the Wednesday in the UEFA Cup and at 66 years old she went to her first ever European away game. "And boy was it cold, it was wet and we got beaten 2-0. But what an experience, it's an experience that you share with your loved ones over the years." Reverend Bolding, meanwhile, was humbled by the turnout on the day and honoured to have been part of the occasion.
He said: "It was a privilege to be involved. Everything I say, I say with feeling and sincerity and I just hope that people take comfort from that. "It was really special. There were a lot of people, with a lot of different memories and different ways of remembering their loved ones. There's been terrific feedback from people saying how pleased they were that the Club did something like this. "To get that many people – I couldn't believe it when they were streaming in, I thought wow. People have travelled a long way to be here and I know there were people in Canada, Australia, South Africa, who would really have loved to have been here, but they were here in spirit."

Martin Hart was grateful for the opportunity to revisit the site of his father Norman's final resting place one final time. "It's unique. We've been privileged to have the benefit of a great welcome by all the staff, a lovely service, and the ability to have time, which is something that is precious to people. "My father loved West Ham for 65 years and was a Season Ticket Holder for about 45. We were brought up over here."We are a West Ham family and we are here because we left his ashes at the Bobby Moore goal, so we came back to have another chance to walk around and see him, and pay a last farewell to the Boleyn Ground."

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Young Hammers comeback stunts Chelsea
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's U18s emulated the first team with a highly credible 2-2 draw away at Chelsea. Having slipped to a 2-0 deficit, the young Hammers battled back to secure a valuable point with goals from Dan Kemp and Jahmal Hector-Ingram. The young Hammers opened the game strongly and could have taken the lead, however it was Chelsea who opened the scoring when Ike Ugbo's well-timed run and finish beat England youth international goalkeeper Sam Howes. In the second half, Jacob Maddox doubled the hosts lead with a curled effort, before Danny Kemp netted his sixth goal in seven games from the penalty spot and Jahmal Hector-Ingram stabbed home to pull the Hammers level. Having had their last two fixtures postponed in recent weeks, it was the Hammers first taste of league action since the 2-2 draw at home to Fulham at the end of February.
The Hammers made four changes to the team, with Howes returning between the sticks in place of Tim Brown and Oscar Borg, Sam Ford and Vashon Neufville replacing Mason Barrett, Jake Eggleton and Alfie Lewis. In a frantic opening to the game, both sides used their pace and skill to thread dangerous passes to create openings yet but both defences stood strong. On 27 minutes, Declan Rice came forward for a corner and was found on the edge of the box by ex-Chelsea player Kemp, although his wonderful volley was acrobatically turned round the far post by keeper Jamie Cumming. It was the hosts that broke the deadlock midway through the opening period when Tariq Uwakwe's pinpoint ball through to Ugbo was confidently dispatched into the far corner by the 17-year-old England youth international striker.

West Ham reacted by having chances of their own through Hector-Ingram and Kemp, but neither could find a way past Cumming. Just before the half time break, Chelsea were denied a second when playmaking midfielder Mason Mount found space inside the box and beat Howes however defender Tunji Akinola got back quickly to head clear off the line. At half-time, Steve Potts' changed the formation by replacing Ford with Matty Carter which allowed the Hammers to become more effective in midfield. On two occasions, West Ham could have leveled; first Akinola's header bounced clear off the crossbar, before Anthony Scully's poked effort was well saved by Cumming. Against the run of play, Chelsea doublde their lead when Maddox picked the ball up outside the box and bent an unstoppable effort into the top corner off the underside of the crossbar. West Ham made their final two substitutions in an attempt to find a combination that would find a route back into the game, replacing Scully and Oscar Borg with Reece Hammam and Idris Kanu. Within a couple of minutes, West Ham did find the route back when substitute midfielder Carter was tripped in the penalty box and Kemp fired low into the corner. The equaliser came with just ten minutes to go when Neufville burst forward run, which ended with his shot being blocked and fortunately falling at the feet of Hector-Ingram, who stabbed past Cumming into the corner of the goal. Chelsea raised the tempo after letting a two goal lead slip, but West Ham held strong and secured an impressive point from the draw. The Academy are next in action on Saturday 9 April when they travel away to Manchester City.

U18: Howes, Neufville, Borg (Hammam), Rice, Akinola, Sylvestre (c), Scully (Kanu), Diangana, Kemp, Ford (Carter), Hector-Ingram.
Subs not used: Matrevics.

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Andy Carroll upbeat over West Ham's European chances despite Chelsea draw
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 20/03/16 10:46am
SSN

Andy Carroll says West Ham will not let up in their pursuit of European football, despite the "upsetting" 2-2 draw against Chelsea on Saturday.
Cesc Fabregas scored a controversial 89th-minute penalty to earn Chelsea a point after referee Bobby Madley adjudged Michail Antonio to have tripped Ruben Loftus-Cheek, although replays showed the contact was made outside the 18-yard box. Carroll looked to have set West Ham on their way to their first victory at Stamford Bridge for 14 years with his fourth goal of the season, but Fabregas scored his second after a superb free-kick on the stroke of half-time had cancelled out Manuel Lanzini's exceptional opening goal. "All the lads 100 per cent want us to get into Europe," Carroll told the club's official website. "That is what we are pushing for. It would have been nice for us to come away with a victory and push us even higher up the table, but we will have a nice break and come back and work harder from there. "It was a bit upsetting to only get a point. We conceded just before half-time and then just before the end which is upsetting. But we worked really hard and we did deserve the win.
"I have had a look back at the penalty incident and it looked just outside of the area so it was unlucky that they were given a penalty. "I said last week there are not many teams who come away from the big grounds disappointed to have only got a draw. "Last week we had that feeling against Manchester United [in the FA Cup quarter-final] and it is the same against Chelsea that we have not got the three points." The draw left West Ham in fifth place in the Premier League table on 50 points, with only eight matches of their season remaining.
Carroll also ended a run of nine games without a goal by netting a minute after coming off the substitutes' bench following an excellent pass from Dimitri Payet. The 27-year-old added: "It was a great ball in from Dimitri and the 'keeper came rushing out and left a gap down the side of him and I just had to put it in there so it was a nice start. "It feels good to be back among the goals. Obviously I was not starting but it still feels good to come off the bench and score."It was an incredible strike from Manuel and he has got that ability. It is no surprise to us that he put it in like that."

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Gold slaps down Chelsea fan's Twitter jibe
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 20, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

David Gold has given very short shrift to a Chelsea fan trying to give him a hard time over the Olympic Stadium. After seeing his team cheat their way to a draw against the Irons yesterday a Twitter follower tried his best at baiting the Irons co chairman by dredging up a subject which has been aired relentlessly and maybe to beyond even boredom. Enjoying a small moment of spotlight from OS envious fans via 69 Twitter 'likes' cfc away @Cfcaway tweeted: " Why should the rest of London subsidise you new ground?" The question of course – which has been answered a million times – should have been posed to those responsible for agreeing the deal with West Ham – the London Legacy Development Corporation who are ultimately responsible for what does and doesn't happen at the stadium.. Gold, however, chose to respond saying: "The tax payer is not subsidising the OS the tax payer is investing in a vibrant, profit & job generating project. dg"

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Slav tells team they must take some blame
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 20, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Slaven Bilic – whilst bitterly disappointed late 'penalty that never was '- has half suggested the Irons only had themselves to blame for yesterday's draw at Stamford Bridge. Our manager has always told it as it is and usually refuses to apportion blame on officials or anything else accepting the game's variables with common sense, honesty and balance. Such is the case again with the boss suggesting we should have put the game to bed some time before we faced another falling over trick from an opposition player. I wonder what on earth Louis Van Gaal would have had to say about that one! Instead Slav declared: "I know that we deserved more than a draw. We were the better team for the majority of the game."

And then came the rub as he suggested the team had been guilty of over-playing at times saying: "At times we were playing too sexy and not penetrating enough but we should've scored a third. To concede a goal that late was gutting."

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Hiddink should take a leaf from Slav's book
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 20, 2016 in Hugh's Blogs, News, Whispers
We won't labour it any further except to say this!

Perhaps we have become so used to honesty from our new manager that it came as an unpeasant moment when Guus Hiddink gave his entirely predictable and WRONG view on that late penalty.

He said: "I was happy with the late penalty decision. It's difficult for me to make a judgement – I think he was tripped on the line. On the line is part of the box."

Slav on the other hand – along with those of us watching the game and the replay knew full well that Antonio hadn't touched him, and was outside the box as was the offence.

Guus , it's not hard to make a judgement – simply watch the replays and come to the right conclusion before opening it.

I have a lot of time for Hiddink but he has done himself no favours this time around. He sounds like any other lucky boss spouting the kind of twisted logic which gives football such a poor name in many areas.

West Ham's football is top class – others should see us as an example of how the game should be played.

But perhaps even more importantly, our manager's attitude of total honesty could be seriously followed to improve the image of a game so badly tarnished by dishonesty and mixed messages.

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West Ham captain on another England snub
March 20, 2016
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
BKHammer

West Ham skipper Mark Noble has shrugged off another snub by England coach Roy Hodgson and insists that instead he is concentrating on his forthcoming Easter Monday testimonial match. Leicester City midfield man Danny Drinkwater got the call for England's forthcoming friendly matches, but Noble was ignored once again, prompting a huge backlash from Hammers fans on social media.

When asked about it, the in-form midfielder was in reflective mood to London24. "Do you know what, to be honest, I am just getting on with playing my football and getting on playing for West Ham," said the 28-year-old who has been in the form of his life this season as the club stays close to the front-runners.Read more at:

"I have got my testimonial coming up which is fantastic and is going to be a great day for me and the family as well as for the West Ham fans. "We have some real good old heroes coming back, so I have put England to the back of my mind and I am just looking forward to the next week coming." If he had been called up, then it would have put the sell-out testimonial in jeopardy as England play that week, but that does not seem to have been the reason for Noble's exclusion from the squad for games in Germany on Saturday and at home to Holland the following Tuesday. "You know what? I didn't even think about that. I have had so much to do with the plans for the testimonial. We would have crossed that bridge if it came to it, but we haven't and so we can really look forward to Easter Monday now," he said. "Of course, it would have been a nice dilemma, but it has gone now." Gone and it looks like his last chance of making the England squad for Euro 2016 may have gone too.

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Referee Performance Analysis - Bobby Madley - Chelsea vs West Ham
March 19, 2016
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Sam Royden-Ryell

After an impressive performance against Manchester United in the FA Cup last weekend, our focus shifts back to the Premier League and pushing for European football. Chelsea are the hosts and the West London rivals are in good form going into this game. Bobby Madley has the pleasure of being selected to officiate this London Derby.

A very disappointing first half performance from Madley. The newly promoted FIFA Referee was least than impressive. The first caution of the game was for Chelsea's right back Branislav Ivanović. The Serbian defender clipped West Ham's star man Dimitri Payet after the frenchman won the ball from the grasp of Ivanović to start a promising attack. Madley was spot on to issue Ivanović a caution for this type of foul to prevent the opposition from attacking. The first big decision he had to make was to wave away handball appeals from the Chelsea players and the home fans on Enner Valencia. Gary Cahill floated a ball into the West Ham penalty area and West Ham striker Enner Valencia controlled the ball high up on his chest near his collar bone. Madley was correct to dismiss these appeals as it wasn't a hand ball. Throughout the first half, Madley made a number of mistakes including a couple of challenges in the first 10 minutes from Chelsea players catching West Ham players from behind without any action. The biggest talking point of the half was the distance of the wall for Chelsea's first half equaliser. West Ham defender Winston Reid blocked Chelsea's Brazilian Oscar from progressing around 25 yards from the West Ham goal. Madley issued a caution for this which I can agree with as Reid lost control of the ball and was trying to make up for his mistake. However, Madley failed to mark where the free kick should have been taken and so Cesc Fabregas moved the ball back a couple of yards while Madley was positioning the West Ham wall. This ended up being at least 12 yards back instead of the normal 10 yards. This was a huge mistake from Madley. Firstly, the Vanishing Spray was brought into the game to ensure that 1) the attacking team cannot move the ball forward or behind where the foul originally took place 2) the defenders in the wall cannot exceeded that mandatory 10 yards. Madley should have checked that the ball was behind the vanishing spray line and order Fàbregas to correct the position of the ball. It is extremely disappointing to see such a lack of initiative from Madley considering the distance of the wall. Angelo Ogbonna was subsequently cautioned after Fàbregas equalised for his protest on the distance of the wall. Madley also was deceived earlier on in the first half after Kenedy stumbled and clattered into West Ham's powerhouse Cheikhou Kouyaté. Madley gave the foul which I didn't feel there was any contact by the West Ham player.

After a disappointing first half, Madley didn't improve in the second half in my opinion. After already making countless errors and failing to see Fabregas move the ball back for the Chelsea equaliser, Madley started the second half by missing blatant fouls by the Chelsea defence on the West Ham strikers. They were pushing, climbing and holding Sakho, Carroll and Emenike when they were introduced by Slaven Bilic. Before I get to the most controversial decision of the game, the first caution of the second half was for West Ham midfielder Cheikhou Kouyaté. The Senegalese midfielder caught Chelsea playmaker Pedro and I agreed this warranted a caution. Chelsea fans and players were vocal again for the second time in the match, appealing for a handball on Winston Reid after the West Ham man put his body in front of a Chelsea shot. You can clearly see that Reid's arms were by his side and this was not a handball. Madley was getting more and more unpopular as the game went on as he attempted to play advantage after Antonio fouled Pedro. Pedro played the ball to Willian who was attempting to proceed towards the West Ham goal but Madley blew as he didn't feel there was any advantage to the anger of everybody in Blue. Madley only allowed the advantage to play for 2 second before he brought the foul back. In this instance, he should have allowed Willian to continue playing.

Now, the most controversial decision of the game and a decision I find myself rewriting about every week with Premier League referees. Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek was running towards the West Ham goal when he went down under an apparent challenge from Michail Antonio. After some deliberation and what seemed to be consulting his assistant referee, Madley pointed to the spot for a penalty. Firstly, there was no contact by Michail Antonio on Loftus-Cheek; you can clearly see in the replays that the Chelsea substitute actually tripped himself up. Secondly, whether Madley thought there was contact or not, the first initial contact was made outside the box and Loftus-Cheek then fell into the penalty area. Thirdly, Madley was in two minds where the first initial contact was made and had to consult his assistant referee. This was a shocking decision and it's the second time within the last couple of games where the referee has taken a guess at where the initial contact was made and assumed it was inside the area which has led to controversy. It is extremely frustrating that once again a poor decision was made which would have been cleared up by Video Technology. Football needs this technology to allow for these decisions to made correctly. I can sympathise with referees as the game is so incredibly fast but I always got taught that if you're not 100%, you do not guess, especially with something that could be potentially game changing.

Overall, Madley had a very poor game and it was clear he was out of his depth. He missed a lot of fouls for both teams which were incredibly basic decisions. As a referee, you are there to be in control of the game and apply the Laws of The Game where necessary. You can tell that he wasn't conformable in making the big decisions. Madley booked Adrain and Willian for kicking the ball in the final stages of the game and failed to control the players after a West Ham player was fouled. I can guarantee that the FA will punish both teams for failing to control their players when instead it should be Madley who needs a strong talking to as he didn't control the game. I am very disappointed in Madley's performance and it is such a shame that a decision by a referee cost West Ham 3 points in a game where West Ham were deserved the win.

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