Daily WHUFC News -

Westley hails deserved victory
WHUFC.com

Following an enthralling 3-2 semi-final win over Liverpool at Rush Green,
Academy director Terry Westley said his side fully deserved their place in
the final. Having come from a goal down after Pedro Chirivella scored early
on, Doneil Henry's close range finish levelled the proceedings. With the
scores level after 90 minutes, Marcus Browne scored his second goal in two
games with a cushioned finish yet livewire Sheyi Ojo utilised a loose ball
to equalise. However, seconds later the Hammers were ahead, and in some
style as Stephen Hendrie's thunderbolt of a strike gave Adam Bogdan no
chance of saving. Speaking after a gruelling yet ultimately successful
night, Westley said: "We deserve to be in the final, we spoke about that
earlier in the week, that was the prize we were vying for, and thankfully
we've got there. "Tonight was a terrific advert for youth football, and now
we have the opportunity to play a final at the Boleyn Ground, in the final
season. So it's a very special opportunity and one we are all really looking
forward to, it is a massive honour. "It was a tough game, a proper game if
you like. This was everything that young players need to develop. It had
commitment, it was a passing game, there was tackles flying in. "Both teams
took it seriously tonight, whatever the team they fielded tonight, we had to
face it and be prepared to compete and that is what we did. "Everyone who
played tonight did well. There were so many positives for us tonight; it
would take too long to mention them all."

The Development Squad will now face Hull City in a two-leg final which will
take place in both home stadiums. Westley continued: "Doneil really
committed himself, as did Oxford who's has had an small injury recently.
Added to that Hendrie and Spiegel, were excellent, they've all done
superbly. "Marcus absolutely terrorised them tonight, that's his second red
card so he has to curb that but overall he was magnificent. He was so good
that he got under Skrtel's skin, so that says a lot. He has that ability
that not many people have, of breaking down lines, and running past people,
it's a skill that is getting rarer and rarer."

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Lanzini - We can dream big
WHUFC.com

Manuel Lanzini is urging the Hammers to dream big ahead of the final stage
of the season. The Argentine feels that with the side's current form and the
way they are playing, a place in the top four is possible and believes that
a strong performance against a tricky Chelsea side on Saturday can put them
on track to do so. He told whufc.com: "I think that European qualification
is definitely possible. With the way we are playing at the moment, anything
is possible. In football anything can happen, there can always be surprises
in football. "We are well placed in the table and that hasn't happened by
chance. I think we are playing well and we are having a great season with
the brilliant squad that the manager has built. "Obviously, when you are in
a position like we are, you always want more. So why not dream of being in
the Champions League next season. "I think the game against Chelsea is going
to be a really tricky one because we know that they are one of the biggest
teams in the Premier League. "We need to concentrate on ourselves though, to
continue the way we are playing and to keep trying as we have been. If we
play well, then we can get the three points."

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Young defenders bag maiden strikes

Two young Hammers were on the scoresheet for the very first time for the
Under-21s as West Ham United beat Liverpool 3-2 in the semi-final of the
Premier League U21 Cup. Doneil Henry equalised with United's first to make
it 1-1 at Rush Green before Stephen Hendrie popped up with an extra-time
winner. The full-back's late strike – a rocket with the outside of his boot
from outside the box – sent the hosts through to the two-legged final where
they will face Hull City. After the goal, which will live long in the
memory, Hendrie said: "It felt amazing obviously when it hit the back of the
net. As it left my foot, I knew it was one of those ones you know are going
to hit the back of the net. "Obviously it's the goal to send us through to
the final so I'm buzzing with it. "I've been out on loan getting game time
but when it went to extra-time, I felt fine. The last game we went to extra
time in we were knackered, pulling up with cramp, but today I felt fine so
hopefully that's my fitness levels getting better and better each game."

Fellow defender Henry, who stabbed home a loose ball inside the penalty area
early in the second half, always felt the Hammers had the confidence to win
the game. "The first goal got the spirits high. We knew we could win the
game and it's about playing and believing in ourselves. "A lot of emotion
went into [my goal]. It's been a long time coming. I'm just trying to get
games and everybody was up for the challenge against Liverpool. "Big credit
goes to the manager Terry. We've been working hard all week and the lead up
to the game started two or three weeks ago when we really started working on
the game and believing and thinking. "We keep saying it's been two years
since we've had this group of players and the programme keeps changing but
the core of this group is really good at the moment. So we definitely knew
we could take it to Liverpool today at home and the fans were great today.
"[Even at 2-2] we knew that we could go on and get the winner. We made it
really difficult and complicated for ourselves but the way Stephen finished
it off; what a relief and a great way to finish the match."

The Under-21s will get the chance to grace the Boleyn Ground pitch one more
time too, as the home final leg must be played at the club's main stadium,
and Hendrie is confident of a result.
"Of course we can win it," he said. "We can beat anyone. But it's going to
be a hard game and it's a two-leg final so we just need to wait until that
comes and we'll take it when it does."

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Slaven Speaks - Chelsea
WHUFC.com

Ahead of the Hammers' trip to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, Slaven Bilic held
his pre-match press conference.
During the briefing, the manager fielded a range of questions from team
news, facing Chelsea and going for a Champions League place...

What is the latest team-news ahead of the Chelsea game?

SB: "It's good. We have James Tomkins and James Collins still out but
they're going to be back after the Chelsea game. Tomkins will start training
tomorrow or today with us but it's still too early for a game against
Chelsea but after that we have a an international break so both of them
should be available for the next game. All the rest are good. We have a good
squad, we have a big squad now. As we expected, most of the players are back
and that's really good for us and it makes us even more confident."

The Hammers are two points off top four, did you believe you would be
challenging for a Champions League place when you first arrived here?

SB: "We are always trying to be positive. But as I told you, our season plan
was to approach game by game and to try to win every game that we are
playing and not thinking about where it will bring us. Now we are in the
situation where we are standing good. There are still a lot of points to
play for but we have a chance to finish real high but also there are a lot
of teams below us queuing and our aim is to continue to play like this and
pick up points and then hopefully it's going to take us high.

How many points do you think it would take to achieve that goal?

SB: "I don't know, I'm not using that kind of maths. All I know about
England is that you have to reach 40 points to stay up! I don't know how
many you need to get in the Europa League or the Champions League or
whatever. It's just game by game and so far that kind of thinking has put us
in a very good situation and to be fair in my opinion it is the only way
that any club should think. Because you can't go and play Chelsea and then
expect three points against whoever…it doesn't work like that. Because in
any league, especially here, there are no guarantees. We are totally focused
on the possibility of three points the day after tomorrow and try to get
three or one and then it's going to be one less game to go with hopefully an
even better position.

Do you sometimes think what could have happened if you would have had a
fully-fit squad all season – could you have even challenged for the title?

SB: "I told you that injury-wise we were in a really bad position in
November and December when we were without six or seven players like Swansea
away and West Brom home and Stoke home and Villa away but it was a very
important period for us to gain confidence and character because we weren't
losing them. We were basically drawing them and we showed stubbornness and
all that and that was very important. If those players were playing in those
games we would probably or definitely have more chances to win but then on
the other hand maybe that is the reason that we're playing good now because
some players had that little break and came back in January or February very
fresh and practically like after pre-season. Definitely we were missing
those players in that period."

Is this a good time to play Chelsea?

SB: "Yes and no. They went out a couple of competitions last week. They were
very positive so maybe they were more focused on the Champions League and
the FA Cup but now they're out maybe it's harmed the confidence and
atmosphere at their training ground. But on the other hand they are also
thinking there's nine games to go and if they click they can finish very,
very high also. In that sense it's not a great time because now they have
only Premier League and make no mistake I'm expecting them to be really
hungry and totally focused on the Premier League."

Can you tell us about the latest situation regarding Manuel Lanzini?

SB: "Lanzini is a clear situation from the start. He came on loan from Al
Jazira and we had an option and the contract is there so he's our player and
he's happy here and we're of course happy with him and we want him in the
club for a long, long time. My staff decided long ago that we want to
activate that option."

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Payet returns to France squad
WHUFC.com

Dimitri Payet is back in the senior France squad after receiving a call-up
from Les Blues coach Didier Deschamps. The in-form West Ham United has been
rewarded for a series of sensational displays in Claret and Blue and is now
set to feature in France's upcoming pre-Euro 2016 international matches with
the Netherlands and Russia. Deschamps' side will take on the Dutch in
Amsterdam on Friday 25 March before welcoming the Russians to the Stade de
France in Paris on Tuesday 29 March. For Payet, the call-up will give him an
opportunity to add to the 15 senior caps he has already earned, the last of
which came in Albania in June 2015. The 28-year-old, who made his France
debut against Romania in October 2010, has scored twice for his country.
Payet has been sensational since joining the Hammers from Olympique de
Marseille last summer, scoring eleven goals and registering ten assists in
29 appearances in all competitions. The Reunion-born player will now hope to
impress and earn himself a place in Deschamps' squad for Euro 2016, which
will see host nation France take on Albania, Romania and Switzerland in
Group A.

Elsewhere, Darren Randolph has been named in the provisional Republic of
Ireland squad for their pre-Euro 2016 internationals with Switzerland and
Slovakia, which will both take place in Dublin on 25 and 29 March
respectively.

Cheikhou Kouyate is in the Senegal squad for two 2017 Africa Cup of Nations
qualifiers with Niger, while Enner Valencia is in the table-topping Ecuador
selection for two 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers at home to Paraguay and
home to Colombia.

Stephen Hendrie is in the Scotland U21 squad for UEFA European Championship
qualifiers with France in Anger and Northern Ireland in Paisley.

Young winger Martin Samuelsen, who has impressed on loan at Peterborough
United, has earned his first Norway U21 call-up and will hope to play some
part against the Netherlands and Spain, who they face in a mini-tournament
in southern Spain on 25 and 28 March respectively.

Bradford City loanee Reece Burke is in the England U20 squad for a friendly
double-header with Canada in Doncaster, while goalkeeper Sam Howes is in the
U19 squad for the UEFA European Championship Elite Round qualifiers with
mini-group hosts Spain, Greece and Georgia.

Reece Oxford, who has been asked to participate in a photoshoot for the new
England kit, is in the U18 squad for friendly matches in Austria and at home
to Austria at St George's Park.

Burke's fellow Bradford loanee Josh Cullen is in the Ireland U21 squad for
important UEFA European Championship qualifiers with Italy in Waterford on
24 March and away to Slovenia in Koper on 28 March.

Sticking with the Irish, Declan Rice and Anthony Scully are in the U17 squad
for UEFA European Championship Elite Round qualifiers with mini-group hosts
Poland, Serbia and Montenegro, while schoolboy Conor Coventry is in the
Ireland U16 squad.

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View on the Opposition - Chelsea
WHUFC.com

West London Sport's Yann Tear lifts the lid on Saturday's opponents
Having been knocked out of two competitions in a week, how do you expect
Chelsea to react this weekend?

"It's kind of unchartered territory as Chelsea have got used to competing
for titles and trophies at the stage of the season, but now, any chance of
silverware is over. It'll be interesting to see how the players react, you'd
expect some sort of response, especially at home, in a London derby against
West Ham.
"They are playing for pride, and for a lot of them, their futures with the
impending reshuffle over the summer."

Despite that, Chelsea's league has been pretty good of late, will that give
them confidence?

"It should do, and generally, Chelsea have fared pretty well over West Ham
at Stamford Bridge in recent years. A lot will depend on the crowd come
Saturday afternoon. There's been a lot of flat atmospheres recently; the
team certainly play better whenever the crowd get behind them.

"I have to say that Guus Hiddink has been brilliant since he's come in. He's
a great organiser and the players are certainly working for him."

Which Chelsea players have stood out this season?

"By their usual high expectations, it has been a disappointing season and
last season's stand outs haven't materialised. Willian has been the standout
and has scored some crucial goals.

"It's also a shame not to see some of the younger players being given more
of an opportunity. Reuben Loftus-Cheek has impressed whenever he has played
and Kennedy, although is he very raw, certainly has huge amounts of talent."

What is your prediction for Saturday's score?

"Under Hiddink, Chelsea have drawn a lot of games so I think that is the
most likely outcome. Having said that, West Ham have been an absolute
revelation under Bilic, so a draw might not be such a bad result. Whenever
I've seen them, they have played really good football."

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Former Player Blog - Scott Parker
WHUFC.com

Former Chelsea player and England international Scott Parker starred in the
West Ham United midfield for four Premier League seasons between 2007 and
2011, being voted Footballer of the Year in his final season with the Club,
and is a three-time Hammer of the Year…

Hello everyone,

It is amazing to think it is four-and-a-half years now since I left West Ham
United. I still look for the Hammers' result after every match and, while I
was initially a little bit surprised, I have been really pleased to see how
well things have gone this season. It has been fantastic.
It is clear that the team go out there with the mentality to win every game
they play, and now I watch them on TV expecting them to score goals and win
games, too. I watched the Manchester United FA Cup tie last Sunday and it
was a tough game and one which, even last season, you would perhaps have
expected to lose, but there was no thought of that in the way West Ham
played. Slaven Bilic has done an unbelievable job since taking charge last
summer and you have to give credit to the owners for the appointment. Slaven
has quickly blended together a very good squad. They always look a threat
going forward and, as a former West Ham player, I am so pleased that
everyone at the Club is having such a good time – my former teammates and
the staff, the new players and backroom staff and, of course, the supporters
who I had such a close bond with during my time there.

I honestly don't think there is a team in the Premier League who would
relish playing against Slaven's West Ham nowadays. Even teams like
Manchester United, Arsenal and my old club Chelsea, who West Ham travel to
face on Saturday, will not fancy it, and the key for the Hammers now is to
keep this momentum up and maintain their level of performance over a few
seasons.

Next year is a big one for the Club going into the new Stadium and I am sure
that can give them the platform to go to the next level. It is a new West
Ham, really. Like everyone else, I have watched Dimitri Payet and been
impressed with the way he has performed, as I'm sure every West Ham fan has
too. I saw his free-kick against Manchester United and just said 'Wow!' He
is a fantastic footballer and is one of a group of outstanding players who
are now at the Club. If you look back and see that he cost £10.8m or
something, you have to say that's a great deal!

Payet is what you'd call a 'West Ham player' in that he has the style and
attitude that I know the West Ham fans love and what they have come to
expect down the years. He reminds me of Paolo Di Canio with his skills, so
it's no surprise the supporters love him!

I am pleased to say that Mark Noble has invited me back to play in his
Testimonial on 28 March and, if it is possible, I would love to be there to
honour Mark, who is a fantastic player, a top man and someone who I did the
running for, for four seasons!

Nobes epitomises West Ham and it's only fitting that he receives a
Testimonial in the final season at Upton Park. I am also hoping to return to
the Boleyn Ground one last time for the Final Game with Manchester United in
May, which will be an amazing occasion. It looks like being a really
exciting end to the season for West Ham!

Scott

The views expressed in this article are not necessarily the views of West
Ham United.

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West Ham's Michail Antonio turned down Jamaica for England
BBC.co.uk

West Ham's Michail Antonio has revealed he turned down the opportunity to
play for Jamaica as he still has ambitions to represent England. The
forward, 25, has caught the eye since his £7m move to the Hammers last
September, scoring six league goals. He has been overlooked by England for
this month's friendlies against Germany and the Netherlands. But he told BBC
Sport: "Jamaica called but if I keep doing what I'm doing hopefully I can
get an England call." Antonio, a former non-league player with Tooting &
Mitcham United, has flourished on the right flank for the FA Cup
semi-finalists this season. He was a Championship player with Nottingham
Forest until his transfer to West Ham, and he said he is taking inspiration
from fellow former lower league players, such as Tottenham's Dele Alli and
Leicester's Jamie Vardy, both of whom have been named in Roy Hodgson's
recent squad. "You can see it with Dele Alli, he's come from League One and
he's already in the England squad," Antonio told Football Focus. "You see it
with Vardy. Hopefully I can get the call-up as well."

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ExWHUEmployee Exclusive: Players join the club, Internationals and Stadium
News
March 16, 2016
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
ExWHUEmployee

So the Manchester United game was an amazing day out and one that shall live
in my memory for a long time. I couldn't tell you how many times I have
watched the Payet free kick but I think I have a serious addiction. It is
such a good free kick and had one of the big name European players scored
it- we would be hearing about it over and over again. It was such a shame
that we couldn't hold onto the win especially given that their goal was a
foul on Randolph but the opportunity to play them at home and another final
special cup game at Upton Park is very good compensation.

People were disappointed to potentially get Everton in the Semi-Final but I
personally do not care that much. We would have to play them in the final
if they are the best team and on our day, as we have proven, we can beat
anyone. Yes I am sick to death of Lukaku but let us hope, if we get
through, he picks up a little knock somewhere along the lines.

I wasn't going to write a column this week because I became a bit
disillusioned with the whole thing. As you all know my columns often have
many articles taken straight from them by other media places, they always
have. With some bits of the news that I share I am asked not to give too
much away and in order to get this information I have to respect my sources.


If you read last weeks' column
http://www.thewesthamway.co.uk/#!exwhuemployee/r2sdn you will see I pretty
much spelt out who the feeder club was, which the mail reported the next day
having used the info and worked it out. I also said that a key player's
contract is close to being triggered due to appearances and that the site
would bring an exclusive in the week about another big contract being
signed! I don't read other sites, I barely have time to read my own, so I
said it would appear exclusively on the site in the week. Without reading
anything or knowing otherwise, true to my word, I put out what I felt was an
exclusive. This exclusive was that Alex Song needed to start 5 more games
to trigger a new contract (this has determined his lack of starts recently)
and that Harvard Nordtveit was close to signing a pre contract with us,
something that we also reported in January. I had no idea that this had
been reported elsewhere and the backlash I received as a result was
borderline ridiculous. I am not going to bleat anymore about it but if you
do a bit of research and read my columns throughout January and compare the
news/timings on Byram, Jelavic and the "mystery" forward (Emenike) you will
see that we both reported very different things.

I can confirm that Harvard Nordtveit's move has been completed and he will
be a West Ham player next season. There will be no official announcement on
this for a while because the club do not want to "make it official" and
unsettle the team and in particular Alex Song whose future looks in doubt.
It isn't the end of the road for him and he could still earn that contract
but it is looking more and more unlikely.

The signing of Manuel Lanzini probably will not be completed within the next
few days, which others are speculating/guessing. The club still want to
hold on until the deadline (Early April) before completing the deal. The
deal is in place and literally needs us to sign the documents but we just
want further clarification that he is over the injuries that he has
sustained this year.

Speaking of injuries, as we reported on our twitter and site, Reid didn't
pick up an injury at Manchester United and it was just cramp, lack of match
fitness and the fact that he was on a booking. He will be in line to play
against Chelsea. The squad is looking very strong with only Tomkins and
Collins out and both are targeting a return after the international break.
If we come through that with no extra injuries; we will have a fully fit
team for the first time in a long while!

The international squads are announced tomorrow and there is a strong
feeling at the club (as I said last week) that there could be some
surprises. People in the club finally believe that Noble has been called
up!!! Whilst I am refusing to believe it until I see it, if he isn't, there
will be some shocked people at the training ground. If he is, his
testimonial will not be rearranged, he will just be granted permision to
attend that one day. The game will also be shown on BT Europe now, a
fantastic achievment for a testimonial. There is also a suggestion that
there could be one other shock, with another inform player making their
national team! IF this is true I am going to be extremely worried that they
will get injured over the international break.

I have seen many stories linking us with other forwards and a few articles
saying we will not sign anyone big name. The club do intend to sign a big
money player and have explored many options. You have to consider that with
our increased ground capacity and ticket prices our turn over will be
massively increased and therefore improving our FFP standing. We will also
lose Jenkinson, Moses and probably Song from the wage bill, all of which
command very large wages, more than some probably realise. There is also
the possibility of a couple of other players leaving. We have sent scouts
to watch both Batshuayi and Lacazette within the last week and both are
highly on the radar. I was asked by someone within the club to run a poll
on the West Ham Way.co.uk twitter account asking which one the fans would
prefer and it was 50/50 split on last check. We do want another forward, a
big name one, whether we actually land that forward is a different question
but the intention is there. Why bother to scout them all if there isn't?!

The club are having to hold off naming the company that owns the rights to
the Olympic stadium because there are too many contractual obligations at
the moment but it is a big company. The club had the application to extend
to 60k capacity accepted and this was always an option depending on how well
season ticket sales went. They have gone phenomenally well and this will
unfortunately leave many fans disappointed on the waiting lists as they are
huge.

The match against Chelsea sees a number of their key players out and once
again I will be going to this game. Please follow our snapchat for
coverage, before, during and after the game. Unfortunately the app kills
your battery and there is never enough signal to upload during the game but
I hope you enjoyed some of the Everton and Manchester United footage that I
have been able to secure.

The last game of the season has now be confirmed against Manchester United
and it will be a special occasion. There are plans to try and get one more
"charity" friendly scheduled in after this match and that will gives fans a
chance to have one last goodbye during the day! I get more and more sad
about the move the closer it comes, but the way to get over it I have found
is to look at how impressive the Olympic Stadium is.

On the notion of an exciting future it was great to see the Under 21s get to
the two legged final against Hull in the cup having beaten Liverpool. Many
players played brilliant but once again Samuelsen was superb and will
probably be given a new contract soon, as could two other influential
players. The youth team are really firing on all cylinders and at all ages
at the moment!

Please make sure you check out the new look site and keep tuned for many
exciting developments coming over the weeks with that. I have had some
really promising discussions on a number of different aspects of the site
and I hope you will agree when we launch them that they have moved the site
on even further in our growth.

On a separate note we have managed (at time of writing) to raise £300 for
the Bobby Moore fund through Jonjo and DT38 through selling a signed shirt.
This takes the total raised over the season to £1500 for good causes. It
makes me proud that the West Ham family have been able to give so much to
these causes and ones that are so close to my heart!! As we all know, West
Ham fans are the best in the world!
COYI

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Antonio rejects Jamaica offer
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 17th March 2016
By: Staff Writer

Michail Antonio has revealed that he recently rejected an offer from Jamaica
to appear for the Caribbean island's national team. The 25-year-old winger
has been in exceptional form in recent months, leading to an approach from
Jamaica. However the former Nottingham Forest man rejected an offer to
appear for The Reggae Boyz, preferring instead to hold out for an England
call. "I'm hoping to get some international games," Antonio told BBC's
Football Focus programme. "Jamaica called me but I hope that if I keep doing
what I'm doing I can get a call-up for England. "You've seen it with Dele
Alli, who's come from League One and with Jamie Vardy. Hopefully I can get
the call as well. "Anything can be possible. I believe that you should never
give up on your dream because at any stage it could come true."

Antonio joined West Ham in a £7million switch from Nottingham Forest last
September. Since then he has made 22 appearances for the Hammers, scoring
seven goals - including three in his last four appearances.

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BANISHING THE DEMONS
By Bobby Shovels 17 Mar 2016 at 17:00
WTID

Apologies for the tardiness in my post – I have been watching and
re-watching Dimitri Payet's free-kick from Sunday, and amazingly, it still
manages to impress. My housemate, a deflated Arsenal fan at the weekend, had
a bit of a shock when I jumped off the sofa when that ball went in, having
looked at my friend before he took and said: "It's too far out. He'll have
to pass it." As I said, still shocked.

With Chelsea away this weekend, Manchester United at home (twice) and the
potential of a semi-final against Everton on the horizon, it seems like we
are approaching a period in our recent history when a lot of this season is
about banishing certain demons that have held us back for so long. To play
Liverpool four times and remain unbeaten is a notable example of that: to
not just rid ourselves of over 50 years of hurt at Anfield, but to claim
victory 3-0, 2-0 and 2-1 at both grounds not just clears a Liverpool hurdle
– but jumps miles over it.

Now comes another obstacle: Chelsea at the Bridge. The Blues have beaten us
seven of the last nine times at their ground, and only conceded three goals
in the process. In turn, we have only won two of our last 19 league meetings
with them. So, it seems fitting in this year of transition and turmoil, that
Saturday may be the day to buck that disappointing trend. For our dip in
form against the West Londoners directly corresponds with their takeover by
Abramovich – our last victory at the Bridge came just before then, on 28
September 2002 when Paolo Di Canio got the winner to make it 3-2.

As as has been pointed out, the Abramovich era or doctrine – spending big,
rotating managers constantly, not utilising your youth team – appears to be
at its end, with no trophy on the horizon nor even hope of a European
competition next year. Despite this, with all the signs pointing to it being
the best time to beat Chelsea at the Bridge, their league form under
Hiddinck has been exceptional and it will not be simple. Having said that,
with injuries a concern for them – while we have many players coming back –
the balance is in our favour.

With Manchester United, we are lacking a win, I feel. Even at their weakest
moments under Moyes, we never capitalised and got three points. I feel we
played them at a bad time last weekend. Following their abysmal performance
away at Liverpool in the Europa League, their fans were demanding an
improvement and van Gaal's anger at the media's portrayal of his team
clearly gave them an added incentive to make more effort than they have
shown previously throughout the season.

Regarding the foul on Darren Randolph, I totally agree that it was a foul
but also understand how the referee may have completely missed it when the
ball went it. Still, having spent several days arguing with a disgruntled
airhead Man U fan, I've moved on from Sunday's disappointment. Still, the
replay will not be easy: given that the Red Devils seem likely to fall short
in the Europa, the FA Cup is their last chance of silverware. I'm not sure
how important it would still be when it is weighed up against a chance of
finishing in the top four, but still, tricky times ahead.
Again, our results against Manchester United have been disappointing in
recent years – whereas we have had some spectacular results against their
neighbours, City. I am worryingly confident that the last FA Cup game at the
Boleyn will be one to be remembered – not just because it will send us to
Wembley, but it will finally give us a good win against Manchester.

Finally, if that hurdle is passed, Everton awaits. While SJ Chandos thinks
Everton will fear us, I'm not so sure. I mean, they could have been 3-0 up
against us with only 10 men. That's not to take the victory away from us,
but even Bilic believes that things could have been totally different had
that penalty gone in. With Everton languishing in mid-table and Roberto
Martinez keen to impress upon his critics that he is a good manager, a
semi-final against the Toffees is in some regards the worst match we could
have been drawn. Watford, while they beat us away, are inconsistent and
Crystal Palace are in free fall.

So Chelsea, Manchester United and potentially Everton – three games where we
can well and truly banish some recent demons and head to the E20 – or even
Wembley – with our heads held high.

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Hammers set for fair price Man U replay tickets
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 17, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham are likely to set the price of tickets for the Manchester United FA
Cup replay at around £30-£35.

It's important to stress that no final price has been arrived at yet but the
club have pledged to keep the cost of entry lower than that charged by the
Old Trafford club last weekend

With no date yet arranged for the game the Irons are having a series of
conversations to decide on a fair pricing policy for the crucial
Quarter-Final tie.

David Sullivan has already pledged on the club's official website that
prices will be lower than at OT and the latest word is that between £30-£35
seems reasonable.

That could change with an insider admitting: "There's no decision at this
stage but we certainly will be cheaper than up there.

We need to be balanced and fair in pricing this game up and they are the
sort of figures being discussed."
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Slaven Bilic says injuries behind West Ham's top-four tilt
By Stephen Turner
Last Updated: 17/03/16 10:48am
SSN

Slaven Bilic says the seeds of West Ham's top-four challenge were sown
during their difficult autumn period. The Hammers went eight Premier League
games without a win between Hallowe'en and Boxing Day as they fought to cope
with the loss of key players. The likes of Dimitri Payet and Diafra Sakho
were missing for significant periods, but Bilic took heart from the fact
only two of those eight games ended in defeat. West Ham are now just two
points off fourth-placed Manchester City ahead of Saturday's trip to
Chelsea, and Bilic said: "Injury wise we were in a bad position in November
and December, but it was an important period for us to gain confidence and
character. "We weren't losing those games and we showed a stubborn side.
Perhaps that is the reason we are playing good now."
James Collins and James Tomkins are now Bilic's only senior absentees as he
takes his side to Stamford Bridge looking for a fourth straight league win.
Slaven Bilic says he is not sure how many points West Ham need to finish in
the Premier League top four this season. "We have a big squad now," he
said. "That makes us even more confident. We are taking it game by game and
so far that thinking has put us in a very good situation. "We are totally
focused on the possibility of three points the day after tomorrow, then it's
one less game to go."

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Havard Nordtveit a West Ham target, Slaven Bilic says
By Stephen Turner
Last Updated: 17/03/16 10:46am
SSN

West Ham are interested in signing Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder
Havard Nordtveit, Slaven Bilic has confirmed. Widespread newspaper reports
this week claimed the Hammers have agreed a deal for the Norway
international, who is out of contract in the summer and heading to England.
But Bilic says West Ham are one of a number of clubs in for Nordveit, who
was on Arsenal's books as a teenage centre-half before moving to Germany.
"Many clubs are interested in Nordtveit and monitoring the situation," he
said. "We are also interested in him." Bilic was more forthcoming on the
future of Manuel Lanzini, the Argentine on loan from UAE club Al Jazira.
"With Manuel Lanzini the situation is clear," he said. "He came on loan and
the option [to buy] is there, so we want him in the club for a long, long
time."

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Gold hints at 66k OS capacity
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 17, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

David Gold has revealed following ClaretandHugh's exclusive story that the
club has received planning permission to increase the Olympic Stadium
capacity to 60,000, that a further 6,000 seats may become available. CandH
broke the news as early as 6pm last night (Wed) and later Gold suggested on
Twitter that the further 6k seats could become available. The great news
that the Hammers fans are pushing capacity requirements to the absolute
limits came as Gold replied to a follower on the social network.

@Dan Mills?@mrdantheman123 said: "Absolutely brill Olympic Stadium to
increase to 60,000. Can it increase further (66,000) in future?

DG reponded: "66,000 seats are possible but it will take time and money. dg

The cost involved would cover such items as toilet facilities but it now
seems certain that the club is on its way to filling every corner of the OS.
And this will give great hope to the thousands who remain on the priority
list hoping that they can be accommodated.

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Slav confrms the big deal
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 17, 2016 in News, Whispers
C nd H

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has confirmed what ClaretandHugh has told you for
weeks – Man Lanzini will be a permanent signing before the end of the
season. Doubts that Liverpool and others may try to woo him away have been
regularly denied by us and this morning Slav has made it clear he wants to
the player on board for a very long time. Speaking at his morning press
conference he said: ""With Manuel Lanzini the situation is clear. He came on
loan and the option is there, so we want him in the Club for a long, long
time." ClaretandHugh can confirm the deal will be done "very soon" and has
no been confirmed to us by two key sources.However, suggestions that he will
arrive for £7.5 million as reported on some internet outlets are wrong.
The deal has been agreed with Al Jaziera for £8 million and we understand
vice chairman Karen Brady will be responsble for signing the deal. A source
said: "The media often confuse situations but your consistent reporting that
the deal will be done is 100 per cent correct."

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N'Golo Kante gets first ever France call, Dimitri Payet returns
ESPN

ESPN FC's Craig Burley lauds Leicester's attacking players as well as
midfield star N'Golo Kante. Leicester City midfielder N'Golo Kante has been
called into the France squad for the first time ahead of the friendlies
against Netherlands and Russia later this month. Kante, 24, has been
rewarded for his superb form for the Premier League leaders, while Dimitri
Payet is also recalled by France coach Didier Deschamps after a string of
outstanding performances for West Ham. Kante has featured in all but one of
Leicester's league matches this season, helping them to a five-point lead
over Tottenham Hotspur at the top of the Premier League. The energetic
central midfielder, who is also eligible to play for Mali, has earned his
first call-up at the expense of Manchester United's Morgan Schneiderlin.
Attacking midfielder Payet, 28, was chosen ahead of Nice's Hatem Ben Arfa,
while winger Mathieu Valbuena has been left out as he continues to struggle
for fitness and form at Lyon. There is also no place for Real Madrid
striker Karim Benzema, who remains suspended from the national team despite
a legal restriction being lifted last week. Benzema, 28, was charged with
conspiracy to blackmail last November over an alleged attempt to extort
money from Valbuena. He is now allowed to meet Valbuena as a result of last
week's ruling, but it had not been expected that he would be made eligible
for this month's matches because he is still recovering from an injury.
Deschamps also resisted the temptation to try to coax Franck Ribery out of
retirement after the Bayern Munich attacker hinted that he could be willing
to make himself available for France again. Euro 2016 hosts France play
Netherlands away on March 25 and Russia at the Stade de France on March 29
in their final games before Deschamps names his squad for the tournament on
May 12.

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Slaven Bilic confirms West Ham to sign Manuel Lanzini on a permanent basis
Manuel Lanzini in action for West Ham
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Thursday, March 17, 2016

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic has confirmed the club will '100 per cent' sign
Manuel Lanzini on a permanent deal. The 23-year-old arrived on loan from Al
Jazira last summer and has shone during his first season in English
football. The attacking midfielder has scored five goals in 21 games and now
Bilic has confirmed West Ham are going to take up the option to buy the
Argentine outright for £7.4m. "With Manuel it is a clear situation from the
start. He came on loan and we had an option and the contract is there," said
Bilic. "He is our player and he is happy here. We want him for a long, long
time. It is a great signing for us. "The board and my staff decided long ago
that we want to activate that option. That is done. The decision was made a
long time ago."

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West Ham agree £18.2m deal for Argentine midfielder as they close in on
Liverpool target
WEST HAM have reached an agreement to sign Manuel Lanzini on a permanent
basis from UAE club Al Jazira.
By LIAM SPENCE
PUBLISHED: 08:12, Thu, Mar 17, 2016 | UPDATED: 08:27, Thu, Mar 17, 2016

West Ham are understood to have agreed a deal to sign Manuel Lanzini on a
permanent basis. That is according to website Football Insider, who claim
the Hammers and the 23-year-old have thrashed out a five-year deal worth
£18.2million that will see him earn £70,000-a-week. Lanzini has been in
impressive form for the Hammers since joining the club on loan in the summer
and Slaven Bilic looks to have tied the Argentine midfielder down until
2021. And further reports from the London Evening Standard suggest that
West Ham will imminently confirm the £7.4m signing of Lanzini. West Ham
chairman David Gold revealed earlier in the season that the club had a
'watertight' agreement in place to sign the winger on a permanent basis.
Speaking in December, Sullivan said: "We have until April to make it
permanent but we'll probably do it before the due date. "By February or
March, he will be a permanent West Ham player. He's already sensational and
he could be as good as any player in the world." A deal for Lanzini is
understood to have been in the pipeline for a number of weeks, but West Ham
wanted reassurances on his fitness after a thigh injury. Lanzini, who has
made 17 appearances and has scored four goals so far this season, has
recently been attracting interest from Premier League rivals Liverpool, but
it seems as if they will miss out on him. And it looks as if they will be
pipped to the post by the Hammers to the signing of Borussia
Moenchengladbach star Havard Nordtveit also, with Bilic's side ready to
swoop. The Irons have reportedly agreed to sign the Norway international on
a free transfer this summer. The Bundesliga side confirmed on Twitter that
the 25-year-old midfielder will move to the Premier League at the end of the
season. They posted: "Havard Nordtveit will not extend his contract
expiring in the summer and will move to England."

Nordtveit has also been attracting interest from Tottenham and Arsenal, but
it looks like the Hammers have won the race to sign him as they look to
kickstart a revolution at the club ahead of their move to the Olympic
Stadium.

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Martin Samuelsen back playing for West Ham
HITC
Dan Coombs

West Ham youngster was featuring for their development squad last night.
West Ham youngster Martin Samuelsen was back in the club's colours last
night, featuring for their development squad.
Samuelsen was a summer addition from Manchester City last summer, and made a
swift debut by appearing in the Europa League. The teenager was then sent
out on loan to League One side Peterborough United where he has been
impressing, catching the attention of the public in a televised FA Cup tie
against West Bromwich Albion in which he terrorised the Premier League
side's full-backs. Last night as under terms of his loan, he was brought
back to feature for the Hammers in their FA Premier League Cup semi-final
against Liverpool. The Hammers fielded a strong under-21 side, with the
selections of Reece Oxford, Stephen Hendrie, all featuring alongside
Samuelsen, with Josh Cullen returning from his loan at Bradford City for the
game.
Liverpool, who fielded first team defender Martin Skrtel, went 1-0 up
through Pedro Chirivella, before Doneil Henry pulled West Ham level. A
frenetic extra time period ended with Hendrie netting an impressive winner
for the Hammers, sending them into the final.

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